As Sweet as Authentic Montana Honey

"Honey is a 12 million dollar industry in Montana," my Montana legislator friend remarked in the midst of a discussion on cottage industries.   Montana isn't known for honey, but perhaps it should be.  The industry isn't huge, but as far as honey goes, Montana was second in dollars of honey sold only to North Dakota (South Dakota was a close 3rd).   Not only are sales high, it tastes pretty amazing too!

Employees pour honey into containers

If you like sweets, it is difficult not to like honey!  I recently toured Glacier County Honey Company during "Fill Your Own Bucket Day".  The process is pretty amazing and so is the honey.  The honey is transferred from the boxes you'll see in fields by simply pulling out the trays that are already in the boxes.  The trays are sealed with wax and put in a hot room.  They are then transferred to a couple pretty impressive machines that first pull all the honey and wax out of the trays and then separate the wax from the honey.  

Honey Bear and Glacier County Honey Co.

They make Christmas ornaments out of the wax and all the honey goes through a set of pipes and comes out of spicket-like piece of hardware on the wall, almost as if it is on-tap.  I was amazed that when I handed them my mason jar, they didn't get any honey on the lid.  In addition to the honey and wax products they sold their own blend of Montana Coffee Traders Coffee and they even had a delicious honey bar recipe!

Great idea for a tasty treat

From what I understand, honey varies greatly by the environment in which it is made so even within the Flathead or Glacier Country the taste of honey can vary significantly.  So this summer, try something Montana may not be well known for, but certainly should be: honey!

The process: start to finish

Glacier County Honey Company is located near Babb, MT and the Many Glacier entrance to Glacier National Park.  

Great Northern Honey Company is located in Columbia Falls, MT near the West Glacier entrance to Glacier National Park.

Both companies have a list of local retailers that sell their honey. Glacier County Honey Company sells directly to customers and can give you a tour if you stop by as well!

Best Restaurants Glacier National Park

Its late and you are just getting out of Glacier National Park.  By the time you get back to Kalispell it will be eight o'clock and you are hungry now!  Is there anywhere you can eat that is closer to Glacier, actually has decent food and isn't trying to rip you off ?!  Oh, you don't want to eat in a seedy bar either?! Why yes, there are several places!  We have divided our suggestions by where you might be coming from in Glacier.

The Pole Bridge Mercantile

Polebridge/Bowman Lake:  If you are adventurous enough to drive up the West Side of Glacier along the North Fork of the Flathead you will come to a town....of sorts, Polebridge!  It happens to have 2 restaurants and a bakery and they're all good!  The Polebridge Home Ranch Bottoms serves standard burgers and fries, and also features Taco Tuesdays!  Northern Lights Saloon and Cafe serves classic burgers and fries and also features pizza on Fridays (sometimes featuring live music)!  The Polebridge Mercantile has one of the best bakeries around....their huckleberry bear claws are to die for!

Where the pies from the Huckleberry Patch Go

Hungry Horse/ West Glacier: Most of the restaurants in West Glacier are overpriced and crowded.  Hungry Horse, just down the road, might be busy, but it has some unique options that are worth stopping for.  If you are looking for a huckleberry shake to hold you over, the Huckleberry Patch and Willow's Huckleberry Haven are good places to start.  The Huckleberry Patch even ships their pies nation-wide!  Hungry Horse is kind of the Huckleberry Mecca of Montana, but unfortunately I haven't found the classic Glacier trifecta (burger, fries and shake) all at the same place in the town of Hungry Horse.  For that you have to go to The Glacier Grill.  The Glacier Grill is a great place for standard burgers, fries and shakes (shakes are spendy though).  They also make tasty pizza!

Two Medicine/East Glacier: If you have been exploring the East side of Glacier and are on your way back to Kalispell don't overlook East Glacier's dining options.  It has two superb bakeries: Rock 'n Roll Bakery and Brownies.  It also has one of the best Mexican Restaurant in Glacier Country, Serranos!  Serranos doesn't open until 5pm and many entrees cost around $12-15 but it is worth waiting for.  Great Chimichangas!  Two Medicine Grill offers the standard burgers and fries but their unique feature is that they bake the best (arguably) huckleberry pies in Glacier Country!  If you are looking for a tasty, slightly more healthy option, check out Luna's for some mouth-watering wraps!

Babb/ Many Glacier:  If you're coming out of Many Glacier around dinner time, you might not have too many options, but Two Sisters Grill is always worth a stop!  Classic burgers, fries and shakes with a few unique features and a funky atmosphere that completes the unique experience!


Article written by Matt Harrington, marketing specialist at the Best Western Plus Flathead Lake Inn and Suites in Kalispell, MT.  If you're coming to the Flathead, to Kalispell or to Glacier National Park, check out the Trip Advisor number 1 Kalispell hotel!