The Great Northern Bar & Grill

It's a fine place if you're going to just have a beer and hang with friends. For food you go all the way to the back and order and pay at the counter. The guy was rude and impatient. You then have to go to the bar to order and pay for water, tea, soda, etc. But since you're not getting alcohol they act like it's an inconvenience to help you. She then gave me a soda instead of a tea and she sighed when I pointed that out. We then had to find a table to eat at which was hard because people were just kind of scattered about. When they brought the food out they just kind of tossed it on the table and walked away. The food also wasn't great.

Great atmosphere!! Obvious local hangout which speaks to the local opinion. Gyro and fries were excellent. Don't know if having spent 3 days in Seattle had anything to do with it, but the prices were amazing. Less than $100 for 5 adult beverages each and our meals. Little different in that you order food at the kitchen and drinks at the bar. We were out of there before 6pm so don't know if service is different later, but not a big deal. Super friendly and great service.

We didn’t get food but it looked great. If you love a local dive bar with beer in a mason jar with many local brewery flavors this is your bar. Great service. In a great little town. The food park across the street is also a great food spot. We came back twice to this bar. Loved it.

Really nice to walk in after a long drive and have cold drinks and tasty food

If I could give this establishment 0 stars, I would. If you’re just looking for a place to grab a quick drink I’d say this place is fine, but do yourself a favor and look elsewhere for food. This restaurant is not only disgustingly filthy, but has horrible food service and cleanliness standards. Upon ordering my food I watched the guy standing in the kitchen, who took my order, spit into a garbage can right in front of me and wipe his face with his hand and then return to handling food without washing. Not to mention how filthy their “kitchen” is. If that wasn’t gross enough, after a few bites of my lasagna I stumbled upon half an eggshell inside in my food. That was the cherry on top for me I can gladly say I will never be returning to this restaurant again, pls if you are considering eating here, I urge you to sit and watch the kitchen in the back before you order as it should change your mind. This place needs to be shut down, at least for foodservice, for the safety of everyone who contemplates eating here.

Meh. It’s a big-country dive bar with dive bar food. It seems like a locals-only, historic watering hole. It might be your kind of place if you’re into a locals only, beer slinging spot with old novelty signs and a slightly rougher crowd. I kinda regret that this was my last restaurant before leaving town. If you’re an out-of-townie or a foodie, I’d suggest going somewhere else. They are one of the few restaurants with actual sandwiches and not just burgers, but even still, it’s Sarah-Lee bread and bagged salad kits.

This place was good. They share a space with a Mexican restaurant. Our lanes group had almost everything on the menu and it was really good. The bar folks were nice. They had pool tables and gambling machines.. no dart board 😞 I'll visit again

Super rude staff on both the food side and the bar even though you have to walk up and order. Food was ok. Bartenders projected being over worked with zero customer service skills. Save your money for a business that appreciates your patronage. You'll get a better experience pretty much anywhere else in Whitefish.

Stopped in for a drink and maybe a burger. Waited 10 minutes for the bartender (long blonde hair and glasses) to acknowledge us. She gave me the 1 minute look and then walked over after cleaning up a bit then took our orders. Got a bit snarky with my husband regarding beer and the menus. She was efficient in mixing/pouring and was even more efficient telling us what owed. She was just rude, but only with us but with locals as well. Really sad to be such a cool place with a fun vibe, only to have it ruined by rude staff. Seems to be a theme though. Too many great spots in Whitefish to visit, so avoiding this spot will be easy to do.

Stopped in for lunch, ordered the fish tacos. went to eat my second one and there was a medium length hair wrapped in amongst the slaw and fish. immediate nope. Tossed our food and left. won't be going back.

My partner and I love to stop in when we're in town. The BLT is so good. It's nothing fancy, very simple but perfect. Like an old school homemade BLT on the square sliced toast (can't recall if it's white or wheat) The fries are always sooooo crispy and hot and fresh and salty! I'm not a crinkle cut fan because I feel like they're never crispy enough...but not these. Fantastic, give me 14 of 'em (ifykyk lol) Patio is big, cool, and nicely shaded. Inside is classic small town dive, in the best way possible. Service is great and the food comes out quickly but is always fresh.

