You have to go. It's fun, and the food is darn good. There are a few loose ends, but you're in Roscoe, not St. Louis.
Here's an important early sign that things will go well: the place is immaculate. Tidy, tidy, clean, clean, without being sterile. Plenty of personality, no grime.
We began our evening at the bar. The drinks were mixed by Patrick O'Shea, the owner, who was a fun conversationalist. The bar was bright, welcoming, and smoke-free. (Side note: I just picked up on the Web that Patrick has put the Griz up for sale so that he can spend more time with his young kiddo; I can't predict what will happen if he leaves.)
When we reached our table, we found that our server was grizzly, in a nice sort of way. He was perhaps a bit rough around the edges, perhaps dressed more for fishing than for serving, perhaps a bit too kinetic, but he was attentive, so what the hell.
In terms of meal style, the Grizzly is a throwback. I don't know whether that's intentional, or whether Patrick doesn't know the difference, but it's been a long time since my salad was served in a big glass bowl for the whole table, with tongs and a stainless-steel three-dressing carousel (blue, ranch, and French). The tinfoil wrap on the potato was festive, but I don't like what tinfoil does to bakers--they end up dense and moist, not flaky. For some reason, I wasn't offered a carousel of sour cream, bacon bits, and chives. I got the toppings--it's the carousel that I missed.
What matters most, of course, is the steak. My NY strip was big, thick, and correctly cooked to rare-plus. It had the character (not chewiness, character) that a strip is supposed to have. If you like soft steak, order a ribeye. My strip was far superior to the weakling that I got at the Carbon County Steakhouse in Red Lodge.
The one weakness of the steak was mostly correctable. It was cooked and served without seasoning. You can add salt and pepper at the table, but it's better to season the raw meat. I know, some people want their steak unseasoned or under-seasoned, but I can tell you that a great steakhouse chef does more than heat meat. If a chef served you lasagna with oregano and garlic powder on the side, what would you think?
Making the omission more painful, the menu offered a dose of the Griz's secret rub for only $2.99. So (1) they knew that a proper steak should be seasoned, and (2) they thought that I was crazy enough to pay three bucks for a half-ounce of seasoning. But I wasn't.
My complaints are small. For a place like this, in a place like that, the Griz is a home run. And a sunset drive from Red Lodge to Roscoe is spectacular. read more