Get Your Fill of Great Places to Eat in Southern Idaho
Sure, people come to Twin Falls and the Magic Valley for the stunning scenery, but they linger for this region's fabulous food and drink scene.
Homegrown ingredients, skilled chefs and brewers, and plenty of local flavors are the perfect trifecta that make the food and drink scene in Southern Idaho truly shine.
If you’re looking for great places to eat in Twin Falls and Southern Idaho, you’ll find a region chock-full of great food served in unfussy joints that welcome you like you’re family.
In Rupert, check out E Street Deli, which serves sandwiches and specials like whopping pieces of lasagna alongside local beer and cider.
West of Rupert in the Hagerman Valley, Snake River Grill has been a fixture for over 25 years. Sourcing local vegetables, fish and wine has always been central to the family restaurant’s menu, although diners can find alligator (definitely not indigenous!) on the menu as well as other unusual entrees.
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Plenty of Great Places to Eat in Twin Falls
Located between Hagerman and Burley, Twin Falls is home to a wealth of dining options, including the Redhawk gastropub, which offers an unbeatable combination: six kinds of mac and cheese, 28 brews on tap and views of Snake River Canyon.
There’s also 2nd South Market, Idaho’s first food hall, which boasts seven restaurant concepts. The spot offers live music during the summer and has received multiple awards for its beer and barbecue selection, thanks in part to The Smokey Bone BBQ.
Smokey Bone co-owner Christine Martinez says the eatery pulls from all sorts of barbecue traditions: Texas-style brisket, Kansas City-style sauce, burnt ends and even an Alabama white barbecue sauce.
“Twin Falls is definitely booming,” she says. “People are wanting a little bit more style and a little bit more finesse, and we’re filling that need.”
Cider and Suds – but No Spuds
Diners need something to wash down all that good food; luckily, there’s no shortage of great places to nab a drink in the region.
Buhl has its bases covered with a local winery, brewery and cidery. Holesinsky Vineyard & Winery was named Idaho’s Winery of the Year by Great Northwest Wines in 2022.
Buhl is also home to Cedar Draw Cider, run by brewer Emily Mason and her husband John. It is one of just four cideries in the state. A large component of the job is educating people about cider, says John Mason, particularly the fact that the dry ciders Cedar Draw makes aren’t just boozy apple juice. “We locally source as much as possible,” he says.
That includes quince from Wendell, blackberries and rhubarb from Hagerman and lavender from Buhl that are then blended with fermented juice to make the taproom’s seasonal selections.
Magic Valley Brewing originally launched in Buhl in 2016 and soon became a bit of a destination. “We have a lot of guests that travel a considerable distance to see us,” says owner Rich White. “[They come from] the other side of Twin Falls, even Burley.”
In November 2021, White opened a second taproom in Twin Falls itself. The 20-tap pub, along with KOTO Brewing Co. and Milner’s Gate, makes the perfect craft beer crawl in just a little over a city block. “All three of us brew very different beers,” White says. “There’s something for everyone.”
For a different kind of craft brew, drinkers can hit up Twin Beans Coffee Co. also in downtown Twin Falls.
Farmers Market Fresh (Now We’re Talking Taters)
Diners looking to do their own thing with Southern Idaho’s wide variety of local produce and protein will find everything they need to whip up a delicious, healthy spread at one of the area’s many farmers markets operating during the summer months.
Twin Falls Farmers Market alone brings in over 50 vendors each week, selling fresh produce, baked goods and handmade items from local artisans. More farm-to-table foods can be found at the Jerome Farmers Market, which operates out of a historic barn; the Lincoln County Crossroads Farmers Market in Shoshone, which offers live music and local crafts in addition to produce; and the Hagerman Farmers Market, which schedules family-friendly activities like miniature horse and buggy rides, swap meets, and laser tag throughout its run.
A nice perk: Schedules are staggered, so if you play your cards right, you can hit a new market with unique offerings every day of the weekend.
About the Magic Valley Beer Festival
Over 40 breweries from all over the intermountain West – California, Colorado and Oregon – are represented alongside Idaho outfits. They set up shop surrounding the park’s historic band shell, which was erected in 1935 using 800 tons of basalt rock from the Snake River Canyon rim.
Cheers for Beer
Jennifer Moss doesn’t mince words when talking about the Magic Valley Beer Festival: “It’s a kick-ass event, frankly.”
Moss is a member of the Blue Lakes-Twin Falls Rotary Club, which puts on the annual fundraiser the first Saturday in August. The event has been occurring for 11 years, and Moss has been a volunteer for over half of its run.
The fest always takes place in Twin Falls City Park, where enormous trees (Moss says some are over 100 feet tall) provide shade for festivalgoers.
Collectively, the breweries bring over 150 different beers, ciders and seltzers to the park. Meanwhile, local bands take to the stage to entertain guests, and a handful of food trucks and local vendors provide sustenance beyond the traditional pretzel necklace.
It all adds up to an unforgettable weekend that’s growing in popularity. There’s always a waitlist of vendors wanting to participate, and people come from as far away as Texas and California for the fun.
“When you see the attendees start to line up, and you go talk to them, you find out how stinking excited they are. There’s just this energy,” Moss says.
Get to Know Southern Idaho
Want to learn more about living and working in Southern Idaho? Check out the latest edition of Livability Southern Idaho.
