A Big Dinner Awaits at Edgar Bar Steakhouse in Rural Montana

Edgar Bar Steakhouse occupies an old brick building in the small Montana town of Edgar, with an exterior that is more plainspoken roadside stop than polished dining destination. Step inside, though, and the mood changes quickly: there is a bar, dining tables, familiar country atmosphere and the comfortable hum of a place where dinner can stretch into conversation.

This is a drive-for-dinner stop, especially for people coming from Red Lodge or traveling around the Beartooth area. The appeal is straightforward and substantial: Montana beef, oversized prawns, fried starters, burgers with some personality and plates that do not arrive looking timid.

The steak side of the menu is a serious operation. Prime rib, bone-in ribeye, porterhouse and baseball-cut sirloin give a table several routes to a classic big-beef dinner, and the menu highlights local beef.

Portions have a reputation for being generous, which suits a place where sharing is entirely reasonable. A 30-ounce porterhouse is the sort of order that can turn dinner into a small event, particularly when it lands alongside another steak rather than serving as the whole table's meal.

For diners who like their steak with a little sea-going backup, surf-and-turf is well represented. Prime rib with jumbo prawns has made the rounds, as has baseball-cut sirloin paired with crab. It is a useful menu for a group where one person wants a straightforward beef dinner and another has prawns firmly on the mind.

Prawns are not an afterthought here. Fried prawns, firecracker shrimp and jumbo shrimp scampi give the seafood portion of the menu real presence, and the shrimp are notably large rather than a few small pieces used as garnish.

Firecracker shrimp offers a livelier direction for the table, while fried prawns fit neatly beside a steak or as their own main event. For a restaurant in a rural Montana town, the combination of big beef and big shrimp is a pleasantly unexpected specialty.

The appetizer list carries the same hearty spirit. Crispy green beans and fried mushrooms are easy choices for passing around before the entrées arrive. Bull fries are another house specialty that has inspired repeat orders, a detail worth noting for diners who enjoy trying the more distinctive item on a bar-and-grill menu.

A steakhouse does not have to make a burger an afterthought, and Edgar Bar Steakhouse gives burger diners plenty of reason not to feel like they settled. The Firecracker Burger stands out, particularly with garlic-seasoned tater tots alongside it.

The black-and-blue burger is another strong option, with enough presence to share the table comfortably with a bone-in ribeye order. That breadth matters on a road-trip dinner: not everyone wants the same kind of plate, and the menu moves easily among steaks, seafood, burgers and fried favorites.

The setting combines a working bar with indoor restaurant seating, giving the place the social ease of a local gathering spot without making dinner feel rushed. Regulars add to the friendly barroom character, while tables accommodate couples, family meals and groups meeting up after a day in the area.

Conversation is part of the rhythm here. The room has been described as moderately noisy at times and louder during busy holiday-period dinners, so it is more casual country dinner than hushed special-occasion dining room.

Outdoor seating has also been available during at least one holiday weekend, offering another option when conditions cooperate. Inside, the simple building gives way to a pleasant, welcoming room that is more inviting than the old-brick exterior suggests.

Service is attentive and personable, with helpful menu guidance when a table is deciding between steak, prawns and everything else. The staff handles the lively mix of bar traffic, regulars and dinner tables with an efficient, easygoing manner.

The restaurant's footprint is relatively small, so reservations are recommended for a table. Bar seating is first come, first served, which can be a convenient option for a more spontaneous meal.

Parking has included free street parking, with ample space reported. For travelers using Red Lodge as a base or riding through the Beartooth region, Edgar makes a worthwhile detour when the day calls for a porterhouse, a basket of fried prawns or a burger with garlic-seasoned tots.