• Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your eGriz.com experience today!

Walk Down Memory Lane

S

SoCal Surfer

Well-known member
eGriz Club
DONOR
I attended the U of M during the late 60's. There was a favorite night spot in Missoula called the "Heidlehouse", a German tavern/restaurant, where many of Griz undergrads sang songs, drank red beer and ate pizza.

Whatever happened to this watering hole? Can any local fill me in on the details?

Thanks,

Tim
 
not being from Missoula (only here for school), I am not positive but I beleive it is now called the Montana Club. Same basic spot, new name and a little remodeling done.

Anyone from Missoula want to confirm.
 
Yea, you are right about the Hiedlehous becoming the Montana Club. I always hear about that from my dad about the "good old days". Good eatin there.
 
The Heidlehaus is now the Montana Club, but only the outside is the same. It was my favorite place to eat as a kid (mostly because they had Keno runners and we could gamble as kids), but also because of the long communal tables and the great pizza. I remember as a kid hearing commericals for cheap highballs at The Library (the bar), and always wanted to go but never made it.
 
I attended the university of Montana Forestry School from 1968 to 1972 and during that time I worked on the Forester's Ball. Every evening after we were done constructing the Ball in the Field House, we would go to the Heidlehause and drink beer. It was my annual "drunk".
 
Yep. It is now the Montana Club.

The "Library" in the back of the Heidlehouse was great. On Wednesday nights, $.05 beer, $1.00 pitchers (Ranier I think?). You could tell your parents that you were at the "Library" all night, and not be lying. :)
 
We had a bar called The Library across the street from the dorms in Laramie.. that was convenient. Oddly, it was closer to get to the Library bar than it was the actual campus library.
 
Used to love the heidelhaus, nothing like the huge salad bar , monstrous cheese block and all the rolls and soup you could stuff down for under $5 = more money for BEER!!!
 
Across the street was a wild bar owned by the same owner as the Heidlehaus Bill McQuirk called the Trading Post Saloon.
That bar has some good times and many former Griz as bouncers
 
Jimus said:
That place was still there as of five years ago. The Montana Club is relatively new.
Click to expand...

Not that it really matters, but the Montana Club has been there much longer than five years. I haven't lived in Missoula for 7.5 years and it was there for quite a bit even before then. I am guessing at least ten years now, give or take a year.
 
Back then I remember our then University President, Bob Pantzer, bringing aboard Jack Swarthout as football coach. I remember Swarthout bringing Jack Elway along as an assistant coach. If I remember right we went from a 1-9 season in 1965 to a 7-3 season in 1966. There were many times I went to the Heidlehouse with my frat buddies to have a brew to celebrate a win. The picknick tables and long benches with pizza and red beer come to mind.

The Heidlehouse was wild during the 1969 & 1970 football seasons. We had good team then. We went undefeated and won the BSC trophy those years. I remember both years North Dakota State defeating us in the Camellia Bowl.

In 1970 the year I graduated I remember the start of a work study problem/scandal developing at UM. Don't know what happened as I was off to Vietnam as a 2nd Lt. I had other things on my mind at that time.

To me in this period (1966-1970) the Heidlehouse was synonymous with good football and good times.
I've been proud of the Griz ever since.

What a winning tradition. I believe this tradition started when I attended the UM and continues today.

Go Griz
 
Like everyone said the Heidelhouse was around until about 9-10 years ago. Towards the end the owners sold it due to declining food and cleanliness standards (one of my last visits there I remember watching mice run across the rafters). Still miss the place terribly though. The salad/soup bar was second to none. It was my favorite place to eat as a kid...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top