Home Ranch Bottoms meshes food and drink with entertainment offerings

From marketing and staffing to receiving and managing inventory, running a restaurant in the middle of nowhere is no easy feat, especially when the area runs on generators and solar energy. 

Defying the odds that come with an off-grid restaurant, Home Ranch Bottoms is a quaint spot in Polebridge, offering quality food and drink, and aiming to be a cultural hub for music, comedy and art.  

As a baker and musician, the owners of Home Ranch Bottoms, Flannery and Danny Freund are nothing short of a dynamic duo. Shortly before acquiring the restaurant in 2021, Flannery worked as a park ranger where she had the opportunity to more thoroughly explore the Glacier National Park’s North Fork. But when the pandemic hit in 2020, Flannery exchanged her ranger hat for a chef’s.  

Flannery got started baking in 2009 at the Polebridge Mercantile, home of the famous huckleberry bear claw, and though she loved her time there, with a laugh, she said, “You couldn’t pay me a million dollars to make another one.” 

With her own restaurant, Flannery can practice creative confections such as her huckleberry pies, ice cream cookie sandwiches, and other baked goods, while Danny has a home to host world-class artists. 

Their most famous concoction, the huckleberry margarita, touts “fresh squeezed everything.” The drink is bright and fresh, and a welcome sight for travelers after a long day of trekking. 

“We had people who heard about our huckleberry margarita and came all the way from Arizona to try it,” said Flannery. “It’s basically our version of the huckleberry bear claw.” 

Flannery said the menu is focused on simple food made thoughtfully, such as burgers, chicken, hot dogs and salads. In addition to the classic pub fare, the kitchen makes a bison chili bowl and bison nachos.  

“Next on our vision quest is sourcing local meat,” said Flannery. “This year was really hard because prices were up 15%, but next year we’d like to look at getting Blackfeet bison meat.” 

The popular smash burger is courtesy of Danny’s St. Louis roots, where the fast-food joint Steak ‘n Shake reigns supreme. The burger is served with the only fries in a 30-mile radius and homemade pickles.   

“We process so many cucumbers because people just love the pickles so much,” Flannery said. “So much of our food is made by hand, and that’s really what we’re trying to get behind. All of our cocktails are fresh squeezed, so that’s something else we bring to the community.” 

The menu features five homemade dipping sauces: buttermilk ranch, blue cheese, buffalo sauce, garlic lemon basil aioli, chipotle dijon aioli and fry sauce. But since choosing just one is a difficult feat, Flannery encouraged customers to try them all and said they make a great addition to the crispy and buffalo chicken.   

Whatever diners choose to eat, their experience is made complete with the addition of a musical or comical performance on the stage by the “lonely Doug” tree.  

As a singer/songwriter and sound engineer, Danny’s primary job at Home Ranch Bottoms is to “translate the airwaves of the beer garden into a colorful, otherworldly vibe for the guests,” per their website. Danny’s passion for music has taken him across the country, and since 1998, Polebridge has hosted Danny and his bands: The Bus Driver Tour, The 7 Smart Fellers and The Polebridge Electric Company. 

“We have some exceptional musicians come through here,” said Danny. “And I run audio for all of them, and I try and make it sound really great for the audience.” 

“People are flying into Kalispell just to see some of the musicians that play here,” Flannery added. “They’re not even going into the park. The only reason they’re coming is to see [the musicians].” 

Whether to laugh along with an A-lister comedian, mosh to heavy metal, dance to the music of indie folk, or just to indulge in a homemade slice of huckleberry pie, Home Ranch Bottoms is a draw for many reasons.  

"Home Ranch Bottoms is one of the most inclusive places on the planet, and certainly, the Flathead,” said Flannery. “We love promoting talent and we love making good food, but more than anything we love to make everyone feel welcome and seen and heard. That always makes the food taste better.” 

Home Ranch Bottoms is open seasonally and is located at 8950 North Fork Road in Polebridge. To find out more, visit homeranchbottomsmt.com. 

Reporter Summer Zalesky may be reached at szalesky@dailyinterlake.com. 

    Flannery and Danny Freund, with their furry companion Yuki, at Home Ranch Bottoms in Polebridge. (Summer Zalesky/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    The Greek salad with grilled chicken at Home Ranch Bottoms. (Summer Zalesky/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Home Ranch Bottoms drink offerings include the huckleberry margarita, the dusty paloma, huckleberry lemonade and Aperol spritz. (Summer Zalesky/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Home Ranch Bottoms offers baked goods including huckleberry pie. (Summer Zalesky/Daily Inter Lake)