This place surprised me! The food was good, the atmosphere is modern and fun. Service was fantastic, and I'll definitely go back! Price was a tad high. Unsolicited advice: Get the fries!!!! read more

Outstanding! Best ceasar in town and the chicken fried bison burger layered in tots and cheese and a fried egg is the BOMB! Mmmmm read more

James Bar - Chicken fried bison breakfast :-) - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

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Food was just ok. My dish was cold. The waitress was made aware and didn't seem to care, didn't offer a hot dish and didn't compensate for the meal. The waitress was not concerned about and comments regarding how the food was, she just walked away not impressed. read more

I've been coming here off and on since 2018, I was away for a couple years. Then came back recently and it was a different experience. The beautiful bar was torn down, lost ambiance... the food is okay. If you want to hang and drink, you might like it. Just, the fact that they took out the masterpiece bar sucks. It had a vibe, but they removed it. Just won't be going back. Also, the staff used to be amazing. Pretty much feels like they hate their job. No one chats you up or shows interest anymore. Bummed me out. read more

Missoulas most underrated hidden gem! Such a cute and cozy space, with many TVs if you're trying to watch sports. Great food at super reasonable prices. Had Caesar salad, fries, burgers and beers and didn't break the bank. Will definitely be making this a regular date night spot. read more

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I have gone here multiple times, and each time the drinks have been awful. The food is okay, I like the fries and have enjoyed some sandwiches. I just really wish the drinks were better. The staff is friendly, but barely acknowledged me when i went with a friend who knew someone on the staff, they only spoke to her and practically ignored me. read more

We stopped by for dinner and were very underwhelmed. We got the mac and cheese. It wasn't bad, just needed some flavor. No salt or pepper to be found on any table. We also got the beef tips. They were virtually inedible. I am not sure what was in the sauce, but it was watery and extremely strong, like they had added a cup of vinegar. Next, was the quinoa salad. It was a bed of quinoa with 4-6 chickpeas, cucumber, and a cold chicken breast. The dressing was, I think, supposed to be a tahini dressing. But again, there was so much vinegar in it, I couldn't eat it. Last was the tater tots. The small size was a large plate IMO, and they were fresh and crispy. Service was not the friendliest. Cannot recommend. read more

We were very happy with our choice of restaurant as we were passing through Missoula. Great wait staff, yummy drinks and the food was terrific. Husband had the ribeye steak. I had the gyro beef wrap. Exceptional read more

I stopped in here for dinner when I was in town for work. The lamb slider stole the show for me. The Mac & Cheese was good but nothing to rave about compared to what we make at home. read more

James Bar - Lamb Slider - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

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Whenever I'm craving a delicious and juicy bison burger, I come here! In fact, that is the only thing I ever order because I love it so much. James Bar is a well-known restaurant/bar in downtown Missoula. You can almost always expect the place to be packed full of people, especially on the weekends because their food is THAT good! They use all locally raised meat and their prices are ridiculously inexpensive for the quality you get. I have never been disappointed in their food. Their service however, well let's just say I knocked a star off for their service. The waiters and waitresses are not always on top of things. You should never have to ask to have your drink refilled, but you do here. We had to ask for our bill on our last visit there, and it took the waitress 10 minutes to bring it back to us.....then another 10 minutes to return our card to us. I understand the restaurant is usually pretty busy, but they definitely could use some improvement when it comes to service. Other than that, this is definitely a place I would recommend trying if you are new to Missoula, or even just visiting. read more

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Great place to wander into on a snowy Missoula evening. Romantically rustic and hip. The chanterelle hedgehog mushrooms cooked in white wine served on crostini with goat cheese definitely stole the show for me! I think it was a special, we ordered as an appetizer to share with the table. So flavorful and tasty! I easily could've ordered as my entree and been happy. I ordered the burger made with Montana beef and Gorgonzola. Bun was fresh and meat was tender. Can't believe this was my first Gorgonzola burger, very good. It was served with house made potato chips- they were ok. My parents ordered the bison stew and fish and chips. My dad seemed to enjoy the stew as he demolished it without sharing a bite. Seemed like a steal of a deal at $7! Large bowl with 4-5 slices of French bread. My mom's fish (cod) was A-Ok in my opinion. The fries were very tasty. Loved their menu filled with local influences. Our service was good. Music increased in volume and lights dimmed as evening progressed and they transformed into more of a bar scene than a restaurant. I plan to return to try out some more of their unique offerings next time I'm in town. read more

