See what awaits in Butte, Montana with a rich mining history, a summer of vibrant activities and a thriving culinary scene. Writer Donnie Sexton tells Real Food Travelers what to expect when they visit.

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Butte, Montana, got its start as a gold-mining camp in 1864. When the gold fizzled out, it would be replaced with silver, and eventually an abundance of copper deposits, which gave Butte the moniker of “the richest hill on earth”. The invention of the telephone in 1876, followed by the invention of the light bulb in 1879, both of which required copper wire to function, put Butte in the driver’s seat.

By the 1890s, the city had swelled to around 23,000, not just miners from all corners of the world, but also entrepreneurs, businessmen, shopkeepers, and ladies of the night. The city also attracted celebrities such as Mark Twain, Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, and Sarah Bernhardt. By 1888, Butte’s copper output netted around $23 million. From the 1880s to the 1920s, Butte was the single largest producer of copper, not just in the U.S., but in the world.

BERKLEY PIT

Some 10,000 miles of tunnels were created to extract this valuable ore. By 1955, underground mining became cost-prohibitive and dangerous, with over 2,300 miners losing their lives. The solution was to create the Berkeley Pit, a giant hole, to extract the copper above ground. The pit was a mile and a half wide, more than a mile across, and 1,780 feet deep. When the pit shut down in 1982, and the underground pumps keeping groundwater at bay were shut off, the Pit filled with toxic water, creating a superficial lake. Today, the lake is a Superfund site. In true Butte ingenuity, the Pit has been turned into a tourist attraction, with a viewing stand that lets visitors see the lake and hear its history.

The Berkeley Pit was a mile and a half wide, more than a mile across, and 1,780 feet deep, before it began to fill with toxic groundwater.

TOWERING STEEL MONUMENTS 

Fast forward to today. Butte’s skyline is dotted with 14 headframes, towering steel monuments marking the entrances to the mine shafts. The Original Mine Yard headframe, the location of the first major copper discovery in 1876, today serves as a stage for music and dancing during events. That feisty, resilient, sometimes boisterous spirit of the locals that has carried them through mining disasters, union intrusions, and economic hardships lives on. They pride themselves on showcasing their heritage through the food and festivals that are a hallmark of this community.

The 14 steel headframes scattered around Butte are all that remain of the mine shafts that brought miners down to the tunnels.

Planning A Summer of Food and Festivals in Montana’s Mining City

MONTANA FOLK FESTIVAL

Not to be missed is the annual Montana Folk Festival, July 10-12, 2026, the successor event to the National Folk Festival that Butte hosted from 2008 to 2010. More than 20 groups globally will take to the various stages, in what has become one of the largest free outdoor music festivals in the Northwest. Performers include Mississippi Bluesman Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Vasilis Kostas (traditional Greek music), Dale Watson (Honky Tonk), Pine Leaf Boys (Cajun and Zydeco), and Montana’s own Wolfbearsingers (Apsalooke drum group). In addition, there are up to 50 traditional artists and craft vendors, all within walking distance in Butte’s historic uptown.  Hungry? Head to the food court for options that include teriyaki noodles, Mexican fusion, Polish pierogies, Dippin’ Dots, Spanish paella, huckleberry smoothies, and sweet tea served in a cowboy boot.

The Montana Folk Festival features six staging areas where the public can enjoy a wide range of music, including blues, jazz, Cajun, and country western.

IRISH CELEBRATIONS

Come August 14-16, 2026, it’s the An Ri Ra, a Montana Irish Festival, held at the Original Mine Yard.  Best to pack a lawn chair and an umbrella for the weekend events, which are free to the public. Local food and craft vendors round out the experience. If by chance your travels see you in Butte on St. Paddy’s Day, get ready for one of the nation’s largest and most epic parades. The local bars feature music, served up with green beer. Be on the lookout for Leprechauns.

The Tiernan Irish Dancers put on a lively performance during Butte’s An Ri Ra Irish celebration in August.

FINE DINING IN BUTTE

When you’re done toe-tapping and want to escape the summer heat, head to one of Butte’s unique eateries. Casagranda’s Steakhouse is in a repurposed warehouse built in 1900 by Italian immigrant Dominic Bertogolio. Butte’s mining history is on full display – covering the walls and etched into the tables. Hand-cut Rocky Mountain-grown beef is their specialty, but the menu also includes pastas, seafood, chicken entrees, and sushi.

