"Haven't been to the Staggering Ox in over 11 years. Went there on Monday with my son and DIL so she could see the unique bread. When we walked in we were not greeted as welcome guest but "Eat in or take out." We said eat in. "Oldsidenewside" WHAT? Then we get an explanation about the old side of the business or the new side. We said new. While we perused the extensive menu the young woman acted very impatient. After placing our order we wandered around looking at the art work and growlers. Returning to our table my DIL gathered supplies to change grands diaper as the server came up and stood right behind her, in her personal space, and she almost ran into him. My son and I had ordered garlic ranch dressing. As I ate mine I told my son " this is really spicy ranch". He tasted his and said "it's blue cheese" He put the lids back on the containers and took them to the counter to get garlic ranch. As he turned to walk away he noticed this same guy putting the opened and partially eaten containers in the refrigerator. He stopped and told him that we had eaten out of them and they needed to be disposed of (don't know if he actually did or not). After we finished my DIL, a server and bartender for at least 15 years, cleaned our table. As she took the dishes up the same guy who was going to reuse our dressings told her it was a health violation for her to clean the table! NO IT IS A HEALTH VIOLATION TO TAKE FOOD THAT HAS BEEN SOLD/SERVED AND PUT IT BACK IN THE COOLER FOR SOMEONE ELSE. Things got a little heated between them due to his attitude. Needless to say I won't be returning there when I come to Montana nor will I continue to tell people I meet as I travel the country about the restaurant. read more

Seems to suffer from lack of management. The employees almost always "close" the kitchen at least an hour before the stated closing time. You'll walk in, see that the sign says open, only to be told by an employee that the kitchen is closed. Also, it appears to be full of dying plants that no one has bothered to water in months. Lends a depressing vibe to the entire place. read more

Delicious sandwiches as always and a great friendly staff! Always highly recommended!

Waited 40 minutes for 2 cold sandwiches that they couldn't even bother to put our mayo on one or ranch on the other. If you don't have that long to wait for a sandwich don't come here. read more

I used to love eating at this place in Missoula when in College. I have now introduced my wife to the Helena spot and we have to stop every time we are visiting. She loves it! The food and sandwiches are pretty fun with all the dipping sauces. I also like the baked potato. Not really going to get too into reviewing the food because it has been done already. This particular spot is pretty cool because of the beer place in the back. I really like this place and will continue to come back and support...I feel bad that I have to give it such a terrible review. The main reason I am writing this review is in hopes that the owner reads this and knocks some sense into his or her employees. Before we went here, I told my grandpa that we were going to Staggering Ox, and asked him if he wanted to go. He declined and had a negative comment about the employees...something about loud and rude. After being in there, I understand. The employees weren't rude and were actually pretty nice. But the side conversations that everyone can hear needs to stop. I heard about parties, drugs, running from cops, stupid pigs...etc. And these conversations weren't happening in the back loud enough to hear....they were at the front counter. This is fine if you want the customers to be 100% high school and college students who don't care about hearing conversations like this. But if you want families and people like my grandpa to eat here, then something needs to be done. read more

Very surprised by the three stars. This was filling and tasty. Got the garlic ranch on the side of the clubhouse. Great stop.

The place is definitely "interesting." I never really understood the appeal, because as others have said, that sandwich is really hard to eat. The place is simply massive inside, and there was hardly anyone inside every time I've been there, so it looked desolate. But it grew on me during my time in Helena. Get the wheat bread - it tastes a lot better than the white. And definitely get that sandwich cut in half, it's so much easier to eat that way (albeit messier, since you pour on your dressing and it will go everywhere). The mustard vinaigrette was my favorite dressing - it went very well with the turkey sandwich. read more

Have you ever seen your father cry? Well I have and it was here after he'd taken a bite of a humorously named sandwich (that might have been named "Osama, your mama!") but had failed to notice that it contained horseradish. Now, I love my dad, but I have never ever seen him eat something that contained horseradish without it getting him and getting him good. read more