Stopped in while visiting Whitefish. Staff was very friendly. Food was ok. I ordered a burger, it was alright. We also got the fried greenbeans, ranch was good. Hubs got the loaded nachos, this was a lot and it was actually good. Chips were soggy and good salsa. Ambiance was a little loud even though it wasn't crowded at all. There were kids in there but also a few tables of drunk folks, reminded me of the pubs in Ireland. Cool place.

Pretty fun dive bar that's jam packed during peak times. Live music. Three coin-op pool tables, shuffleboard ($2 at the bar for the pucks), a bit dirty and grimy but shit tons of character whoo hoo.

Bloody Mary Great atmosphere dark kinda dive bar vibes Full bar, great food, great customer service c

Loved this place. As we searched for a happy hour bar in Whitefish, we stumbled upon this gem in the heart of downtown. Walking in, we were transported in time. Imagine bars you were in 10 or 20 years ago. Now imagine a bar that has been in business over 100 years. Timeless memorabilia on the walls, plus pool, bar games, and live music. And did I mention the ice-cold and reasonably priced drinks? In the short two hour period we stayed, our opinion of this watering hole only went up.

Food quality / price (value) rating: I have no idea because the barmaid with curly blond hair completely ignored me. My wife and I walked into this place and sat at the bar. It is obvious to the sighted and awake that we are together. The barmaid came over, curtly stated "Go online and order your food at the end of the bar". (Apparently there's no wait staff). She then asks my wife if she'd like a drink, so she orders a grapefruit juice, which turns out to be mostly high fructose corn syrup. The barmaid immediately walks away without even acknowledging me, brings back the grapefruit juice, ignores me again, and walks away. She then spends the next 10 minutes doing bar cleanup work, and continues to ignore us. I finally get her attention, ask what I owe, and leave the two bucks on the bar and we leave. Certainly one of the worst service experiences I've ever had. Highly NOT recommended!

Food was great. Ordered Rueben and Fried Chicken Sandwich. Both were very good.. However the guy at the counter where you order was a Dick!! Hope he owned the place because he was not a very good employee. He just took our order that was all. He asked what we wanted to drink and we said just water. We paid and my wife put a dollar and change in a tip jar on the counter. I overheard him say to another employee " They only gave me a dollar and they want water". He said water was around the corner if we wanted it.It was in a water jug on the bar. Now this guy doesn't cook or serve the food. He just takes the order. I guess his order taking requires compensation. He made the same comment to the guy in front of me ordering. He paid with a card. Didn't add a tip and the guy made a smart add remark to him also. Dude is a such a tool!!!

Horrible service! When we walked in we were told it would be a 30 minute wait for food. We decided we would order and wait the half hour. 30 minutes past, then 45 minutes past, finally after nearly an hour my husband went up and asked about our order. It had been sitting there and no one brought it out. We were sitting two tables away from the kitchen. It took an hour to get one BLT sandwhich. No apology or compensation.

They have excellent hamburgers. You're going to pay higher than usual for it but they're good. Location has several pool tables and a shuffle board.

This was a fun environment for at least a one-time visit. We went for lunch and the burger and fried shrimp were good. The patio was nice.

When you walk in, it feels like a dark dive bar filled with locals that all ignore you. I kept walking and finally saw the order window way in the back. I placed my order and felt he was in a rush even though no one else was in that area I told him I'm sharing the patty melt and it arrived on two plates but one half was a lot bigger than the other half which was kinda annoying as we had to re-cut it It tasted pretty good. But it did need salt and the bread was very dry. Comes with a green salad which is just a pile of lettuce There's old French fries on the floor. This place seems a little rough around the edges and I didn't feel quite safe. Normally I do love a good dive bar.

The Great Northern is a staple. I grew up in this area and the Northern has existed as long as I have. Some may say go to the Bulldog for a burger, but the Northern has the better burgers. It's very popular and usually crowded but the space is also quite large. They host live music here. And for the uninitiated, the signs that adorn the walls are all failed Whitefish businesses so it's always a trip down memory lane. You order food at the back and beers at the bar, it's two separate tabs.

