Bitterroot Bistro is a new neighborhood restaurant [19 S Willson Ave.] operated by a seasoned local ownership trio which truly cares about work-life balance and top-notch service. There is no out-of-state owner checking in, the entire team has boots on the ground every day, ensuring excellent food and service. It’s all about creativity and sustainability here, and their passion shines through in every dish. I spoke with Josh Browne, Colten Croskey, and Lisa Ellison, plus Chef Gabriel Lopez, to get the full story of how Bitterroot Bistro came to be, and how they fit into the Bozeman food scene.

Angie Ripple: How was Bitterroot Bistro conceptualized?

Josh Browne: We wanted to do a restaurant that focused on as many local ingredients as we can, being in Montana.

​Obviously, that’s a focus mainly on proteins, with seasonal vegetables whenever they’re available. We like having our dishes be full dishes that are composed rather than à la carte items, so we’re looking for large portions, somewhat simple food that’s very tasty and done correctly.

​We’ve just been looking for as many homemade items as possible. Everything’s made in-house and we want to keep it high-quality food that’s just done well.

Angie Ripple: What would you like people to experience when they walk through your doors? 

Chef Gabriel Lopez: I would say that at Bitterroot Bistro we’re trying to provide a friendly neighborhood restaurant with exceptional food. Our demographic being anyone and everyone, you can come in dressed to the nines for an anniversary, or walk in off the street in your shorts and flip flops and get a burger. We’re just trying to provide that excellent service and quality of food without there being any kind of dress code, or making it inaccessible to anyone in the diverse community we have in Bozeman. We have a nice cozy dining room that’s pretty intimate — just under 30 seats keeps things very close-knit.

Angie Ripple: What makes Bitterroot Bistro unique in the Bozeman food scene?

Chef Gabriel Lopez: I think part of what sets us apart from a lot of the restaurants downtown, first and foremost, is that none of our menu is à la carte. We like to say that we serve full meals, with sides and everything. We do everything that we can to try to source local ingredients and make whatever we can from scratch, as well as cross-utilizing, and minimizing food waste. I feel that, on a lot of the menus downtown you don’t necessarily see any kind of repeat ingredient throughout the menu. What we try to do here is minimize the food that we’re bringing in, maximize how we’re using that, and be creative with that, just so we can avoid excess food waste.

Angie Ripple: What menu item do regulars keep coming back for? 

Chef Gabriel Lopez: I’d say our trout dish has been far and away our most popular. That’s served over a sweet potato mash, and basted with sage brown butter. It’s not every day that you see a different kind of trout dish. It’s something we conceptualized and created here, and it is far and away our most popular.

​Besides that, our pork chop that we do a 48-hour brine on is something that people repeatedly keep coming back for. We also make a tartare with Montana beef that we source locally. And a newer menu addition that wasn’t there when we opened is our hand-folded pasties that we make every day in-house with Montana beef. That’s a Butte-style pastie that you don’t really see around anywhere.

Angie Ripple: What is your favorite menu item? 

Chef Gabriel Lopez: I would say the trout is absolutely partial to me. I love that dish and how all the flavors come together. Growing up eating trout, I think it’s a nice way to see something that is a part of a lot of people’s lives in Montana be showcased in a way that really does it justice.

Josh Browne: I’ve always been a big steak person, so I gotta say, the ribeye with the demi-glace and mashed potatoes and the compound butter that we’re throwing on top of that makes it the best steak I’ve had in town, by far.

Colten Croskey: For me, it’s the bison tartare; our portion size, and just how rich it can be is honestly just my Kryptonite.

Lisa Ellison: My favorite is the mac and cheese. It has very, very many cheeses. I don’t honestly know what’s in it, but it’s amazing, and very hearty and great to share, if you can. (It’s a three-cheese sauce made with a bechamel, and baked with breadcrumbs and bacon.) 

Angie Ripple: What do you personally enjoy most about being part of the Bozeman community?

Chef Gabriel Lopez: I went to high school here and I’ve been cooking in Bozeman since I graduated, about ten years ago, I just really like being part of the diverse and very full-of-energy community in Bozeman.

​I’ve worked at all kinds of restaurants all over town, and I just love to see that Bozeman is a great community. There’s a wealth of people that appreciate really good food and they’re constantly trying to seek that out. It’s really nice to be a part of a community that goes out and supports other local businesses, as well as see them come into our establishment and support us.

Colton Croskey: I was born and raised in Bozeman, too. I’ve worked in the restaurant business for the past 20 years and, honestly, the thing I really love about the community is just seeing how far the Bozeman food scene has grown and, to Gabriel’s point, a lot of the restaurants are working together. There’s an assumption that we are working against each other, but honestly, we’re all working together to basically make Bozeman just a better place to eat.

​I’m proud of Bozeman for what it is, how far it’s come, where it’s going… and I think a big part of that is just the fact that everyone has a really awesome heart for this. They care about it, and want everyone else to succeed. And that’s been fun to watch through the years.

Angie Ripple: Is there anything coming up that you’d like readers to know about? 

Josh Browne: We are participating in the Warrior Taste Fest on September 6th at the Commons on Baxter. It’s a great community charity event that a lot of restaurants participate in to raise money for Warriors and Quiet Waters, so we’re really excited to be featured there this year. 

​We just had our first private restaurant rent out, and that went very, very well, so that’s something fun that we offer for the community. Having an intimate space where people can rent out a whole restaurant and bring those they’re close with into is a fun thing to offer.

​We have two different happy hours. We do a three o’clock to four o’clock and a nine o’clock to ten o’clock. We have our pasties on our happy hour menu… those are by far one of the most delicious things ever with the brown gravy you can dip them in. We also have a smaller portion of our bison tartare, so you can come in and try that.

Chef Gabriel Lopez: And our new menu items. We’ll be changing our menu to more of a fall-winter menu, kind of just in line with whatever ingredients are available for the season as we close out summer.

​A lot of our proteins will stay the same, and people can definitely expect the cassoulet that we make in-house to be back—essentially, a French stew with braised local Montana lamb and white beans, baked with breadcrumbs. I think we’ll have a great opportunity to bring in a lot of local Montana produce this coming season and showcase that in a really nice way.

Bitterroot Bistro isn’t just another restaurant—it’s a vibrant, locally-owned gem dedicated to exceptional food, creative culinary experiences, and sustainable practices. The team’s hands-on approach ensures that every meal is a testament to their passion and commitment to the Bozeman community. Dive into a dining experience where local flavors and heartfelt service come together in perfect harmony at Bitterroot Bistro.