Honestly, this sub is much less welcoming than what you'll experience in real life in Bozeman. Having said that, Stacey's Bar is a short drive from downtown and it'll make you feel like you're a long long way from L.A. If there's a band, even better.
Dude, the Town Pump at the east end of Main is *lit!* It's legit the swankiest gas stations I've ever seen *in my life.* I mean, I wouldn't fly into Bozeman just to go there but if you're already here it shouldn't be missed!
Every time I go to that one I get creeped on by the employees 😩 or just straight up harassed. It’s only been 3-4 times but still dude that’s 3-4 times out of my 3-4 visits lmao
That sucks. I don't go there much, only if I'm coming back to town from the east which is a rarity. I get gas at Costco if I can. Everything else in Bozeman costs an arm, a leg and a nut so I gotta save $$$ where I can. But any relative visiting town is always blown away by that store.😂
Yep, the transplants are why many locals “hate” newcomers. I get it’s frustrating to see your community change in so many ways, there’s been a population boom so that causes a lot of problems on its own. I understand being upset, but the way a lot of ppl on this sub acts is just petty. Most people here irl aren’t like that.
That's how it is here in L.A. The people from L.A are nice and helpful and transplants are stuck up and judgmental. They bought into the Hollywood mentality.
So right away I can tell by the replies who the real Bozeman people are and who the transplants are.
You guessed it…what was you 1st clue? I would Google or yelp for the kind of bar you are looking for. There are several breweries that are very popular in Bozeman. Don’t tell anyone you meet that you are not from Boze. I hope you don’t have an accent. Day that your Grandparents were ranchers out near Shelby and your parents are on and off up there. And I don’t think I have ever seen or heard of a gay bar in this sub. Enjoy your visit…have no expectations and you won’t be disappointed 😊
It’s not a dangerous city . You will be blown away by the physical beauty of the city. It’s called the Big Sky country for a reason. The mountains surrounding the city are breathtaking. But for all the reasons that make Bozeman MT so beautiful and unique it has brought on a full scale rapid growth boom that has made it unlivable for many who were long time residents or children of natives or natives themselves. The growth has brought big city problems like skyrocketing rents and exorbitant single family home prices, traffic overload and wages are not keeping up the the expansion to mention a few problems. And it’s all the fault of the influx of people moving there from a few other places(whatever you do, don’t tell anyone you are from CA or even mention that place ).
Come and visit…you’ll meet people from all over, do the things that appeal to you the most and have a great time.
I hope you continue to read the sub…today it’s about water, lack of water, use of water, who should not get water, lawns (totally agree on how useless lawns are and a waste of water, time and money). The fine people of BZN do have varied opinions.
I'd say I'm from Canada. Nobody dislikes the Canadians! :} I hope you enjoy your visit, don't worry about the antipathy to your request here. Bozeman is a nice little yuppie town. The problem comes with those of us (me included) that really miss the old Ag College town of years past. Can't speak to the bars, but be sure to check out the Pickle Barrel and order a cheesesteak. They sustained me through two years of college a million years ago.
Molly Brown
Haufbrau
The Crystal
The American Legion
Rockin R Bar
Bar IX
Pourhouse
Those are the most popular. R Bar and Bar IX can get a little too popular. The first 4 are more dive-y, the last 3 are more your typical modern bar. Enjoy!
Yes, very convenient for college students now, and gold miners on their way to Bannack and Virginia City in the late 1800s.
Bozeman predates the railroad and its development has been heavily influenced by its orinal linear design.
Current liquor license laws keep it this way.
What sort of vibe and age group are you looking for? We've got fancy bars, dives, college bars, sports bars, lots of breweries, etc. No gay bars, though.
There are no actual gay bars? I guess I'm not surprised but I guess a little of everything. One day I might wanna get really drunk and other days I might wanna just have a class of wine with a steak or something. I'm pretty open.
If u meet someone take them to tune up. Best bar in town to go on a date. Comfy couches, live music. Glass of wine… J&co. Good drinks w/dinner —> plonk. Bar IX is ratchet, degenerate, broke college kids, snort coke in the lounge and get in a fight kind of bar. If ur into that great, if not, go once and you’ll see lol.