Filled with locals! (& we loved it- they were all friendly and welcoming to us!) Good seating areas, nice selection of drinks, and good fried bar food. A great place to sit, and- as we discovered- watch a game of hockey on tv!

Incredibly cozy, cool interior with vintage signage. Friendly service. Lively dive bar scene. Kids allowed earlier in the day -- we brought our little one. Great American bar-type food. I loved the KJ salad and my husband the lasagna was pretty good. Perfect place to end the day.

Great dive bar! You must visit when in Whitefish. Love all the signs. Look for sale on Coors tall boys

If you are looking for a great outside patio bar to enjoy while in Whitefish this summer, pop in here! It's a total dive bar, but it is hopping. We couldn't believe how reasonable our two beers and two Malibu rum and diet cokes were ($15!) The patio is a hidden gem after a great day of hiking.

I had my nephew in town and wanted to take him to a local establishment for a cold beer. Beer was cold. Decided to split a stuffed pretzel. The cheese inside the pretzel was still cold. It was a bad cook job. We were both disappointed

I have a friend living in Montana and when I visit, I make sure to stop here. It's a good bar with stiff drinks and good bar food. If you're ever in the area, stop in. Cool atmosphere and interesting decor.

EMPLOYEE literally yelled at us for not tipping enough! we were tipping 20%- 30% on drinks that we literally had to go get ourselves. I think so restaurants and servers have forgotten what a tip is actually for - SERVICE ! even then, 20% to 30% is usu considered generous but thai employee took it upon himself to tell us how we should learn American customs. let me tell you, I have been all over the states and have never been yelled at for tipping 20%- 30% and also he was yelling at us for order 100 dollars worth of food and we didnt we orders about 30 dollars so I think he might have been yelling at us for no reason but we got yelled regardless- and it ruined our night.

Great drinks, generous pours, charming/historic building with a great mix of locals and visitors. Oh, and dang that burger was good!

Great sandwiches and many beers to choose from. Order food from the back....beers at the bar. Classic Whitefish bar!!

Never ever in my 51 years have I had, much less even seen an employee get in a customers face SCREAMING! The guy who took our order at the register brings to our table two of our three lunch plates. One minute later a girl with purple hair who we had had no previous interaction with brings out the third plate. We were just chit chatting amongst ourselves, everything was good until my daughter simply ask about the chips and hot sauce she ordered. Purple hair girl says with a MAJOR attitude 'It's not on my ticket, if it's not on my ticket then you didn't order it and your not getting it if you didn't pay for it' and then she whips around back to the kitchen. All three of us are still sitting with our mouths wide open trying to figure out if we missed something when she returns and SLAMS the ticket on the table "here's your FUCKING ticket and you didn't FUCKING order chips and hot sauce!" And storms off again. I go to the register to talk to someone to find out what the heck is going on and why they allow a employee to act like that. She then comes to the register and is screaming in my face, idk what she was even saying because at this point I'm yelling too. TRYING to inform her we DID order chips and hot sauce but how was I suppose to know it wasn't on HER ticket or that we didn't pay for it. It's not like we got and itemized receipt or anything. We ordered, we paid, that was it‍ WE didn't kno the guy did not put chips and hot sauce on the ticket. It was the CRAZIEST MOST UNCALLED FOR REACTION that I have EVER seen. Never ever again will I go to that place. Nothing else came of the situation. No apology from management or anyone. This was the first place my daughter took me after picking me up from the airport in Kalispell after a long flight. Welcome to F'ing Montana

We like this place. Two years ago they had the best steak sandwiches but they no longer serve them. We ordered a couple of burgers and apple cider. Good burgers, marginal side salads. Love the mushrooms. The on tap cider packs a punch. My husband loves the cider but misses the steak sandwich.

No frills but good drinks, decent food, and relaxed atmosphere. Their wings are in the top 5 I've maybe ever had so that is a must order! Definitely worth the stop in just for that.

Don't bother! Even though your money is just as good as the locals, they clearly don't want it. They are rude, won't tell people to go to the back to order...just watch people at a table waiting for services. Bartender had quippy answers to our questions. Not worth it!

