Montana’s Cookhouse & Saloon

terrible service, mediocre food and worst of all they do not support the SCENE card points redemption they advertise, the waitress asked of we had points we want to redeem and then said ooops i thought you wanted points… but since you already paid there is nothing we can do about redeeming and getting your discount you earned… nice what a scam… never ever going back and i will be sure to mention our experience everytime anyone asks about Montana’s…awful manager on the floor as well

Advertised as Bar-​B-​Que, but my wife’s vegetarian black bean burger was way better than my baby back ribs. Ribs were dry and crusty, although the waitress said they had just gone into the smoker (maybe I got yesterday’s?) The Texas bold sauce was sweet, like honey, french fries were barely warm. Asked waitress for more napkins (finger food, ya know?) but they never came. Huh! Who knew vegetarian was the way to go at a bar-​b-​que restaurant?

Great family restaurant. Portions are huge and the food is predictable (not a bad thing). I’ve come here several times and the food doesn’t overwhelm but also doesn’t disappoint. I tried the steak sandwich this time. It was OK. My dining companions tried the chicken tacos — looked alright; sirloin steak — loved it; and steak fajitas — huge portion and every bit was gobbled up.

This has got to be the best service in town! We’ve gone to a lot of restaurants in this city. This includes very expensive places with expensive décor. Montana’s has to be our most favorite! The service is great, speedy and friendly. We know that they are told to be that way and they get good tip if they are, but we don’t care… it’s great! The décor is homey and comfortable. Well decorated. If you get bored with the person you’re with, just look around. There are lots of little things hanging from the walls and ceiling to amuse you. On your birthday, they come with a piece of cake and a big horned viking helmet for you to wear while they sing and embarrass you. It’s funny to take a friend or significant other there on the b-​day and secretly tell staff that it’s their special day. The birthday victim looks embarrassed and uncomfortable, but I believe that they really have fun and feel flattered that such a big deal was made for them.
Now on to the food. There are a lot of appetizers there that are not worth ordering. You know, bar food basically! The nacho platter looks like a 10 year old threw it together in about 30 seconds and other food like their dry ribs are so salty that you can’t eat them and this is coming from a guy who salts his pizza! Their deep fried macaroni and cheese is usually greasy, dry and overcooked. Their soups are tasty. Cobb Salads are fantastic. French fries are… okay I guess, but everything else on the menu is fantastic. I love their roast beef and mashed potatoes and gravy with Yorkshire Pudding. We also like their «all you can eat ribs» Wednesdays. Their bar is nice and a cool place to drink they also have an outside patio where you can eat in the summer.
Conclusion: overall a fantastic place to eat with friends, family or significant other. Just watch what you order. They have awesome food and they have mediocre appetizers. Great décor with a fun special birthday ritual. Oh yes, it’s a good place for kids too, but please make them behave while I’m there ;)

One of our go to places when out in the Tillicum/​Uptown area of Victoria. It’s a pleasant family restaurant with an extensive menu in which you can’t go wrong with most of it.
The Bison Burger is one of my favourite burgers however their ribs, nachos & kid’s menus are great too.
If you go on a BDay, the staff will sing for you and you get a free treat. This is a true family restaurant where you can still enjoy some cool alcohol beverages!

I have never had such terrible service. Went in there for the first time in years today, and I will never go back. My cousin ordered a chicken quesadilla and my aunt and I ordered the goat cheese pasta. Firstly, our food took about 30 minutes. Secondly, the chicken quesadilla came out as a steak quesadilla. My cousin can’t eat red meat so she out her quesadilla to the side to request something new. The server took 15 minutes before he came over to see how our food was. My cousin explained that the quesadilla was not chicken, but steak, and the server said «oh that’s weird». He then walked off with it without asking if she wanted something new. Also didn’t even ask how mine and my aunts food was. I could go on about my experience, but unfortunately it’s too much to write. All in all, the kid needs to find a new area of work as he clearly cannot handle dealing with customers.

Nice Montana’s in Victoria. I have noticed they really limit the paper on the tables for drawing which is too bad as the kids love that and the staff no longer write there names on the paper. That’s why only 4 starts so minor. Food is very good, especially there burgers and fajitas. Staff are very friendly.

I had lunch here with my youngest last week and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I went expecting the usual chain restaurant food service meal and instead I had a decent meal. While it isn’t somewhere to go when you want locally sourced, ethically raised food, as somewhere to take the children to eat and not get complete dreck I can can whole heartedly recommend it.
First of all it is a very kid friendly place. Which goes a long way with me these days. If I am able to eat somewhere without having to worry about my children speaking at a level above a whisper I am there. What also impressed me were the sides that come with the kid’s meals. My son ordered fries with his lunch, which also came with sliced up carrots. You get the sense that they are really trying to offer a more balanced option than you’d get in most kid friendly restaurants.
The fact that we were given not only a page to colour and do games on, but had a big sheet of brown paper on the table that he could draw on made my son extremely happy. He was also entranced by the old truck mounted in the rafters and the cardboard canoe that his lunch came in.
I had the reuben sandwich which was great (lots of meat, a good balance of sauerkraut, and the bread was toasted just right). What also stood out was that the fries were crisp and freshly made. I have had a run of mediocre fries recently when eating out and this was a pleasant discovery.
I am planning on bringing my whole family back there for dinner this week.

3 stars in the restaurant franchise/​chain category = above-​average food choices and quality for a chain. .. .
The veggie burger ($ 12.99) is actually better than I anticipated. A bear-​paw formed thick veggie patty that tasted BBQ grilled, topped with mushrooms, feta (should have been more than a teaspoonful), and fried onion and peppers, on a fresh sesame seed bun. Firm, filling patty, not dry. The fries were fresh crisp, with seasoning salt. Ask for their house BBQ sauce and they bring the bottle to your table for your burger or fries. Pop/​soda is $ 2.99 with free refills. The menu is huge and long, making it hard to decide on a meal.
I also ate at Montana’s in Brampton, Ontario in November and July — same menu — and enjoyed their pulled pork, and back ribs, respectively.
For a franchise I’d go back if there are no other nearby local options, as is the case in Brampton. In Victoria, there are better locally owned BBQ joints that I’d recommend if you don’t mind driving downtown. If you are stuck around the Tillicum area, Montana’s is OK.

A group of us went here for snacks and happy hour. We ordered several appetizers and share them. The shrimp were really good and certainly addictive, you kept wanting more. We also ordered wings, cheese bread, and calamari. The hot wings are some of the best I have had in a while and certainly in Victoria. Yes, Montana’s is a chain and I have been to them before but this was the first time I had there wings and they were top notch. Extra crispy with a really good flavored sauce!
We also tried both of their sangria type drinks which I would recommend, they were fruity, fresh and couldn’t taste the alcohol making them very dangerous indeed!