When we get asked where to go for dinner, we have a favorite list we like to share and last night we decided to venture over to a local place we always hear about ourselves.

The TROUT HUNTER in Island Park is in the Last Chance section and right on the river.

We washed up after a fun day in the area and headed over to the Trout Hunter at 8:00 PM so we could watch the sunset during dinner and maybe miss the crowds a little bit. Well, we may have missed some of the crowd, but the TROUT HUNTER was still super busy and waited for about 10 minutes to be seated. While we were waiting, we noticed the décor in the dining room filled with local taxidermy mounted on the wall including one of the largest moose and elk we’ve seen.

We were seated inside but near the outside window on the river with the sun preparing to set. It was casting an amazing orange and amber color upon the area reflecting on the river making for perfect conversation.

Since the restaurant was so packed, we did have about a wait of twenty minutes before our waiter said hello and when he did, he was great. He brought us our water and took our order. We ordered the caprese on bruschetta as an appetizer, Andy ordered the rack of lamb, but they were sold out, so he ordered the Bison Prime Rib, mashed potatoes, and dinner salad. I ordered a cheesesteak sandwich with onion rings and dinner salad.

Here came the appetizer…. Oh man this was delicious. From the bread to the balsamic drizzled on top perfectly placed basil, baby tomatoes and same sized mozzarella cheese balls. If you love Caprese anything then you want this for sure. Yes…. worth the thirty-minute wait for sure.

We ate our dinner salads and then the entrées arrived just in time for the sun to start setting a big orange color over the Snake River . His bison prime rib was cooked to perfection. I had a bite and it practically melted in my mouth. Wow! I mean, just delicious and those mashed potatoes… didn’t even need butter trust me, these are some amazing, mashed potatoes, okay so I had like three bites.

My cheesesteak was also all that I could want. A large soft hoagie roll stuffed with perfectly cooked tender steak bits smothered in grilled onions, mushrooms (peppers if you like, but it’s not for me) and your favorite choice of cheese, I chose provolone. The onion rings are panko breaded and I love to dip mine in ranch or fry sauce, which we decided to call Ketchup Aioli next time we are in a “fancy” place just for fun. Side note, it was in jest that we came up with Ketchup Aioli because fry sauce just doesn’t sound “fancy” enough for some places. Another side note, garlic is in all my favorite aioli’s.

If we go to TROUT HUNTER again, I bet he will order the ROL and I may venture to the fish tacos, we will make reservations for sure more than the same day, if possible, too. If we can’t make reservations, the wait was not the worst and especially if you get that caprese appetizer, or the prime rib, or the cheesesteak!

Do we suggest going to the TROUT HUNTER? Yes we do but not if you are in a hurry. This is a place perfect for laid-back easy-going folks ready for a view of the river, willing to wait a bit for amazing food from salads to bison prime rib and more.

We think the food was delicious and we don’t think we would go “all out” like this every night but would definitely consider it a place worth going to.

The wine, I almost forgot about the red wine. I am just opening my palette a bit more and this wine really was good. I would even order it again. That is all I have to say about it really as I am no wine steward but there you have it.

The lunch and dinner menu is online so just click here to check it out. Here is the breakfast menu as well.

You know, we may even go for breakfast too. I love breakfast foods.

Go go check it out if you have time and a hungry belly. Tell them Teara sent you! Not that they know me but I think it is fun for them to hear who sent them. Enjoy!