Still Old School

Great Northern Bar & Grill

Whitefish, Montana · Since 1919

A railroad bar that turned into the town's default.

The Story

Whitefish bar opened in 1919 for railroad workers, now a grill and music room on Central Avenue that everybody just calls the Northern.

The Great Northern opened in 1919 on Second Street to serve Great Northern Railway workers, then moved to Central Avenue in the mid-1950s. Locals call it the Northern. Saves a couple of syllables after the second round.

Doug Rommereim and Kathy McGrath bought into the bar in 1987 and later owned it outright. They kept the live music going and the regulars’ calendar full. In May 2026 a group of longtime Whitefish locals bought it, planning to keep the bar and the staff just the way they are.

Whitefish has gotten louder and more expensive around it. The Northern kept being a bar.

Catch a band, and tell us how long you’ve been going.

Featured in: What are the oldest bars in Montana?

Why It's Still Old School

A railroad bar since 1919 that turned into the town's default. The longtime locals who bought it in 2026 plan to keep the bar and the staff the same. Good plan.