Black Bear Diner - Pocatello, Idaho

 Black Bear Diner

190 Bullock Street
Chubbuck, ID 83202

208-904-0702    http://blackbeardiner.com/

The first diner that would become Black Bear dates back about twenty years to California near scenic Mt Shasta. Bruce Dean (aka Sugar Bear) and Bob Manley (aka Papa Bear) began their enterprise with the intent of making good food at reasonable prices. They have apparently done quite well towards that aim. They now have about a dozen units in 6 Western states and are in the process of adding additional units in another two states.

This newly opened family style diner has a lot to offer from is spacious booths and scenic mountain décor to its friendly and very attentive staff.  Entering the restaurant you notice the chain saw-carved black bears. They are the name sake of the diner and represent the forested mountains at the foot of Mt. Shasta where the diner chain was born. The bear carvings are done by Ray Schultz and the bears at each location are posed differently to reflect the uniqueness of the local surroundings. What is your take on the Chubbuck bears?

The menu covers are replicas of a newspaper from 1969, the decade of the founding of Black Bear Diner, featuring the major headline from way back then. The big news of the day was that “The Eagle Has Landed.” Also featured are news item from Chubbuck, “The Chubbuck Days Parade.”  It also gives you something else to read, notably 1969 trivia.  Open it up and you have the menu; it is divided into the three major meal periods, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each one offers the guest regular size portions but also a lighter selection as well.

For breakfast there are classic egg combos, pancakes, omelets and a breakfast burrito. On a diet? There are four other selections using egg whites.  Fresh squeezed orange juice is offered all day, 16oz for $4.49 and 10oz for $3.49.  Lunch offers burgers with fries served on a platter or you can opt for the more classic approach and have your burger and fries served up in a basket.   You are offered Chicken strips, fish tacos, nine different sandwich combos from Turkey clubs to a hot Turkey sandwich and even a Cubano, a fire roasted pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese sandwich served up on a soft Tribeca roll.

There are a nice selection of salads featuring a Bacon Cheeseburger salad, an Asian Chicken Cabbage salad and four others to choose from.  Dinner offers “home style” dinners featuring homemade meatloaf, slow cooked pot roast or Dijon crusted salmon along with several steaks and ribs combos.  You can get a Dinner Deal of Chicken and Waffles, a hot Turkey plate or herb crusted Trout. You can add soup or salad for $3.99 and a nice selection of “Extras” including but not limited to onion rings, baked potato and Italian Green Beans or a seasoned vegetable.

Black Bear features Java City coffee, assorted juices, Pepsi products and the usual selection of milk, teas etc.  For dessert they offer you a nice selection of cobblers, cakes and pies along with ice cream shakes and treats.

I had the Old Fashioned Burger for $7.99 (A 1/4 lb. Burger and French fries, served in a basket – just like the good ol’ days!) and my friend had the California Burger with Avocado and Jack cheese for $10.49 (All 1/3 lb. Specialty Bear Burgers are built with a golden brioche bun, shredded lettuce, tomato, diced red onion, dill pickle chips, mayonnaise & Thousand Island dressing.) Each order came with a generous serving of golden French fries. (Bob’s Big Bear Burger and all specialty burgers are served with your choice of side: French fries, house-made potato salad, fresh coleslaw, green salad OR cup of soup. Substitute a Gardenburger upon request.) The burgers were good size with a nice char on the meat, the toppings were fresh and they did not skimp on portion size. You get unlimited drink refills for coffee, teas, soda products but not the fresh squeezed Orange Juice.

Condiments on the table include a selection of the signature hot sauces. Crazy Cuz is a Sriracha Chili Sauce, Baby Burin (perhaps a shortened reference to bruin) is their original Pepper sauce, Mama Burn is a Chipotle Chili Sauce, and Papa Burn is a Habañero Sauce. If you fancy any of the sauces there are available for sale as well as other souvenir merchandise.

During peak lunch or dinner times the noise level can become quite high but not to the point that you need to yell across the table. Please note they will sing and clap to you if it’s your Birthday so if that’s your forte by all means let them know.  Also of note is they do not rush you as other eateries do, we lingered long after our meal was done and at no time did the servers act as if they wanted us to leave, on the other hand they kept refilling our glasses.  I was favorably impressed with the offerings from Black Bear Diner and will be visiting again in the future; it is a nice place to eat and a good addition to our area.

Mama Inez - Pocatello, Idaho

Mama Inez
390 Yellowstone Highway
Pocatello Idaho
(208) 234-7674

What can I say; first off although they offer a handicap spot directly in front of the entrance, they are not handicapped friendly. This would include canes, walkers,wheelchairs I think you get my drift. As you enter the first door, step down,the main door step down, if you enter into the bar area and want to go into the over flow dining room step down. And be careful, from the bar into the game/extended dining room it’s cement floors and can be very slippery.

