Big Sky, Montana: Happy Hour at Olive B’s

After leaving Jackson Hole, Wyoming, we had the option of eating one last lunch but decided to just grab a deli sandwich at a market (in which I was called very Californian because I wanted a custom deli sandwich and only pre-made sandwiches were available) and continue with our Great American Roadtrip. We drove through Yellowstone National Park  (we just missed Old Faithful by seconds!) and stopped a Olive B’s for happy hour on our way to Bozeman, Montanta.

After driving for hours, I didn’t even mind the shaken Manhattan (aw, okay, I did). Olive B’s calls theirs the Montana Man Hattan with Buffalo Trace bourbon, sweet vermouth and bitters. They make their own brandied cherries. Big Sky also has some skiing but during the summer, they see a lot more hiking. You can get your Manhattan “peak style” with Booker’s bourbon for an extra $2 but I happen to think Buffalo Trace is a great mixing bourbon.

It was a warm day and gazpacho sounded great. I really enjoyed the big chunks of vegetables. What was probably more fun was we came in between lunch and dinner service so we got to hear the pep talk about the gazpacho. Well, they didn’t have to sell me on it.

My friend got her usual beet salad. She said this one was particularly good.

Our friendly bartender said the ribs were his favorite from the bar menu and so we got those. It had a slight Asian flavor profile and this was a huge portion for an appetizer. I would say it’s easy to split with two people or have as an entree.

I wanted to keep things light so I had crab cakes as my dinner. I probably should have thought about where this crab was coming from in Montana but it did taste fresh. I also enjoyed the slightly Asian cole slaw as well. The fried capers was a great touch.

We may not have figured out why Big Sky is called Big Sky — honestly, all of America we had seen so far is beautiful but we certainly appreciated our stop at Olive B’s for a snack and a much needed cocktail.

Olive B’s Big Sky Bistro

151 Center Ln., Big Sky, MT 59716  — (406) 995-3355

© The Minty  2013