Welcome to Flathead Lake Resort! Here, you’ll find a cozy place to stay. One built out of a love for community and the beauty that is Flathead Valley. While we hope you truly feel at home in your cabin or room or wherever you have chosen to spend a night or more, we also hope you don’t spend too much time in your room, because Woods Bay, Bigfork, and the surrounding area have a lot to explore!

Especially food!

And if you’re anything like us, which we assume you might be because you are staying with us, you love food. And along with that food, you also love ambiance and the joys of exploring all the tastes that come with travel.

A Few Fave Restaurants in Flathead Valley

We’ve got some of our favorite restaurants listed here for you. While we don’t want to tell you exactly where to go - some of the greatest flavors are found when wandering without recommendations - we want to at least get you started on your flavor journey through Flathead Valley.

Also, just because we don’t mention a restaurant, doesn’t mean it’s not good, it might just mean we haven’t been there yet, or we have different tastes than you. Truthfully, we hope we have a few things in common, but we also love to have differences. It’s those differences - both in taste and lifestyle - that eventually bring us all together. So when we gather around a campfire after a day of tasting all that the Flathead Valley restaurants have to offer, we look forward to mouth-watering conversations.

Speaking of mouth-watering, we can’t talk about food without mentioning the many cherry orchards that surround us here at Flathead Lake Resort. So, maybe it’s cherries for an appetizer, and then one of the many restaurants for a meal. Happy Eating!

Woods Bay

Woods Bay is a dining and drinking community located about five miles south of Bigfork proper and a mere half mile from Flathead Lake Resort. It consists of several of our favorite places in the entire Flathead Valley.

The Raven

The Raven is a Caribbean themed restaurant and bar with live music most nights and sits right on the water. During the summer months you can dine and drink on the deck below or grab a table on the deck above or cozy up next to the bar inside with a one-of-a- kind stunning view of Flathead Lake.

One of the coolest things about the Raven besides its delectable food, good craft beer selection, and locally mixed craft cocktails, is the fact that you can paddle your way here from Flathead Lake Resort. So grab your SUP or canoe or whatever watercraft you have and head on over. Just beware, it’s a popular place and can get quite busy. The Raven definitely tops the list as one of our absolute favorites.

Montana Bonfire

Looking for a true date night or a family meal that has all the bells and whistles. Get dressed up or don’t, but the Bonfire has scrumptious meals including pasta dishes, fish, gourmet appetizers, and more. With live music set perfectly for a dining atmosphere, you may just feel like you’ve entered paradise.

And paradise needs a cocktail. Here, you’ll also find artfully created, hand crafted cocktails that are beautiful in style and design as well as taste. Cocktails not quite your thing? There’s also a full bar, including a good selection of craft beer, wine, and other spirits.

Sitting Duck

If you’re in need of a true Montana dive bar experience, along with your dining expectations, Sitting Duck is one of them. Popular for their prime rib dinners as well as their perfectly fried French fries, tater tots, and egg rolls, along with sandwiches, salads, and more, your desire for bar food has just been upped a notch at the Sitting Duck. Family and kid friendly up until 10 PM, this is the place to enjoy some lunch or dinner and then come back for some late night shenanigans.

And with their decent selection of local brews and full bar, your dining experience will be well complemented as you enjoy it inside a cozy Montana bar experience or out on their expansive deck directly on Flathead Lake. And not to be outdone by the Raven, your watercraft are welcome here, too.

Saddlehorn Station

And just across the water from The Raven and the Duck, you’ll find another beachside foray into the wonders of dining and drinking on the bay. A short paddle or drive from Flathead Lake Resort, Saddlehorn Station offers cocktails, wine, local brews, and an onsite food truck for all your summer beach loving vibes. It’s just another beautiful day on the lake in the bay with this lakefront beach bar (open seasonally).

Sip of Montana

While the Sip is more of a local beer bar - serving up a variety of 20 Montana craft beers - they are becoming more and more known for their handcrafted pretzels and pizza, alongside the onsite BBQ food truck.

Whether you stop in for a bite to go and grab a drink while waiting or you’re dining in, the pretzels here are some of the best we’ve had across the country. For more craft beer and drinking options, click here. But in the meantime, head on over to the Sip.

Bigfork

Bigfork is a quaint town located at the edge of Flathead Lake and along the Swan River. With its immensely walkable downtown area, there are many shops to explore and places to stop and eat and drink, no matter your taste. Explore on your own to find your favorite, or start with a couple of ours.

Lake Baked/River View Bar

Lake Baked is a family owned bakery and coffee shop with delectable baked goods, including my favorite, huckleberry rolls. While the coffee shop and bakery closes in the afternoon, River View Bar is often open afterwards and into the evening. It’s easy to spend all day here starting with a coffee and a roll and ending with a beer and a taco or burger form the various food trucks that park here quite often.

Did I mention music? They’ve got that, too. So sit back in one of the many Adirondack chairs scattered throughout the beer garden, enjoy the view, the music, and the natural sounds and sights of the neighboring Swan River.

Saketome

Sushi in Montana? Saketome is one of the best. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time, because, well, it’s one of the best and fills up quickly. Located in the heart of downtown Bigfork, you’ll find scrumptious sushi and fish, handcrafted cocktails, and a fun atmosphere to enjoy it all. With bar seating, a sushi bar seating, intimate tables and large table, you can enjoy a date night, a family night, or a solo night. Whatever you choose, be sure to ask for the special roll of they day, it is delectable, no matter what it is.

Max’s Market

Max’s is our sister company, and we love them just as much as we love Flathead Valley. We can’t say enough wonderful things about them, but we did try. If you love good people, good food, and good things, click here to read more on Max’s Market.

