Welcome to the Food Blog!

Here in this blog I will introduce you to the surprising variety of food available in Rexburg, Idaho. Being a relatively small town, with relatively not a lot to do, and yet pressure to go on dates anyway, I decided it would be fitting to analyze the many local eateries and help you make important decisions such as "Where do I want to eat today?" or "What restaurant would be good tonight?" or "Where so I take my date to dinner?" Therefore, check out the reviews (written by an amateur connoisseur) and make your decisions accordingly. Since some of the restaurants are major chains that you can find all over the place, I chose to ignore those and focus on the smaller chains and local gems. for you convenience I will list what restaurants were reviewed in what month. You can also follow them as links. You can also also follow the labels to find specifics such as desserts, burger joints, or the coveted Top 10. (The labels are at the bottom)

June:

Frontier Pies

5 Buck Pizza

Da Pineapple Grill

BRC’s Frozen Custard/Franks Pulled Pork/We’re Twisted Pretzels

Gator Jack's Sandwich Shack

Snoasis Sno Shack

Big Jud's Country Diner

The Cocoa Bean

Paradise Donuts

Joe's Filling Station

The Flap Jack Shack

JB's Restaurant

Craigo’s (The Pizza Pie Café)

Idamont Café

Mill Hollow Frozen Yogurt

Kiwi Loco

Twizlberry

G’s Dairy Quality Dairy Products

Karie Anne's Frozen Desserts

Nielsen's Frozen Custard

Nipa Hut

Ying Yang Oriental Kitchen

El Garden

Ramirez

Gringo’s Mexican Restaurant

Taco Buses

May:

Teriyaki Express

Original Thai

New Fongs

Fongs (Old Fongs)

Mandarin's Chinese

 April:

Rexburg Root Beer Selection

Great Harvest Bread Company

College Ave. Deli

Sammy's Cafe

New York Burrito

Screw Flanders.

Frontier Pies

Located passed the roundabout near Yellowstone highway and Les Schwab

I avoided going to Frontier Pies for a long time. I felt it would be the ultimate assimilation into Rexburg, and I just couldn’t do that. But then I did. I went for Pie. I love pie. I’m not made of stone. The first thing I saw when I walked in was a man walking around wearing a coon skin cap. I laughed. The interior is very quaint and rustic. Log Cabin style walls, the tables are in booths named after small towns like Ashton, and the decorations are old photographs and saws. Water is served in mason jars in true bachelor/Rocky Mountain fashion.

One of the patrons remarked that it smelled like Grandma. Or maybe like Grandma’s house… whichever one smells like chicken pot pie. I didn’t try the real food there; I went specifically for pie and corn bread. I did see though that the menu had liver and onions. This is an old fashioned style eatery. The pie comes by the slice or by the whole pie. If you’re daring, you can get your pie warmed up and with ice cream. They make their pies every morning, so there is a risk your pie will be gone, but not likely. I had blueberry, and tried the Dutch apple, which is my new favorite. Dutch apple pie is normal apple pie with wooden shoes and delicious crumblys on top. Both pies were very sweet, the slices were big, and the ice cream was creamy. It was a really good slice of pie. The corn bread was also quite good. It was served with honey butter, and the corn bread itself had a honeyesque taste – it was sweeter cornbread than most recipes. All in all, the assimilation risk is sort of worth the pie. I’m still just a visitor in this town though – I didn’t eat the liver and onions or any of the real food. I just went for pie I swear.

BRC’s Frozen Custard/Franks Pulled Pork/We’re Twisted Pretzels

Located behind Gringo’s, in the heart of the Date District

To be honest, I think BRC’s et al. is what made the Date District become the date district, in conjunction with the cheap theater. Everything else there seems to expand from around it in concentric circles. Really blocky, uneven concentric circles. Since the establishment is really home to four establishments (three of which I’ll discuss), I have lumped them all together. The establishment itself is rather quaint. The indoors is still designed to give it an outdoor, kind of Parisian café kind of feel. A lesser man might even call it cute. But not me. Ever.

If you go in, you’re probably looking specifically for:

BRC’s Frozen Custard

Custard is ice cream with higher egg and lower air content. BRC’s offers custard in place of ice cream, but you basically eat/order/play with it in the same way. The signature thing to get is an Avalanche. That’s a custard shake with a couple of mix-ins. The custard flavors change from time to time, but they don’t usually have a large variety all at once. I always stick with the classic vanilla, which is the best way to judge a frozen foodery. Their selection of mix in toppings is also a little small, but that’s actually a good thing. None of the fancy crap that would make it hip, just the classic stuff that makes it good - Oreo chunks, chocolate, sprinkles and the like. The thing is, there is a peculiar taste to the custard, something I can’t quite put a finger on. It almost has a more pudding type taste to it. If you like pudding, you’ll love BRC’s. You can also get cool stuff like a waffle with custard and toppings or a freeze, which is like a blended float – soda and custard, but blended together. You may make it your dessert shop of choice, or you might not be moved. No one hate’s BRC’s, but some people like ice cream more.