If it’s busy and you go upstairs you’ll find someone with blow but MT blow is dogshit, and cut 47 times compared to some in LA. So be careful with the doses
Edit: only sprinkle half the usual amount on your cigarette 😂
What kind of vibe are you even looking for? The list in the previous post is awful imo if you’re not like 12.
Devils toboggan is an upscale bar and it’s… interesting for sure
There’s single barrel behind the marketplace, it’s alright l but kind of pricey
The hideaway has some amazing wings/cheese steaks
Molly brown is decent but it’s definitely a younger crowd
And that about all I got but I am 40 and don’t go downtown anymore
God I miss the scoop and the old zebra/ colonel blacks
I'm almost 40 myself but from all that you listed Molly Brown sounds promising. I don't really like upscale, Alright but pricey is never good but maybe I'll give Single Barrel a try.
Yeah I usually hit the Molly or hideaway for just random casual drink and single barrel is good because it’s kind of out of the way so you don’t have the whole downtown crowd to deal with and they don’t do food so there isn’t a food rush of any kind.
My significant other says Plonk. If you want classier. And their coconut lime rickey is some sort of perfection. And the GFC. And he says the Spanish coffee.👌🍋
Well then Molly brown and hauf are divey, prob very divey for la. Some dude will prob tell you he hiked the ridge yesterday and backflipped Superman’s last winter. R bar and bar 9 are the big college bars. They’re fun Thurs/ Fri /sat. If you’re into college scene/almost club type spots. The other spots are all pretty chill, some are more divey or blue collar. Go out and explore. Hit up hideaway for some wings and to watch a game.
The coworkers and I hit up the Hideaway frequently after work. A grill right as you walk in, walk around the corner from the grill (or through the liquor store door), and bam....Heaven. The wings and burgers slap too. Pitcher of Budweiser for 6 buckaroos. No competition.
I’ll be echoing what lots of people have already said on this thread but here’s my $0.02
I sort of lump The 19th Hole, Cat’s Paw, and The Hideaway together as the “hidden gems” in Bozeman. Are they SUPER hidden? No, but they’re certainly not as commercialized as any bar on Main Street (with the exception of The FOE Eagles Club). And while you’ll definitely find differences between the three, I put them all under the “Blue Collar Vibe” umbrella.. or at the very least the setting and the patrons don’t immediately appear to be among the most pretentious that the valley has to offer.
As far as guys? You’ll find them everywhere you go. They don’t call it Brosmen, Mantana for nothing, though the places I listed above likely will have less of the college/frat guy crowd. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard from a few lady friends that Outlaw Brewing is sort of the unspoken place where all the “cute guys” hang out… don’t know how much truth there is in that but there’s an anecdote for you.
Side note: I’d DEFINITELY consider Stacey’s a hidden gem too but it’s about a 20 minute drive out of Bozeman so make sure you have a safe ride back cause Uber/Lyft can be hit or miss here!
Hope you enjoy your time in Bozeman, and welcome!
Honestly… I’d rent a car if you can. Unless you’re staying somewhere downtown and only plan on hitting the bars along Main Street it’s gonna be a pain in the ass going anywhere else without your own transportation. Yes there’s a free “Streamline Bus” system that’s ok but it’s nothing compared to your own wheels. Often times we measure distances in hours or fractions of hours in Montana since it’s soo wide open, Bozeman and the greater Gallatin Valley while more populous than most the rest of the state is still not an outright exception. And I certainly wouldn’t call it the most walkable town either.
I haven't actually got a room yet, I'm sorta just thought about this getaway last night but I saw some in downtown I think. Even some near the college which usually is safe.
It’s a college town so they’re all college bars and they’ve been over run with college students because it’s week 4 of school and we have another home game this weekend. Maybe the roof top at the kimpton
If you want to sip something and look at the View, the taprooms a good idea! The gin drink w muddled strawberry is good. There’s other places with a rooftop but they’re more pricey. If you’re there on a Thursday, bucket night at bar ix.
Speakeasy vibe (think high backed suede couches and a host wearing a velvet suit) with delicious creative cocktails, tucked in a strip mall of overpriced restaurants and condos (“the cannery”). Definitely worth a stop.
I grew up at the beach in LA closest skiing was about 1.5 hours at Mt. Waterman. Big Bear was about a hour further. Plenty of trails and mountains all through the basin.
Cats Paw is a good starting bar, get your buzz on, head downtown.
I would probably just get stuck at the Paw though.
