The Buffalo Cafe was first established in the early summer of 1979 in Big Fork Montana when Charlie Maetzold, a young man from Minnesota, headed west and found himself on the shores of the big lake (Flathead).  After opening the Buff on Electric Avenue in Bigfork, Charlie quickly met Linda, a young gal from Chicago, and before anyone knew it, two kids from the mid-west were happily running the Buffalo together and enjoying the quiet life out in Montana.  After several years in Bigfork, just before the birth of their first son Andy, Charlie and Linda packed their things and headed to the small ski town of Whitefish, Montana.  Over the years, the Maetzold family grew to include their second son, Alex.

Jump ahead 30 years later and here we are.  The Buffalo’s doors have been open on 3rd street in downtown Whitefish for as long as any local can remember–and we don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

In May of 2008, after graduating from the University of Montana, Andy and Alex found their way back home to the Flathead Valley.  Knowing that the only way to ski all winter and fish all summer was to take on a night life, the two Maetzold boys, with the help of Andy’s new wife Kate, took on the challenge of opening the Buffalo Café’s first dinner operation-and the Buffalo’s Nightly Grill was born.  With the Café still going strong, the Nightly Grill is now heading into it’s third summer.  Voted “Best Dinner on A Budget” by the locals for the last two years, the Maetzold kids are proud to stand side by side with the family and continue to do what we have always done-welcome our guests, both old and new, to join us in sharing good food with family and friends.

Thank You!
-The Maetzold Family-