Great restaurant. Had dinner twice while visiting Ennis, son had elk loin and Duck, said its the best dinner he has ever had at at restaurant. I had Bison short rib and lamb chops. Both very good. Lamb chops up with best I have ever had. Highly recommended if visiting Ennis, Mt.
(5)
Linde H.
My family went to our favorite restaurant this evening in Ennis -- The Continental Divide! My father had the elk, my mother had the walleye, and our houseguest had the scallops. No one was disappointed. As usual, the food was absolutely fantastic. Thank you, Chef Eric!!
(5)
Sara T.
Fine dining at its best. We are always happy when we visit the CD. Service is friendly and quick, food is fresh, unique, and wine list is outstanding.
(5)
Merv F.
First visit to the Continental Divide after several stays in Ennis. In short: ... Incredible!! We shared the Tomato Mozzarella salad and was perfect. Pam had the Scallops and she commented maybe best ever. Nicely sauteed and dressed with a bit of roe with a nice Huckleberry demi glace that added to the wonderful favor. I had the Montana fresh Lamb Chops finished medium rare. Absolutely delicious. Enough said. Mixed veggies done perfectly ... al dente. Service was impeccable. Thanks Jennifer!! Great wine list. We had the Cameron Hughes Cabernet at $34/bottle and was excellent. In Ennis? Gotta try it! Oh, the chef actually came out to talk to us. Nice touch.
(5)
Barb B.
My favorite restaurant in the area, and that is saying a lot since we have quite a few exceptional restaurants in Bozeman. Fresh, fresh, fresh! My mouth is watering just thinking about my next trip there...
(5)
Susan F.
We stopped in without a reservation and were lucky to get a seat on a Sunday evening! This place has it all: friendly, efficient staff; an interesting, varied menu; delicious food and enough-but-not-too-much serving sizes. We'll be back.
(5)
Andrew F.
The other reviewers are quite correct. The service here is terrible. But it was easy to tell that you could get better service if you are a) a local, or b) served by a different waitress. We arrived for our reservation and stood awkwardly by the door as a waitress rushed past us and ignored us completely. The other waitress passed a few minutes later and said she'd be right with us. Unfortunately, when she did seat us, it was with the first waitress who was unfriendly, inattentive, and apparently unconcerned with whether our meal was as we requested. The waitress who seated us also brought us our food, so the lady we (hesitantly) tipped did little more than take our order and open our screw cap wine (never did she top us off). Which leads to complaint #2... The wine list is exorbitantly overpriced, with 100%+ mark-ups on the bottles. Our $50 bottle of Ponzi goes for $20-25 on the street, and that was about the most reasonable option. The food was good. I liked my elk tenderloin a lot, and the polenta was a great pairing. My wife didn't care for the roasted duck, saying it tasted more like turkey. Dessert was forgettable (as in I really have forgotten what we had). A few menu items were a touch pricier than they should have been (the Caesar salad especially), but that would have been tolerable if we didn't feel like we were inconveniencing our waitress with our presence. I wouldn't return. We had other dining experiences in town that were more favorable.
(2)
Amelia W.
I've been to many fine high end restaurants in San Francisco, Boston and Seattle. This food at the CD would would fit right in at those locals. However, it's perfect here in Ennis situated between the mountain valleys and the beautiful sky. We had a younger server that was still learning a bit but he was friendly, welcoming and attentive. My boyfriend and I started with the tongue of lamb that was served with a minced cauliflower mixture. It was lovely. I had the walleye encrusted in macadamia nuts, pan seared and finished with a citrus creme sauce. It was cooked perfectly. My boyfriend had an amazing boneless ribeye steak with a morel demi glaze. I think this might be a special on the menu not always offered. The chef Eric came out to show us his recent find of chanterelles from mushrooming so if you're going to be in Ennis towards the beginning of the week you might find a yummy mushroom concoction if you head to The CD. It's so worth the trip. We went because they catered a wedding we went to and the food was phenomenal there as well- if there is a butternut squash on the menu at the CD when you go, you must get this! So incredible. This place is so so incredible.
(5)
Mary W.
We go to this restaurant every time we're in Ennis. The food quality and taste easily compete with a big city like Dallas. I highly recommend this place if you want a gourmet dining experience.
(5)
Alison B.
