The food was excellent. My wife said it was the "best burger," she had ever had - and she is a great cook in her own right! I had the steak frites, which was perfectly cooked (medium rare), and the prime New York steak was juicy and tender and very tasteful. Our server, Allie, was a delight - checking with the sommelier on a certain wine and reporting back with quite a lot of information, checked on us often, was great to talk with and just all in all very pleasant. A sweet spot in Missoula's vibrant dining culture.
Lana
The food was not worth the price. I had duck confit. While the duck itself was excellent, the cassoulet tasted like BBQ beans from a Safeway deli. My husband had the pork and it was tough, dry, and lacking flavor.
Curtis
To get five stars, in my humble opinion, I would think about the following: Number one... the sauce on the fillet is too heavy, too sweet. To me, with a $70 piece of meat – it is the meat itself that is the Experience. Thus, the sauce must simply – and this is the most difficult part, of course – enhance what's already there, rather than adding to it in a distractive way. Number two:... the desserts, of which we had two– the chocolate torte and the bread pudding – were large, overly so in my opinion, clumsy in their children's birthday party construct and basically inedible in their presumptive and intoxicating sweetness. In short, the whole thing at the end of a very fine and subtle meal was way too much. Thus, I would refine the dessert menu, presuming the two we had may constitute a fair sample of the whole. To the sous chef... richly flavorful, potent, small, delicate, subtle, nuanced—if I humbly may, I would follow these words to your culinary Nirvana and the culmination of a delicious meal. For Missoula Boxcar Bistro, in my limited experience, we may wish to clearly and definitively differentiate and distance ourselves from something we might readily obtain from Big Dipper Ice Cream. Number three... The steak tartare and delicious and textured bread accompaniment was lovely and “just right to start”, as was the boxcar salad. A few subtle refinements may to me keep the Parisian dining experience —enhanced sublimely by the beautiful musical ambience and design lines and lighting mood—rocketing upward toward the tilt of a wonderful parabolic evening. To me, there to grasp, is your fifth star. With Love and Best 2026 Regards, with a promise to return... ♥️Curtis
John
Waitress was great Drinks and Appetizer arrived quickly. Dinner took a bit too long to arrive but the waitress was alert and recognized there was an issue before we said a word to her AND she offered immediately free glass of wine or free desert. She did a great job and it was a great dining experience!
Walker
After our first wine date at Boxcar, my partner and I knew that we had to come back for dinner sometime soon. Our dinner was everything we wanted it to be and more. The bartender remembered us and welcomed us with complimentary bubbly rosé. The pork belly was so good, the risotto with duck was amazing and the filet was absolutely perfect. Our waiter was incredible the whole time and made for the perfect date night. This has quickly become our special place for a reason. The service, the food, the ambiance; it is a must try in Missoula. We will be back very soon!
Nina
Wonderful atmosphere and food was exceptional. Zeb was an outstanding server! We will be back.
James
Alway excellent service, great meals, they're wine selection is one of the best in town. The food is always fresh and cook to perfection. The steak and fries is one of are favorites, so is the french onion soup
Johanna
This was our first visit to Boxcar after many many recommendations!! The wine list was amazing! We went during happy hour and were amazed how good the offerings were! The food was delicious and the waitress very helpful with suggestions! What a great date night!
Jane
Very nice glass of wine, great caprese salad appetizer and delicious dessert. Was surprised that the steak frites came well done when I asked for “chef's choice” for how I wanted it cooked. Was for sure expecting rare or medium rare. There were minimal vegan/vegetarian options for my boyfriend. The vegetable risotto he landed on was a bit disappointing. Feel like there are better alternatives in Missoula for higher end dining
Claire
Boxcar Bistro is one of our favorite Missoula restaurants. The ambience is warm and pleasant. The food is excellent and so is the wine list. The service is very good. Our server was very knowledgable about the wines and the menu and her manner was professional and warm at the same time. We sat at one of the window tables with the leather wing chairs. It was cosy but a little awkward for my husband as he is tall. But overall a very pleasant and enjoyable evening.
Another wonderful dining experience. Excellent service and innovative and well-executed offerings. They never disappoint.
art
Dining experience was awesome. Wonderful local foods mixed a quaint ambiance for Montana. The service is personal and all in all it is one of Missoula's nicer dining experiences.
Shelly
Two of us ordered appetizers as our dinner and mentioned that and instead of serving it with everyone's dinner, she served it to us way before everyone's entree. We mentioned this to her because the other people at the table didn't get theirs until 30 minutes later so they were just sitting there watching us eat. She blew it off and got flustered. Then the shrimp I always order was not the same. The coating was extra salty and it wasn't as good as last time I was there. I keep having hit or miss dinners here and I might just give up because it is too expensive to not have a perfect dining experience.
Leslie
Food and service were both amazing! First time that we tried the fried green tomatoes ... it was incredible! The Prawns are always a favorite for us. Scallops and beef cheeks were incredible. They are always so great to work around my gluten intolerance. Our favorite place!