The décor is mediocre with more emphasis on the bar and game room than the dining room, originally the building housed a rustic steak eatery and not much has changed. They offer tables, booths and in the main dining room it is well lit. The menu offers the usual items from tacos, enchiladas, egg dishes even expanding out to a low carb menu. They offer dinner selections from Shrimp, Carnitas and Carne Asada to name a few light menu items such as Taco Salad or Chicken and 4 items for the kids menu.

A full bar, so diners beware weekends can be loud and cramped; diners with children should utilize the left side main dining room. Soft drinks with one refill, milk with no refill and no refills on children’s sodas. Wine is offered for $7.00 per glass and mixed drinks are priced based on the choice of alcohol.

The house salsa is a watery rather flat concoction of minced onions, peppers and cilantro with a heat index of zero. The “hot “variety is a bit thicker with added heat to about 7 out of 10 but again lacking that punch of flavor. The guacamole was okay, a generous helping and mixed with the hot salsa gave both a better taste.
Now the food: pre portioned frozen entrée items is the mainstay, with pre boxed Spanish rice with the texture and taste of Zatterans rice side dishes. The refried beans are flat tasting and the consistency of soupy beans.

My entrée was the shredded beef enchilada which for the beef inside the corn tortilla and the rather bland and mild sauce poured over was served warm, not hot and bubbling such as all Mexican dishes are.

My daughters Carne Asada actually appeared as though it had been cooked from scratch due to the medium rare of the meat chunks and did have an okay flavor. Served
up with sliced peppers and onions and three medium sized flour tortillas perhaps the best choice of the evening.

For the non informed pure pallet Mama Inez might represent good Mexican food much as Taco Bell or Banquet Frozen Dinners; for the educated diner or even one who knows good Mexican food I would suggest looking for another adventure in dinning.

The Bridge Wine Bar & Restaurant - Pocatello

The Bridge Wine Bar & Restaurant
815 S 1stPocatello, ID 83201
(In Kingport Junction)
208-244-6665
http://www.thebridgerestaurant.net/
December 30, 2011

It is a thrill when I can spend time with one of my three children, and tonight was one such event; my eldest son had invited me to join him at a new bistro in Pocatello called The Bridge. It’s located in historic down town Pocatello on 1st street, nestled among turn of the century buildings The Bridge is a beacon in the effort to bring life into the once abandoned warehouse district.
At first glance one might drive buy since this eatery is actually situated inside a fish market and once occupied co-op market. Once past the lack of glamour one enters into an historic pristine wooden floor area with over 100 year old brick walls and an open acoustic ceiling. Walking past the fish market you are greeted by a cute hostess who quickly seats you. If it’s not busy you have your choice of where you want to sit, near the rear door to see outside, near the open kitchen so you can observe the chefs in action making their menu creations, near the main door more secluded, or perhaps on the upper level reserved for the overflow crown. The tables are square but afford ample room for four to dine in comfort.
I picked the table closest to the al fresco door; mid winter it still afforded a glimpse of the outside terrace and the drizzling rain coming down in swift swirls before the wind force of our eminent snow storm. It was a magical moment; the glimmering lights dancing off the rain soaked patio gave the impression of a fairy tale land. Our waiter soon appeared with menus in hand and asked if we wanted something from the wine/bear menu. We were not quite ready to order our main entrees so opted for the Hummus and pita bread appetizer. Being closely acquainted with Middle Eastern food I was looking forward to the usual hummus style dip, but to my surprise this was something different.
The hummus was the chick peas ground with some spices but without the infusion of garlic, instead you found the minced concoction sitting atop of the generous mound of hummus. On first taste one experienced actual chick pea flavor and not until you added a bit of the garlic did you then identify the usually over infused garlic laden chick pea creation.
We were served several slices of a baguette with oil, a reduction of what I thought was a plum sauce and grated cheese. My son and I found this to be very tasty and to our liking. I had ordered a bottle of wine a Gascon Malbec and it provided a fruity and flavorful addition not only to our appetizers but to our entrees as well.
I ordered the Chicken Picatta and my son ordered the Shrimp Pad Tai, both of our dishes were beyond expectations. My Chicken was moist and succulent with the wine reduction and capers reaching a harmonious blending to melt in your mouth. My vegetables were roasted to al dente, but crisp and tender to the mouth. My sons Pad Tai was abounding with flavor, the shrimp were plump and moist the sauce was pungent with just the right amount of aromatics and chili’s to make your taste buds demand more.
Truly a dining delight and one must not forget that this eatery is nestled among abandoned warehouses and long forgotten rail road tracks. One can only hope that this small resurgence of dining continues and Pocatello residents can experience more cultural master pieces as this. Lest one forget than humble beginnings great restaurants make. The wait staff is suburb and know their menu’s to a tee and offer sound and point advice to guide you to a dining experience beyond expectations. A limited but good menu with reasonable prices will provide most all diners with a choice of fare.
I rate The Bridge at a 9 and expect to see them grow and expand with taste delights to tempt the most sophisticated pallet and the inexperienced to heights never before achieved. Bravo and I hope to taste more in the future.