We were pretty disappointed with our food at Continental Divide. We had been hearing about it for years and decided to venture over for dinner. The atmosphere is interesting, but they definitely have a wonderful wine list. The food on the other hand was just okay. Nothing was fresh and it really did not have much flavor. However the chef/ owner did come out and was incredibly welcoming. However I don't think we will be back to this place.
(2)
Sean S.
Do not go here unless you want to be screwed. I came in after a long day fishing and wanted only a salad. The Caesar salad was listed as $9. I was not very hungry so ordered only the salad but asked for a dinner sized portion and asked to add tomatoes. The waitress was lovely and said fine. She did not mention the price. The salad was quite good and well sized, but when the bill came the salad was $19. I complained and said that if I had known I would not have ordered it. She said it was because of the "quality of the ingredients" and because the rest of the menu had high prices. She didn't offer any sort of compromise. The food was good, but that sort of screwing your customer is just rude. You can do better.
(1)
Jeremy B.
This place is off the charts amazing. The chef is intricately involved in constructing the menu and walks you through it personally while you are a customer. Featured on the menu when I was there was a veal breast stuffed with veal and pork, duck, and macadamia crusted walleye. I had a bite of each and they were exemplary. Such a treat to find this hidden gem in the small town of Ennis. Would be a 5 star restaurant in any major city!usiness if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees.
(5)
Samantha W.
The best food in Montana. The chef is amazing. The steaks were great, the Montana Lamb was cooked to perfection. Other highlights include the pork belly and escargot.
(5)
Regina R.
Unexpected DELICIOUSNESS in this small town. The wine list was impressive. A chablis we ordered had the hallmark of Kermit Lynch on the label. Our table ordered the panko-crusted oysters with a spicy remoulade and the crab tarte, also served with a delicious, spicy sauce. The sauces were amazing... well spiced, complex, and complementary with the food. For dinner, we all ordered different entrees. Tossed up between the bison rib eye (with Wisconsin bison) and the steak au poivre (with Montana beef), our waitperson strongly suggested the beef, medium-rare. I had NO regrets. My husband had the elk with huckleberry sauce. AMAZING. Not gamey at all. The huckleberry sauce was more of a fine reduction. This chef knows his sauces. Our other two companions had the duck and the lamb. Both were very satisfied. We could not pass on dessert. My very acceptable cappuccino accompanied my choice of the Valrhona chocolate cake, which was delicious; not too sweet. I must say though, the Grand Marnier cheesecake was off the charts amazing with a dark chocolate cookie crust. Also, the limoncello cake was moist and delicious. I asked our waitperson if there was a pastry chef, and was told that no, the chef makes *everything* himself. Incredibly accomplished and impressive to do both savory and sweet so well. Does this man ever sleep? I will certainly make a point of dining here on any future visits to Montana that I may be so fortunate to have.
(4)
Bjorn S.
I ate here several times between 2008 and 2006. We loved it every time we were there, even in the new building. I never had a problem with the service, so I don't know what all that is about. I know the menu is just amazing for a place as out of the way as Ennis. Elk, duck, bison, venison... real Montana game. It was expensive, but it was that kind of place. You expect those prices at a place like that. I'm really surprised to hear the comments about the poor service because they were always great when we were there and I'm pretty sure they are the same people. My wife still talks about the Elk.
(5)
Rob T.
Great service and the food is quite good. The sauce reductions are well made and subtle. House salad looked so so but the lemon pesto dressing was good. The swordfish was quite good and fresh. Only complaint was pricey for nouvelle cuisine portions. Huckleberry ice cream was quite nice as well.
(4)
Louise E.
Took my visiting sister and bro-in-law there last night after discovering Banditos is closed on Mondays. Was worried about the prices as my husband and I only go there on our anniversary. However, the 3 of us figured out how to enjoy without overspending. We had Jennifer as our server and she was very accommodating and encouraging. We each got a glass of wine (Malbec was very good) and split a steamed artichoke (addictive!) All got caesar salads (nice bite to dressing) Then my sis/bil split ($5 split fee) the lamb chops (good demiglaze and polenta) and I got the soft shell crab appetizer as my entree. No dessert. With that and tip, we paid $124 and felt we had Indulged reasonably for a gourmet meal. I won't be scared off again. Treat yourself. You'll remember your meal for a long time.