Went to eat for lunch with a group of 9 or so. The bartender was pleasant and helpful and overall pretty empty with no wait for lunch during the busy season. The place is almost entirely self serve (but no one will tell you that so you'll just end up sitting without anyone coming) in that you walk up to the counter to order as well get refills which isn't a big problem but the some of the staff are pretty much jerks. I asked what they recommended and got a "whatever is fast and easy" as a response from a "younger cashier". Didn't bother me much itself, although the staff thought it was funny enough to make fun of me in the kitchen for even asking. My buddy didn't tip since he felt he was doing all the "service" himself and the cashier/staff restaurant staff were dicks, so they gave us some complaint about tourists not needing to tip when we went to order. The food was okay, food was relatively fast but service sucked, and the "younger" cashier/staff was rude minus the bartender and older gentleman who was in the kitchen. You're better off supporting a business who cares.

The bar itself is great. The burger is terrible. It reminded me of a mystery burger from elementary school and at $15 a rip-off to boot. Suggest if you are going to charge premium prices for a burger then you need to use quality burger. you have plenty of cows locally so you don't need to buy that garbage off the truck

I have never even had to made a yelp account, but I feel like this needs to be heard. I went to the last emo night! Was very excited at the beginning and heard a ton of good tunes playing, and was met by insane rudeness from the brown haired bartender with the glasses! I watched her be rude to 4 customers and then walk over to me and do the exact same thing. Patiently waiting and met with rudeness. I go here every almost every weekend and have for the last 30 years, and i have loved every bartender and been treated so nicely besides this last instance. I love the northern and I am so disappointed by the way I was treated and several people around me. I heard her Yell at several people around me for their tipping amount, but most importantly was walking up to people and saying "what do you want" in the most harsh annoyed voice. Good luck getting locals to come back with this one.

Cool atmosphere. So-so bar food. But rudest waitress you'll ever have. Young girl with short hair who seemed inconvenienced to even take our order. She was rude again even dropping off food. Every one is entitled to a bad day, but her bad attitude was over-the-top nasty. Definitely wouldn't suggest going here with so many other great food establishments nearby.

It's shoulder season here now so the bar was slow compared to the busy seasons. Just locals and the same folks I remember for days gone by. Service was fast, accurate, and friendly which was pleasantly surprising. A few different signs but not much else seems to have changed.

We saw we had to order in the back no biggie. Very homey comfortable bar. Lots of locals I think. We had the broccoli and cheese soup, very good, fresh grated cheese on top, lots of broccoli. $3.50 a bowl and it was good and has 3 pkg of crackers with it. I also go , Montucky cold snack. I had no clue what it was, but for $2 I tried it. Along PBR line bit has distinct flavor, it was good. He had a Reuben which was filles with meat, marbled rye, came with fries, or potatoe salad or cottage cheese. Looked very good, he said it was. $12.50, well worth it. Employee checked many times how we were doing and was very pleasant. If you go here, pop, beer, drinks from bar as you walk in, food sperate order from window on back. We would come in again, next to the train station.

THE best burger I've ever had! I asked the cook (who also took our order) to smash the heck out of it and he did just that. (most places don't listen to that request or just don't get it right). He nailed it. It had crispy edges and also crispy bacon. Excellent!. it was the Mexican burger.

My rating is based on everything except food (I didn't order any). My spicy ceasar was blended beautifully and only cost $5! Very spacious bar area with lots of tasty, middle section has pool tables etc. and there is outdoor seating. I hear they have live music regularly as well. The bartender was attentative to my order and was very pleasant.

The family and I really enjoyed our time here while visiting downtown Whitefish. We popped in based on some Yelp photos that my son thought were video games, that were actually video casino games. Thankfully they still had a Ms Pac Man game and a really fun Godzilla pinball machine that we enjoyed plinking away with the kids over a few beers. We ended up sitting outside and enjoyed their eclectic signage, and could only imagine the fun acts that perform on their stage there. We'll definitely be back for more next time we pop into Whitefish.

6 reviews 2 minutes ago So rude! I didn't even get a chance to order a drink before the bartender said bye to me a dismissed me and I have no clue why.