If I can, I would not even give 1 star.. Wow! What a waste of money this was. Philly steak didn't look anything like philly steak, and the bread was dry, skimpy all over and terribly small for a $10 sandwich.. The roast beef sucked, dry bread and definitely not worth the price. Oh but wait, you would think the potato dish would make up for it, overall the potato was raw in both dishes, the "SO crates the potato" ordered with a potato and rice mix-- instead it comes with potato only, the gyro meat? hmmm not sure it is meat.. the "Don juan chilli potato".. Chilli??? To make it worse, the sauce containers apparently exploded during delivery so we got none... Will I eat there again? NO WAY. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE.. We are still trying to find a decent place to eat here in helena, this is turning to be a more difficult task than we expected!!! read more

Awesome sandwiches!!! Also very kind, friendly service over the phone when I called my order in. Kindness is underrated sometimes...but I truly appreciate it! Thanks Chris! read more

Fabulous turkey sandwich with chipotle ranch, hubby had the teriyaki melt. It was delicious.

I used to love this place. I stopped in recently and got what amounted to a salad sandwich, even though I ordered a turkey and cheese. There seriously weren't more than two pieces of turkey and a slice of cheese inside a sandwich that was noticeably more expensive than it was the last time I ate one. I love supporting grass roots establishments, but it's disappointing when they forget from where it is that they came, and who it is that supported them along the way. read more

The Helena Staggering Ox location is home to both the restaurant itself and the Red Atlas which provides a laidback and groovy venue for live music showcasing an impressive growler collection and a rotating showcase of local artists. This modest venue is one of the best in town for new talent and local artists and the fare is perfect for dinner and a show. Cheesy French bread Ox Fingers have been a favorite for me since childhood and is perfect to munch on while enjoying the laidback musical atmosphere. read more

I'm not sure what is going on or what but this place used to be awesome it seems to be going downhill. I have been here too many times to count over the years, so it is not my first time eating here. The last few times have been bad. They seem to be putting less on the sandwiches and other dishes. Have messed up orders and brought then wrong items out. Hopefully it's just a slump and they will get it back together soon. read more

Nothing I can say here will add to what has already been said by fellow ox-fans. Basically, delicious sandwiches+a wonderfully artsy atmosphere=a great place to be. A word to the wise-when looking at your big, round sandwich, you're bound to wonder "how in the world am I going to do this?" Just pick it up, squish it so that it's flat like a regular sandwich and you'll realize it's not hard at all...and your toppings don't fall out! :) read more

Staggering Ox is a Helena staple. First place we went to when we moved back. Always consistent, just as I remembered. I love the Broken Heart with creamy basil. read more

Nothing special here. They talk about the novelty of the patented sandwich - I believe the bread is baked in a coffee can, and then hollowed out, so it's one solid piece. This is then stuffed with your standard sandwich components. There's a wasabi ranch, which is pretty tasty, but if that's what it takes to make a sandwich, then it doesn't really do it for me. Definitely check it out since it is unique, but it was never the place I'd choose to go to when friends were asking "Where should we eat?" read more

The food here is good but if the old gray-haired guy isn't there, be prepared to wait both to order and to get your food.

Super good food. A little on the expensive side for our family. Call ahead if you are in a hurry. You won't be sorry you ate at the Ox! I took away a star as I realized their prices have gone up! Good food but not that good. read more

From the outside looks like a bust, but don't judge a book by its cover. This place is huge with great crazy interesting food. Do yourself a favor and give it a chance. read more

I had no idea what to think when I first walked into the place, kind of artsy like, very fun looking but not my style, but good thing I,didn't judge the book by its cover. So I got the All American Clubfoot, its a tall sandwich thing, but it was delicious! They didn't skimp out on the meat, which surprised me because it's a TALL sandwich. My wife got the clubhouse sandwich and enjoyed it as well. We also got the Potatoes and chili. The potatoes were great but the chili was just ok. Overall we will be returning to the staggering ox and enjoying their great food. read more

