I'd be lying if I told you I wanted to go here on a Friday night. A quiet town, a small bar, random locals. In my head it was a recipe for awkward, but in reality, it was the best decision I made on my trip. While visiting Yellowstone and staying at a local weekend rental, my friend and I decided to swing through Shotgun Bar on a Friday night. We expected live music, but were met with the quiet tone of the jukebox. Apparently, the live music happens during the summer and winter. However, that didn't matter. A couple locals sat at the bar and a friendly bartender immediately welcomed us. As a tourist, I wasn't sure whether to pretend to fit in or play it off and not bother the locals. It wasn't long before we were sniffed out. It is a small town of 250+ after all. What happened next would change the course of our journey. We ended up meeting some of the friendliest, funnest and funniest people of our lives. They embraced us and before we knew it, we were all buying each other drinks. I will warn you, the sake jelly shots we were encouraged to chug were a struggle, but the experience left us holding our bellies with laughter. One of the owners of the bar, Katie, really made the experience special. She told us stories of the locals, gave us Yellowstone tips and history, showed us around and invited us to her home. She introduced us to other locals and genuinely made the experience once in a lifetime. By the end of the weekend we didn't just have drinking buddies at a bar, we met kind-hearted, genuine and incredibly funny people that we now consider friends. On top of all that, the beer selection was superior. As we prepared to leave on the final night, the other owner, Jessica, gave her own bottle of bear spray to us so we wouldn't be mauled walking home at night (Uber isn't quite prevalent here). Luckily, we didn't need to use it. These people are the real deal, these people are genuine Americans. This experience made Yellowstone feel like a tiny morsel of awesome in the grand scheme of things. As they say, sometimes it's not about the destination, it's about the people you meet along the way. Definitely meet the people of Shotgun Bar. read more

Best bar ever. Super chill vibes. Cute dogs. Friendly folks. 20/10 recommend. Outdoor patio in the back. Thanks guys! read more

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The vibe is awesome, and the service is even better. Plus, the beer is the cheapest I've seen in ages!

Nothing great! I know we were at the right location but our experience was nothing like previous reviews. When we arrived there was one other table with two guests and they were finishing up their meal, preparing to leave. The waitress/owner/bartender (?) said a quick hello, told us to sit anywhere, and took our drink order. That was as friendly as she was. I asked about buying a t-shirt and all she said was that there weren't many sizes left. That was it! A gentleman took our food order and was a tad bit friendlier but not much. For a little while we were the only customers and clearly not locals. Did either of them try to make the smallest bit of conversation with us? No. The food was just okay - there's not much you can do wrong with with a burger. We didn't see tamales or desserts on the menu and no one offered any dessert. Would we go back again. No way. read more

Stayed out back. They have 2 Harvest Host electric and water hookups for RVers. First night is free just ask to purchase something from the bar. Second night and more 40 dollar fee each night. Hosts are pleasant and food was great. We'll see what the live music tonight brings. 4-7. read more

There's several reviews on here that elude to being unsure about going into a locals type bar and finding out how great it was. Now that is me too!! We went in twice because we enjoyed it so much. Two different bartenders and both were incredibly friendly and welcoming. As soon as we walked in, several people sitting at the bar shifted over seats to make room for us. We ended up conversing with pretty much everyone. Fun times!!! My only disappointment is that they didn't have a size large back Shotgun Bar tee shirt that was hanging on the wall to sell me because I wanted to advertise for them :) read more

Who knew a canned White Russian would be so good?! My partner and I went here on the 4th of July. We felt extremely welcome and ended up befriending everyone in the bar! read more

Very friendly environment! The 1st night there we had a few beers and the bartenders and locals were very friendly. The bartender even let us borrow some bear spray. We came back a few days later for breakfast and it was damn good! We look forward to stopping by again! read more

We just came here for a friends birthday celebration, such a vibe, such nice people, thankful for this moment we won't forget!

Great people freely go to chat n have a cold one. Fair price! Love the atmosphere and the history. Roxy is our favorite bar tender. Live music are talented. read more

My husband and I stopped in for a quick beer on a Monday evening and didn't want to leave! Both the the staff and customers were very welcoming and the inside is well taken care of. Be sure to give the dogs some love if you stop by! read more

Shotgun Bar - two dogs laying on the floor - Wine Bars Near Me - Island Park, Idaho

If you are in island park you must go to shotgun bar! Peter, Darren, and Katie are legends! Their hospitality is unmatched from any bar I have ever been to. They have anything you need from live music to games. This place is unreal it's a MUST do! read more

Nothing but great things to say about Shotgun Bar! On a quick weekend trip to Yellowstone National Park, a friend and I decided to stay in a rental in Island Park, Idaho. We arrived to our place on a Friday afternoon and after we settled in I decided to look up where the closest bar to grab a beer was. Shotgun Bar was first on the list and it was right down the street! After a little back and forth we decided to make the half mile walk. There were a couple of locals sitting at the bar as we entered and I felt as though a spotlight was on us as we took our seats at the other end of the bar. I figured we'd keep to our self's, have 1 or 2 beers, and leave. I was way off. By our second drink it felt as if we were drinking with friends that we've known for years! Stories were shared, travel tips were given, and drinks were enjoyed. We throughly enjoyed our Friday night at Shotgun Bar that we spent our Saturday evening hanging out with our new friends there as well. The owners of the bar, Katie and Jessica along with their friends are truly down-to-earth and genuine individuals. If you ever find yourself exploring West Yellowstone or in Island Park, ID put Shotgun Bar on your list! read more

Shotgun Bar is a historic place in Island Park. Now it is being ran by two ladies who have really put a nice touch to the lodge and keep doing more all of the time. You can't get hard liquor but you can have beer, wine, spritzers and other drinks. They often have live music and it has a nice, cozy, friendly atmosphere. read more

This was supposed to be a quick stop one shot one beer to celebrate my aunt's birthday. We ended staying a little longer. The bartender Craig made our night. He introduced my aunt to the jelly shot and kept us entertained. Cute place. They have a fire pit out back which would be lovely on any day of the week. The tannenbaums will definitely be back. read more

The ladies at Shotgun Bar made our evening! This is the best place to spend an evening in the quiet little town of Island Park, Idaho - where we stayed during our visit to Yellowstone. We had no idea where to go for drinks and we found this place randomly, and driving past were pleasantly surprised to find it was just a few blocks from our Airbnb. The ladies inside could not have been more welcoming and my husband, my Hungarian mother in law (who speaks no English) and I sat at the bar for a good 2 hours drinking (for a tiny bar in the middle of nowhere they had some delicious champagne and a surprisingly decent beer selection!), watching football and making friends with the owners, who apparently live upstairs and were therefore unconcerned about kicking us out at closing time. In the unlikely event that I ever find myself in Island Park, Idaho again - I will be back for sure! Thanks ladies, you made our evening fun! read more

This place is pretty awesome. I really liked the $3 bottles of Budweiser. That's the best deal I've ever seen. $0.75 pool games you can play pool all night. They have a nice smoking area patio out back. Bathrooms are very nice and clean. Juke box with speakers outside by the smoking patio. I like the fact that they had groceries also. read more

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Hospitality out the a$$... Good times had here last fall, and happy to see my pic is still hanging..... Sure I'll see you in the future.

Great place, great people! He cooked for my son a very delicious bacon ranch burger. My son love it. Hope I can come back one day to visit ! read more