Open from late May to late September, the Beartooth Café in Cooke City, Montana, sits squarely in the heart of Soda Butte Valley amidst some of the most spectacular views in the Beartooth Mountains. Travelers from around the world as well as many colorful locals have enjoyed the awesome presence of Pilot and Index Peaks, Republic Peak, and Rams Pasture while eating  lunch or dinner on "The Deck." 

The Café is a several decade old log structure consistent with the rugged nature of the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness surrounding Cooke City. The inside of the Café offers an enjoyable experience with a decor including everything from antique beers signs, to fine art by local artists and photographs of past employees and customers. The beer cooler housing over 130 beers from almost as many breweries, is itself worth a look and a sample! All of this, inside and on the Deck, is offered against a backdrop of constant music ranging from Bob Dylan to Frank Sinatra.
A few words must be written about the food at the Beartooth Café. The sirloin steaks are exactly what you expect from a small Montana town. Hand-cut daily, the steaks are almost 3" thick and prepared to temperature.  Every soup, dessert, dressing and sauce is prepared from scratch by a staff that is as hard-working as it is diverse.
The 25-30 person staff is the backbone of the Café. Over the years, these colorful individuals practically defy description. The Café’ has provided seasonal employment not only to 4th generation locals but also to students and others from all over the world as well as the United States. This year (2010), the Café is home to an operating room nurse on temporary leave, an elementary school teacher, a college professor, students from various universities, two young ladies and a couple from the Czech Republic, and a young woman from Romania.
The owners of the Beartooth Café are as diverse (but not as interesting) as the employees. Scott and Vicki Denniston have worked in every position at the Café for over 12 years and, two years ago, realized a long held dream of ownership.  Scott is also the general manager of the Café and none of what happens there could happen without him. Seemingly without fail, Scott can tell you a little about every one of the beverages we offer.
Scott has a B.A. in Communications from Shepherd College in West Virginia, a skill he uses on an hourly basis in Café management!  Scott came to Cooke City and worked at the café for numerous summers before marrying a local gal and settling in the town.  Scott is also a talented musician and member of the local band, the Bannock Trailers who frequently perform in the Cooke City area.
Vicki Denniston, a 4th generation Cooke City-ite has a B.A. in history from BYU.  When not keeping us all in line at the Café, she is very  busy with 4 young children, Mikayla, 9, Sidney,6, Curtis, 4 and Riley, 6 months.  Mikayla  and Sidney can frequently be seen assisting the Café staff!
Vicki Deniston and Kids
Debbi Myers became a co-owner of the Café in 2000. She is a Montana native born in Billings sometime in the 1950's. Debbi has her Masters in Nursing and recently “retired” from teaching psychiatric nursing at Montana State University. Debbi has a hands’ on role at the Café, doing everything from helping the cooks, waiting tables, and acting as a host. As she is only 5' tall, we discourage her from tasks that require reaching the top shelf.

Scott, Vicki and Debbi love the Beartooth Café and are excited to share the ownership. It is a large and wonderful part of all of our lives. We are proud of the Café, its part in the Cooke City community, and its employees. We invite all of you to share this part of our lives with us. See you in the Summer.

Beartooth Cafe
PO Box 1114
Cooke City, MT 59020

(406) 838-2475
info@beartoothcafe.com