Magic City Blues 2021

Montana’s Urban Music Festival

Buffalo Block is Excited to Announce a Premium Opportunity to Enjoy Magic City Blues 2021 from Our Patio!

This is your chance to reserve our patio tables for one of the best events downtown this summer.

We are offering patio tables that seat 4 both Friday, August 6th and Saturday, August 7th that include your Magic City Blues admission tickets, a Chef prepared special dining experience, and a commemorative gift of the event at every seat.

Reserve Your Table Now

Friday, August 6th tables remaining: 14

Saturday, August 7th tables remaining: 0

Menu

Soup or Salad

Farm Salad
Iceberg Wedge, House Smoked Bacon, Buttermilk & Farm Egg Vinaigrette, Smoked Cheddar & Cherry Tomatoes

Rattlesnake & Pheasant Gumbo
Rattlesnake & Pheasant Sausage, Local Sweet Peppers, Chef’s Backyard Okra

Entrees

Prime Rib & Shrimp
Served with Au Jus & Creamy Horseradish, Garlic Mashed Potato

Pan Seared Salmon & Shrimp
Summer Vegetable Ragout, Basil Crème Fraiche

Dessert

Semifreddo
Vanilla Bean, Peaches, Mint

So what’s a Buffalo Block, anyway?

In the late 1800s, towns and cities in the United States faced a common problem: the inconvenience of unpaved streets and the pervasive mud and odor that went with them. In 1900, everything changed: the buffalo block, a cheap, water-resistant, and nearly-indestructible brick, was developed. Soon, settlements across the country were paved with them, and Montana Avenue and the town of Billings were no exception.

Although buffalo block remnants are fewer and further between now that we’ve long since adopted asphalt paving methods, we unearthed plenty of buffalo blocks on the old patio and scattered throughout the building when we began our remodel of the Rex in 2018. And one day, while doing a walkthrough of the renovation, our granddaughter saw a brick and said, “Well, that would be a cool name for a restaurant!”

“Hmm,” we thought. “She has a point.”

Not just because of those old paving bricks, but also because “Buffalo Block” seemed to capture decades of history, harkening back to the days of Buffalo Bill and when the hotel bar went by the name of “Buffalo Bar.”

To make a long story short, the name sort of just stuck.

So cheers to a new legacy — while honoring our rich history.

– The Larson Family

1 “History of Stree Brick.” Antique Brick Warehouse.
https://www.antiquebrickwarehouse.com/pages/patio-pavers

Stop by and see what we’ve done with the place. Make a reservation now or just stop by and say hi.