At exactly 5 p.m., the moment Spencer & Co. Steakhouse opens for dinner service, a dozen people walk through the front door of the establishment north of Kalispell. Most are greeted by staff using their names.  

It’s a homey place, with a small dining room, tiny kitchen and dim lighting, but that’s the reason people love it, smiled owner Paula Davey. Well, she said that and the excellent, simple menu.  

The menu at Spencer’s includes eight cuts of meat, each served with a salad, Texas toast and a bowl of handmade spaghetti — a unique twist that has been with Spencer’s since it opened 33 years ago.  

Take the Spencer Steak, a 14-ounce ribeye grilled to order, the most popular cut of meat that comes out of the kitchen doors. The steak has crisscrossed grill marks, is juicy and packed with a rich flavor, without using any seasonings, as the cut is perfectly marbled. 

“We pay top dollar for our steaks, so we don’t want to cover it in seasoning,” Davey said, but they do have seasonings and condiments for diners to add themselves.   

The beef, from Red Lodge, is cut in-house three times a week by Davey’s husband Kent, who has been a meat cutter in the valley for 40 years. The menu also features fish of the day, lemon pepper chicken and pork chops.

For an additional charge, patrons can add mashed potatoes or mushrooms to their meal, something Davey added when she took over the restaurant nearly 15 years ago. Each elevate the cut and meal: sauteed mushrooms and buttery mashed potatoes in each bite alongside a prime piece of steak.  

What meat doesn’t make the cut as a steak is ground to use in the spaghetti sauce.  

The inclusion of spaghetti with meals stems from her mother’s experience traveling to and eating in Butte growing up. Davey’s mother, Donna Dawson, opened Spencer’s in 1992, and Davey purchased the restaurant from her in 2011.  

As a kid, Dawson loved going to steakhouses in Butte, where there was a lot of Italian influence because they served ravioli with every meal. But when she bought Spencer’s building in 1992 and wanted to continue that tradition, there was no oven to make ravioli, just a stove.  

“So, she did the spaghetti. And it’s stuck for 33 years. It’s our thing. You love it or you hate it,” Davey said, sitting in the dining room. “I don’t often give people the story anymore. When people ask, I just say it’s what we do.”   

The spaghetti itself is made with a rich tomato sauce mixed with ground pieces of filet mignon, ribeye and sirloin. The saucy, Italian, family style side dish, along with the crisp salad and homemade dressing, allows the meal to check all the boxes.  

And while the history of Spencer’s is rooted in family, so is its future, Davey said. “It’s still family-owned, I have cousins, nephews, aunts that still work here,” she said. “We have, you know, three generations of kids and grandkids and great-grandkids that still come in. It’s neat to watch everyone grow up.” 

But the customers are also family.  

“It’s a come as you are, causal atmosphere, it’s cozy, very welcoming,” Davey said. “Some staff have been here for over 30 years, we know people’s names, we know people’s drinks.” 

Bartenders Irene Jensen and Lynn Engel have worked at Spencer’s since it first opened.  

Head Chef Jenelle Cavender has been with the restaurant for 25 years. She started tagging along with her older brother as a kid and never left, she said.  

“Our menu is really simple, which is why we love it, but it’s really good too,” Cavender said. “Everything we do is fresh.” 

The menu also features a steak burger, a signature Spencer seafood salad, and a grilled chicken salad. 

The other draw Spencer’s has is its full bar, with dozens of martinis and old fashions circling around the room as people continue to flood in as dinner service picks up. Jensen, who has worked at Spencer’s for 33 of her 50 years bartending, could write a book about the place she has grown to love, a second home, she said.  

“We come here from other places but together we are a community,” Jensen said, looking around.  

That’s what Spencer’s is about, Davey said.  

“We’re not a chain restaurant. We enjoy celebrating people. People are not just numbers that come in. We strive to know our people,” she said.  

Spencer & Co. Steakhouse is located at 3010 U.S. 93. It is open seven days a week from 5 p.m. to close. To learn more, visit spencersteakhouse.com.