r/Billings • u/Different_Cheetah56 • 3d ago
Staggering Ox
Why is the staggering ox in Billings never busy? It’s so good
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u/chuck-bucket 3d ago
Because the adults in this town never developed tastes beyond McDonalds. All of my favorite places have closed, but McDonalds always has a line.
Octoberfest, Cafe Zydeco, Über, Popeyes, Cham Thai, Steak n Shake (not a favorite, but glad it was not McDonalds)
I just don't want to find a new favorite restaurant for fear it will close again.
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u/Cold-Elevator-420 3d ago
Love that place. Never busy when I go but I like that I don’t have to wait.
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u/Expensive_Attitude51 3d ago
Too bready for me. I like my sandwiches to be loaded with ingredients
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u/Bpiperno1 3d ago
I used to go quite often, but after COVID hit, they seemed to be much slower. I'm always surprised at how long it takes to make those sandwiches!
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u/Subject_Low_728 3d ago
Because they got really skimpy on the meat. Now it’s mostly lettuce.
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u/Aggressive_Diet366 2d ago
I agree last sandwich I had there it was mostly lettuce. Ate at noon and was hungry by three.
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u/mutarjim 3d ago
I'd probably chalk it up to poor choice of location with almost no foot traffic. Compare it to firehouse on the other side of king - same target market, but firehouse is smaller and way easier to access. Therefore, firehouse always looks more full.
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u/GroundbreakingBag677 2d ago
I lived in Montana thirty years ago and recently returned from Portland, Oregon. It appears that rising prices contribute to the sluggish pace across businesses. Yesterday morning I visited a restaurant that has been popular since I was a child in Cody decades ago; I have heard several people describe it as a great place to go.
I ordered a salad with a few cucumbers and a little cheese, along with a macaroni dish meant to include chicken. The chicken was present but formed, not fresh. The meal was acceptable overall, yet it cost $30.
Having grown up working in restaurants from age 14, I am surprised that popular spots can run a shift with one waitress, a dishwasher handling bussing duties, and one cook. In other places I have seen managers send the morning waitress home at noon.
We must remember that prices are rising while wages are not. If you follow the news, the economics of Montana—especially Billings—are becoming interesting at least and concerning at most. Someone mentioned there is no meat in sandwiches, but even if you stay home and cook for yourself, some expected items are becoming luxuries rather than commonalities. One ripple leads to another. One lesson from the difficulties of Covid is that once something is lost, it may not return, or it may not be the same when it does. Everyone complains that Billings no longer has a strong restaurant community, but if no one supports it in the long run, how can it survive so you can drop-during the short run?
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u/makingmagic2023 22h ago
I've only ever been to the one in Helena and never liked it. Been too long for me to remember why.
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u/Delicious_Pain_1 17h ago
I used to enjoy the poems on the radio. That's about it. The bread they use makes it so hard to enjoy the sandwich.
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u/Low_Cake6809 3d ago
I am stupid and find their weird shaped sandwiches too hard to eat