(5)
Kristin S.
This place has amazing food, and a solid wine list. I really wish I could say we had a great experience, but the service was probably the worst service we've ever had at a restaurant. We actually never did meet our server until she brought the check. 3 other staffers kept showing up randomly at our table, but only one spoke English, and he seemed to be afraid to do anything. After we had been sitting with menus for 20 minutes, and nobody had come to greet us, the host stopped by, and we mentioned that we were still waiting for someone to come talk to us about ordering. So he scurried away, and the next thing you know, the chef was at our table. He was the closest person I guess, because he was out greeting some of his regular customers at a neighboring table. We were a bit mortified, and the chef was clearly fuming as he took our order himself. He even seemed annoyed when we specified Rare and Medium Rare for our steaks (this in Montana, where steak is king). It was bizarre. I expect a much more gracious level of service when I go to any restaurant, let alone a fine dining establishment. After our meal, another cook came out and apologized for the service that night, and explained they were training their staff. I think this apology was triggered when the kitchen figured out our salads never arrived, and I kindly refused them when one of the staffers rushed them out after our entrees were served. This gesture at the end of our meal was appreciated, but a little late. We felt unwelcome the entire time we were there. How about offering a complimentary dessert or something along those lines? What a shame. But if you are in the area, I recommend you go here, because the food was excellent. Maybe late in the season, after the staff is trained (they are only open for the summer season). I'm thinking we had to have seen them at their worst, right? Your experience may vary (fingers crossed).
(2)
John P.
We almost passed on this restaurant this year, because we had seen a bad review on Trip Advisor, and Yelp. I say "a" bad review because I suspect it was the same customer venting on two platforms. Apparently his food was good but the service was awful. And then I realized that the review was a year old.... Anyway we tried it, because we had had many great meals there in years past, and it was a fantastic experience. The food was superb, the service was attentive but subtle, and the wine list was much better than I remembered. We enjoyed it so much, we came back two nights later (something I NEVER do) with all of our house guests: an equally outstanding evening. So, whatever the problem was in July of '08, has been cured, and this place is something you do not want to miss if you are in the Madison Valley.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Dogs Allowed : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
Dennis S.
Great restaurant. Had dinner twice while visiting Ennis, son had elk loin and Duck, said its the best dinner he has ever had at at restaurant. I had Bison short rib and lamb chops. Both very good. Lamb chops up with best I have ever had. Highly recommended if visiting Ennis, Mt.
(5)Linde H.
My family went to our favorite restaurant this evening in Ennis -- The Continental Divide! My father had the elk, my mother had the walleye, and our houseguest had the scallops. No one was disappointed. As usual, the food was absolutely fantastic. Thank you, Chef Eric!!
(5)Sara T.
Fine dining at its best. We are always happy when we visit the CD. Service is friendly and quick, food is fresh, unique, and wine list is outstanding.
(5)Merv F.
First visit to the Continental Divide after several stays in Ennis. In short: ... Incredible!! We shared the Tomato Mozzarella salad and was perfect. Pam had the Scallops and she commented maybe best ever. Nicely sauteed and dressed with a bit of roe with a nice Huckleberry demi glace that added to the wonderful favor. I had the Montana fresh Lamb Chops finished medium rare. Absolutely delicious. Enough said. Mixed veggies done perfectly ... al dente. Service was impeccable. Thanks Jennifer!! Great wine list. We had the Cameron Hughes Cabernet at $34/bottle and was excellent. In Ennis? Gotta try it! Oh, the chef actually came out to talk to us. Nice touch.
(5)Barb B.
My favorite restaurant in the area, and that is saying a lot since we have quite a few exceptional restaurants in Bozeman. Fresh, fresh, fresh! My mouth is watering just thinking about my next trip there...
(5)Susan F.
We stopped in without a reservation and were lucky to get a seat on a Sunday evening! This place has it all: friendly, efficient staff; an interesting, varied menu; delicious food and enough-but-not-too-much serving sizes. We'll be back.
(5)Andrew F.
