During our time in Glacier National Park, we ventured outside the park’s boundaries a couple times during the middle of the day to escape the crowds. On one such excursion we drove to Whitefish, a quaint town about 45 minutes from Glacier’s west entrance. While looking around the downtown district we came across MacKenzie River Pizza Company and decided to eat there for a late lunch. We later learned that MacKenzie River is actually a small chain, with one or two locations in several states from the West to the Rust Belt. However, the restaurant is originally from Bozeman, Montana, with its headquarters now in Whitefish, and boasts more than ten locations throughout the state.

The exterior is covered in a lovely brick, and the interior is a modern rustic–clean and updated, but with lots of wood and stone elements, along with outdoor paraphernalia and pictures. As the name suggests, MacKenzie River specializes in pizza, although there are lots of menu options, including a plethora of salads, pastas, sandwiches, and flatbreads. We didn’t order drinks since we were stopping by The Great Northern Brewing Company afterward, but the restaurant offers some nice options there as well, especially if you’re looking for a local craft beer. We decided to order pizza, and we had no shortage of options ranging from the traditional (pepperoni, Margherita) to the unique (Rueben, Thai). Our pepperoni pizza (they call it the Good Ol’ Boy) was delicious, made with fresher and higher quality ingredients than some other pizzerias, and hit the spot after several days of camping and hiking. We decided to skip dessert, although MacKenzie had plenty of options for that, too.

We enjoyed our visit to MacKenzie River Pizza Co., and we felt our meal there, coupled with a stop at The Great Northern Brewing Company across the street, was the perfect way to escape the afternoon crowds in Glacier (but close enough to get back for a bit of late hiking and critter hunting!).