Kid’s Eat and Stay Free! screamed the sign, as I approached Bozeman from the east. The billboard for the Holiday Inn sat shamelessly on I-90 for years with that incorrect apostrophe, making my teeth itch. I had been commuting from Livingston to Bozeman for the summer, and I was assaulted daily by the fact that an advertisement had somehow made it from conception to a billboard. A BILLBOARD. How?? Could the Holiday Inn not afford editors? I considered contacting their corporate headquarters to report the egregiousness.

But one day, the billboard came down. It turned out that the Holiday Inn, once one of Bozeman’s only hotels (and the “nice” one where my grandparents stayed when they came to town), was closing. I still don’t know why it closed, but I watched the building, along with the rest of the community, expecting to see it torn down and another multi-level chain hotel go up. But that was not to be. Instead, it’s a new hotel now, where one of Bozeman’s best hole-in-the-wall establishments remains: the new and improved Dry Fly Saloon. A recent chat with Michaela Sabo, the restaurant’s food and beverage manager, revealed more.

Katie Thomas: First, will you tell me about the new hotel, Field and Stream, in which the Dry Fly Saloon is located?

Michaela Sabo: The hotel group bought the building a couple of years ago, and they’ve been redoing everything down to the studs. One thing I really like about Field and Stream is that they make an effort to purchase existing buildings and revitalize them within the community, instead of tearing them down and building up something new. You can still see some of the bones of the original building, such as the wall out in the center room. They kept some of the original stonework in the walls and ceilings. So there are callbacks here and there.

KT: How was the Dry Fly Saloon conceptualized?

MS: As many people know, the Dry Fly had its name back when this hotel was the Holiday Inn. It’s a great name and goes with the vibe; it goes with the name “Field and Stream” – so keeping the Dry Fly’s name was probably intentional. We opened on June 29th. The ceiling is covered with old vintage issues of the magazine Field and Stream. It’s awesome and on theme. The aesthetic just really embraces the outdoorsy life of hunting and fishing, hiking, and skiing at Bridger.

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

MS: Well, we want people to come back here after they’ve gone fishing, skiing… whatever outdoor adventure they just went on, and have some great food before they go crash or relax in the hot tub outside. We think of the hotel lobby as the living room, and the Dry Fly is just an extension of that. We want people to feel comfy and cozy here and just get a nice home-cooked meal. We are all food-forward people here; we all love to eat, so we want people to want another bite. We want people coming back for more and telling their friends to come and join us, too.

KT: What would you say makes the Dry Fly unique in the Bozeman food scene?

MS: Our food is truly home-cooked meals that just make your soul warm. Our current chef worked with our executive chef on ideas for food items from around the area, items that are in line with what people might want when they’re coming to visit Montana. So, Montana food, like trout and bison, while also being a little bit different. For example, we have a bison cheeseburger on the menu, but we also have bison meatballs to go with spaghetti.

KT: What menu item do regulars keep coming back for?

MS: The Griddled Cheeseburger, which is similar to a smashburger, has been really popular. So have the smoked trout Caesar and the trout dip. Our fresh half-chicken has a big old smothering of garlic gravy on top, and people have been loving that. And the s’mores pie. Oh my goodness, it’s so good. It is exactly what you would expect from the name; it’s mouth-watering. Our brunch items on the weekends are fantastic—the breakfast bowl is really good; our huckleberry muffins are excellent. We also have some pretty awesome cocktails, with mostly local liquors on the list. Almost all of our beer is local, too. We have some domestics, of course, but we’re trying to keep it in the valley.

KT: Do you personally have a favorite menu item?

MS: The Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich is pretty delicious. Our Brussel sprouts are also to die for: they’re baked first, and then they get tossed in bacon and some garlic confit, which we make in-house. And then our spaghetti and meatballs is really good, as well as our Hunter’s Chili Dip.

KT: Oh, chili dip sounds good.

MS: It’s really, really delicious. It’s not a huge menu, so we really took a lot of time to curate everything and make sure everything is super tasty.

KT: Tell me more about the Honey Hole situation.

MS: Yes, the Honey Hole is our gaming room, just past the Dry Fly here. It’s really spacious and good for watch parties. There’s a great pool table, and a menu with smaller bites and snacks.

KT: What do you enjoy most about being part of the Bozeman community?

MS: Well, I’m from here, so I feel that it’s just good people around here. Folks still wave at you when you’re driving by on a dirt road. It’s such a growing, good, beautiful community. I’ve heard guests that are staying at the hotel talk about how they are just blown away by not only how nice the area is, but how nice the locals are, too.

Another fun thing is that people still ask about the all-you-can-eat taco bar, which the former Dry Fly was known for. It’s funny how many people ask about it. But even though it’s a change, locals and visitors alike keep coming back, and it’s been fun to experience people coming in and telling us that they love what we’ve done with this space.

KT: Do you have any special events coming up?

MS: We plan to have some different watch parties, for MSU games and things like that. And we’re doing our grand opening party on October 1st, with fun snacks and different drinks with some local breweries and distilleries. We’ll have a band out in the enclosed backyard, and some mobile bars set up in different spaces like the Summit Room, which is the event space for holiday parties and other gatherings.

KT: What’s the best way for people to follow your events and happenings?

MS: Our Instagram is the best way: @dryflysaloonbzn, and we we’re on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dryflysaloon.

KT: Anything else you’d like readers to know about the Dry Fly?

MS: We want the community to know that our main focus is on consistency, delicious food, and amazing service. There was a lot of thought put into everything, which I really appreciate. And it’s nice to be part of a little bit of the revitalization of Bozeman.

I’ve always loved a hotel bar, so I was thrilled to learn that the Dry Fly is still with us. Although it’s no longer a dark little dive-y joint that smells like taco meat, it’s still a tucked-away eatery and bar that’s off the beaten path. And that’s getting harder and harder to come by. It feels festive in there, with its images of Labrador retrievers on the ceiling, and stuffed fish adorning the walls. It’s definitely family-friendly. I’ll be going there again… and I’m so grateful that billboard came down.   

Photo credit goes to David Mitchell.