I was really wanting this to be a great place to stop while in Helena. Sadly it wasn't. If you treat the sandwich as if it's a bread bowl salad then you're better off. That way you'll have the dressing to go with all the lettuce in it. read more

I have to laugh at the people on here who have a hard time eating the sandwich. Pick it up and take a bite. What's so difficult? Are they trying to use a fork? Are they just uncomfortable knowing their sandwich can stand up? Please. Their sandwiches are fantastic. I've been eating them for years, although if I'm truly honest, I don't think I've ever ordered anything but the Mousetrap. Why mess with perfection? The bread is baked in a can shape and the sandwich fillings are pushed inside of it. You can put your own sauce on. I like ranch with my lettuce, cheese, and sunflower seeds. It's a perfect combination. You can also order Bread Guts, which is the inside of the bread cans that they pull out. Dipped in ranch, they're a tasty snack. The decor is interesting. They usually have local art on the walls and now there's a coffee shop in back. It's just too bad I have to go to Montana to get an Ox. read more

It's an interesting place for sure, with lots of weird art on the walls to look at. The staff are friendly, bathrooms clean. I just can't recommend those weird clubfoot sandwiches unless you are on a diet as they seem to be 90% iceberg lettuce encased in tube bread! My husband ordered one with black beans as the protein. He could hardly find any beans. Maybe 4 beans? Plus a tiny bit of salsa and cheese. I had one with supposed beef in it. I expected to see some strips of beef. There were a couple flakes of chipped beef flavored with horseradish. Again, it was 90% shredded iceberg lettuce. We can recommend the beef stew with onions. It had beef you could see. For $9.25 you should be able to find some protein in your sandwich. read more

Tried Staggering Ox for the first time this week and I'll be going back. I got the ISIS CRISIS (with a name like that, how are you not gonna try it) and it was really good. The bread was amazing, veggies fresh, and overall just made well. Can't wait to go back. read more

Staggering Ox is a sandwich shop in Helena that makes humorously-titled sandwiches that come in tube-shaped bread loaves. Aside from the novelty, there was nothing really amazing about the place, although there were several good things about it. I'll start with the cons: 1) While cool to look at, the sandwiches were a little difficult to handle and bite into and tasted a tad bland. 2) The place feels a little too big. Maybe more tables would help with that. 3) The two employees that I talked to were completely unfamiliar with the menu. Now to the pros: 1) They serve beer(!) 2) While spacey, the atmosphere has a hip artsy college-y vibe to it. I bet it would be a good place to see a band (which they apparently have happen frequently). 3) The food isn't *bad*, it's just not all that *good*. Also, I had only one sandwich, of course, so for all I know I didn't choose the right one. All in all, I had a fun time at lunch at Staggering Ox. Choosing good company to go with (not to mention the beer[!]) makes the experience worthwhile. read more

This is a must stop every time I am in Helena. I order the 3 Mile Island. Definitely a unique sandwich.

The open space is a bit odd, but I suppose it works. You're really here for the food anyway. If you're making a quick stop through Big Sky country, you must order one of the famous Clubfoot sandwiches, which are made in a cylindrical can. The Mount St. Helens was divine, and the Clubhouse was pretty good too. I barely finished mine, and I left wishing something like this existed back home. It is not really too difficult to eat at all. There are now additional locations in Missoula, Billings, and Spokane (WA). read more

Featuring the world famous, PATENTED, clubfoot sandwich. The Staggering Ox is a local favorite and absolute staple of Helena culture. You will never eat another sandwich as good as the clubfoot, and you'll also wonder how they ever came up with it. Everything about the "ox" experience will delight you; from the quirky atmosphere, to the screw-top glasses, to the interesting sandwiches (you can even order the "guts" of the patented bread), Staggering Ox is the best sandwich you'll find in Helena. Now, if I could only convince these guys to franchise... read more

