Some of the best French food you'll find in Montana. Really enjoyed the snails, raclette and duck confit. The only thing that wasn't at least decent was the beef tartar, but you can easily avoid it as the other appetizers are all worth getting. Parking is pretty easy on the street but make sure you make reservations especially if its a big party. read more

Outstanding food and service. Maybe some of the guests could dress a little better for such a fantastic restaurant! Everything was great! Thanks read more

I would give them two and a half Stars if I could for their wine selection and atmosphere, appetizers were pretty good main courses fell really short of the mark and the service was rude. read more

The ambiance was wonderful! Great food and service. Great wine list. So fun to find this place with great food and went on over to the baseball game! read more

One of the best hidden gems of Missoula! The wine list is outstanding, and the food is even better. Be sure to start your experience with the olive appetizer - to die for! We had four of the cheese plates - each was an unexpected treat - like nothing I've had before - delish! Ambiance for an intimate date night or a small group gathering. I will definitely be back! Chef Jess presented us with a beautiful beef tenderloin, risotto, and bison short ribs. We all had to share because each was delicious. Be sure to get in before it's crammed packed with reservations. read more

There's a bartender at Montgomery Distillery named Brett. He's the nicest, most attentive dude. I always miss him when I go somewhere else for a drink. I tried Boxcar for the first time tonight and it was the first time I didn't miss Brett (you're still my #1, Brett). The people who work at Boxcar are lovely, inquisitive, excited to advise on their wine list, and just generally friendly and kind. The food and drink were great, but the people are A+. read more

Excellent choice for lovers of French wines and cuisine! Spent an enjoyable evening chatting about several wine regions in France with the restaurant's owner. The duck entree was authentic and tasty. read more

The reason Im giving this rating at 2 is because of the wait on our food and what we experienced and observed during that wait for our food. We had ordered our food, and after about 30 minutes a table of four walks in before they even had drinks, the chef walks out from the back with a giant plate of food ready for them. Note, we had already been waiting at this point now 35-40 minutes for our food and to see a group of people being catered before everybody else that was waiting for their food was upsetting. The cook proceeded to go around fist, bumping everybody at this table. Thinking we only had a couple minutes left before we received our food. The chef came back out again with another plate of food for this group. We are now sitting at an hour wait for our food. I then proceeded to watch one of the gentleman shovel fries in his mouth tipping his head back loading as much as he could in his mouth with food overflowing onto the floor. it was a disgusting sight to see considering how much money we were spending in a very nice luxurious restaurant. Don't get me wrong. Our server was amazing. But seeing others being catered before those who were waiting was frustrating to see. Then when our food finally came out, the chef made this server walk around him instead of getting out of the way. All four of our plates were less than Luke warm. The beef cheeks had no flavor, my duck confet tasted like it had been sitting and was reheated and my friends raviolis looked over cooked and all the edges were so crispy it crunched and you had to work to swollow it! All in all the cooks need work and need to know what's acceptable to those coming in and expecting the same service as everyone else. read more

Food, service and ambiance were delightful!! By far the best meal we had in Montana.

Our experience was amazing! Ben walked us through the menu, suggested wine pairings, and was super fun and friendly. We all ordered different items, then shared them. Everything was amazing! We tried the sardines, beef tartar (which was the best I've ever had), Salmon, Bison short ribs, Risotto (1st fav), and Beef tenderloin (2nd fav). It was all so good! The bread pudding was also delicious. Highly recommend this place to anyone who wants an intimate atmosphere with delicious food. read more

We tried this new restaurant in Missoula this evening. After losing the Red Bird and Pearl there was a hole in the fine dining for Missoula. Our first impression of this was the beautiful custom velvet drapes that graced the entry, the dark rich blue wall with gold accented chandeliers and sconces. There was so much attention to derails when designing this restaurant. The tulips contrasted the wall, the beautiful vintage looking crystal glasses, the China... I was in love with the detail. Then came the food! The wine selection was amazing, we tried the olives... which were delightful and delicious, served warm. My husband had the short ribs and I had the tenderloin. We both agreed that I had the best dish. It was AMAZING!! The potato's were sweet with the tart cherry reduction, the steak was cooked *perfect* with smoky asparagus. I LOVED it . We will definitely be going back. I am so glad that Missoula has a fine dining experience that I want to go back to. Next time I want to try the cheese. I overheard the waiter talking about this Vermont cheese. Makes me excited again about food in Missoula. read more

Boxcar Bistro - French Near Me - Missoula, Montana

I'm not sure what has happened to the Boxcar Bistro mantra, "great food at great prices", but this fine restaurant has definitely taken a turn in the wrong direction. I gave friends a gift card and they used it one date-night recently. The "special" was a steak "topped" (dumped) with crab meat: $60.00. The wine list, while still very impressive, will put someone in the bankruptcy level for any of the fuller bodied bottles. Really? I have touted this place as one VERY special place to eat great food at affordable prices. It seems that management has decided that money is more important than quality. Almost every item has increased in price, and there is not a lot of "extras" to justify these increases. The last time I had duck confit, I had to wonder how many times can it be reheated in sous vide? Very disappointed. read more

