Iron Horse Bar and Grill

This is a hidden gem that you need to seek out rather than the obvious Main Street location. Hidden down a side street, then taking a turn down an alley?., of sorts, brings you to a totally unremarkable metal building that might give you pause. Proceed with delight. Once inside the atmosphere is warm and western, the deck overlooking the river is sunny and has an open air continuation from the indoor dining. The huckleberry margaritas were refreshing and the food is home made. I suggest the brisket and the meatloaf. We travel a lot and continuously search for these hidden gems, street vendors, Michelin and comforting diners. We struck gold in them thar hills of Gardiner.

Favorite place to hang out in Gardiner. Went there 5 times during 8 day stay in Gardiner/Yellowstone. Great food and beer, great staff! Even gave us some Free Beer tokens!

Just ordered drinks but great service and tasty cocktails! As a plus, they have grey river views. Highly recommend the Huckleberry Margarita. So great, we visited twice on our trip!

The Iron Horse is a pretty decent restaurant in Gardiner. They have a huge outdoor area to eat that looks over in the river. This is a place that you take your menu and go inside to order, which isn’t bad, but it was so Smokey from the grill it was hard to stand in there. The food was pretty good both the burger and elk burger were cooked very well-the fries were nothing special. Once the staff brings out your food, they don’t come back to check on you, and that’s fine, but for $20 a meal I would expect a little more service.

Great Water front view. Location in between the river bridge and the Conoco gas station with Tesla charger. See photos. Must try their famous huckleberry beer pair with elk meatloaf or the Teton beer pair with bison burger. Now the Yellowstone trip is complete when you go back to the park and see the grass fed bison and elk. Such a healthy plant base protein if you think what I mean. Lol but they make everything taste good with a friendly service, great atmosphere, fair price, great mountain and water view outside, a lot of classics signs and banners inside. Great place to meet people!!

This is the coolest bar in town! We went there two afternoons in a row after long days of hikes and had a few beers. Over looking the river and really cool vintage atmosphere, highly suggest to stop at for some drinks and American apps after a long day of hiking. Casual too, can go in hiking clothes

Bison burger was really good. I found it much like a regular beef burger except a little leaner. The fries were good too. My wife had the sirloin steak. She enjoyed it but it was big for her. The restaurant has a great vibe. Service was good.

Other than location & cool decor… what’s to offer??? This could be an absolute gold mine with a few upgrades. Stood inline for 30 minutes to order food & drinks to have to carry them to the table like a circus act to not drop anything. We would have spent probably $2-300 more on drinks if we didn’t have to wait 30 minutes per round. 2 servers going to tables to take drink orders would do wonders for this place

Interesting place. You seat yourself and order from the bar and they bring you your food. Got the pulled pork sandwich and it was good, just a little greasy. It was a little on the pricey side, the pork ice is comparable to restaurants in the area. The Parkin lot could be bigger and paved (it was gravel).

*Disclaimer: we didn't eat here, review is based on drinks/experience.* Hard to find, although highly visible from the road, Iron Horse's entrance is in a gravel parking lot behind some houses - trust your GPS and you'll find it. Inside, the decor is fun and eclectic. Order at the bar, and grab a seat. So far so good - the bar staff, super friendly and welcoming. We ordered drinks and found a table inside, before realising the fans weren't on and relocating outside. The only available shaded tables were laid out for big groups, so we sat at the end of one and were joined by other small groups. We had planned to order food, but after sticky menus, dirty tables and an awful bathroom experience, we decided to go elsewhere. The ladies' room was odd to start with - 2 toilets/stalls, but without doors, so the main door locked but only one person could be in there. Weird but not the real issue - it was filthy, bins overflowing (including used sanitary products because there was no waste bin in the stalls) and smelly. The long drop toilets in the park were cleaner and more pleasant than this.

A-ok overall! Lovely river view, fun patio vibe and very tasty Bison Burger. I think this is the best item on the menu here and worth the higher costs. Be prepared, The prices are very high for can beers and burgers at a you, order at counter and your food brought out you. Grab your own water, napkins utensils on your way to your seat, tip first and they charge extra for credit cards. (really, nowadays, everyone uses cards, who hikes with sweaty cash!?;) Friendly staff and a nice lil spot, just be aware of higher than Seattle meal costs. We still enjoyed our time it's Just a PSA.