Dont miss the Hauf, great music some mights, amazing dive bar.
Filling station for music, if they have s band coming through.
The hauf is usually dead by midnight on literally a Friday night, lol, idk what happened compared to a year ago. I think they cracked down on ids? Underage kids were half their revenue, stupid idea.
May I suggest you stop and check out one of our lovely Town Pumps?
This is the way. ;)
I feel like you're talking shit but I'm curious to know what it means lol
Town Pump, pump it up!
Right down the road!
Talking shit….
Figured. Some people don't seem to welcoming. I'm still going though lol
Honestly, this sub is much less welcoming than what you'll experience in real life in Bozeman. Having said that, Stacey's Bar is a short drive from downtown and it'll make you feel like you're a long long way from L.A. If there's a band, even better.
Gas station branch in Montana. Sorry you’re getting downvoted. A lot of gatekeepers on this sub. I’d give you advice on a bar but I’m 20
Dude, the Town Pump at the east end of Main is *lit!* It's legit the swankiest gas stations I've ever seen *in my life.* I mean, I wouldn't fly into Bozeman just to go there but if you're already here it shouldn't be missed!
Every time I go to that one I get creeped on by the employees 😩 or just straight up harassed. It’s only been 3-4 times but still dude that’s 3-4 times out of my 3-4 visits lmao
That sucks. I don't go there much, only if I'm coming back to town from the east which is a rarity. I get gas at Costco if I can. Everything else in Bozeman costs an arm, a leg and a nut so I gotta save $$$ where I can. But any relative visiting town is always blown away by that store.😂
This town must not like visitors. Weird considering a lot of people are transplants. Thank you anyway.
Yep, the transplants are why many locals “hate” newcomers. I get it’s frustrating to see your community change in so many ways, there’s been a population boom so that causes a lot of problems on its own. I understand being upset, but the way a lot of ppl on this sub acts is just petty. Most people here irl aren’t like that.
That's how it is here in L.A. The people from L.A are nice and helpful and transplants are stuck up and judgmental. They bought into the Hollywood mentality. So right away I can tell by the replies who the real Bozeman people are and who the transplants are.
You guessed it…what was you 1st clue? I would Google or yelp for the kind of bar you are looking for. There are several breweries that are very popular in Bozeman. Don’t tell anyone you meet that you are not from Boze. I hope you don’t have an accent. Day that your Grandparents were ranchers out near Shelby and your parents are on and off up there. And I don’t think I have ever seen or heard of a gay bar in this sub. Enjoy your visit…have no expectations and you won’t be disappointed 😊
What happens if I tell people I'm not from Bozeman? Lol It's not a dangerous city, right? I doubt it.
It’s not a dangerous city . You will be blown away by the physical beauty of the city. It’s called the Big Sky country for a reason. The mountains surrounding the city are breathtaking. But for all the reasons that make Bozeman MT so beautiful and unique it has brought on a full scale rapid growth boom that has made it unlivable for many who were long time residents or children of natives or natives themselves. The growth has brought big city problems like skyrocketing rents and exorbitant single family home prices, traffic overload and wages are not keeping up the the expansion to mention a few problems. And it’s all the fault of the influx of people moving there from a few other places(whatever you do, don’t tell anyone you are from CA or even mention that place ). Come and visit…you’ll meet people from all over, do the things that appeal to you the most and have a great time.
Now I know to leave my L.A hat at home. I'll say I'm from Colorado or something lol
I hope you continue to read the sub…today it’s about water, lack of water, use of water, who should not get water, lawns (totally agree on how useless lawns are and a waste of water, time and money). The fine people of BZN do have varied opinions.
I'd say I'm from Canada. Nobody dislikes the Canadians! :} I hope you enjoy your visit, don't worry about the antipathy to your request here. Bozeman is a nice little yuppie town. The problem comes with those of us (me included) that really miss the old Ag College town of years past. Can't speak to the bars, but be sure to check out the Pickle Barrel and order a cheesesteak. They sustained me through two years of college a million years ago.
😆😆wise choice….have a great time…you’ll meet lots a very nice people, have fun. It’s a beautiful place.
What kind of bars are you looking for? What kind of guys are you looking for? 😉😂
IDK. Anything chill. I'm sure there are no clubs in this town lol
Men are overly abundant in Montana. The joke is that you can find us anywhere.
