Just steps from Glacier National Park in Columbia Falls, Montana, sits a restaurant built by two ski buddies who bet everything on their hometown. 🏔️
Three Forks Grille opened on January 22, 2010, founded by husband-and-wife owners Tim and Sara Seward alongside chef Chris DiMaio.
What began as a modest business plan quickly turned into something the owners themselves never fully expected.
This is how a Whitefish Mountain Resort friendship became one of the Flathead Valley’s most enduring dinner destinations. 🍽️
How Three Forks Grille won Columbia Falls’ hearts
Tim Seward and Chris DiMaio actually met years before Three Forks Grille ever opened, working together at the renowned Café Kandahar under chef and owner Andy Blanton at the base of Whitefish Mountain Resort.
The two had been ski buddies since 1998, mulling over the idea of opening a restaurant together for years before finally taking the leap in Columbia Falls.
Tim and his wife Sara Seward had both worked in restaurants since they started waiting tables at age 18, though neither had ever owned a restaurant of their own before Three Forks.
The concept the trio built centered on what they called “mountain fare with Italian flair,” blending Montana-raised beef and bison with Mediterranean-leaning technique and seasonal, locally sourced produce.
That commitment to regional sourcing has remained a defining value for the restaurant across its entire run, with DiMaio and Seward prioritizing relationships with regional farms and ranches since day one.
More than fifteen years after that first hungry crowd showed up, Three Forks Grille remains one of the region’s most consistently praised dinner spots, proof that two ski buddies with a shared vision and a supportive spouse can build something that lasts well past opening night.
Food Highlights
- Three Forks Burger: Montana Wagyu beef piled with garlic confit, gorgonzola, lettuce, tomato, and onion, served with Tuscan fries.
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Bison Burger: Locally raised bison topped with house BBQ sauce, pickled red onion, and white cheddar, served with house-made slaw. 🦬
- Ribeye: A 12-ounce ribeye finished with a rosemary red wine reduction and parmesan herb topping, served with roasted potatoes and broccolini.
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Grilled New York Strip: A 12-ounce cut finished with herb jalapeño jam compound butter, served alongside broccolini and Tuscan fries. 🥩
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Bison Short Ribs: Slow-cooked bison short ribs served over honey risotto, a hearty, comfort-driven entrée built around Montana-raised meat.
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Seared Scallops: Scallops seared and plated with a lemon citronette, capers, golden raisins, potato straws, and microgreens.
- Shrimp Risotto: Creamy risotto loaded with shrimp. 🍤
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House Made Gnocchi: Handmade gnocchi topped with a shrimp salad, bibb lettuce, avocado, lemon, and crispy garlic, blending pasta comfort with fresh seafood.
Atmosphere
Three Forks Grille sits inside the historic Cosley Building, giving the dining room a warm, bucolic elegance built from salvaged materials and vintage photography. 🕯️
The space feels intimate and upscale without losing its small-mountain-town charm.
Soft lighting, metal snowshoe door handles, and reclaimed woodwork all reinforce the restaurant’s Montana roots, while the menu’s Mediterranean touches add an unexpected layer of sophistication.
It’s the kind of place locals dress up for, and travelers stumble into on their way to Glacier National Park. 🏞️
Bottom Line
Visit for Montana-raised bison and beef prepared with real Mediterranean technique, a chef partnership built on a genuine ski-town friendship, an intimate dining room full of local history, seasonal ingredients sourced from regional farms, and a true husband-and-wife story worth toasting to. 🍷
Address:
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729 Nucleus Avenue, Suite F, Columbia Falls, MT 59912
📞 (406) 892-2900
🕔 Open daily, 5 PM–9 PM (Sun also open 9 AM–1 PM)