I wanted to share a really cool secret with all of you: Sundays are $1 drafts at 14 North, and this lasts from 4:30pm until closing. Do you think I’m kidding? Well I’m not, and we aren’t talking about pseudo-beers like Coors Light and Miller Lite for a buck either. I’m referencing at least a handful of top-notch brews including a couple of Bozone beer offerings, a Big Sky Brewing option and even Guinness (yep, for a mere buck), among a few others.  Crazy right? I can’t remember the last time I came across such an amazingly affordable deal! “Dear 14 North: Please do not alter this in any way, unless you want to make this available on days other that just Sunday!”  

So my husband and I had actually been informed of this awesome little deal a few weeks back by a gal we met at Neptune’s Brewery in Livingston, but we’d yet to stop into 14 North to see if the hype was legit or not – and it was. We each started off with two local Beltian Whites out of Helena, but instantly noticed a new brew that neither one of us had ever heard of before. It was called Snapshot, and this wheat beer was from New Belgium Brewing Co. Willingly, we opted to try this for our second pints, and we were both really happy with our decision. It was light and refreshing and actually a tad bit “healthier” for you than your typical pint of beer. I say this in reference to the fact that it’s brewed with lactobacillus, which is an organism that’s beneficial for our GI tracts.  Our bartender, “T,” let us in on this fun little factoid, as well as doing a wonderful job of keeping us happy and content for the duration of our Sunday fun day.

Let me just say, there are plenty of other great reasons to make a trip on days other than just Sundays. 14 North offers a daily happy hour, which runs from 5-6:30pm, and they have several small bites as well as a few drink specials, all for $5 or less. With that said, we opted to start with the meatloaf and falafel bites during our recent visit, and we both were quite happy with the overall taste, not to mention the stupendous presentation and attention to detail. The meatloaf bites seemed like a “mini version” of the dinner entrée, in that they consisted of a little bit of meatloaf, crispy bacon, mashed potatoes, bleu cheese crumbles and a couple different sauces that were skillfully plated underneath the carnivorous appetizer.

Each tasty bite was just the right amount of each delectable ingredient. The only downside of this dish was that these tiny little morsels disappear FAST! As for the falafel bites, these are indeed smaller than the aforementioned bites, but each falafel is placed atop a slice of fresh cucumber and is accompanied by house-pickled red onions, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce. Consuming a little bit of everything in each bite is also recommended for these as well, and the creamy texture of the falafel pairs beautifully with the crispness of the cucumber, and all of this is completed by the contributing sweetness from the pickled red onion. Seriously impressed with both of these little starters!

Next, we were looking forward to a light and crisp garden salad. The salad was simple but ultimately delicious. The mixed greens were fresh and lightly tossed in one of 14 North’s house-made dressings (bleu cheese please), and the salad was studded with cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, and fried onions on the very top rounded out this perfect masterpiece. They do also offer a pickled veggie and bread tray to each table in the dining areas, but you can snag one of these while sitting at the bar rail if you merely ask them for it. Therefore, we asked, we received, and I must admit, it was a nice little compliment to our salads.  

So both of us were seriously contemplating on sharing one of the nightly specials, which tonight was the “Pub Burger,” and so that’s what we decided on, and we’re really glad we did. Now I’m almost certain that the made-in-house pretzel bun that the burger was served on had something to do with our joint decision, but the aged-cheddar sauce and caramelized onions were also major players in finalizing our order. We opted to upgrade the standard fries to truffle fries, and there were no regrets with this decision by either my dining companion or myself. Onto the beef…let me just say that when I order a medium-rare anything, I’m lucky to ever receive it, but on this particular occasion and night, 14 North nailed it. We initially cut the burger in half because we were sharing it, and it was a nice relief to see an actual medium-rare interior. So if I may only have one suggestion, it would be to have a more rigid or toasted pretzel bun that can withhold such a behemoth of a patty and all its extras, because upon cutting the burger, it instantly became a fork-and-knife type of dish due to all of the awesome goodness, oozing of ingredients and extremely soft pretzel bun. This was kind of a let down, but the taste instantly made up for it, not to mention my third (and final) $1 pint that I was enjoying.  

Not only were we overly pleased with our decisions regarding our menu selections, but we also felt more than satisfied in terms of the customer service we received. “T,” which after we asked, was told it was short for “Teelan,” was really on top of everything, and he was quick to answer any questions that we had in regards to the menu and current specials of the evening. Also, he kept our pints full and wasn’t shy with the pepper grinder (I absolutely love fresh ground pepper on everything and feel bad sometimes for the server’s arm when they tell me to say when). Overall, a well-deserved shout out to T and the other bartender, Brice, both of who were pleasantly helpful with all of our requests that we had on this particular outing. We will see you all again very soon….and most likely, it’ll be on a Sunday! Cheers!   

14 North
14 North Church Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
406.404.1800
14northrestaurant.com

Food Style:
Montana’s Premier Gastropub
offering premium specialty drinks as well as many wines to pair perfectly Steaks, Seafood & Burgers or Apps.

Drinks:
Full Bar with Craft Beers
& Wine-inspired Cocktails

Hours:
4:30 - Late Night (12AMish)

Prices:
$$ - $$$

Vibe:
Dimly Lit & Inviting Bar Area, Separate Dining Area & Upstairs Space (for Parties)

Overall Rating:
Food – 5
Prices – 4
Atmosphere – 4.5
Service – 5