This is my first food stop when i get home to Montana. Not only is it nostalgic for me (I remember when it was only the "old side"), but it has some of the best sandwhiches I've ever had. It's unique, amazingly good food, great prices, a lot of variety (vegan and vegetarian options which can be hard to find in Helena), but lots of taste. I love their hot/cold sandwhiches and their potatos. They do a really excellent job of combining food and art. I'd say its an overall win of a restaurant. read more

I had the Three Mile, I thought it was pretty good. The camel toe sauce is fresh, my daughter had a taco salad, it was huge. I like a vegetarian friendly place, and the bread is awesome. read more

Our family of three just waited for an hour for our food and never received it. We finally asked for our money back and went elsewhere. Pretty disappointing. read more

Every. Single. Time. They have made me wait over 40 minutes. Never refunded. Never compensated just kinda wait. I get they have cool bread but come on... make your own bread and it'll take just as long. read more

I used to love the Staggering Ox. Went there last weekend on a Saturday and there was a very long line. I thought, well, they usually move pretty quickly so we stuck it out: 25 minutes. We were patient, placed our order and then waited for our food. It took 20 more minutes for our food to arrive! Then, we the waiter brought it to the table he dropped the sandwiches right in front of us! He just turned and walked away with no apologies or offers of new food. Looks to me like bad management has taken over the restaurant. I guess I'll give it 2 years and then maybe try it again. But, generally, I would say don't bother. There are better places to eat in Helena. read more

I would give zero stars if I could. I would never eat here solely because of how rude the "owner" was. She has curly hair and glasses, but I never got her name. I could barely get any words in because she wouldn't let me talk when I came in to talk about how she treated me around 1pm today. My problem started with her rudely telling me to "get away from the counter and go sit down". I was shocked at her abrupt rudeness. By her tone I decided to leave it alone and move to the drink station out of the way. There was a man standing by the drink machines as well who seemed nice. The lady who claims to own the place told me to sit down again when she walked past me to hand out food to other customers. She was very rude treating me like a child. When she walked back past me on her way back to the counter she gleamed at me like she was triggered and angry at me for being in the restaurant. I told her what about him? And the standing man just looked at her. She looked back at me angrily and said nothing, continuing her way behind the counter. When she handed me my food (for doordash), finally, she gave me one last evil stare and said nothing. I told her thank you and to have a good day with a big smile. I have nothing to say but how disappointed I am in the treatment I received from this woman only. I just came back home from talking to her about how she treated me earlier in hopes of resolving the issue. Not only did she escalate our "talk" even more, she told me I wasn't a customer as if her rudeness and horrible attitude is okay towards me because I'm not a "customer". She was not sorry and I am completely shocked the real owner would let this happen!!! read more

This used to be my favorite restaurant in town. Over the past few years they have really gone downhill. My last experience here was so unbelievably bad I couldn't believe it was the same restaurant. It took over a half hour to get a sandwich, and when it arrived it was mushy and gross. There's a lot of good food in Helena these days, so it won't be difficult finding a new favorite sandwich joint.. read more

This place is so good!They have the most amazing grilled cheese. They are awesome. Employees are friendly and they have live music! Great place to go. 5 stars! read more

I have been here three times more than I should have now and I just don't care for the place. I want to like the place. The best thing about the place are the sandwich names. The sandwiches are nothing special. Lots of bread. Just weird. One thing that really turns me away is the lack of customer service with the employees. read more

Unimpressed with the quality of the food especially considering the price. Definitely felt like I wasted my money on this one

Fun atmosphere. Food tastes fair. Took over 30 minutes to get our sandwiches and it wasn't very busy. When my hot sandwich came I opened it, to my disgust I found two thin slices of meat that only covered approximately two bites. I was told by the waitress that I was paying for the fresh baked bread and the experience. Two people in our party didn't get their sauces and one of us pulled a hair out of their sandwich. This is an experience I won't pay for again. read more