Marigold's, Pocatello, Idaho

Marigold’s
1800 Flandro Drive, Suite 330
Pocatello Idaho
February 8, 2011



It has been said that you are only given one chance at a first impression; this statement is a hard fact. If you fail at your first attempt then it forever lingers in the mind of those you failed to impress.

This statement is true for the little bistro called Marigold’s in Pocatello Idaho. It is located in a busy strip mall which makes parking arduous during peak times. It features the upcoming wine trend of pre measured pours offering the casual connoisseur a chance to taste a variety of wines at a modest cost. Their fare is geared towards the unusual but identifiable; hummus with veggies, spanakopita, tempura shrimp even a margarita pizza to name a few. Decadent desserts are also offered with specialty coffees to satisfy that sweet tooth. Sadly reading the menu, perusing the available wines and ogling at the desserts was as close as I got.

It was a Tuesday evening around 5pm, we were the only patrons in the place except for the waitress. We seated ourselves and the waitress brought us two waters and left. There was one menu on the table so we took another from a nearby table. My daughter asked a question about a cheese plate and got a rather subdued answer, so we continued to read on.

The phone rang and was promptly answered by the waitress and this is where our dining adventure at Marigolds stopped. We sat and sat and even waived at her but to no avail. At one point we thought she was hanging up but only turned around to make some coffee and continued to ignore her only customers in the place. I understand when a shop is busy and don’t mind waiting but I will not tolerate waiting for a personal phone call and being ignored. We got up and left and she never turned around to acknowledge our departure.

We had a delightful dinner at Red Lobster that evening, sadly I felt bad for my daughter since she had purchased the $30.00 gift card to Marigolds for my Christmas present and wanted me to enjoy myself.

I am unclear if I will return to Marigolds, I really don’t want to waste my daughter’s gift card, but I will always have a bitter taste towards this establishment and it will be hard to be un biased when it comes to judging their food and, yes, their service.

Sand Piper - Idaho Falls, ID

Sand Piper
Idaho Falls, Idaho
February 2, 2011

I have blogged Sandpiper in Pocatello several times and as my readers can attest, it is not my favorite place to dine. Yesterday was my oldest son’s birthday and as tradition goes, he got to pick where he wanted to eat. Yes you guessed it, Sandpiper! But this time not the Pocatello restaurant but the sister establishment located in Idaho Falls. A fifty two mile trip down the interstate, the historic district of Idaho Falls and the Sand Piper restaurant are situated alongside the Snake River. It looks exactly like the Pocatello building but that’s where the resemblance stops. Inside we were greeted by eager and friendly staff and quickly seated. Our table was by the window which normally would afford the diners a magnificent view of the river but in winter your view is that of a frozen river, still a fantastic vista.

Our waitress was friendly, informative and eager to please but not overdone, she allowed us ample time to peruse the menu and the wine list. Our pre dinner drinks ordered, we eagerly read over the menu. As soon as our menus were closed she appeared to take our order. Almost as soon as she left she reappeared with fresh hot bread and our salads. My youngest son ordered the Caesar salad and had strips of fresh anchovies; my garden salad was a mixture of greens both mild and peppery. We eagerly ate all of our salads and a second helping of bread.

Sand Piper was having a wine special, so we chose a Cabernet Shiraz blend from Australia which to our great pleasure was a superb pick. Aromatic, smooth it paired well with our entrée selections. My youngest had the rack of lamb, the birthday boy had a sirloin steak our guest had the battered shrimp and I picked the chicken Oscar. I had reservations about the entrée’s since the Pocatello menu offered the same choices but in children’s portions. To our enjoyment, when the dinners arrived we found them more than ample; in fact we all had to go boxes at the end.

The lamb was expertly grilled to the rare ordered, the shrimp cooked through but not overdone. The steak was charred to perfection and my Oscar was tender and the crab meat was the intact claw portions. The baked potatoes were of good size and the steamed vegetables done to a turn. We all thoroughly enjoyed our dinner and all attested we would have changed nothing. My youngest son tipped the waitress about his brother’s birthday and she soon appeared offering any dessert item free of charge. He ordered the chocolate turtle dessert, which was a thick and gooey deep chocolate brownie surrounded by scoops of vanilla ice cream and covered in thick dark chocolate sauce.

Reservations are suggested especially for the weekend. They have a separate bar and lounge section and there are steps, a ramp is available but since the lighting is dim caution is suggested. All tables, no booths, but all afford a view of the river and beltway. The prices range from $14.00 to $26.00 with daily specials. A full bar and an excellent wine list pair nicely with the menu items which range from sea food, pasta, beef and your usual salad assortments.