Feeling Italian – then book a table at La Casa Toscana. Made-from-scratch pasta, gourmet lasagnas, and signature sauces are featured in a refined setting reminiscent of a Tuscan eatery, blended with historical Butte elements.

Casagranda’s Steakhouse features not only hand-cut Montana-grown beef, but chicken, seafood, and pasta entrees.

MR. HOT DOGS

Not to be missed is Mr. Hot Dogs, a dog-gone funky place for lunch. Buck Loomis is the proprietor and a one-man show at 85 years old. Orders are taken through a small window in the kitchen. Next to the window is a whiteboard listing the menu, with paper plates attached around the edge with more options. Buck operates at his own speed, taking orders, cooking, waiting tables, and serving as the cashier (cash only), so it can take some time to get your food. There is a small seating area, complete with red-and-white checkered tablecloths and decorated with a hodgepodge of antiques and artificial plants. The little establishment is easy to spot, with the exterior painted mustard yellow with ketchup-red trim.

It’s likely that Mr. Hot Dogs has a menu presentation unlike anywhere else in the world, adding to the charm of this Butte eatery.

MATT’S PLACE  

Another lunch stop for burgers, fries, and old-fashioned milkshakes is Matt’s Place, Montana’s oldest drive-in, set in a repurposed house. Their specialty is the nut burger, a beef patty topped with ground nuts mixed with mayo. There is limited seating at the small lunch counter, but it is easy enough to take the food to go.

PASTIES AND PORK CHOPS 

Ask any local what the number one food to try while in Butte is, and the answer will be either the pasty or the pork chop sandwich. The “pasty” was brought over with the Irish and Cornish immigrants. It became a fulfilling staple for miners, knowing they couldn’t come up from the mines during their shift. It’s a pie-crust-type dough folded around a mixture of chopped beef, onions, and potatoes, like a calzone. It can be served lathered in brown gravy, plain, or with ketchup on the side. Head to Joe’s Pasty Shop and give it a try.

The pasty, a meat, potato, and onion enclosed in a crust, found its way to Butte from the Cornish and Irish immigrants who came to mine for copper.

John Burklund, a Swedish immigrant who arrived in Butte in 1924, created the pork chop sandwich. It’s a boneless, crispy, golden-battered pork chop, served between a soft bun with onions, mustard, and pickles. I can’t leave Butte without a stop at Pork Chop John’s, one of my favorites, before heading home.

Hungry for more? Read about the famous Breaded Pork Tenderloin sandwich.

LOCAL SPIRITS FOR WETTING THE WHISTLE 

Looking for a great Butte souvenir? Take home some spirits from Headframe Spirits, one of Montana’s only woman-led certified B corporations. Headframe revolutionized the micro-distilling industry by replacing historic “batch” distillation with “continuous flow” distillation. Their products bear the names of Butte’s iconic mines. Anselmo Gin, Kelley Single Malt Whiskey, High Ore Vodka, and my favorite, Orphan Girl Bourbon Cream Liquor, are all available to try out in their tasting room. Orphan Girl poured over a dish of vanilla ice cream is yummy!

FRONT STREET MARKET 

Before you leave town, make a stop at Front Street Market. Jim and Marla Yakawich created an Italian gourmet grocery, where their narrow aisles are stocked from floor to ceiling with culinary offerings from around the world. Homemade raviolis, lasagnas, sauces, international cookies and candies, 150 various pickled items, 500 wine options, along with a deli featuring house-made soups and sandwiches, are tucked into every corner. You’ll find food items you didn’t even know existed. Closed on Sundays.

Today, Butte and neighboring Anaconda, where copper ore was smelted, are part of the largest National Historic Landmark in the US, with nearly 6,000 historic buildings within its boundaries. Open-pit mining continues on a smaller scale to the east of the Berkeley Pit. While Butte is a unique destination anytime of the year, the summer festivals bring out wholesome family entertainment that can’t be beaten.

For additional information on all there is to see and do in Butte, visit www.visitbutte.com.

-Story and photos by Donnie Sexton

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