The Gourmet Gas Station was originally attached to the Exxon gas station located on U.S. Highway 191 at Gallatin Gateway. The gas station was originally built as a Texaco service station in the late 1950's (hence our Texaco wall sconces in the Bridger Banquet room). After Texaco left the state of Montana, the site became an Exxon station. In 1977, John Rable had the foresight to convert the service repair area into a restaurant to satisfy the demands for a local eatery in Gallatin Gateway. The restaurant has had many names over the years including, but not limited to: The Gateway Cafe, Barb's Elks Inn and the Road Kill Cafe. It was known as The Gateway Grill when Tom Pratt began leasing the space from Duane Walker and his partners in 1995. The restaurant had seven tables, a lunch counter and a kitchen big enough for only one cook. When Tom began serving prime rib, grilled salmon and fresh chili rellenos, the employees and locals began referring to the place as "The Gourmet Gas Station," and the name stuck.

After eleven years of operation and five remodels, Tom felt the 66 guest capacity was inadequate to accommodate the growing customer base in Gallatin Gateway. He decided to make the 2.5 mile move to a much bigger facility where he could better satisfy the growing number of customers with the same quality food and service that made the gas station a local tradition.

The gas tanker which hung over the front entry since 1999 (originally sketched out of Tom's 3rd remodel on a cocktail napkin) is now attached to our "new" 1969 Ford truck in the parking lot. Look for us in the next parade...