5 Best Pubs in Helena

“I love stopping in for breakfast, lunch or dinner at Smith’s. They have a friendly staff, great service and yummy food, especially their burgers and omelets.“

“This week’s ROMEO adventure is a recommendation from my brother-in-law John. As it turned out, the gorgeous twenty minute drive from East Helena was an inspirational aspect of the experience. York Road winds past several reservoirs and twists between rocky outcrops in a sparsely populated section of Montana. Otto remarked, “This looks like bear country.”

The restaurant located at the end of our short trip is the The Friendly York Bar, commonly known as simply The York Bar. Built in 1930, the building itself is worthy of mention. It retains its original log construction and original wooden floors and walls. Stapled on the ceiling and walls are dollar bills with various names and pictures scribbled on them. Our waitress, who also doubled as our cook, explained the origin of the “money on the ceiling.” Apparently the old gold miners used to leave behind money so that if they ever went completely broke they could come in and have enough left for a drink.

Otto and I arrived six minutes before they opened at 11:00 am and were prepared to sit on the quaint rocking chairs on the front porch. Relaxing there for less than a minute, we were a little surprised when the heavy wooden door creaked open and we were greeted with a friendly, “I guess we can open up five minutes early for you two.”

Although it is a bar, it doesn’t feel like a bar. The tables and chairs are standard wooden restaurant furniture. The walls are decorated with historical photographs from the area. Highchairs are stacked in a corner next to the stone fireplace and the overall impression is of a typical log cabin-themed family diner.

The menu consists of mostly burgers and upgraded burgers with a nice assortment of appetizers. The burgers are served with a small bag of chips and, appropriately enough, a York Peppermint Patty.

You place your order at the bar and pay either then or after the meal.

The burgers were amazing! They were perfectly cooked, exactly as we ordered them. I was not surprised to see the award for “Best Hamburger in Helena” from a few years ago displayed at one end of the dining area.
They have been sourcing their meat from the same Utah provider since the Eighties.
Otto particularly enjoyed their hot mustard, which they make in-house. Actually, we discovered that they make all of their sauces in-house, (which every great restaurant should do.)

The service was excellent, as the waitress/cook noticed our need for refills without being asked. She was happy to talk about the history of the restaurant, her time there as an employee, and the activities in the area that draw tourists.

Otto and I agree that this restaurant definitely deserves another visit, and soon.“

“A lot of places skimp on the details, but the fries here were seasoned and cooked perfectly, and their ranch dressing is fantastic. Super friendly staff and the burger/beer was really good too. Its a great spot. I only do these reviews if it was a super good or super bad experience...and its in the super good category for sure.“

“Nice place! Good food! Live music 🥰“

“Good food and good service.“