The food was excellent. My wife said it was the "best burger," she had ever had - and she is a great cook in her own right! I had the steak frites, which was perfectly cooked (medium rare), and the prime New York steak was juicy and tender and very tasteful. Our server, Allie, was a delight - checking with the sommelier on a certain wine and reporting back with quite a lot of information, checked on us often, was great to talk with and just all in all very pleasant. A sweet spot in Missoula's vibrant dining culture.
The food was not worth the price. I had duck confit. While the duck itself was excellent, the cassoulet tasted like BBQ beans from a Safeway deli. My husband had the pork and it was tough, dry, and lacking flavor.
To get five stars, in my humble opinion, I would think about the following: Number one... the sauce on the fillet is too heavy, too sweet. To me, with a $70 piece of meat – it is the meat itself that is the Experience. Thus, the sauce must simply – and this is the most difficult part, of course – enhance what's already there, rather than adding to it in a distractive way. Number two:... the desserts, of which we had two– the chocolate torte and the bread pudding – were large, overly so in my opinion, clumsy in their children's birthday party construct and basically inedible in their presumptive and intoxicating sweetness. In short, the whole thing at the end of a very fine and subtle meal was way too much. Thus, I would refine the dessert menu, presuming the two we had may constitute a fair sample of the whole. To the sous chef... richly flavorful, potent, small, delicate, subtle, nuanced—if I humbly may, I would follow these words to your culinary Nirvana and the culmination of a delicious meal. For Missoula Boxcar Bistro, in my limited experience, we may wish to clearly and definitively differentiate and distance ourselves from something we might readily obtain from Big Dipper Ice Cream. Number three... The steak tartare and delicious and textured bread accompaniment was lovely and “just right to start”, as was the boxcar salad. A few subtle refinements may to me keep the Parisian dining experience —enhanced sublimely by the beautiful musical ambience and design lines and lighting mood—rocketing upward toward the tilt of a wonderful parabolic evening. To me, there to grasp, is your fifth star. With Love and Best 2026 Regards, with a promise to return... ♥️Curtis
Waitress was great Drinks and Appetizer arrived quickly. Dinner took a bit too long to arrive but the waitress was alert and recognized there was an issue before we said a word to her AND she offered immediately free glass of wine or free desert. She did a great job and it was a great dining experience!
After our first wine date at Boxcar, my partner and I knew that we had to come back for dinner sometime soon. Our dinner was everything we wanted it to be and more. The bartender remembered us and welcomed us with complimentary bubbly rosé. The pork belly was so good, the risotto with duck was amazing and the filet was absolutely perfect. Our waiter was incredible the whole time and made for the perfect date night. This has quickly become our special place for a reason. The service, the food, the ambiance; it is a must try in Missoula. We will be back very soon!
Wonderful atmosphere and food was exceptional. Zeb was an outstanding server! We will be back.
Alway excellent service, great meals, they're wine selection is one of the best in town. The food is always fresh and cook to perfection. The steak and fries is one of are favorites, so is the french onion soup
This was our first visit to Boxcar after many many recommendations!! The wine list was amazing! We went during happy hour and were amazed how good the offerings were! The food was delicious and the waitress very helpful with suggestions! What a great date night!
Very nice glass of wine, great caprese salad appetizer and delicious dessert. Was surprised that the steak frites came well done when I asked for “chef's choice” for how I wanted it cooked. Was for sure expecting rare or medium rare. There were minimal vegan/vegetarian options for my boyfriend. The vegetable risotto he landed on was a bit disappointing. Feel like there are better alternatives in Missoula for higher end dining
Boxcar Bistro is one of our favorite Missoula restaurants. The ambience is warm and pleasant. The food is excellent and so is the wine list. The service is very good. Our server was very knowledgable about the wines and the menu and her manner was professional and warm at the same time. We sat at one of the window tables with the leather wing chairs. It was cosy but a little awkward for my husband as he is tall. But overall a very pleasant and enjoyable evening.
Restaurantji Recommends
Another wonderful dining experience. Excellent service and innovative and well-executed offerings. They never disappoint.
Dining experience was awesome. Wonderful local foods mixed a quaint ambiance for Montana. The service is personal and all in all it is one of Missoula's nicer dining experiences.
Two of us ordered appetizers as our dinner and mentioned that and instead of serving it with everyone's dinner, she served it to us way before everyone's entree. We mentioned this to her because the other people at the table didn't get theirs until 30 minutes later so they were just sitting there watching us eat. She blew it off and got flustered. Then the shrimp I always order was not the same. The coating was extra salty and it wasn't as good as last time I was there. I keep having hit or miss dinners here and I might just give up because it is too expensive to not have a perfect dining experience.
Food and service were both amazing! First time that we tried the fried green tomatoes ... it was incredible! The Prawns are always a favorite for us. Scallops and beef cheeks were incredible. They are always so great to work around my gluten intolerance. Our favorite place!
Service flowed naturally, no rush at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
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