Whether you need to shop to create a meal at home, or want Max’s to create something for you for a picnic lunch to go, you’ll find fresh, organic food here, along with handcrafted espresso drinks, baked goods, and more. You can also enjoy live music here in an intimate setting while sipping on a glass of wine and enjoying the cool Montana evenings in the heat of summer. Come on by and say hi to Max, Jenny, Chris, and Charley. Careful though, you may never leave.

Live music at Max’s Market - nutritious food and great people

Burger Town

A staple in Bigfork, this popular burger joint can be quite busy, but worth the wait. Grab some burgers to go, or enjoy them on the tables outside, just get them. Located right across the street from Wayfarer’s State Park and Max’s Market on Montana Highway 35, you won’t miss them. Nor will you want to, especially when you’re craving a burger and fries. And don’t forget that milkshake or soft-serve cone for dessert.

Traditions at the Bigfork Inn

Unfortunately, as of this update, Bigfork Inn and Traditions are no longer open. However, we’re hopeful that it may soon open back up bringing Switzerland back to Bigfork once again. And when it does, maybe it will be as is once was…

Think Switzerland meets Bigfork when dining at Traditions. This perfect date night location offers exquisite upscale dining with a rustic bar setting. Reservations are recommended to ensure that you get to enjoy all there is to offer including charcuterie or frog legs or bruschetta to start your meal, culminating into chef inspirations that will become an experience in itself. Try some duck, shrimp, fresh fish, filet mignon, or lamb. End it all with a mouth-watering Montana favorite, huckleberry crème brûlée.

…Or maybe it will be an entirely new experience. All the more reason to pay a visit to Bigfork.

Flathead Lake Brewing Company

This full service brewery is more than just a brewery that makes great beer, Flathead Lake Brewing is a family friendly restaurant with a full bar as well. Want that lake view? They’ve got that, too. So, whether you sit at the bar, cozy up at a table inside, or are lucky enough to get that coveted lake view patio spot, you’ve got the food and beer here, all in one location.

Enjoying some great food and beer at Flathead Lake Brewing

Taco Loco Food Truck

Food trucks are often a destination in itself, and Taco Loco is one of those food trucks that you seek out wherever they happen to be parked. And most often, you’ll find it parked in the parking lot of Whistling Andy Distillery. Located across from Max’s Market on Highway 35, grab some authentic street tacos and wander into the distillery for a sensual delight of flavors.

Echo Lake Cafe

Before you head out for your day on the water or the trails. Before you make your dining plans for dinner. Before you think about cocktails. You need breakfast. Echo Lake Cafe has got the best breakfast around. Family owned and operated since the 60’s, these guys have got breakfast down to a perfect combination of flavors in everything that they make. Breakfast essentials from pancakes and French toast to biscuits and gravy and eggs any way you like them. And what would breakfast be without eggs Benedict or breakfast burritos or omelets? Plan to wait a bit for your table, though, because everyone knows this is the best breakfast place. It’s definitely not a secret.

Kalispell, Polson, Columbia Falls, Lakeside, and More

Kalispell is a mere 20 minute drive north of Bigfork and offers all the big box stores you can think of, as well as all the small town charm that is Montana. From pizza at Bullman’s Wood Fired Pizza to burgers at The Brass Tap Craft Beer Bar to cafes to coffee shops to food trucks to family restaurants to breweries to dive bars such as Moose’s Saloon, you’ll be sure to find something here that suits your tastes in that moment. If you need a starting point, click here for some suggestions, or simply explore on your own.

The Flathead Valley has so many places to eat, you won’t be wanting for much. On your way to Glacier National Park? Be sure to stop in Columba Falls or anywhere in that surrounding area for huckleberry flavors galore.

Traveling around the lake? Stop in Lakeside for a day trip to the public beach and then hit up Tamarack Brewing for brews and food. Heading south along the lake? Then don’t miss out on Polson for more opportunities to eat and drink your way through Flathead Valley.

Tales of Food Over Campfire Conversations

Wherever you eat, remember to enjoy the moment. Not every restaurant will be perfect or exactly what you expect it to be. But the moment will be perfect because you’ve just played the day away on the water or on the trails. Now, you’re famished, and over food and drinks, let the tales begin. You know - the ones where the fish you caught was bigger than life or the trail you rode was straight up. Yep! Those tales that you will never forget. And that fish gets bigger every time you tell the story.

Campfire conversations after eating all the great food!

Vegan Options

Finding vegan options in the Flathead Valley is easier than you might imagine. Luckily, our sister company, Max's Market, is full of amazing vegan goods and locally sourced deliciousness! They've got carry-out meals punched full of flavor that will have you coming back for more and packing some for the plane, the car, or your cabin.

As for eating out, Montana Bonfire has a Thai Vegan dish that's a must, vegan or not. The Raven serves the Impossible burger (ask for the grilled onions from the other burger to be added and consider taking your own cheese, since they do not have vegan options for cheese. We have heard that Show Thyme in Bigfork will make a vegan dish if you request it in advance. We love the veggie street tacos at the Taco Loco Food Truck (parked outside Whistling Andy's.) Again, consider taking your own cheese. We recommend Miyokos feta from Max's Market.

Ken and April of Living a Stout Life are craft beer and travel lovers. They live and work from their 24 foot RV, while traveling to drink good beer, visit Mother Nature, and mountain bike. “We want to do everything and visit everywhere. We know that this is impossible, so in order to help you experience as much as you can in the time you have, what we experience, we pass onto you to give you guidance to create your own adventures. Happy travels!”

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