The Dining Room at Jenny Lake Lodge is a well-known restaurant in Grand Teton National Park. Located in the historic Jenny Lake Lodge, a rustic log property dating to the 1920s, it reflects the style of early national park tourism in the American West. The dining room's menu features Rocky Mountain trout, bison, elk and seasonal produce. I enjoyed the grilled flat iron tacos with grilled peppers, cremini mushrooms, caramelized onions and chipotle aioli. And a side of kettle chips with scallion creme. I actually liked these together so I could get a crunchy element with the taco. Dessert was cheesecake with huckleberry compote and mint chantilly. The compote made this feel even more indulgent than cheesecake already does. I didn't get the mint chantilly, but I waa happy even without it. Grade: B

Ernie’s Bakery and Deli is a longtime West Yellowstone institution, serving breakfast, lunch and baked goods just minutes from Yellowstone National Park’s west entrance. The restaurant is known for its hearty breakfasts, including omelets, breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, and pancakes. Fresh-baked breads, pastries and croissants are made in-house, while the lunch menu features deli sandwiches, soups and salads. A handful of French-inspired offerings, including crepes and croque monsieur, reflect the bakery’s roots. Royal Breakfast Sandwich - amoked salmon, cream cheese, dill, egg on a bagel. The runny egg spurted out the top of the bagel, so the texture left a lot to be desired. There was no lack of flavor though - especially dill. For dessert, I had a "Yellowstone Mudpot" treat, which features a sourdough pretzel covered in caramel and chocolate, and a "Haystack," which has toasted coconut and cocolate. Plus Mimi's caramel. The Mudpot delivered the perfect balance of sweet and salty. The Haystack combined toasted coconut and chocolate for a rich, chewy treat, while Mimi’s caramel was buttery, smooth and hard to stop eating. All three felt like fitting rewards after a day spent exploring Yellowstone. Grade: B

Connie’s Restaurant & Saloon is one of the Yellowstone area’s longtime local institutions. It’s a rustic, cabin-style restaurant and saloon just off U.S. 20. Opened in 2014, the restaurant is known for hearty portions, friendly service and a menu that caters to Yellowstone visitors. I had to try finger steaks. Finger steaks are one of Idaho’s signature foods, a regional specialty that originated in Boise in the 1950s. Made by cutting steak into finger-sized strips, battering and deep-frying them until crisp on the outside and tender inside, they’re typically served with fries. They're like the beef version of chicken tenders. I like this as an alternative. But I'd love it even more with a side of steak sauce. I ordered the St. Louis BBQ Baby Back Ribs, because they were noted as a specialty. 1 3/4 lbs. ribs and you could get a side of spaghetti. I am not mad at all at this combo, though I think both were fairly average. Ribs were a bit tough; marinara was a bit bland. What was not bland, though, was that piece of pie. Huckleberry a la mode. Huckleberries are one of Idaho’s most popular local foods. The small purple berries grow wild in the mountains, and many families have favorite picking spots they return to every summer. Because huckleberries are usually gathered from the wild rather than grown on farms, they’re considered a special treat. You’ll find them in everything from pie and pancakes to ice cream, jam and syrup. The berries are so closely tied to the state that Idaho named the huckleberry its official state fruit. Grade: B

TeaSpoons is a hidden gem in South Hills that offers bubble tea, acai bowls and other small bites. They also had a short run at the Tech Park where their specialty item was a smashburger -- so I had to try it. The smashburger cane with cheese, lettuce, tomato, crispy onions, mayo & ketchup. I also added a side of potato salad and a mango tea. The burger was pretty good. I liked the thin patties, and the veggies were fresh. I would've liked more seasoning - some simple salt & pepper. The drink was the star for me - sweet, refreshing and a great pairing with the burger for a summer meal. Grade: B

Some restaurants become famous because of celebrity chefs or elaborate menus. Others earn their place in history with a single item done exceptionally well. In Butte, Montana, that item is the pork chop sandwich. For more than a century, Pork Chop John’s has been serving one of Montana’s most iconic foods. The story begins in 1924, when Swedish immigrant John Burklund started selling breaded, deep-fried pork chop sandwiches from a wagon to Butte’s hardworking miners. The sandwich was simple, affordable and filling — exactly what a mining town needed. It became so popular that Burklund opened a permanent restaurant in 1932, creating a Montana institution. The sandwich itself is simple: a thin pork loin pounded flat, breaded, fried until golden, and served on a soft bun with mustard, onions, and pickles. There are no gourmet toppings, artisan sauces, or modern twists. That’s part of the appeal. Walking into the original uptown location feels like stepping back in time. The narrow lunch-counter diner remains a fixture of historic Butte, where locals and travelers squeeze onto stools and order sandwiches wrapped in wax paper. The atmosphere is unpretentious, the menu is straightforward, and the focus remains exactly where it has always been: on the pork chop sandwich. Grade: B