This place is huge but a true hidden gem. It's located right around the bridge on the river but is a bit of a task to find, Google Maps definitely screws up. But overall it's a good place if you end up locating it. Food: The fried chicken burger was great. the Huckleberry margaritas were delicious. They also have tons and tons of hot sauces lying around for anyone to use, I tried a couple and loved them. Ambiance: It's right by the river so has great views but the outdoor seating does get riddled with mosquitoes. They have a small town Sports bar kind of vibe going for them and I am here for it. Service: You order the food & drinks at the bar and they bring it to you. All the staff were super sweet and friendly. Logistics: They have lots of parking and some street parking too. Trust your gut on where to go if google maps screws up. In all: A good place in a very small town that is open till late, this place is a godsend if you're famished after a day at the NP.

Location is great. Not a fan of the ordering system (one person / bartender) taking orders. The line can get deep when it's busy. Food was ok; nothing special. Prices high for even a tourist town. Might go back for the view and a local draft beer. Doubt I would get food again tho

We drove past this place a few days in a row and really liked the patio vibe and view of the river it had. Unfortunately when we went, the weather was a bit crappy but there was a ton of seating inside and I loved looking at all the random decor. You order at the bar and they bring your food out to you. It was self serve for fountain drinks. And they had several tables of different sauces to choose from. The food itself was just okay. I got the ribs. They were served with just a squeeze of bbq sauce over the top. There was nothing special about them. I did enjoy the side of Mac and cheese! My husband just got chicken strips and fries which he ate but didn't love.

We opted for this venue because of the fabulous patio overlooking the bridge and the river. It's a venue where you order from the counter. And it's not an extensive menu- we wanted a snack, not a meal. I don't know if you can order ala cart. We got a couple of the Huckleberry margaritas and an order of ribs. It came with 4 small ribs and 3 big pieces of garlic toast. That held us over. Only the chairs at the counters along the railing really have views. Still a nice stop.

Quaint, local spot with outdoor seating on the river just outside the north entrance to Yellowstone. Perfect ending to our day at Yellowstone. We were starving and the bison burgers were delicious. Pricey at around $20 but expected at a touristy location. Also large burgers and portion sizes. Solid beer selection. You order and pay at the bar and food is brought to your table. Several servers circulating asking if anything else was needed and cleaning tables.

What a great place!! We almost missed this place and so glad we stopped. Burgers were great and the atmosphere was fun and great views of the river out on the large patio. If you need a quick lunch....try it.

Great views and ambiance. Fun outdoor patio space. Food was just okay but not too overpriced, and this was the perfect place to grab dinner with tired kids.

While I will agree that the view for lunch was amazing. The $22 that I spent for a burger and fries was robbery. Charred to the verge of burnt on the outside, barely medium rare inside. Bottom bun was full of grease, fries were barely warm. And the lettuce for my burger was BROWN AND WILTED. Terrible service on top of that.

This is our second visit to Iron Horse B&G this week. We came two days ago, opening day! Loved the food (pulled pork sandwich and a hamburger) and the service was great. Highly recommend supporting this local business. Now we are headed back to the Yellowstone Lake Hotel for our fourth, and final, night in the Park. Headed down to Jackson tomorrow for a few nights, then the long drive back to So. Cal.

My husband and I stopped here after our trip from West Yellowstone. Menu is limited to burgers and chicken fingers. I ordered the burger with everything on it. While I did not state how I wanted it cooked, it came out medium done. It had good tastes as it is charbroiled but for $26 I would expect more. My husband had the chicken fingers for $21 and they tasted like they were frozen Banquet brand. The fries were ok but also tasted like frozen. Orders were taken at the bar with wait staff delivering the food. Service was very good! All-in-all we were not impressed. I believe we paid more for the river view and location. As my husband says, "It will make a turd."

Crappy places that advertise all over town including big banner over the door with HOURS that they do NOT KEEP. Supposed to serve breakfast at 7am Everyday BUT THEY DO NOT EVEN OPEN AT ALL!!!

This is place is nasty . Let me tell you about my experience... we ordered some food... then the guy let us know about any hot sauces/water/ect.... We looked at all the sauces that they ALL DAY IN THE SUN!!! I let the guy know about the hot sauces out side... all he replaying by is a special sauces that they put ....wow!! I asking to give me my money back because if you don't take care your restauran OUTSiDE ... neither in the back in the kitchen !! What if they have expired food... "all special sauce‍ He was (super rude )

Typical tourist trap , seems like everyone has the same poor quality food but location and vibe is great . Eating on a patio overnight a bridge and river. We had the burger , fried chicken sandwich, mash potatoes ( no not try ever) , and biscuits and gravy . Again not terrible except the mashed potatoes but the rest was poor quality tourist food. Service was ok as we had to do everything ourselves except deliver the food . So service was awesome , nice work babe . And lastly . They have a lot of sauces sitting out that you have to sort through, not sure why but hey it's a thing . Would not recommend for the food but great for a drink with friends .

