est.1864 takes its name from 1864, the year Bozeman was officially recognized as a United States city, and frames itself as a tribute to the trailblazers, roughnecks, and vigilantes of that era. The "1864" in the logo is rendered in the handwriting of William Alderson, who signed the document establishing Bozeman's jurisdiction and later ran the city's newspaper, the Avant Courier, for three decades. The red accent in the logo nods to the site's location within Bozeman's historic red-light district, between North Bozeman and North Rouse Avenues.
The restaurant sits below street level at 233 E Main, just behind the two-story building put up in 1891 by Nelson Story Sr. That basement setting and the frontier-era branding give the room its dark, saloon-like character.
Regulars point to the cocktail program and bartenders as the strongest reason to come, with the food and service drawing more mixed reactions from visit to visit.
The restaurant sits below street level at 233 E Main, just behind the two-story building put up in 1891 by Nelson Story Sr. That basement setting and the frontier-era branding give the room its dark, saloon-like character.
Regulars point to the cocktail program and bartenders as the strongest reason to come, with the food and service drawing more mixed reactions from visit to visit.