Visit Southeast Montana highlights local culinary ingenuity

As the summer tourism season approaches, Visit Southeast Montana is launching a new visitor attraction that's sure to pique the curiosities and appetites of foodies looking for a true taste of Montana-the Southeast Montana Burger Trail.

With twenty-four locations across the region, the Southeast Montana Burger Trail boasts burgers as unique as the communities themselves. From the unexpected "Mango Burger" at June's Bungalow in Colstrip, to the branded-literally-"Wibaux Burger" at Los Vaqueros in Wibaux, to the spicy "Diego" at The Grand in Roundup, each burger has a story. The trail pulls them all together and guides burger connoisseurs along a tasty route.

"I grew up in a small town myself, and I know that the best food is often served in the most unlikely places-it's a secret the locals know well," said Brenda Maas, director of marketing for Visit Southeast Montana. We strive to move visitors off the Interstate, into our rural communities. As visitors drive past thousands of acres of ranches and farmlands, we're inviting them into our restaurants for a burger."

Maas and her teammate, Cassie Solberg, ate their way across the region and personally sampled all 24 burgers while meeting with the owners and operators of each establishment.

"The bottom line is, our burgers are tasty," said Alecia Smith, owner and operator of The Joseph Café in Forsyth. "The burger trail allows us to continue to build our businesses and communities by showing more visitors where they can get an artisan burger that's off-the-beaten path."

For a project of this caliber, Visit Southeast Montana partnered with the chambers of commerce in each community, plus convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) in Billings, Miles City and Glendive. Visit Billings and the Montana Beef Council sponsored the printed maps.

The burger trail combines Montana's top two industries-agriculture and tourism-to promote the area's charming towns and restaurants as visitor destinations and encourage tourism spending across the Southeast Montana region.

"Cattle are beneficial to a sustainable food system and beef is a nutrition powerhouse," said Chaley Harney, executive director of the Montana Beef Council. "We are delighted to see the Burger Trail come to life featuring our favorite protein."

Here's what is stated about a couple of burgers at local eateries in Ekalaka:

18. Dawg House Pub

In this case, if you're sent to the "Dawg House" for the night you're in luck! The If You Wanna Be My Cowboy Burger is a solid choice, towering with onion rings, bacon, chunky bleu cheese crumbles, American cheese and perfectly drizzled barbecue sauce. This dish is only complete with their fries and an ice-cold glass of beer. Located just down the street, it's the perfect stop after exploring the dinosaurs at Carter County Museum-a must for your next trip.

24. Wagon Wheel Café

This mom-and-pop restaurant is the friendly type of place where you pass around sections from the local weekly newspaper between tables. The name of this burger speaks for itself, Ekalaka's Favorite Cowboy Burger. This ¼ lb. patty is paired with substantial crispy onion rings, thick-cut bacon, jalapeños, Swiss cheese, drenched in locally made honey barbecue chipotle sauce. Favorably, the bun is sturdy enough to capture all the sauce without getting soggy part way through.

Find the complete Southeast Montana Burger Trail listings on the Southeast Montana website or download the map. Alternatively, grab a map at any one of the participating Burger Trail locations.