Our Story
From coffee and donuts on a quiet side street to one of the most talked-about burger restaurants in the Scottish Highlands. This is how it happened.
It started with coffee and donuts
In 2018, we opened a tiny spot on Academy Street in Inverness. Six tables, about twenty seats, and a simple idea — serve really good coffee and fresh donuts made from scratch every morning.
For over a year, that's exactly what we did.
Then in late 2019, we added a burger to our lunch menu on a whim. Within two weeks, everyone was ordering the burger. So we added a few more. Then a few more after that. The donuts quietly disappeared, the coffee machine got moved to the back, and Coyote Burger was born.
We've always been drawn to American food — donuts first, then pancakes and French toast breakfasts, then smash burgers and hardshakes. When we saw a gap in the market for proper smash burgers in Inverness, we went all in. No looking back.
The move to Bank Street
By 2023, we'd outgrown Academy Street. We found a spot right on the River Ness, minutes from Inverness Castle, and built it into the restaurant we'd always imagined.
Over 100 seats. A full bar. Exposed brick, industrial steelwork, neon signs, and floor-to-ceiling glass looking out over the river. The kind of place where you can settle in for the evening, not just grab a quick bite.
We kept the menu tight — smash burgers, buttermilk fried chicken, dirty fries, poutine, cocktails, hardshakes. We added a proper bar and partnered with Black Isle Brewery to pour the best local beers on tap.
The core hasn't changed. We still make everything from scratch, we still play the same music, and we still don't take ourselves too seriously.
Punk rock is not optional
We grew up in the early 2000s when Blink-182, The Offspring, and Sum 41 were the soundtrack to everything. We kept listening, kept going to see them play, and when we built Coyote's we brought that energy with us.
Neon signs, gig posters on the walls, and a playlist that hasn't left 2003. It's not for everyone, but it's us. We didn't want to water down our identity to please a wider audience — we wanted to build something with personality.
The result is a burger restaurant that feels more like a gig venue. Loud enough to be fun, relaxed enough to stay all night.
What we're about
Scottish Beef
100% grass-fed Scottish beef from local Highland butchers. We know where our meat comes from and we don't compromise on quality.
Free-Range Chicken
Our buttermilk fried chicken uses free-range chicken breast, marinated and coated fresh in our kitchen every day.
Made From Scratch
Our burger sauce, chilli, gravy, coleslaw, peppercorn mayo — all made in-house. Same quality, every single time.
Local Beer
We partnered with Black Isle Brewery because they make the best organic beers in the Highlands. Four on draught, brewed just up the road.
Independent
We're not a chain. We're not backed by investors. We're an independent, family-run restaurant and we've been doing this our way since day one.
The View
Floor-to-ceiling glass looking out over the River Ness. It's one of the best views in the city and we never get tired of it.
More than just burgers
We built a full bar because good food deserves proper drinks. Classic cocktails, monthly specials, hardshakes with double shots, and a milkshake menu that regulars plan their visits around.
Our partnership with Black Isle Brewery was a no-brainer. We'd been drinking their beers for years and wanted to bring the best local beer to the restaurant when we moved to Bank Street. They're organic, they're brewed in the Highlands, and they're exactly the kind of quality we want to champion.
We'll always back local businesses that do things properly.
The journey
Come see for yourself
27 Bank Street, Inverness. Right on the River Ness, a short walk from Inverness Castle. Open 7 days a week.
