Boxcar Bistro

This place is exceptional. The atmosphere is an upscale casual. The day we went the front of house was handled by one man and he did a wonderful job. While many restaurants try to portray fine dining and fail, this place provides fine dining in a more relaxed atmosphere. The duck confit was delicious, juicy and tender. The beans are additively delicious. The veal is served with broccolini which is grilled and delicious. The veal shank was tender, tasty, and beautifully cooked. The mix of tomato, herbs, mushrooms and garlic provide a punchy flavour to help cut through the richness. The spiced bread pudding was my favorite of the two desserts my wife and I ordered. The caramel sauce it comes with is really good. The chocolate torte was dense and rich. It was good but I really think the bread pudding is the show stopper dessert-wise.

My husband took me here for an early dinner date. It was beautiful upon entry and each dish was as lovely as the next. The food is like eating delicious art. Definitely recommend and would come again.

I recommend here for date night. There aren’t many spots like this in Missoula so it was nice to find something that felt more upscale. We liked the sea bass dish the best.

Really attentive staff. Neat and relaxing environment. Great food and awesome dining experience. Honestly one of the best places to have a nice meal in Missoula. They really take everything into consideration and make it a all around wonderful experience.

If you are wondering if you should go here, full stop and go immediately! This is the best French onion soup I have ever had, rich yet gentle... tender onion and legit sour dough. Chef's kiss. We also demolished brilliant tartar and foie gras on more tasty bread. I had the whitefish with a ruinous lemon caper sauce. We left stuffed of stomach and soul.

Food quality / price (value) rating: 10. The atmosphere is neo-classical, with chandeliers, textures and colors brought together by a talented designer. There is a cute outdoor seating area as well. One typically needs to make reservations well in advance for this restaurant for good reasons. The Chef, Rachel, is the main reason for this. She should be made a partner NOW to prevent losing her! Her extraordinary palette and artistic talent joins together to create a very rare and exceptional gastro-experience. We concluded our Montana vacation on the highest note possible by having our final dinner here. We started with the Fromage Board, a wonderful mix of rare and unusual cheeses, crackers, olives, nuts, seeds, pickles, honeycomb, jelly, dried apricots and figs, and a hot mustard. Incredible! For an entree, I had the Double Cut Pork Chop. The presentation was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen, one that would make any artist envious. The photo speaks for itself. It was the most tender pork I've ever had the pleasure of eating, so tender that the WEIGHT OF THE KNIFE WAS ENOUGH TO CUT IT - I am not kidding! The mixture of textures and flavors was a true Meistro's symphony. You must read the description on the menu, as I am not enough of a poet to properly enshrine it's splendor. The wife had the Herb Roasted Chicken, where again, one must read the description on the menu to appreciate the ingredients and their place in the universe. We split a Bread Pudding ala mode, where the vanilla ice cream was super high quality. A couple of cappuccinos and we were finally satiated. Our server, Jewel, was very attentive without being imposing, and made our visit everything it could be. They have a wine and beer license only, so have your martini beforehand. Check out the photos, and look no further for the best food experience you can have in Missoula.....and possibly Montana.

This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Missoula. It’s cute and has an intimate feeling when dining. The food is the star of the show. The menu constantly changes, including chef specials. Every dish I have had is delicious and reasonably priced, especially compared to competing restaurants of the same quality. They have beer and wine, no cocktails. I normally share a bottle from their amazing listing. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the food and things like pairing. Make a reservation, or you can walk-in to dine at the bar or outside (seasonal).

This place is fantastic! Let's start with how quaint and private the setting is. I came with a group of 7 for my friend's birthday dinner, and was amazed by how small the restaurant was. Each table really gets an attentive server and the food is obviously cooked to order, and prepared well. Pictured are many of the meals, as we tried a lot of what was on the menu besides the caviar. The charcuterie plate was fresh and delicious, and for wine we had a quality syrah. The beef tartare was served with a soft decadent bread and had a great acidic flavor. The files was probably the table favorite, and was very rich with a wine demiglaze. The only thing I was slightly disappointed with was the Chimichurri Steak frites, which I believe would have been better with a sauce or reduction as a topper. The price point is normal for what you are getting, and I definitely recommend this place for a private party, setting, or quiet date night. I'm always happy to be invited to a hidden gem like this.