Right behind you there is:

Frank’s Pulled Pork

Pulled pork is good stuff. You can get it served in a Styrofoam cup and eat it with a fork. It’s dripping in sauce, so no white shirts or first dates (because you’ll come out looking like a slob) but if you want BBQ flavored meat, Franks is the way to go. And next to it:

We’re Twisted Pretzels

They use pretzels like other shops use bread. For sandwiches. My favorite is the respectably priced Twisted Dog. It’s a hot dog, inside a pretzel. It’s a good quality hot dog, inside a good quality pretzel. Dip it in some mustard, and you’ve got an awesome little snack. I haven’t tried the pretzel based sandwiches, but I’m intrigued. And they have a decent variety of just straight pretzels, though it’s hard to beat the cinnamon and sugar classic.

All in all, it’s a good spot to visit at least once and experience. It just didn’t make my top 10.

Snocones

Located near Taco bell on Main Street during the nicer months or across from Porter Park

Having never been a huge sno-cone fan I can’t be certain of all the locations in Rexburg, or even if they happen to be different businesses, but these things are all over in the “summer” months and I think they’re all the same. Because of their prevalence, sno-cones are a Rexburg summer tradition. Imagine yourself sitting in Porter Park (or Smith if you must), with the sun shining, the grass green instead of white, and eating a sno-cone. Sound like a pretty sweet gig. I’d be less enthusiastic in my recommendation if it was only a sno-cone you were getting, but if you do this right, you get a sno-cone on top of ice cream. That’s what makes it such a sweet gig. At least at Sno-oasis you pay by the size and not the flavors, so you can get creative, but remember that too many flavors makes a brown and gross sno-cone. I would recommend black cherry. I don’t trust foods that are an artificial blue, but you can go with blue flavor, red flavor, green flavor (like slurpees, most sno-cone flavors are classified by color. Blue et al. are flavors) and so forth. The ice is finely shaven so it isn’t chunky. I don’t know what it is about the ice cream but it kind of augments the sno-cone itself. You can even get cream on top. You may as well – cream is good. In conclusion, if you’re here during the summer months, get yourself a sno-cone and go sit at the park or in a parking lot. It’s tradition.


Hawaiian Shaved Ice
located inside the Teriyaki Express


It's too early to tell it Hawaiian Shaved Ice will be a year long sno-cone establishment or not. While it is a seasonal food, they have a comfortable set up indoors. They are well priced, and provide a good compliment to the teriyaki you showed up for in the first place. They have a variety of flavors and flavor combinations. You can choose either a cutely named preset mix of flavors, or you can make up your own - the possibilities are copious. My favorite would be the Sour Patch Kid, although the Blue Raspberry is also really good. Most of the flavors are excellent, but I wouldn't recommend the Lemon-Lime. It reminded all of us of pine sol. The rest were all great though, so it didn't dampen our spirits.

Big Jud's Country Diner

In Archer, off Archer road 411 West 7800

American’s love food and American’s love to compete. Big Jud’s sort of gives us both all at once. Famous for their 1 lb burger (think a fat patty the slightly larger than a dinner plate with all the toppings), the challenge is to eat the whole thing. There isn’t a time limit, and you still have to pay for it (it’s not cheap - $12-ish), but you still get your picture on the wall and eternal glory. New ward members will tell me that they saw me on the wall. I’ve eaten it twice. I’ll never do it again (my poor arteries) but I have done it and encourage any brave eater to try it out because it’s totally worth it. If you don’t want to binge eat, you can 1) buy it and split it between 4 (you’ll still be full) or by a normal sized burger. You get more variety on your normal burgers such as Hawaiian and Reuben, as well as the option of chicken. They have good fries and good ice cream too. Once again, if you’re one a binge or have a lot of friends, get their Hungry Heifer (15 scoops). You can sometimes order yak meat too. Yak is drier than cow, but if you want something new… While the burgers aren’t the most greatest I’ve ever had – they’re main appeal is variety and quantity - even so they are still dang good burgers. I’d put them in Rexburg’s top 3 burgers if I had a formal list – I’d eat more often if it was closer, I’d just eat less. A must visit for anyone new to the area, and a good way to entertain guests. They almost made my top 10 except for some new contenders in town. Still highly recommended, most highly indeed.