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I've always loved the James Bar. Always. I think it's got something to do with the Hunter S. Thompson quote etched in stone outside the front door. Or it's the fact that you walk by the kitchen as you enter, a sure sign that they've got nothing to hide. It could also be the fabulous sweet potato tots, or the truffle fries or the queso fundido or the selection of sliders but it's probably the drinks and service, see if Crue is working, he's the best, that makes me a regular. Weather permitting the outside area is a must. Though anytime at James Bar is stupendous, happy hour is especially gratifying with a long list of cocktails, beers and wine plus nibbles on the list. I truly can't recommend James Bar enough. It's the perfect spot in the perfect city. read more

Not going back to this place. The sliders we ordered had already slid for at least a couple of days before arriving at our table. Same for the heap of fries we were served. Renaming this place: James Barred read more

I have had better service. The waitress was inattentive to our table. Sweet potato tots were amazing! Skip the truffle fries....

Service was great and food was excellent. We ordered ahead and took our food to the park. Would like to eat in restaurant next time

Ambiance is always great. Craft drinks and i really enjoy the bar food. You never feel rushed! I'm

I went tonight for dinner with my homegirl and it was beyond expectations! Charlie was such a pleasure and a wealth of knowledge. I left happier than I imagined I could. I will be back to see Charlie and eat the ahi again! Thank you Charlie for making our girl night so fat and happy!! Haha! read more

James Bar was a perfect stop on an unusually cold Missoula evening. The restaurant was packed but they sat us right down. The staff was friendly and the table next to us was clearly a first date - phenomenal conversation but I don't think there will be a round two. I really liked the staff and the food was great. Who can complain about steak and fries for $20 - only in Montana. Fries were great and the beers were cold. read more

James Bar - 8 oz. Sirloin with peppercorn sauce and James Fries - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

Amazing food and service. Coming back for sure. My husband and I liked the house salad, kale ceaser, and bison burger. Their Last Word cocktail was also amazing. read more

James Bar - Everything is amazing!! I highly recommend - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

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The food overall is good (burger type, etc.), the interior is upscale but basically its a bar that serves food. Primary objective folks go there is to meet and drink and then nibble. If you want a dinner place, this isn't it. read more

I have had good dinners here but was disappointed tonight. The bison green chili burger was overcooked, dry and didn't have a ton of flavor. The truffle fries were also lackluster. They barely had any truffle flavor and needed salt. The saving grace was the slider. It was full of flavor and properly cooked. I would recommend a couple sliders and a beer here if you don't want to be disappointed. read more

Great food. Great vibe. Friendly service. My burger, truffle fries and drink were tasty. The parking was the tricky part. Lots of permit only in the area. read more

James Bar was a great choice in Missoula. I totally loved their quinoa cakes and truffle fries and went back 2 times within a week cuz they were so tasty and I wanted to introduce my visiting friends to them. Go try em! You'll be glad you did! read more

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A fun place. Their sliders were great! We ordered the lamb, bison and crab sliders and were happy with their presentation and flavor. They have an interesting cocktail menu as well. If you enjoy truffle fries, they have some great ones! The staff was helpful and pleasant. I'd go back. read more

James Bar - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

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I came here the other night wanting a classic cocktail. They made a great Sazarac. I will be back to try their other drinks and menu items.

This place is always outstanding. You can tell it's good when you go in on a weekday and the place is slammed. Went here on a Thursday evening and sat near the kitchen on those high tops near the entrance. The waiter was outstanding! The drinks were exactly what was needed. Gin Mule and a Pinot noir. I had the shepherds pie it was delightful! Also, ordered the spicy garlic fries and they were on point. The James chicken was good just lacked some salt and black pepper, if you eat it with the olive tapenade it will level the flavor profile out! The atmosphere is great for a date or just to hangout with friends! Food is always stellar! Cannot wait to go back! read more

Amazing food, great service, very cool building! Try the sweet potato tots....so YUM!! read more

James Bar - Sweet potato tots - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

Really through staff! Cecelia was amazing!! Asked if I wanted all this extra stuff like ago and tomato's when substituting on a salad Amazing customer service She was really attentive but not in the overwhelming way The food was amazing Had the chop salad without chicken Fantastic Love the atmosphere read more

James Bar - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

Stopped in for some drinks and appetizers, service was good, and not too crowded for a Monday night. Food was okay we had Beef tips and bread, some Sweat potato tatter tots, and Truffle oil fries. Drinks were okay nothing special. The place was 1/2 full and could barely have a conversation due to the music up too loud. read more

