When we ask our listeners what restaurants they would like to see come to Montana or to our town, most of the time the answer is a "chain restaurant". When it comes to some of the biggest chain restaurants around, you can already find a lot of them in Montana. But when it comes to "America's Favorite Restaurant Chains" you may be surprised to learn that none of the top chains in the country have a location in Montana. Not one.

The Country's Favorite Chain Restaurants Aren't in Montana

According to Nation's Restaurant News', list of "America's Favorite Restaurant Chains" includes more than one steak house. I have only ever heard of a few of these chains and have only ever been to one of them. Here is the list of the top 10:

  1. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
  2. Seasons 52 (Wine Bar & Grill)
  3. Dutch Bros. Coffee
  4. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse
  5. Bahama Breeze (Caribbean themed steak and seafood)
  6. Longhorn Steakhouse
  7. Cooper’s Hawk (Steak and Seafood dining)
  8. Tropical Smoothie Cafe (Smoothies)
  9. The Capital Grille (Steaks and Seafood)
  10. Smoothie King (Smoothies)

Dutch Bros. Coffee is the only one of the these chains that I have ever been too, and that was in Oregon, I had a chai tea.

Chain Restaurants in Montana Are Plentiful

When I think of chain restaurants I usually think of the big ones that you can find in Montana and pretty much everywhere else in the country. McDonald's, KFC, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Old Chicago Pizza, Subway, Burger King, etc. Looking at the list of America's "favorites", I can see why they would appreciate these restaurants. Most of them look like high quality, tasty places to eat. If you want to try them out, since none of them are in Montana, you will have to travel. The closest that most of them are to Montana would be in either Seattle, Washington, or Denver, Colorado.

It Doesn't Look Like Montana Will See Any Of These Restaurants Anytime Soon

Who knows if we will ever get one of these locations in Montana. In the meantime you can still enjoy some amazing food at some of Montana's best steakhouses. They aren't part of a chain, and maybe for the time being, that is a good thing.

10 Best Steakhouses in Montana

If you live in Montana, you have to love a good steak dinner now and then. Luckily, here in Montana, we have steakhouses that spread far and wide throughout the state. If you are traveling through Montana or vacationing around the state, give one of these places a try.

Gallery Credit: Will Gordon