The other reviewers are quite correct. The service here is terrible. But it was easy to tell that you could get better service if you are a) a local, or b) served by a different waitress. We arrived for our reservation and stood awkwardly by the door as a waitress rushed past us and ignored us completely. The other waitress passed a few minutes later and said she'd be right with us. Unfortunately, when she did seat us, it was with the first waitress who was unfriendly, inattentive, and apparently unconcerned with whether our meal was as we requested. The waitress who seated us also brought us our food, so the lady we (hesitantly) tipped did little more than take our order and open our screw cap wine (never did she top us off). Which leads to complaint #2... The wine list is exorbitantly overpriced, with 100%+ mark-ups on the bottles. Our $50 bottle of Ponzi goes for $20-25 on the street, and that was about the most reasonable option. The food was good. I liked my elk tenderloin a lot, and the polenta was a great pairing. My wife didn't care for the roasted duck, saying it tasted more like turkey. Dessert was forgettable (as in I really have forgotten what we had). A few menu items were a touch pricier than they should have been (the Caesar salad especially), but that would have been tolerable if we didn't feel like we were inconveniencing our waitress with our presence. I wouldn't return. We had other dining experiences in town that were more favorable.
(2)Amelia W.
I've been to many fine high end restaurants in San Francisco, Boston and Seattle. This food at the CD would would fit right in at those locals. However, it's perfect here in Ennis situated between the mountain valleys and the beautiful sky. We had a younger server that was still learning a bit but he was friendly, welcoming and attentive. My boyfriend and I started with the tongue of lamb that was served with a minced cauliflower mixture. It was lovely. I had the walleye encrusted in macadamia nuts, pan seared and finished with a citrus creme sauce. It was cooked perfectly. My boyfriend had an amazing boneless ribeye steak with a morel demi glaze. I think this might be a special on the menu not always offered. The chef Eric came out to show us his recent find of chanterelles from mushrooming so if you're going to be in Ennis towards the beginning of the week you might find a yummy mushroom concoction if you head to The CD. It's so worth the trip. We went because they catered a wedding we went to and the food was phenomenal there as well- if there is a butternut squash on the menu at the CD when you go, you must get this! So incredible. This place is so so incredible.
(5)Mary W.
We go to this restaurant every time we're in Ennis. The food quality and taste easily compete with a big city like Dallas. I highly recommend this place if you want a gourmet dining experience.
(5)Alison B.
We were pretty disappointed with our food at Continental Divide. We had been hearing about it for years and decided to venture over for dinner. The atmosphere is interesting, but they definitely have a wonderful wine list. The food on the other hand was just okay. Nothing was fresh and it really did not have much flavor. However the chef/ owner did come out and was incredibly welcoming. However I don't think we will be back to this place.
(2)Sean S.
Do not go here unless you want to be screwed. I came in after a long day fishing and wanted only a salad. The Caesar salad was listed as $9. I was not very hungry so ordered only the salad but asked for a dinner sized portion and asked to add tomatoes. The waitress was lovely and said fine. She did not mention the price. The salad was quite good and well sized, but when the bill came the salad was $19. I complained and said that if I had known I would not have ordered it. She said it was because of the "quality of the ingredients" and because the rest of the menu had high prices. She didn't offer any sort of compromise. The food was good, but that sort of screwing your customer is just rude. You can do better.
(1)Jeremy B.
This place is off the charts amazing. The chef is intricately involved in constructing the menu and walks you through it personally while you are a customer. Featured on the menu when I was there was a veal breast stuffed with veal and pork, duck, and macadamia crusted walleye. I had a bite of each and they were exemplary. Such a treat to find this hidden gem in the small town of Ennis. Would be a 5 star restaurant in any major city!usiness if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees.
(5)Samantha W.
The best food in Montana. The chef is amazing. The steaks were great, the Montana Lamb was cooked to perfection. Other highlights include the pork belly and escargot.
(5)Regina R.