Great food and atmosphere. We loved that the menu is $19 and includes an entree and a side. We both got bbq pork sandwich and it was amazing!

Fun place to eat and great beer selection. Get the Elk Meatloaf. I don't like meatloaf at all and was really happy with my bison burger until I stole a bite off my husband's plate. Was going for just mashed potatoes and gravy but I got a corner of the meatloaf. Now I have to figure out how to make it.

For this small town, it was easy for 21 of us to arrive at once. All orders are placed at the bar, but food is served quick. Ordering more drinks is a challenge if they get busy. Great views of the river. Brisket sandwich was great!

Food 2/5: Overpriced & $19 per plate for something that is very easy to make. Sides are small. Mcdonald's of Bbq. Service 5/5: great, super nice folks here. Ambiance 5/5: great view of the river/on the river viewing area.

The service was very friendly. Parking was sort of tough in the parking lot, but in the surrounding area was easy The food was delicious, we had the trout and a steak The portions were generous, quality was excellent and prices good. My wife proclaimed the trout as the best meal of the trip to Montana. It's worth leaving Yellowstone's limited food options inside to come here for a gourmet tasty meal.

Cold beer and a decent burger and the view isn't bad either! Bison Burger Pulled Pork Sandwich

I had low expectations for this place esp after the hostess could not understand that we needed a low top table with a high chair. (English is not 1st language but she did pretty good overall). The bartender came over and helped which was nice. We sat at bar while waiting for the rest of our party to arrive. Evidently the place is under new management (according to bar staff) and they seemed to be dedicated to providing good food. The trout was outstanding (way better than the really nice place in Jackson Wyoming). Trout was prepared with skin on under side and served over mashed potatoes with corn on side. Potatoes were great. Evidently the burgers were very good as well. My 5 stars is based on food; service was 4 stars.

Excellent location and the staff was fantastic. Place has a good atmosphere and a great outdoor area that overlooks the river. The food is fine but nothing great for the price. Was disappointed that the menu posted online was vastly different from the actual menu. Also the phone number listed doesn't work. Everything costs $19 and includes two sides that are relatively small. Many of the sides also cost extra. Would likely just return to have beverages and not a meal.

Salisbury steak was terrible. Nothing like the picture. Would not recommend. The sides are minimal in proportions. Over priced. Not worth it. Do not trust the food photos from years passed. This place is a dive, filthy and nasty.

There's so many great things about the Iron Horse Bar and Grill starting with the decor. The place is covered inside and out with vintage signs and decorative western items. You can eat inside and enjoy the furnishings or eat on the huge outside deck that overlooks the Yellowstone River. The service was fast and friendly. And I highly recommend the bison burger and the battered fries. Delicious!

Food was pretty good and the service was great. Storm blew through and they packed us inside pretty quickly. -- probably more of a tourist trap-- but it is what it is

Prices are high, food is mediocre, service is very spotty and the restaurant is not very clean. Came here for dinner one night. There was a huge wait, we were told it was going to be at least an hour if not longer. Unfortunately we were not able to get patio seating, but instead got a table inside. The whole restaurant was not very clean. The table and chairs had some greasy dirt on them, as well as flies everywhere. We order some gay meat to share, it was extremely expensive. $40 for an entree. As you can see from the picture everything was burnt. And we asked for medium rare and everything came out well done. Meet was also not a quality cut and definitely chewy. Service was very absent, drinks not refilled. Definitely would not recommend.

Such an amazing atmosphere overlooking the YellowStone River! The food and drinks were delicious and all of the waitstaff we came in contact with were so kind and helpful! I definitely recommend.

I ate here for breakfast and had the chicken fried steak breakfast plate. The chicken fried steak was so delicious! It was the end of season so we did have to wait to be served, but it wasn't a problem. The food was great!

Overpriced and food was nothing special. I guess that's what you have to pay when being so close to Yellowstone.

A sweet view of Gardiner, MT! The deck overlooks the bridge and river, really pretty. The inside has a fun atmosphere and I bet this is a local favorite. I would say this place has more of a pub feel and bar food. We only came for lunch, maybe dinner has more food to offer. Their lunch menu seemed limited. Overall, service and experience was good.

