Second Street Bistro: A Culinary Landmark in Livingston, Montana, Offers French-Inspired Cuisine and Memorable Dining Experiences

Second Street Bistro is located adjacent to the historic Murray Hotel in downtown Livingston, Montana. A town that knows how to hold onto its stories. Since 2004, the Bistro has been one of its most enduring ones. Chef Brian Mendez, after years of study and travel through Europe, returned to Livingston and reimagined what dining could be in Livingston. French technique. Montana ingredients. A menu that changed with the seasons and never felt like it was trying too hard.

The world took notice when Anthony Bourdain visited in early 2016, dining with local legend Jim Harrison. But locals already knew. The Bistro was where you went when you wanted food that felt like a conversation, between place and palate, tradition and invention.

I always sat at the bar. There are only four stools, which feels like a secret. I’d browse the menu, indecisive, then close my eyes and point. Let my subconscious choose. It never disappointed. Neither did the kitchen. One of my favorite details was the wax-dripped candles, so layered they looked like frozen waterfalls, time hardened into sculpture. The staff didn’t just serve food. They told stories. They knew the provenance of every ingredient, the intention behind every dish.

The menu changed with the seasons: a summer halibut with ratatouille and citrus beurre blanc. Hunter chicken braised in red wine with pancetta and peppers. Stroganoff is made with local sirloin. And the French onion soup with crostini and gruyère. The food is elegant but grounded. It didn’t need to explain itself.

Recently, Chef Mendez sold the Bistro. It was a quiet shift, but not a sad one. His longtime sous chef, Bobby Parten, took the reins. The restaurant closed for a few months, then reopened with a new look, a new menu, and a new rhythm. Some things changed. Some things stayed. And in many ways, it’s better.

The food is still exceptional. The seasonal focus remains. The wax still drips. The bar still holds its four stools. But there’s a new energy now. One that honors the past without being beholden to it. Parten’s imprint is subtle but confident. The dishes still speak French, but they’ve picked up a few new dialects.

If you’re in Livingston, go to Second Street Bistro. Sit at the bar. Let your subconscious choose. Watch the candle wax climb. Listen to the staff telling you where the greens came from, how the sauce was built, and why the wine pairs the way it does. And know that some places don’t just survive transition, they carry it with grace. The Bistro is still one of the best meals I’ve ever had. And it’s still one of the places I return to, even when I’m not there.