This place is super fun with older kids. The food is adequate at best but there is a fantastic Godzilla pinball machine, shuffleboard, ping pong, pool, and some shooter games. All these games are separated from the bar (if not the beer smell) so it's somewhat kid-friendly feeling despite being a dive bar. The games are so, so fun. My teen and tween had a blast, and so did I.

We found them via Google, stopped in for late lunch and had beers, a special and a spinach salad. Local feeling bar...decent food. Took some pics of cool stuff on the walls.

Sucks they have locals no masks and if you are an outsider you order from the rear through plexiglass and sit in an isolation area , pure crap, bartender was nasty .... avoid these lunatics , really poor lighting like eating in a detention facility

Kudos, Great Northern, for some great food, and a wonderful atmosphere to host our daughter's 21st birthday bash! This was the place she chose to be the first "legal bar" that she attended. She had a group of friends in attendance, and they were having the best time. NO THANKS to the bearded gentleman from the kitchen who delivered their food to the table. He was evidently having a bad night, or was just "over it" with the crazy crowds. He announced his presence at the table by yelling HELLO!! Pay ATTENTION! And then plopped the food down and mumbled something about "you figure out who gets what." Really? WTF?? Are you just having a bad shift, or is this just how we treat people now? Congratulations, Beardy Kitchen Help, you showed your ass to a whole table of 20-somethings who chose to enjoy an evening at your establishment. Hope you feel like a big man now.

I don't normally leave negative reviews, but I had high hopes visiting this place given the history of it. When I arrived, the front door wasn't even marked. Then, when you get inside, there is no indication that you order in the back. The locals crowding the bar also give you no help. The bartender was rude, and the kitchen staff seemed more interested in chatting amongst themselves than taking my order. The food was okay, but I sadly won't be visiting again.

Back of house staff was less than professional, after not preparing our food order for 2 hours the older gentleman working the griddle made verbal threats at my husband when he requested a refund, stating we had no idea how hard it is to run a kitchen.

We always stop here when we come and leave whitefish. They have the best bar food ever. Everything is reasonably priced and delicious. My favorites are the jalapeño poppers and fried pickles. I could eat those pickles all day. They have the best homemade ranch, i wish i could bring home a gallon with me! They have games like pool and ping pong on the other side to occupy your time while you wait for food and drinks. Definitely come here!!

This upscale dive bar is one of my "go to " spots every time I am in Whitefish. I have seen Clumsy Lovers , Little Smokies & wish I could have recently enjoyed Martin Sexton! The nostalgic decor , outdoor patio space , pool tables , shuffle board tables and dance floor means there is something for everyone!

In from out of town for the weekend. Loved the food and decor. Can't find a bar with moose heads and fireplaces where we come from. We came out to get the western experience and we totally got it. Only complaint was a random yuppie hogging the ping pong table. He was wearing a cowboy hat but we could tell he wasn't a local by his shoe choice. Who wears vans and a cowboy hat??? Seriously be more out of place. He also thought he was great at ping pong so we had to show him a lesson. Other than the weird mustache and odd outfit it was a cool group. The food was to die for. Vans just don't fit in the west. I can't get over it. Hopefully they saw some boobs later that night. The group was pretty touchy feely after ping pong wins. Gave off real brokeback mountain vibes. But to each their own. Must be from California. Would go back though.

I called in the evening to see what time the kitchen closes because I don't want to be showing up if they're closing. I asked what time the kitchen closed and they just said "soon" and hung up. Then I called again and they immediately hung up. I do not recommend even going here after that kind of treatment on the phone

One of the better bars in whitefish. Pre pandemic it was my favorite. It still is mostly. The bands or artists they bring in are usually good. I don't wait for a drink and if I do it's cause they're packed. In the summer their beautiful patio is the spot to be. If you aren't from here and wander in acting out of sorts I wouldn't expect to like the northern much. The rest of us think it's great.

Fun place to go for drinks. Went on 2 different nights - first night had a countryish band playing....guy on banjo/guitar was extremely talented and for the life of me, can't remember his name. On the second night another band played, but I preferred the DJ that played in between their sets... Alcohol is free pour rather than measured (which was pointed out to me by my Canadian friends since everything is measured in Canada) and they even accept Canadian money! Very surprising - don't have to exchange it. Didn't try any of the food there, but it looked decent...