Ugh I feel somewhat bad rating this place a 2. But I was on vacation for a total of 10 days and this was the worst dining experience I had. Why do I feel bad rating it a 2, you may ask? Well the people who work here were busting their butts and I could tell. The line to even put our name in was super long and even when we got the the hostess stand, she was dripping in sweat and told us that it's not normally like this-- just that 4 other businesses had burned down the month prior (which I had read about) so dinner locations were very limited to all of YNP's summer travelers. But given the current COVID climate, I felt like this was the only establishment where I just didn't feel safe-- it felt dirty and gross in here. For starters, everyone was dripping in sweat not just because they were working hard, but because it was August and there was NO AC in this establishment. Which made for a highly uncomfortable setting for dinner. The hostess was VERY kind and essentially let us skip the line (it would have been about an hour wait) because as soon as we stepped up, a few people got up from the bar, so she told us we could just sit there. We jumped at the chance because we wanted to eat and get some rest. In hindsight, I probably would have rather sat outside. We quickly found out that social distancing is not followed on the inside. At the bar, you sit right next to other people. Sitting at the bar, you also see way too much. The bartender was dripping in sweat, practically dripping sweat into the drinks he was making, no one was washing hands, etc. People were all over the place-- there was a huge line at the bar with no social distancing. The bathrooms were also gross. I straight up walked in on another girl using the toilet and she told me "Sorry I couldn't find the lock!" I also couldn't find a lock so I had to use the men's restroom. It just felt very dirty in there. Some people may read this and think "If you were so concerned about COVID safety, then why did you even go on vacation?" But keep in mind, as I stated at the beginning, I was on vacation for TEN DAYS and this is the ONLY establishment where I felt unsafe. So that means at least 90% of businesses do care and I ended up having a great trip. I got the chicken tenders and fries. They were okay-- but all I can remember is scarfing them down so that we could get the hell out of there. Only reason this isn't one star is because I could tell the associates were working really hard and also because the hostess essentially let us "cut" the line by offering us the bar seats. Honestly, given what I saw, I don't think I'd go back here even in non-COVID times. Just felt too dirty to me.

I would've given this place a 1 star, BUT the fries and burger weren't too bad. The Mac and Cheese and the Mashed Potatoes were literally SOUR. I spent close to $40 because I wanted a nice meal with all the additional sides and was excited to eat. I took one bite of both, and left it alone. The burger was pretty good, but it's hard to go wrong with a burger and their fries were really good too. The ambience is nice as well, but if you're starving and going for the food ... you're going to be disappointed. All of us had stomach aches that night

The most basic food. It's not bad, but it's not good. Like if this is the only place open and you need to eat it'll suffice, but it was a little pricey for what we got. The only redeeming quality of this place is the view from the deck, which overlooks the Yellowstone River.

Very basic food. Tourist prices. The worst burger that I have ever had. The only good thing is the view

Staying in little Gardier while on an epic road trip from Texas. We are loving it all. Walked from our boutique hotel to Iron Horse for dinner. A bit of a wait for the patio so we sat at the bar and had terrific friendly service. Moved onto the outside patio for dinner and our server was fantastic. We decided to try the Elk nachos... never had such an amazing treat in Texas! Wow it was like queso w bits of meet in it. So so good! Next we ordered the trout... we skipped the sides (potatoes and corn) and ordered a side salad. A huge piece of trout arrived and it was hand down the best I ever ate. Pan fried perfectly with a garlic butter cream sauce. We loved it.

On day six of our nomadic road trip to Yellowstone. Staying in Gardiner, MT at the north entrance to Yellowstone. Walked into the Iron horse Bar & Grill. The decor is Old school Montana with a little bit of Alabama thrown in. Great bartenders helping us tonight and after a few we were seated on the patio. Great view of the river and the sunset ... minus the smoke show of course ! Thanks Cali and Oregon for the fires. We decided to try the Elk Nachos.. remember we are from Texas and they were out of this world. Kind of like a spicy queso with elk... loved it. We moved onto the trout and subbed a salad for the potatoes and corn... The trout was huge and pan fried w a little garlic cream sauce... out of this world good. Staying at the north entrance? Visit this place and I know you will not be disappointed!!

The location is what drew us. It is right on the river. It is hard to find the parking lot. You walk in, grab a menu and order at the bar. We had two cheese burgers with coleslaw. Both were perfect. We sat on the deck and we're protected from the wind by the patio cover. Our food was delivered to us. It was a great dinner after a long ride around Yellowstone.

