Backroads Bar & Grill Offers Live Music and Unique Food Selection

Rina and Adam Hawley at Backroads Bar & Grill.

Adam and Rina Hawley met while serving in the U.S. Air Force at Malstrom Air Force Base.

Rina was born in the Philippines. She attended high school in Los Angeles and joined the Air Force after her graduation. While in the Air Force, Rina served as an award winning chef. She left the military after 15 years. She continued her education and earned her B.S. degree in accounting.

Adam grew up in Springfield, Illinois. He joined the Air Force in 1999 and retired after 20 years. Now, in addition to running Backroads Bar and Grill with Rina, he works full time at the National Weather Service in Great Falls.

When asked what made the couple want to take over running a bar/grill, Adam told the Sun Times that he had managed the bar under its previous name, Bighorn Bar and Grill, for seven years.

Backroads opened on December 5, 2022. Rina said that her food background and Adam's time as manager when it was the Big Horn made their idea "come together."

When asked what the drink of choice was at Backroads, Adam said that for lite beers, it was neck and neck for Coors Light and Miller Lite.

The preferred non-lite beer is Mountain Man by Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Co. of Great Falls. The preferred whiskey at Backroads is Black Velvet.

Backroads has a full menu, not just bar food. But the menu does include the bar standards, such as wings.

They offer smoked BBQ. We tried a small sample which was fine, but paired with the BBQ sauce they serve at Backroads, it took the flavor up a couple of notches.

For sandwiches, there are the Philly Cheesesteak, French Dip, Turkey Bacon, Prime Rib Melt, Pulled Pork, BLT and a Hot Ham and Cheese.

You can get the pulled pork on a taco, just order the "Redneck Tacos."

Backroads serves homemade burgers. You can get chicken broasted or as chicken strips and Chicken Fried Steak.

They also serve seafood and steaks.

But for those who would like to try something new, Filipino Food is also on the menu, including Pancit, stir fry noodles with pork, shrimp and veggies served with an egg roll and steamed Jasmine white rice. There's Filipino Egg Rolls and homemade Lumpia.

This Friday night Backroads will also be serving up live entertainment with The Trent Brooks Band. "My original music is as close to real country music as you can get nowadays," Brooks told the Sun Times. He added that the cover songs the band will play "are everything from the 90s forward, with some modern country artists that still fit the country mode."

Trent's band includes Justin Millikan on base and backing vocals and Ivan Holland on drums.

The music will get underway at 7:00 pm. There is no cover charge.

Backroads is located at 370 Vaughn S Frontage Rd., Great Falls.

You can also find them on Facebook at https://bit.ly/43GnVbT