The Cocoa Bean

On College Ave near the Craze and Porter’s Crafts (or whatever)

The Cocoa Bean is one of those Rexburg hot spots, like Craigo’s and the newer Sammy’s. Unfortunately like both of those, we share one with Provo. But I won’t rant here. The Cocoa Bean is famous for its cupcakes and named after its gourmet Hot Chocolate. The Hot Chocolate is made from in-store-roasted cocoa beans, which are rather bitter, and the drink slightly reflects that. The drinks are sweet and palatable, but you can taste the roast, which is a good thing. You know you’re drinking well. The drinks are served espresso style, so it’s basically a Mormon Coffee shop, with all the hip and trendy implications attached, with much less caffeine. The cupcakes are big, with even bigger frosting. There are smoothies as well, but to be honest I don’t know anyone who has had them – we don’t go to Cocoa Bean for smoothies. The Cupcakes are served on a rotating schedule – certain days have certain cup cakes – you can pick up a menu there, otherwise it’s hit and miss. My favorite is the Grasshopper cupcake (I really like mint) which currently is served MWF but is subject to change. Red Velvet and Oreo are also quite good. The cupcakes are sold to Sammy’s for use in their cupcake shakes. However, those shakes are not Sammy’s best, and I recommend getting the cupcakes yourself at the Cocoa Bean instead. It is especially worth a visit during the bitter winter months (October to May) (as opposed to the less bitter winter months of June and September) and is one of your more “romantic” spots in town. There is a lot of chocolate inside those walls. It’s a little bit pricy, and perhaps a little too rich for my tastes, but the richness is personal preference – other people love them because of it. The staff is courteous and helpful as well. Before Sammy’s, the Cocoa Bean was the place to be in the ‘Burg. It’s still up there on the list.

Paradise Donuts

Located next to the Paramount Twin (cheap theater)

One thing every town needs is a self respecting donut shop. Every town needs a place where you can enter, and not have any dilemma as to what food you’re getting, and no guilt to try a healthier option. You are surrounded by donuts and donuts are what you want. For Rexburg, that place is Paradise. They have a variety of choices, ranging from the usual maple bars to the unusual Orange bar (think maple bar with oranges instead of maple trees). You can get chocolates, glazes, crullers, bear claws, or my hands down favorite, their blueberry cake donuts. Most donuts have a real soft consistency – light and fluffy, coated in something delicious. These are (for you donut connoisseurs) known as yeast donuts. They are the most traditional style and are the best when warm. The other end of the spectrum is the solid and dense cake donut. Some people don’t like them since they come across as bland, but they are the best donuts to eat if the donuts are cold (if you must have a cold donut – all donuts are best warm), and I like something with a little weight behind it. The yeast ones are great too; don’t get me wrong, but cake – that’s the money donut. And the money-ist of them all is the Blueberry. Baked with little dried blueberries in them, the blueberry cakes are both substantial and delightful. Sweet, yet not over the top, they also are covered in a glaze. It makes mornings much more bearable, and the absence makes mornings ever so sad. The donuts are reasonably priced – by them by the dozen or one at a time. The place closes at 6 or when stock runs out, whichever comes first. Usually the latter, so good news! the donuts are always fresh. Just get there early so you get your first pick. Them Blueberry are dang good.

Joe's Filling Station

Located on 2^nd E past Wal-Mart, on the edge of town

Joe’s Filling Station is a little known yet kind of awesome establishment. Think of a scene of 1950’s Americana, and the local diner feeding people of all walks of town. That’s Joe’s. It’s kind of small, a little bit pricy, but quite pleasant. From the outside it looks like a small yet old gas station. Not much like a restaurant, but that's part of it's charm. The walls are decorated in old Coca-Cola  and Conoco ads, which are amusing in their dated fashion (translation - they aren't politically correct at all). You can eat any of three meals there, with such favorites and biscuits and gravy to a burger. It's not my favorite place to eat,  but it's still good. In the Top 20 at least. The eggs and hash browns are highly recommended, and watch for daily specials. Service is quick, the waitresses are friendly, and you sit real close to the action, just like in the movies.
In true diner fashion I saddled up to the counter and ordered a burger and milk shake. The milk shake was fantastic, and well worth the money. Not only did you get a milk shake in a chilled glass topped with whipped cream and sprinkles, you also got the extra milk shake/ice cream that didn't fit in the glass. Basically you get two milk shakes for the price of one, although the second one didn't have sprinkles. Still, it was dang good, one of the best milk shakes I've had. All of the sudden, this little establishment becomes one of my top dessert recommendations.
When given the choice between tater tots, onion rings, or steak fries, the waitress recommended that I go with the steak fries, and I'm glad I did. Not being a Rocky Mountain native, I don't believe in fry sauce, but with just ketchup, or alone even, the steak fries are incredible - not too soft or too crispy, and perfectly seasoned, they would have been the highlight of my meal if not for the awesome milk shake.
I can’t say the same for the burger though. I was hesitant about ordering it at first, since it was really pricy – over $7. At that price I would expect it served on a golden platter. It wasn't. And it was a mediocre burger. If not for the euphoria of the milk shake, I would have been quite disappointed. But the milk shake - no that's worth the drive (perhaps too far for a walk) and it is a fun visit that provides a distraction from the collegiate or small town feel all the other restaurants in town have. Eat at Joe’s. Especially if you have a leather jacket and cool wavy hair. Or a poodle skirt. Or just go in your pajamas like the rest of us. Just get that milk shake.

