Kalispell Questions - Traffic/Expensive Restaurants!!! (Evergreen, Whitefish: home, high school, campground)

[Brad4JC]

Please don't get me wrong. I love Kalispell! I go there to visit family and friends all the time. Each time I go though I am just amazed by the increase of traffic there (not just summer anymore). To get from the south end of Kalispell to the North end took me almost 45 minutes one day. Then I saw a solid line of traffic coming in from Whitefish that just went on and on. I know you have always had the tourists and now you are dealing with growth but I heard the city has plans to somehow ease the flow in/out of town. Is this true? If yes, what are the plans? I have to say I do feel sorry for the locals who have to put up with traffic in a place you would never expect it.

My other question is, WHY on earth are there SO MANY expensive restaurants in and around town where the median income is only around 30k??? My family and I went to several restaurants that were just packed full of people, including locals (yes, I know locals), that we wanted to walk out after looking at the menu because it was SO expensive. More expensive than most nice restaurants in larger cities. Please tell me what is up with that? I know there are less expensive places around town but like I said these places were full. You locals must be growing extra money somehow that the rest of us don't know about or you are part owners in these restaurants. No disrespect!

[Timberwolf232]

Welcome to Eastern Arctic California.

[GLS]

Originally Posted by Timberwolf232

Welcome to Eastern Arctic California.

If you are going to copy California, at least keep up with the trends. I haven't been paid by the State since December 10th, and with new taxes up the wazoo, most of us are eating at McDonalds.

[rickers]

Originally Posted by Brad4JC

My other question is, WHY on earth are there SO MANY expensive restaurants in and around town where the median income is only around 30k??? My family and I went to several restaurants that were just packed full of people, including locals (yes, I know locals), that we wanted to walk out after looking at the menu because it was SO expensive. More expensive than most nice restaurants in larger cities. Please tell me what is up with that? I know there are less expensive places around town but like I said these places were full. You locals must be growing extra money somehow that the rest of us don't know about or you are part owners in these restaurants. No disrespect!

Please name a few of the expensive restaurants, I am a "foodie" and I want to check out these places. Thanks. I would not go near a Micky Ds, they are the worst. I am craving a meal at Skimpers though. Oops I meant "Skippers"

[Redraven]

DW and I were both raised in the Flathead Valley. We will return to visit her parents now and then, but once they are gone we will probably never go back.
Just can't stand the place anymore.
They even went and PAVED my favorite campground on Hungry Horse Reservoir!
The town I grew up in is nothing but a tourist trap.
My favorite bar burned down.
My high school graduation 50th anniversary is this year. If they have a reunion, I don't think I will go.

[Brad4JC]

Originally Posted by rickers

Please name a few of the expensive restaurants, I am a "foodie" and I want to check out these places. Thanks. I would not go near a Micky Ds, they are the worst. I am craving a meal at Skimpers though. Oops I meant "Skippers"

I actually love Skippers. My favorite is a place call Frugals though. Famous Daves was really good too. Silver Canyon in Kalispell was horrible and not worth all the money AT ALL IMO. I did have the best Italian food I have ever had at a place called Moraldo's in Big Fork. It was also one of the most expensive meals I have ever had too but amazing! Showthyme, Docks, The Grill are all very good but too expensive for me. Anything near the lake seems to be all very expensive so please forgive me I need to correct myself when I say "Kalispell". What I meant was mostly around Kalispell but there were some in Kalispell too. We end up having to cook a lot when we are visiting because most of the places that are reasonable are not worth the drive into town, unless you have some good recomendations for me.

[Stephan_K]

Originally Posted by Brad4JC

I actually love Skippers. My favorite is a place call Frugals though. Famous Daves was really good too. Silver Canyon in Kalispell was horrible and not worth all the money AT ALL IMO. I did have the best Italian food I have ever had at a place called Moraldo's in Big Fork. It was also one of the most expensive meals I have ever had too but amazing! Showthyme, Docks, The Grill are all very good but too expensive for me. Anything near the lake seems to be all very expensive so please forgive me I need to correct myself when I say "Kalispell". What I meant was mostly around Kalispell but there were some in Kalispell too. We end up having to cook a lot when we are visiting because most of the places that are reasonable are not worth the drive into town, unless you have some good recomendations for me.