Looks can be deceiving. From the onset, it looks like a so so place with a bar and table service. But really the food exceeded our expectation. I got the hickory bbq chicken which was extremely moist. My son got the elk meatloaf which he finished completely and my wife got the rainbow trout which had a nice sear crunch and the sauce on top complimented the dish. All of our entrees came with a buttery corn on the cob and fresh mash potatoes. All in all, I give the food 3 strong stars.

So bear with me, I had never stepped foot into the state of Montana, and for a flatlander the concept of Montana was always rustic, manly, rugged. 10 minutes after first entering the great state of Montana I find myself in a room full of antlers, rusty farm implements, cigarettes ads and whiskey. And Crimson Tide crap but hey, it's not Heaven, it's the Iron Horse! Best bison burger ever! In fact we're getting another one tonight before we leave town. French fries were also basically perfect. Enjoy your locally grilled meat out on the deck, because the swamp cooler don't work so hot.

Basically a self service establishment with FULL service prices! Website says entrée with 2 sides; restaurant only gives you one side. Overpriced. Nothing spectacular at all.

Crossing over the river, one sees from a bridge, Iron Horse's attractive looking outdoor deck. Getting into the parking lot, one notices the authentic collection of vintage signs applied to their building's exterior. Once inside, the space is a riot of decor, from vintage signs to taxidermied animal heads and anything and everything that may fall between those extremes. Because it's Montana I opted for a Bison Burger which was served with cheese and fries. When asked what I thought I wavered my hand in a "so-so" gesture before remarking "it's burnt". Did I want to send it back, my dining partner asked? "I don't think they can do any better". It was just a hunch, but the fries, the burnt bun, and the charred bison meat left me with a belief that things weren't going to improve were I to ask for a re-do on the burger. Having now consumed bison three times in a trip through Montana and Wyoming I can, with confidence, report that the primary flavor of bison is "burnt". If you've had other experiences lucky you, but my impression is that this must be very lean meat, prone to burning quickly. By the time I'd tried bison for a third time I was officially "over" bison. The deck which looks so attractive from afar is a bit less so when you head out there. It sits above the water, too far really, for even a view or a breeze. Inside was cooler with all of that stuff to look at. The Iron Horse looks like a good idea and I think it is. Set your expectations appropriately (I'm not sure there's much great dining in this area) or just enjoy a cold beer on tap. You won't rave about the meal but you'll depart with your hunger satisfied and an appreciation of the eclectic decor. Welcome to Montana.

Great location. Awesome outdoor seating along the River. No service - go to bar, wait in line, order, go to station to retrieve your own food when ready. I do mot recommend the local berry Margaret they push. Food is very underwhelming.

$19 for a burger and you have to pay extra for lettuce,tomatoes & onions. The side that comes with it are crazy. Mashed potatoes, coleslaw garlic toast? If you want fries it's $ 2 more. The foods not that bad but what a crazy menu

Solid 3 stars. Warning, the place is Pricey, and hot. I had the pulled pork sandwich, generous serving and tasted good, but wasn't "hot" just warm...and it was $19. It wasn't a $19 sandwich. My partner had the green salad with chicken, which was large and she enjoyed it. Others had the huckleberry bbq chicken, which they said was great. Another in our party had the elk burger, which they said was good.

I really wanted to like this place. The craft beer and huckleberry margaritas were great. The view is nice and the servers were so nice! However, the food wasn't great. It was horrible, it just wasn't good. None of us cared for our meal but still ate it. It doesn't taste fresh. I would definitely go for drinks and outdoor area though.

Menu is misleading and out of date. Atmosphere was nice but the setup is weird. You have to order at the bar instead of having waiters/waitresses. A little overpriced for what it is.

Bar and grill by the river. Have to walk/drive in through a gravel road down to the by the river from the street to get there. It's a fairly large establishment. Has an eclectic decor with license plates, signs, and hunting trophies on the walls. Also has a pool table, darts and other bar games, and also a slot machine or two. Went there for dinner and the place was reasonably busy for Sunday football. Pretty typical bar/pub food menu, with the exception of some elk and bison items which is something that is common in the area. Got an order of the elk nachos to start. It was a pretty big serving of nachos. Tasted decent, although couldn't really tell the difference between ground elk and regular ground beef. We tried the pulled pork sandwich and that was pretty decent. Finally, tried their BBQ ribs. The flavors were okay, but the ribs probably should have been cooked longer as it wasn't quite tender enough. Overall, food was alright.