Mill Hollow Frozen Yogurt

1^st E near the Pinnacle Building

I like frozen yogurt, but really, what I want most is a sandwich. Hamburgers count as sandwiches, and you won’t find those at Mill Hollow, but what I really like is their sandwiches, so I’ll elaborate on the namesake yogurt later. Mill Hollow is a pleasant little log cabin turned restaurant, on the outskirts of the Date District. I kind of get the drift that it is family run. Like most sandwich shops, you go, you select your meat (what the price depends on) and then select your bread, cheese, and toppings. Therefore, like most sandwich shops, you need to have a good idea of what makes a good sandwich (balance of toppings more than anything). Mill Hollow does an excellent balance – not too much, not too little. They don’t give you a sub or hoagie style – you get thick slices of sandwich bread, fantastic sandwich bread, and then they add the items requested in perfect order and amount. Their sandwiches are works of art. You can even get them toasted/grilled, so the sandwich is warm and the cheese is melty. While I usually have a hard time justifying going out for a homemade style sandwich instead of making my own at my place, I acquiesce from time to time, because it’s totally worth it. It’s also a great place for dates – classy, yet not uncomfortably over the top. Their variety is wide but not overwhelming, and service, while not instant, is quick and accurate.

Their frozen yogurt is good too. You can get it in a bowl, cone, or shake, and they introduce flavors that aren’t common but are fantastic. Blueberry (and strawberry) cheesecake? It’s like eating the real thing. My favorite is the Irish Mint. The jury is still out on what makes it Irish. Perhaps it’s made from the tears of real Leprechauns. Most likely it’s because it is green as all get out. But it is fantastic, and served at a slightly lower temperature than found at your other FroYo shacks. While this may interfere slightly with the taste buds, it keeps the frozen yogurt solid and stable, so it doesn’t become a melted dribbling mess in your cup before you finish eating. Melty is for cheese, not for FroYo. This place is in my Top 10.

Kiwi Loco

Located near Porter Park in Hemming Village

One of Rexburg’s Frozen Yogurt stores, Kiwi Loco has a trendy look and feel, and on occasion presents kind of a party type atmosphere. This is one of those locations where you come in, grab a cup, fill up on your yogurt of choice, and then add toppings. At this point you weigh it out, and pay for what you loaded up on. Hit – strawberries are heavier than sprinkles. The price is 39 cents per ounce (identical to Twizlberry, the main competitor in the Rexburg Frozen yogurt market), and the stock of yogurt is always changing, as are the toppings. As such, there is a wide variety of yogurts, ranging from classics such as vanilla to blackberry to Samoas (think Girl Scout Cookies). Samoas is my favorite, hands down. It tastes legitimately like the cookies (no chunks though) and I can load up. A popular one is original tart, which is basically unflavored yogurt. It’s gross; I can’t understand how people like it. If I want desert, I don’t want something sour and unpleasant. That’s what vegetables are for. But beyond that, the flavors are generally exotic (red velvet cake yogurt?) and then the toppings are endless. They have these blueberry puff things, cereals, and candies. Part of me was tempted to just get a bowl of m&m’s, but I’m too classy to do so. They also have a number of specials, every day of the week, with discounts and promotions and what not. Even though their definition of “probiotics” on the wall is inaccurate, Kiwi Loco is a fun place to go, and not too expensive a date, especially on the warm summer nights we get one month a year in Rexburg. It’s worth a visit, but comparable to Twizlberry, so we can get a cross town rivalry if we wanted to. See the Twizlberry review.