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Open Sundays! I was visiting Missoula and my flight was delayed 8 hours on a Sunday night. This town seems to shut down on Sundays. Luckily James Bar was open and pretty busy around 9pm. The drink specials were great! Ordered the sweet potato tater tots, which were exactly what you would imagine them to be. The quinoa cakes were charred too much for my taste and the mush texture inside lacked flavor or zest. The side of sauce made the dish edible, so thank god for that. The Kale salad had huge pieces of dense Kale that was hard to chew. It was basic, but the pickled red onions were tasty. They should shred the Kale to make this salad a billion times better. The James was all out of Mussels, but I wish I could have tried those. The baked cookie was shared for dessert, and it seemed very fluffy for a fresh baked cookie. I wish it would have been more gooey. Overall, the service was good, the environment was hip, the drinks were tasty, but the food was sub par. read more

James Bar - Cool Front of the James Bar - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

Photos were not presentable-we decided to try something different but we ended up parking nearby and happen to cross James Bar. So we decided to try it out... worth it! Glad we came in! read more

The food is always amazing, I've never had a meal I didn't like. In the summer the watermelon salad is the BEST and their sliders are perfect if you don't have a huge appetite. Our server Charlie deserves a MASSIVE shoutout, he took our spirit and flavor preferences and served my partner and I the best off menu drinks I've ever had at James Bar. Highly recommend getting his cocktail suggestions, he's the best. One of my favorite local spots! read more

I came here on a Tuesday night before the dinner rush as I was passing through Missoula on a road trip, and the service was friendly and efficient. We came for the bison burgers, and they did not disappoint! The meat was tender and cooked just right, and the chile verde gave it a pleasant kick. The bun, however, was a bit dry, perhaps not fresh that day, but it didn't take away from the overall flavor of the burger. I also ordered a house salad to split with my partner (only available as an app, not a side), and it was the perfect side portion for two people. Parking is plentiful in the front, $1 per hour and free after 5pm. read more

One of those little gems you find now and again, and I have to say, on our recent 8166 mile trip, I depended on Yelp to find us places to eat and Yelp never let us down. My goal was 4 or more stars. James Bar fit the bill and we were very pleased. Not only was the food delicious, the atmosphere just right, but the bartender (our waiter, actually) knew how to make a great Old Fashioned. Four stars! read more

For a big eater the Tapas dinning but VERY TASTY! Fun place to meet your friends after a long time. Good drinks and fun atmosphere without feeling rowdy. read more

I came here last Friday night and was pleasantly surprised. My previous experience here wasn't so hot, so I was hesitant in coming back. Glad I did. I didn't eat, but the gentleman bar tending was excellent. If you like cocktails or are jumping onto the "mixology" bandwagon I recommend popping your head in here. Kudos to the bartender 5/23 as my custom cocktails were spot on. read more

James Bar - Bison slider - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

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Probably among the pricier places I went to in Montana, and among the least vegetarian-friendly, but for the cheesy Montana-themed food and drink items they offered, it was a little awesome. Where else could I get an Elk slider? (or a lamb one for that matter?) And of course a beer called Moose Drool (which was really quite nice!). Perhaps these aren't specific to James Bar, but that I had them all at the same place amused me. So did the tree-trunk shaped tables. Like I said, kind of cheesy, but a little awesome. Just watch: the Slider may be made from Elk, but it's still pretty teeny. (also a bit dry...the lamb one was WAY better...) read more

James Bar - Moose Drool beer bottle. Go Montana! - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

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Food is good and atmosphere is nice. I love the sweet potato tots. You can split an order for 4 people easily. The service is always friendly but sometimes the kitchen is slow. It can be a gamble. read more

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Jessica was our waitress You can see railroad cars go by in the store front windows. Passing through town on the way to Yellowstone Saturday night, not knowing Missoula is a college town, we could not figure out why a half dozen insanely hot women were passing our table (near the entrance). Most of the customers were out on a date or having girls' night out. We previewed the menu from the website. The strength of the cellphone signal was weak but the items in the menu were with the wait. Various kinds of burgers and an extensive drink list caught our eye. We skipped because we are on a road trip. Service was attentive; this one particular cook was another story. My husbands bison burger (medium) landed in my Aidenator set up. When I worked at Denny's tee cook smoked so I was not too surprised. I have no other glitch to report. She gave us a compliment dessert to make up for it. Check this place out. read more

James Bar - Bars Near Me - Missoula, Montana

The truffle fries are SO good. I dream of them daily. Honestly tho.... just go for dinner. The lunch just isn't as good. read more