We LOVE this restaurant, and have had nothing but stellar experiences here. Namely I'd like to highlight the food & service . Something unique and unexpected in Missoula! However a word of caution: Do not try and replicate their recipes at home. We love the Grenoblaise and had family visiting from the Midwest so we thought we'd add a little hometown "flair" to it. I replaced the Halibut with a whole Cabbage and the lemon juice with Mayonnaise and it was AWFUL. I mean just terrible. My husband suggested we replace the super cool scalloped potatoes with a wet roll of toilet paper and see if they noticed because he thought the sauce was THAT good. The combination of wet toilet paper and mayonnaise sauce just made for a very unpleasant digestive experience. Everyone was talking like sand monsters. We also couldn't make the potatoes correctly. I glued a stack of lays together and baked them. I think one of our family members suffered botulism poisoning from it.... Anyways! Point being, GO TO EAT IN PERSON. It's honestly the only way to experience the best cuisine in Montana. read more

We had an amazing dining experience here last week. The food, wine, service, and ambiance were all incredible. We were fortunate enough to sit at the bar and chat with Ben about the restaurant's absolutely unbelievable wine list (in SoCal, it's virtually unheard of to be able to taste some of the truly special glasses on their outstanding list) and get to taste some awesome new wines based on his recommendations. We are long-time, well-traveled foodies and we were blown away by this little place in Missoula - definitely a must-visit for out-of-towners and locals alike! read more

Fabulous! Our Uber driver mentioned how good this restaurant is on our way into town. Took a chance and showed up last evening, hoping to get a seat at the bar. It must have been our lucky day, because a "no-show" had just opened up a corner table for two. Everything was lovely ... from the warm woods and textiles, soft lighting, to the friendly, welcoming staff. We started with the salad paysanne, their version of the house salad. They have elevated the "lowly house salad" ... lightly dressed, with walnuts, crisp veggie chips, and salty bacon -- delicious. We also had the steelhead fish with summer veggies and their burger with fries. And the croissant bread pudding. All were beautifully prepared and delicious. We also were very pleased with Boxcar's suggested wine pairings, affordable and a nice pour. It's located near the Missoula PaddleHeads ball field, just a short drive from old downtown Missoula. read more

Great service and we didn't feel rushed. Our food was amazing. We enjoyed how small the restaurant was.

Recently eloped in Montana and we had our first dinner as husband and wife at this new eatery in Missoula! The food was to die for - they were super accommodating with our reservation months before given the occasion and I have to say this is my new fav place to dine in Missoula. Don't miss the steak tartare and the caviar! read more

What A delightful find tucked away in a cool new area of Missoula. Authentic French cuisine, a wonderful atmosphere and an exquisite wine list make this Missoula's newest cool place. Highly recommend but you'd better get reservations as the word is getting out! read more

Boxcar Bistro - Beef Tenderloin paired with a lovely French wine! - French Near Me - Missoula, Montana

We were looking for a place to cap off a week of phenomenal skiing and stumbled into this one. The three of us could not have been happier with our food, service and ambiance. I wish I remembered our server's name because he was awesome, but without a doubt highly recommend this place to anyone in the area. read more

We had heard wonderful reviews of this place and we were ready for a wonderful experience. We took our very wonderful friends who were celebrating a 90th birthday as well as a very long marriage. The interior experience was extremely loud and we could hardly hear our normal conversation ( we are older and somewhat hearing impaired). The wait person was wonderful and the highlight of our evening. The food fare was ok but not at all spectacular as we expected for the spectacular price. Very disappointed. read more

Another fabulous experience at the Boxcar Bistro! Our friends enjoyed it too. The wines were spectacular! Had to order the olives and cheese plates again. The escargot needed more garlic and our pepper grinder was empty. Otherwise it was a stellar meal. Fantastic service! Just love the stemware, the China settings, and the chic surroundings. We will be back with more of our friends! read more

What a delightful dining experience! The staff and service were lovely - attentive and genuinely kind. We had the olives and sardines as appetizers - both tasty. Our group had the duck confit, risotto and burger - all were beautifully prepared and delicious. The recommended wine pairings were spot on. As other diners have mentioned, the bread pudding was outstanding - made me want to lick the plate! We will absolutely return for more! If you have a hard time getting a reservation, consider early dining ;) read more

We stopped in Boxcar on a weekend trip to Missoula and it was excellent! We got a cheese course, the steak tartare, the salad, the steelhead, steak frites, creme brûlée, croissant bread pudding, wines, and coffee. All of the food was excellent, and the servers were very helpful in picking wines. We didn't have a reservation and were worried about a wait, but we got there right around 6 on a Friday and were able to sit at the bar immediately. The service was great and the staff were all very pleasant. I was also shocked at how low the bill was when we got the check. I would definitely return here and recommend it to anyone! read more

Boxcar Bistro - Steak tartare - French Near Me - Missoula, Montana

Fabulous dinner! Super creative menu! Great service! We loved the Raclette and the tenderloin and the short ribs ! The creme brûlée was excellent and left an after taste of rose water ! read more

Fantastic food, atmosphere, service, HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you want a first class meal!!

