Montana
272 Thayer Street (upstairs)
Providence, RI
401-273-RIBS

Meat  4
Sides  4
Sauce  4.5
Service  5
Atmosphere  3

Overall  4.5

Reviewer's Comments:  Providence, Rhode Island is an unlikely place to find good Q, but I finally found a worthy spot! My friend, Kirk Lee, and I have been to Montana twice since December 1997 and we have found the service and food to be great both times.

Each time, I had the "Montana Beef Ribs" and found them to be tender and meaty. Kirk had the "Hoof and Leg", which was a combination of Baby Back Pork Ribs and Chicken Legs.  He reports that his meal was also excellent.  There is no BBQ Beef offering other than the Ribs.

The sauce was tangy but not "hot" and the sides included French Fries, Baked Potatoes, Cornbread (excellent), as well as most of the other standards. They serve Coca-Cola products to drink, and are one of the few spots in Rhode Island where I have found Iced Tea to be "in season".

We finished up the meal with a large bowl of tasty Apple Crisp topped with Vanilla Ice Cream. 

On my first visit, I was feeling a bit down because of bad Q experiences in Rhode Island.  It was sure a pleasure to find a place like Montana with its great customer service.  Our waitress from the first visit, Margaret, is originally from Chicago.  She made us feel right at home and was SO friendly and accomodating.  On tonight's visit, Margaret was tending bar and her friend was our waiter. She still found the time to stop by and welcome us back.

I am not even going to try to describe how to find Montana.  The best method is to call and ask directions.  All I remember is that it is a bit difficult to find. It is North Of I-195 and East of I-95, on Thayer Avenue.  This is smack dab in the center of the Brown University Campus.  If you find yourself near Providence, Rhode Island- VISIT THIS PLACE!

Reviewed By:  Ralph Fowler ( rwf@bsrg.org ) on 2/23/98.