WHITEFISH — The Grouchy Grizzly officially opened its doors Thursday afternoon in Whitefish, bringing a cabin-style interior, a locally inspired menu, and a burger eating challenge to the table.
(WATCH: Grouchy Grizzly opens in Whitefish with a local-inspired menu and a massive burger eating challenge)
Owner Barrett Rinzler said the restaurant has been three months in the making, with the team working to weave local culture into every corner of the design.
"I think the local thing is kind of what we tried to do with the decor with the skis and the snowboards and the water skis and the bikes and things like that to kind of incorporate all of the things you can do here and why Whitefish is so popular," Rinzler said.
The menu ranges from burgers to vegan cauliflower steaks, designed to offer something for everyone.
"Kind of a pretty expansive menu, I think that was one of the things we wanted to do. I know there's a lot of restaurants in Whitefish but it seems like either one place you go to get a burger, one place you go get a pizza, we kind of wanted to have more of a wider variety in one place," Rinzler said.
Among the menu highlights are locally inspired dishes that executive Chef Robert Wagner says will set the restaurant apart.
"Here we got our Bison Huckleberry Jam Burger, here we've got our prime rib sliders, these are our steak tips, as we were doing family and friends these were our number one seller," Wagner said.
Although one item stands out above the rest: the Big Grizz Burger Challenge.
"It's eight patties, eight quarter-pounders, so a total of two pounds, a slice of cheese in between them, and you have five minutes to finish it," Wagner said.
The restaurant is located at 1705 E. Lake Shore Drive, and is open from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
