MEDORA, N.D. (KFYR) – North Dakota’s most famous cowboy town is getting a taste of Paris.
The L’Amour Bistro is now serving French cuisine in what used to be Cowboy Cafe.
For more than four decades, the Cowboy Cafe served traditional diner food for breakfast and lunch. Now, it’s got a new name, new hours and a brand-new menu too.
Vickie Willprecht and her friends are enjoying a little French cuisine in North Dakota’s wild west.
Willprecht has been here before, but this is her first visit to the new L’Amour Bistro.
“We were here when it was the Cowboy Cafe. But now it’s a bistro, and we’re loving it,” she said.
Shannon Halverson bought the Cowboy Cafe in January, fulfilling her longtime dream to own a business in Medora.
“I’ve always loved Medora,” she said. “There’s something magical about Medora.”
She hopes customers find that same magic in her newly transformed restaurant. Halverson changed the name, the look and the menu too.
“We changed the menu to have a healthier, cleaner label,” said Halverson. “A lot of people come in and appreciate that. Some people don’t, and it does not hurt our feelings. If you want a burger, we can tell you where to get the best burger in town, and we’re happy to send you off that way.”
“There’s still a handful of people that are surprised. I think it was a mainstay for a reason. And there certainly were a lot of habitual visitors,” added Head Chef Eric Baxter.
“People really, really loved the Cowboy Cafe, and we know that,” said Halverson. “We just wanted to transform into something different. We’re trying to create our own footprint.”
It’s a footprint that she hopes ties this little restaurant to a piece of Medora’s history.
“L’Amour means love in French, and because of the love story between the Marquise de Mores and Medora,” said Halverson.
It’s a love story Halverson can’t get enough of, and judging by the crowd, others might just feel the same way.
Halverson said one of the biggest questions customers have asked is what happened to all the old cowboy photos that used to hang on the walls of the Cowboy Cafe. She donated all 150-plus to the Billings County Museum.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
Dining and Cooking