Twizlberry

Located near the Paramount Twin (Cheap Theater) and Little Caesar’s

One of Rexburg’s Frozen Yogurt restaurants, when Twizlberry first came to town, it was rather unique. Think a buffet of soft serve, or FroYo as the kids say. Technically FroYo is completely different from soft serve, being yogurt rather than ice cream. Anyway, when you walk in to Twizlberry, you grab a bowl and then self serve your own yogurt. Then you load up on their plethora of toppings. Don’t add anything gummy – gummy freezes and isn’t nearly as delightful as it normally is. Go with the chocolates or sprinkles. The available flavors are all classics, from chocolates and vanillas to fruits and even a sorbet or two. The cost per ounce is 39 cents (same as Kiwi Loco), so if you go light, you get out pretty dang cheap. The atmosphere is laid back. You can pull up cushioned seats along the window, kind of like a trendy Seattle Coffee house, or even get involved in the XBOX Kinect dance game they have. This is always going, and can be amusing or embarrassing for participants and witnesses alike. Themed parties, such as 80’s night, are also held from time to time. There are other decades than the 80’s but for some reason that waste of 10 years persists. Twizlberry is a good date spot, especially during the summer, and their location right next to the rest of the Rexburg Date District is well thought out. Definitely worth a visit.

G’s Dairy Quality Dairy Products

600 Handcart Lane, near World’s Gym

G’s Dairy is probably the best ice cream you will find in Rexburg. None of the trendy FroYo, old fashioned custard, or non ice cream frozen treats – G’s Dairy serves ice cream the way George Washington intended it to be – dang good. There are literally dozens of flavors (though not generally all at once) and is perfect for going stag, on a date, or in a group. You can get the Brown Cow Shake (think fine chocolate ice cream mixed with fine chocolate milk) making something so thick and chocolaty that you border on overdose. I don’t even like chocolate ice cream that much and my mouth is watering. Technically they call them shakes and it doesn’t have to be chocolate with chocolate, but really, why not? You can also get their large Holy Cow platter (13 generous scoops) that can take 6 people to eat, and still be full of ice cream. Not in a group? Get a scoop. Not planning on sticking around? Get a half gallon to go. But then you need to beat off roommates. Cheese and milk is also available.

Technically the ice cream is from Reed’s Dairy, an Idaho Falls firm, but we can forgive them for that. They make a good ice cream that has lower air content and more milk fat and cream. Air is naturally added into ice cream due to the cooling/whipping process used – cheaper ice creams have higher air content. The really good ice cream doesn’t have as much. G’s Dairy has really good ice cream. They also have toppings if the normal ice cream contents aren’t enough for you, but the flavors usually have bits of deliciousness in them anyway, so why ruin a good thing? Definitely on my top 10.

Karie Anne's Frozen Desserts

At the old gas station across the street from KFC and Wal-Mart

This is a recently discovered desert trailer, painted bright yellow so as to catch one’s eye. Needless to say, I stopped at it anyway. It was a nice day outside, and a frozen dessert sounded delightful. Karie Anne’s specializing in Custard and Italian Ice. They also offer what is called Gelati. I was excited since it had been a while since I had eaten a good gelato, however, I was informed that a gelati is not gelato, but a combination of Italian Ice and Custard. This is where my education in the ice cream sciences comes in real handy. Custard is ice cream with higher egg content and a lower air content. Otherwise, custard is the same as ice cream. Just more egg. Italian Ice is very similar to a sorbet – non dairy, fruit based (usually juice or concentrate), with sugar and water added. Both are made in a similar process to ice cream. Italian Ice is not like shaved ice/sno-cones – it has the same consistency of ice cream, but without the cream. Gelato is like ice cream but with a lower milk fat, no cream and lower air content. The lower air content makes it taste creamier and more flavorful, but prevents it from lasting too long. But it wouldn’t last long anyway. It’s delicious, and not found in Rexburg. But custard, Italian Ice, and gelati are.

The gelati offered at Karie Anne’s is mix of Italian Ice and custard. The desserts are layered in, so you have a layer of Italian Ice, a layer of Custard, a layer of Italian Ice, and so on. The custard flavors are limited – chocolate, vanilla, and I believe strawberry if I recall. There is more variety in your Italian Ice flavors – all of whom are rather fruit based. Popular is the Tiger’s Blood, which sounds weird, but is peach and coconut mixed together. I was quite fond of their vanilla custard, it’s some of the best custard I’ve had. I much preferred the peach to the tiger’s blood Italian Ice, but that’s personal preference. The Italian Ice is still good. The desserts are reasonably priced, with Italian Ice being the cheapest and custard being the most expensive (still cheap) and gelati being in between. The only drag is their location on the edge of town, but if you are nearby, they are totally worth hitting up. Dang good vanilla custard.