Unexpected DELICIOUSNESS in this small town. The wine list was impressive. A chablis we ordered had the hallmark of Kermit Lynch on the label. Our table ordered the panko-crusted oysters with a spicy remoulade and the crab tarte, also served with a delicious, spicy sauce. The sauces were amazing... well spiced, complex, and complementary with the food. For dinner, we all ordered different entrees. Tossed up between the bison rib eye (with Wisconsin bison) and the steak au poivre (with Montana beef), our waitperson strongly suggested the beef, medium-rare. I had NO regrets. My husband had the elk with huckleberry sauce. AMAZING. Not gamey at all. The huckleberry sauce was more of a fine reduction. This chef knows his sauces. Our other two companions had the duck and the lamb. Both were very satisfied. We could not pass on dessert. My very acceptable cappuccino accompanied my choice of the Valrhona chocolate cake, which was delicious; not too sweet. I must say though, the Grand Marnier cheesecake was off the charts amazing with a dark chocolate cookie crust. Also, the limoncello cake was moist and delicious. I asked our waitperson if there was a pastry chef, and was told that no, the chef makes *everything* himself. Incredibly accomplished and impressive to do both savory and sweet so well. Does this man ever sleep? I will certainly make a point of dining here on any future visits to Montana that I may be so fortunate to have.
(4)Bjorn S.
I ate here several times between 2008 and 2006. We loved it every time we were there, even in the new building. I never had a problem with the service, so I don't know what all that is about. I know the menu is just amazing for a place as out of the way as Ennis. Elk, duck, bison, venison... real Montana game. It was expensive, but it was that kind of place. You expect those prices at a place like that. I'm really surprised to hear the comments about the poor service because they were always great when we were there and I'm pretty sure they are the same people. My wife still talks about the Elk.
(5)Rob T.
Great service and the food is quite good. The sauce reductions are well made and subtle. House salad looked so so but the lemon pesto dressing was good. The swordfish was quite good and fresh. Only complaint was pricey for nouvelle cuisine portions. Huckleberry ice cream was quite nice as well.
(4)Louise E.
Took my visiting sister and bro-in-law there last night after discovering Banditos is closed on Mondays. Was worried about the prices as my husband and I only go there on our anniversary. However, the 3 of us figured out how to enjoy without overspending. We had Jennifer as our server and she was very accommodating and encouraging. We each got a glass of wine (Malbec was very good) and split a steamed artichoke (addictive!) All got caesar salads (nice bite to dressing) Then my sis/bil split ($5 split fee) the lamb chops (good demiglaze and polenta) and I got the soft shell crab appetizer as my entree. No dessert. With that and tip, we paid $124 and felt we had Indulged reasonably for a gourmet meal. I won't be scared off again. Treat yourself. You'll remember your meal for a long time.
(5)Kristin S.
This place has amazing food, and a solid wine list. I really wish I could say we had a great experience, but the service was probably the worst service we've ever had at a restaurant. We actually never did meet our server until she brought the check. 3 other staffers kept showing up randomly at our table, but only one spoke English, and he seemed to be afraid to do anything. After we had been sitting with menus for 20 minutes, and nobody had come to greet us, the host stopped by, and we mentioned that we were still waiting for someone to come talk to us about ordering. So he scurried away, and the next thing you know, the chef was at our table. He was the closest person I guess, because he was out greeting some of his regular customers at a neighboring table. We were a bit mortified, and the chef was clearly fuming as he took our order himself. He even seemed annoyed when we specified Rare and Medium Rare for our steaks (this in Montana, where steak is king). It was bizarre. I expect a much more gracious level of service when I go to any restaurant, let alone a fine dining establishment. After our meal, another cook came out and apologized for the service that night, and explained they were training their staff. I think this apology was triggered when the kitchen figured out our salads never arrived, and I kindly refused them when one of the staffers rushed them out after our entrees were served. This gesture at the end of our meal was appreciated, but a little late. We felt unwelcome the entire time we were there. How about offering a complimentary dessert or something along those lines? What a shame. But if you are in the area, I recommend you go here, because the food was excellent. Maybe late in the season, after the staff is trained (they are only open for the summer season). I'm thinking we had to have seen them at their worst, right? Your experience may vary (fingers crossed).
(2)John P.
We almost passed on this restaurant this year, because we had seen a bad review on Trip Advisor, and Yelp. I say "a" bad review because I suspect it was the same customer venting on two platforms. Apparently his food was good but the service was awful. And then I realized that the review was a year old.... Anyway we tried it, because we had had many great meals there in years past, and it was a fantastic experience. The food was superb, the service was attentive but subtle, and the wine list was much better than I remembered. We enjoyed it so much, we came back two nights later (something I NEVER do) with all of our house guests: an equally outstanding evening. So, whatever the problem was in July of '08, has been cured, and this place is something you do not want to miss if you are in the Madison Valley.
(4)