Favorite IF chain restaurant (Idaho Falls: wedding reception, live in, restaurants)

[fiasco]

What's your favorite chain restaurant in Idaho Falls?

Which one would you like to see come to IF?

PM me if you're a chain restaurant junkie and you live in Idaho Falls. I'm looking for someone to interview for an upcoming story.

[cleosmom]

I'm more of a mom and pop, locally owned type of person. i guess if I'd like to see any chain come, it'd be Cracker Barrel. Otherwise, not yearning for any of the chains.

[banjomike]

I'm not a big fan of any of the chain restaurants. I find them all too similar and too predictable, and all of them have a phony aspect to them.
The only exception, and I don't go there often, is the Chuck-O-Rama. I've found their buffet is always fresh and varies. The food is predictable, for sure, but it's all done pretty well. I also like the fact that they used actual old photographs and memorabilia from early Idaho Falls, instead of the ersatz 'atmosphere' junk that hangs on the walls of most chains.

That said, I'll still rather go to the old Scotty's Drive-in than any of the chain fancier burger joints, like Chili's, Red Robin, and the rest. Better burgers, better fries, and no stupid foo-foo.

Ironically, Scotty's was intended to be an early chain store operation. There were 2 others built in the early 60's in other places, but only the Idaho Falls original survived.

[cleosmom]

banjomike, you're a braver soul than I. After some of the things I've seen at buffets I steer clear of them

[banjomike]

I generally avoid buffets, too. But the Chuck-O-Rama is much better maintained than most others, and it's kept very clean.
Idaho Falls has so many excellent local restaurants that I find the big chain outfits usually come up a distant second in comparison. I think we have way more eating places than most towns our size, and there sure is one here that would appeal to almost any taste.

[carlymac]

Like Cafe Rio!

Wish for Panera or Culvers (midwest-eastern chains)

[breer23]

I would certainly second Panera, being a former midwesterner myself (or its originator, the Saint Louis Bread Company).

Not to rain on the parade, though, I'm not a fan of Cafe Rio...

[cleosmom]

If you like Panera, have you tried Geraldine's Bakery. I know, not exactly the same, but somewhat??

Have to say I'm not a fan of Cafe Rio either, will be interesting to see if it survives.

[carlymac]

To each his own. I've always loved Cafe Rio. And it's always been jam packed every time I've been there. It's pretty popular down south in Ut. But maybe some folks are growing tired of it.

Forgot to mention, I love Great Harvest! We even served it at my daughter's wedding reception.

[breer23]

Re: Cafe Rio. I have a friend who first had Cafe Rio in SLC, then tried it in IF. He was surprised how different the two products were, with the SLC version being superior.