Boots Brings Bison Burgers and Barroom Fun to Medora

A bison burger and a game of pool make a pretty convincing Medora meal. At Boots, the food runs from regional game and Dakota walleye to pizza, pasta and fries, while the room has the easygoing social energy of a North Dakota bar that also happens to feed a crowd.

It is a useful middle ground for a town outing: casual enough for chicken strips with the kids, broad enough for a table of adults with different appetites, and lively enough to linger over a drink after dinner. Couples, families and groups of around 10 can all find a spot among the booths, tables, bar seats and outdoor seating.

Boots has wood paneling, wood and tile floors, beer and whiskey signs, and a mix of high-top and low-top tables. The look is informal rather than fussy, with booths for a more settled-in meal and a bar area for diners who want to stay close to the action.

Guests seat themselves, choosing from indoor tables, booths, bar seating or the outdoor patio or terrace. Air conditioning is a welcome comfort on warm days, while the outdoor tables offer another option when Medora is busy.

The mood changes with the hour. A quieter visit can be conversational, but busy periods bring more of a crowd-and-clatter barroom feel. Live music has been observed on Friday nights, when the room can get especially energetic without becoming impossible for a group to talk across the table.

The bison burger is the item to put near the top of the list. It gives diners an accessible introduction to a North Dakota-associated meat without making the meal feel like a culinary homework assignment; it is still a burger, with fries and a cold drink close at hand.

Boots also offers other game-meat choices, so a meal here can work as a small regional-food detour in the middle of a classic bar-and-grill menu. The range matters when one person wants to try bison and another is simply in the mood for a familiar burger.

There are more conventional burger routes, too, including build-your-own choices and a Bourbon BBQ Burger. Then there is the PBJ burger, which takes a sharp turn into sweet-and-spicy territory with peanut butter and spicy jam. It sounds like a dare until the first bite makes the case.

Dakota walleye provides another regional option, prepared with Cajun seasoning that adds spice without overwhelming the fish. A fish basket and fish-and-chips extend the seafood side of the menu for diners who would rather skip red meat altogether.

The cowboy soup is one of the menu's memorable cold-weather-style choices, even when the day outside is not especially cold. Tomato soup, salads and wings offer lighter or shareable ways to begin, while chicken strips and fries keep things simple for younger diners.

Mac and cheese gets more than a passing glance here. The Jurassic mac and cheese has earned particular enthusiasm, and steak mac and cheese turns the comfort-food idea into a fuller dinner. It is a menu category with enough heft to compete with the burgers rather than merely serve as a side.

Pizza is a reliable group order at Boots, especially when several people want to share rather than commit to separate entrées. It also makes the restaurant a practical stop for a table split between adventurous eaters and people who prefer the dependable pleasures of a slice.

Beyond that, the menu stretches through sandwiches, pasta, steaks, salads and appetizers. The tri-tip sandwich is a notable choice for someone who wants a substantial sandwich, while the steak selections and pasta give dinner a few more directions than a typical burger-and-beer stop.

Save a little room if chocolate torte is on the menu. A rich dessert is a fitting way to close out a meal that may have begun with peanut butter on a burger or a bowl of especially ambitious mac and cheese.

The full-service bar carries domestic, imported and local craft beers, along with cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks. A raspberry mojito is one brighter choice among the cocktails, particularly nice when the table has ordered something smoky, spicy or barbecue-heavy.

Pool and arcade games give Boots a little more range than a straightforward dinner stop. A group can eat, settle in with drinks, and move on to a few rounds of games rather than immediately calling it a night. Bring quarters if the arcade is part of the plan.

That extra activity suits the room's neighborhood gathering-place character. The restaurant draws local diners as well as visitors passing through Medora, and the mix helps keep the atmosphere social without requiring anyone to arrive with a big agenda.

Free parking is available in the lot, with free street parking in front of the restaurant and on nearby side streets. The lot can fill around dinner, but compact Medora also makes it possible to park elsewhere in town and walk over.

At peak times, a table may take a little patience. The indoor and outdoor seating areas help spread diners out, and the menu is broad enough that waiting with a drink or a game nearby need not feel like dead time.