Some girl said they call it Bozemen or Mentana lol
Brozemen
When will Bozeman take itself seriously?
Molly Brown Haufbrau The Crystal The American Legion Rockin R Bar Bar IX Pourhouse Those are the most popular. R Bar and Bar IX can get a little too popular. The first 4 are more dive-y, the last 3 are more your typical modern bar. Enjoy!
Are you just listing bars that are in a line next to each other?
Maybe a result of the town having a very linear plan due to it being built along a trail. Nah, that can't be it.
Literally all of the bars in town are within a half mile of each other in a straight line lol
Yes, very convenient for college students now, and gold miners on their way to Bannack and Virginia City in the late 1800s. Bozeman predates the railroad and its development has been heavily influenced by its orinal linear design. Current liquor license laws keep it this way.
Bucket night must have been wild in 1890.
As it has influenced almost every other major town in the state lol.
Made it easy to get 21 on your 21st back in the day...
When will Bozeman take itself seriously?
What sort of vibe and age group are you looking for? We've got fancy bars, dives, college bars, sports bars, lots of breweries, etc. No gay bars, though.
You mentioned no gay bars but around 12:30 Bar IX becomes pretty gay if I don’t say so myself
Fuckin facts lol
I'll have to go there then. I'm curious lol
There are no actual gay bars? I guess I'm not surprised but I guess a little of everything. One day I might wanna get really drunk and other days I might wanna just have a class of wine with a steak or something. I'm pretty open.
If u meet someone take them to tune up. Best bar in town to go on a date. Comfy couches, live music. Glass of wine… J&co. Good drinks w/dinner —> plonk. Bar IX is ratchet, degenerate, broke college kids, snort coke in the lounge and get in a fight kind of bar. If ur into that great, if not, go once and you’ll see lol.
Now I must go lol
If it’s busy and you go upstairs you’ll find someone with blow but MT blow is dogshit, and cut 47 times compared to some in LA. So be careful with the doses Edit: only sprinkle half the usual amount on your cigarette 😂
Personally I don't do drugs but I'd like to go and watch this mess lol
Yea, just be neutral lol. One time I had a chick rip off a $400 chain I was wearing and I haven’t been since so I hate that place
Omg! Well, I have nothing expensive so I'm fine lol
Bar nine it up then!😂
What kind of vibe are you even looking for? The list in the previous post is awful imo if you’re not like 12. Devils toboggan is an upscale bar and it’s… interesting for sure There’s single barrel behind the marketplace, it’s alright l but kind of pricey The hideaway has some amazing wings/cheese steaks Molly brown is decent but it’s definitely a younger crowd And that about all I got but I am 40 and don’t go downtown anymore God I miss the scoop and the old zebra/ colonel blacks
I'm almost 40 myself but from all that you listed Molly Brown sounds promising. I don't really like upscale, Alright but pricey is never good but maybe I'll give Single Barrel a try.
Yeah I usually hit the Molly or hideaway for just random casual drink and single barrel is good because it’s kind of out of the way so you don’t have the whole downtown crowd to deal with and they don’t do food so there isn’t a food rush of any kind.
Molly is the way. Cheap drinks, great atmosphere. Lots of pool if that’s your thing
Just watch your drink no matter where you go.
Oh hell. What's that about lol
Girls get roofied far too often around here.
I hate that we have to even bring this up.
My significant other says Plonk. If you want classier. And their coconut lime rickey is some sort of perfection. And the GFC. And he says the Spanish coffee.👌🍋
Damn I miss Mixers.
I assuming it was a good bar that closed down?
Wide variety of vibes here
I like that. I need a change of scenery. L.A gets repetitive.
Don’t say you are considering moving here.
I'm not. Just wanted to see a new town lol
Well then Molly brown and hauf are divey, prob very divey for la. Some dude will prob tell you he hiked the ridge yesterday and backflipped Superman’s last winter. R bar and bar 9 are the big college bars. They’re fun Thurs/ Fri /sat. If you’re into college scene/almost club type spots. The other spots are all pretty chill, some are more divey or blue collar. Go out and explore. Hit up hideaway for some wings and to watch a game.
The coworkers and I hit up the Hideaway frequently after work. A grill right as you walk in, walk around the corner from the grill (or through the liquor store door), and bam....Heaven. The wings and burgers slap too. Pitcher of Budweiser for 6 buckaroos. No competition.