I believe there is a bypass planned to run along the W side of town. From 93 down by Somers to 93 close to Whitefish. The only time I ever experienced any traffic like you describe was when they had a lane closed on 93 N for roadwork. Other than that everything seems to zip along just fine during traffic times. Friday afternoons can be a sumbitch sometimes... but still nothing like bigger cities.

For food... Skippers is cool. Famous Daves... way too expensive and a chain restaurant, along with all the others in that vacinity. Go to The Back Room/Night Owl in C Falls if you want great ribs... half the price of Famous Ding Dongs and just as good if not better. OH... I'll tell you who has wicked ribs... Tamaracks in Lakeside ! Awesome... Almost forgot about them. And reasonably priced. They are a brewery too so don't expect to get anything other than their beer.

Nickel Charleys is a landmark and has good food reasonably priced. Barleys does too... but they do have some expensive things.

The Grill... priceyyyy indeed. Never been to Moraldo's, gonna have to try that out. Probably a lot like Jagz up by the airport on 2. Pretty expensive but very good ! Never been to Docks or Showthyme.

No matter what... ain't nothing like good ol home cookin on the grill . I make killer melt in your mouth ribs, better than any of them. Well, Tamaracks is close to a draw though but I still have the edge. For a rib guy I was VERY IMPRESSED !!!

[Brad4JC]

Originally Posted by Stephan_K

For food... Skippers is cool. Famous Daves... way too expensive and a chain restaurant, along with all the others in that vacinity. Go to The Back Room/Night Owl in C Falls if you want great ribs... half the price of Famous Ding Dongs and just as good if not better. OH... I'll tell you who has wicked ribs... Tamaracks in Lakeside ! Awesome... Almost forgot about them. And reasonably priced. They are a brewery too so don't expect to get anything other than their beer.

Nickel Charleys is a landmark and has good food reasonably priced. Barleys does too... but they do have some expensive things.

The Grill... priceyyyy indeed. Never been to Moraldo's, gonna have to try that out. Probably a lot like Jagz up by the airport on 2. Pretty expensive but very good ! Never been to Docks or Showthyme.

No matter what... ain't nothing like good ol home cookin on the grill . I make killer melt in your mouth ribs, better than any of them. Well, Tamaracks is close to a draw though but I still have the edge. For a rib guy I was VERY IMPRESSED !!!

Stephan, GREAT information my friend! Thank you very much! I will be there in a few weeks and Tamaracks is deffinetely on the top of my list. I will let you know what I think. Yes, do try out Moraldo's when you have a little extra cash to spend. It is just a little place hidden away but the owners/chefs are from Italy and it is very authentic and seriously the best Italian food I have ever had.

Good news on the highway I think! Just curious how you locals feel about that though. Maybe I have just been traveling there at the wrong times or during high traffic times. I have been visiting for about 8 years now and it just seems to get worse and worse so I maybe it's time for some relief from the growth.

[Redraven]

Is El Oso Chico still open in Evergreen? They had GREAT mexican food!
The restaurant at The Outlaw Inn used to be pretty good, but it was getting up into the"expensive" range.
Moose's Bar in Kalispell used to have good pizza, but ol' Moose died years ago, so I don't know about now, if it is even still going.
good grief, I'm really out of touch!
We stopped at the Night Owl in C.Falls the last trip we made up there, it's about on a par with Denny's, I suppose.
I lived in C.Falls many years ago, I think the really GOOD restaurants are all gone.

They been talking about that Kalispell Northwest Bypass for about 40 years. It's about time they got busy and built it!

[jimj]

Originally Posted by rickers

Please name a few of the expensive restaurants, I am a "foodie" and I want to check out these places. Thanks. I would not go near a Micky Ds, they are the worst. I am craving a meal at Skimpers though. Oops I meant "Skippers"

Capers for one.