My wife and I ate here during our trip to MIssoula, 2021. We had read the reviews and decided to give it a try. We wanted outdoor dining because of covid. They do not reserve the outdoor tables, but we went at 5 pm and there was an outdoor table available which was great. For appetizer my wife had the escargot. It was loaded with garlic, herbs, and butter as well as dipping bread to get the garlicky butter out after you eat the escargot. I had a salad Paysanne which was really good. For her main course my wife had the Duck Confit which was great. The beans that were part of the dish were absolutely delicious. The duck was perfectly cooked. I had the Seeelhead en Papillotes. This was a piece of pink steelhead which was poached in parchment paper with fenne, anise, lemon and red peppercorns, It was light and cooked to perfection. We topped the meal off with bread pudding made with croissants. This was light and flavorful. The waitress gave us great service and we were very happy that we came here. We will come back the next time we are in MIssoula. read more

extremely please with the food, the service and the atmosphere. such a warm comforting environment with great staff. i'm halfway through this meal and already posting my review. so pleased i came in :) read more

What a quaint little spot! So cute inside and we had great service. Everything we ordered tasted great. The marinated olives were so good..served warm with yummy bread. The raclette with the fig jam was tasty as well. I mean that burger is to die for!! Salmon was cooked perfectly and the sauce on the tenderloin was very yummy. Great wine selection and the prices are fabulous. Had the croissant bread pudding...delish and not too sweet. Can't wait to come back! read more

Wonderful food, service and atmosphere. It was a perfect dinner to cap off my summer vacation.

Boxcar bistro is such a lovely little spot. It somehow feels cozy and warm but also cool and a bit bougie, even though the prices are anything but, it's so affordable! I've been in several times and now and from the server that greets you warmly at the door, to the bartender who will tell you all about the amazing wine/cheese selection, everything makes for a really nice experience service wise. It's honestly tough to choose a favorite menu item. Even the apps are generous portions, really nice for sharing with friends. The raclette with bacon jam is a must, or the sardines, or the escargots......again, tough to pick. I had the tenderloin with a cherry? Sauce, and it was cooked to perfection. The croissant bread pudding is also to die for. Perfect for an affordable date night or a fun spot with friends. Only potential downside is you do need a reservation most of the time because they are usually full. read more

Great new Missoula Bistro. We had a great experience. Risotto and salad was off the hook for vegetarians. Wine list competes with any other restaurant in town! read more

This place was amazing. Waitress was very attentive and helpful (Amanda I think). Food was awesome... Steak Frites was a huge hit for our group. Great atmosphere. Duck and short ribs were also yummy. Would definitely recommend read more

Well, last night was an awesome feast with friends where we indulged ourselves in every glorious option. Tonite was a celebration for two for successful hip replacement surgery. This is the place to go for friends, celebration, a friendly local gathering place of people who love great food and wine. Last night we tried basics - French onion soup (oh, yum), escargot (also yum), and best of all the flight of 4 kinds of caviar!! Caviar, in Montana, wow any time, but double wow to have Russian caviar with buckwheat tiny blinis (tiny pancakes) and creme fraise. Heaven in tiny teaspoons. That was followed by the Beef Bourgogne, Duck Confit, and Raclette. Of course, croissant bread pudding followed. Now, I have forgotten to mention the wine. Some Crement champagne, and two amazing reds. Our favorite - Caymus - we shared again tonite. But we tried the Sardine Rillettes and oh wow, what a treat. I had the Tenderloin with Foie-gras and it was the best tenderloin I have ever eaten - that is quite something for a beef loving Montanan!!!! It is from the amazing ranchers in Eastern Oregon. My husband had the Burger also with local pasture raised foie-gras. Never underestimate an amazing burger with lovely additions and frites. So after a perfect meal and perfect wine - yes, Caymas again - we lingered over our wine, visited with the staff/owners, and simply enjoyed watching others enjoy fabulous food, wine, and beer. Next week - the only choice is which day. Hope to see you there!!! read more

We ate dinner at Boxcar Bistro this evening and found the place noisy but pleasant. However, we stood at the door for about 10 minutes before we were seated. Once seated, the service was only so-so: our server was very chatty but not overly attentive. Our food arrived fairly promptly, but our first course was not cleared before the second arrived. My partner was very happy with his salad and steak, but said the frites were pedestrian. My beef tartare was much too salty, to the point where it was impossible to taste the meat. For some reason, no bread was offered with the salad. The dessert selection was not very interesting, and of the three offerings, one was gone. The wine and beer selections were excellent and varied. On the plus side, the coffee was excellent and the prices more than fair. We decided that we would definitely give it another try, but wished it was a bit more French and less Montana. read more