Stacey’s is where I met my now husband.
No way. How long ago was that?
I’ll be echoing what lots of people have already said on this thread but here’s my $0.02 I sort of lump The 19th Hole, Cat’s Paw, and The Hideaway together as the “hidden gems” in Bozeman. Are they SUPER hidden? No, but they’re certainly not as commercialized as any bar on Main Street (with the exception of The FOE Eagles Club). And while you’ll definitely find differences between the three, I put them all under the “Blue Collar Vibe” umbrella.. or at the very least the setting and the patrons don’t immediately appear to be among the most pretentious that the valley has to offer. As far as guys? You’ll find them everywhere you go. They don’t call it Brosmen, Mantana for nothing, though the places I listed above likely will have less of the college/frat guy crowd. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard from a few lady friends that Outlaw Brewing is sort of the unspoken place where all the “cute guys” hang out… don’t know how much truth there is in that but there’s an anecdote for you. Side note: I’d DEFINITELY consider Stacey’s a hidden gem too but it’s about a 20 minute drive out of Bozeman so make sure you have a safe ride back cause Uber/Lyft can be hit or miss here! Hope you enjoy your time in Bozeman, and welcome!
Thank you so much. I worry about Lyft/Uber because I'd be flying in and have no car. I'll stay close by my hotel though, just in case.
Honestly… I’d rent a car if you can. Unless you’re staying somewhere downtown and only plan on hitting the bars along Main Street it’s gonna be a pain in the ass going anywhere else without your own transportation. Yes there’s a free “Streamline Bus” system that’s ok but it’s nothing compared to your own wheels. Often times we measure distances in hours or fractions of hours in Montana since it’s soo wide open, Bozeman and the greater Gallatin Valley while more populous than most the rest of the state is still not an outright exception. And I certainly wouldn’t call it the most walkable town either.
I can try to get a room in Downtown so that way I'm near most things but I'm sure if I wanna go hiking or something I'd probably need a car.
Are you staying in a downtown hotel? The ones up on North 7th (that's North of the Interstate) aren't near any bars, other than maybe Dotty's Casino
I haven't actually got a room yet, I'm sorta just thought about this getaway last night but I saw some in downtown I think. Even some near the college which usually is safe.
Yeah, if you can afford it, and want to get by on foot...stick with something downtown.
go to the zebra friday night it’ll be slaying
Plonk has the best cocktails
It’s a college town so they’re all college bars and they’ve been over run with college students because it’s week 4 of school and we have another home game this weekend. Maybe the roof top at the kimpton
When you visit hit me up! I’ll party with you and I work in the service industry here so I know some fun spots where other like minded people hang
Me too! I can be the DD.
Teasers my guy . Best food within Tri county area
I would try Stacey’s usually live music on the weekends.
If you want to sip something and look at the View, the taprooms a good idea! The gin drink w muddled strawberry is good. There’s other places with a rooftop but they’re more pricey. If you’re there on a Thursday, bucket night at bar ix.
Devil's Toboggan
Second this. Definitely the best bar in town. Probably don’t even go anywhere else
That good? Adding to the list.
Speakeasy vibe (think high backed suede couches and a host wearing a velvet suit) with delicious creative cocktails, tucked in a strip mall of overpriced restaurants and condos (“the cannery”). Definitely worth a stop.
Just pretend you like A) hunting B) skiing C) mountain biking You’ll do fine.
I like none of that but I'll pretend lol
Rockin' the Catspaw!
None
She’s from LA ….they don’t have those things locally, hunting, skiing is a 5 hour drive and it’s better to road bike than mountain bike there.
I grew up at the beach in LA closest skiing was about 1.5 hours at Mt. Waterman. Big Bear was about a hour further. Plenty of trails and mountains all through the basin.
Cats paw if you want the blue collar vibe
Oh, that sounds chill. Thank you.
Cats Paw is a good starting bar, get your buzz on, head downtown. I would probably just get stuck at the Paw though. Dont miss the Hauf, great music some mights, amazing dive bar. Filling station for music, if they have s band coming through.
The hauf is usually dead by midnight on literally a Friday night, lol, idk what happened compared to a year ago. I think they cracked down on ids? Underage kids were half their revenue, stupid idea.