Ruby Tuesday - Pocatello, Idaho

Ruby Tuesday’s
Pocatello, Idaho

I usually don’t need a reason to dine out. Being it was my birthday, I got to chose where and when. Since I had never eaten at the much advertised restaurant chain of Ruby Tuesdays, it was an obvious choice. The décor is an upscale version of most chain establishments, tables and booths and a centralized bar area with seating and even dining al fresco weather permitting.
We were quickly seated in a booth, which I soon realized was just a bit smaller than your usual booths. My daughter and I were touching shoulders and my son easily fit into his solo position opposite us. None the less, the wait staff was pleasant and efficient. Menus in hand we soon picked our entrée’s and salad bar. The salad bar is modest in size but does serve mescaline greens, romaine and ice berg lettuce, and prepared salads of potato, macaroni and my favorite of the evening blue cheese cole slaw. There are your usual toppings and about 6 dressing choices. They serve a garlic cheese drop-style biscuit with your soup or salad - don’t get too hungry because the size is not much larger than a silver dollar - not to be confused with the generous portions of the same style biscuit served to you at Red Lobster. And one per customer, at least that is what we were served.
I chose the Chicken Fresco, a chicken breast topped with vine ripened tomatoes, lemon butter sauce and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. It was served with sides of creamy mashed cauliflower and Bleu cheese coleslaw. The chicken was moist, had good flavor and a sufficient portion. The sides were adequate and served to accent the chicken.
My son chose the Chicken Bella, “Sautéed baby portabella mushrooms and artichokes in a Parmesan cream sauce over a fresh, grilled chicken breast.” The sides were white cheddar mashed potatoes and fresh, steamed broccoli. The chicken was well cooked, moist and tender, the sauce flavorful but not overpowering the chicken or mushrooms.


My daughter wasn’t very hungry and chose a side dish, Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese, for her dinner. The menu describes it as, “…the ultimate Mac ‘n Cheese, made with chunks of lobster meat and rich, creamy cheese. The classic comfort food!” Curious, we asked the waitress if the lobster was real and were assured it was. Although a side dish it was not too bad, but not that great; after all it was a side and meant to be eaten with other food.
They have a nice wine list and actually offer you a choice of prices per glass to choose from, a good selection of beer and a full bar plus the usual non alcoholic beverages. I chose a medium priced Pinot Noir to accompany my dish, my son opted to try a seasonal draft which when served was dark and by the expression on his face very bitter. The waitress took it away after a little discussion and served up a glass of regular beer.
It is a nice family style establishment which offers a wide variety of food choices at medium prices. For a casual luncheon or dinner Ruby Tuesday’s is a nice option.

Riverwalk Cafe - Lava Hot Springs, Idaho

Riverwalk Café April 2009
695 E. Main Street
Lava Hot Springs, Id 83246
208-776-5872

Not your traditional restaurant since it occupies an old gas station. The pumps are gone which afford some covered parking to a lucky few, but the outside is basically a gas station. They have made some cosmetic overtones and some plants, but don’t let the look fool you the food is good. This family has been serving up good Thai cuisine since 1998 in Lava and has a following of true devotees.

Your waiter takes your order without pad or pen several tables at a time and brings back all food to the correct table and person. Don’t be fooled first come first served is not the general rule since some dishes take longer to make you are served as they come off the stove. This has some negative effects if your dish is the special one you might find you self eating along since the rest of your party had already dined.

They offer appetizers, soups, salads, a la carte items, specials or noodle dishes, fried rice and curries. You can have spring rolls, fried chicken wing with sweet and sour sauce, wonton soup or hot and sour soup. A silver noodle salad with ground chicken or a Thai chicken salad, you can also have it vegetarian. Fried pork marinated in garlic and pepper or Thai cashew Chicken or tofu. Perhaps Steak Lao, served with steamed vegetables. There are four varieties of fried rice and five noodle dishes and four of curry. You are served either steamed rice or sticky rice which is served to you in an individual bamboo steamer basket.

They offer sides of sticky or steam rice, cucumber salad and also peanut and sweet and sour sauces. Most of the patrons take home a good portion of their meals. You can have the usual assortment of tea, coffee, or soft drinks; they do not sell beer or wine but do allow you to bring your own. They even furnish the cork screw and glasses for your use. You can dine in and they do offer take out, they are closed on Mondays and open from 1:00pm to 9:00am Tuesday-Sunday.

The food was tasty, well prepared and the servings ample in size and all served up with a nice friendly atmosphere. If you happen to be in the hot pools during a cold winter’s day and the breeze carries down the street, you can hardly wait to shower and dry off and head down to the Riverwalk for a meal. The prices are modest with the highest around$15.00 for a whole fried catfish dinner.