Montana Coffee Traders has long been one of the most recognizable coffee brands in northwest Montana. The company started in nearby Whitefish in 1981 and built a loyal following through its house-roasted coffee. For many years, its downtown Kalispell café was a popular stop for breakfast, lunch, espresso drinks and bags of locally roasted beans. Unfortunately, the downtown Kalispell location permanently closed in August 2025 due to rising operating costs and lack of profitability, according to company officials. Montana Coffee Traders still operates other locations in the Flathead Valley, including Whitefish and Columbia Falls. The coffeehouse menu centers around espresso drinks, house-roasted coffee, teas and blended specialties. Breakfast options included hearty dishes like the Big Sky breakfast, scrambles, omelets, breakfast wraps, quiche, oatmeal and granola. For lunch, the menu featured sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups and vegetarian specialties, with favorites such as the Glacier Melt and Black Bean Hummus Quesadilla. Fresh pastries and baked goods rounded out the menu. I enjoyed a small haul from this coffee shop: hot chocolate, quiche and a delicious everything seasoned biscuit. I enjoyed everything, though my hot chocolate was more ~artisanal~ and not as sweet. No matter - it was still tasty, as was the flavorful quiche. If you're in the area of Glacier National Park, it's the perfect fuel-up spot. Grade: B

Located in Concourse C, Root Down is the airport version of the popular Denver restaurant. Root Down focuses on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients with a highlight on vegetarian and vegan choices. I ordered the Banh Mi Turkey Burger with Cilantro Chutney, Jalapeño, Pickled Vegetables, Cucumber & Sriracha Aioli w/ Sweet Potato Fries. This was wonderful for airport food. The burger was moist, and those pickled veggies made for a dynamic bite. The atmosphere? Service? General vibes? All a bit rushed, impersonal and what I'd expect at an airport - even though I was hoping for more. Grade: B

Rebel SmokeHouse is the premier (and only?) BBQ joint in Mullens. PLUS burgers, pasta, steaks, sandwiches and wings. Now that's a mouthful, literally. Here's what I went with: 1/4 rack St Louis Style Ribs with beer bread, pasta salad & mac & cheese. St. Louis-style ribs are a specific cut of pork ribs. They’re trimmed from spare ribs to create a more rectangular, uniform shape, with the rib tips and cartilage removed. Compared to baby back ribs, St. Louis ribs are typically meatier, have more fat and connective tissue, and often deliver a richer pork flavor. They’re a barbecue favorite because they cook evenly and hold up well to smoking, grilling and saucing. The ribs delivered on a rich, savory flavor and a satisfying bite. Less tender than I'd prefer. The beer bread added a slightly sweet, malty note. The pasta salad provided a cool contrast. The mac & cheese added some creaminess. So it's like we hit all the food groups.

Grade: B

"Some of the city’s best Chinese food can be found in a Kenny Centre strip mall at Xi Xia. The restaurant’s specialty is its chewy noodles that are painstakingly made by hand. You’ll find them in their excellent signature dish: stirred noodles with supple pieces of beef shank, bok choy, and a kick of chili oil. The springy strands also show up in soup dishes of rich, slow-cooked bone broth that’s a solid hangover cure. Don’t miss the wonderfully gelatinous spicy chicken feet, the excellent lamb rice pilaf, or the salt-and-pepper chicken that’s an excellent takeout order for the family," reads The Infatuation. With a description like that, how can I not order that signature dish. The silky noodles were my favorite - so delicate. And the egg - I would love a soy egg with every meal. The meat was my least favorite; the beef shank flavor was a bit on the earthy side for me. Grade: B

Folklore Pizza in Spencer is a casual bar & grill known for its artisan wood-fired pizzas and local craft beer. The menu has fun items like Mothman wings and "A-TUNA- Matata," which is a housemade tuna salad topped with provolone cheese, served on a Soft Kaiser Roll and topped with locally grown fresh Tomatoes and Lettuce. I ordered The Mystic, which has bacon jam, mozzarella, mushrooms and crushed red peppers. I'm a sucker for the sweet & salty play, though I wish I could see more ways to do it than bacon jam. But it's a quick and easy way to give that pie more depth. An extra point for me would have been adding a funky cheese on top. Have you been? Grade: B