#1870 - Brodock's, Grangeville, ID - 8/25/2011

Although it was staffed by nice people, this bar in Oscar's Restaurant seemed boring and formulaic when we visited, with the vibe of an Applebees.  But I've seen a few Oscar's reviewers who complained about all the noise coming from the bar, so we clearly did not come at a good time to judge.

Grangeville, Idaho is the largest town in Idaho County, at the base of the state's pan handle. It arose in a large meadow at the edge of the Nez Perce National Forest -- traversed by gold prospectors whose fortune seeking was not to be slowed by the treaty granting the Nez Perce control of the area. It was incorporated in 1889 and now has a population of around 3,000 people.  Brodock's is the most genteel of the handful of bars in town.

101 E Main, Grangeville, ID - (208) 983-2106
Reviews: localtom - tripadvisor - yelp - travel.yahoo  - beerandwhiskeybros

#1869 - The Establishment, Grangeville, ID - 8/25/2011

"The Establishment" was admittedly our second choice in Grangeville, after finding our original target, "Earnie's Man Cave," closed.  Earnie's was marked by the name formed in rope light above the door, signs on the door itself only partially obscuring the old NAPA Auto Parts signs, and a confusing sandwich board that listed the hours as "Open 1am to close."

So confused and disappointed, we wandered down to The Establishment, "North Central Idaho's Premier night spot."  That it may be, as one bitter online reviewer includes among his complaints that the (fairly sizable) place is "way too small for the crowd that it draws, especially in the summer time."  But on this lazy Saturday afternoon, it was just us and a bored bartender.

142 E. Main St, Grangeville, ID 83530 - 208-983-1830
Reviews: bermtopia - lewisclarknightout  - travel.yahoo

#1868 - The Silver Dollar, White Bird, ID - 8/25/2011

White Bird, Idaho, is named for the chief of the Lamátta band of the Nez Perce, a leader in the Battle of White Bird Canyon, where in 1877 the Nez Perce routed the U.S. Army in the opening skirmish of the Nez Perce War.  Although White Bird's resistance continued beyond the surrender of Chief Joseph (attributed with the line "From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever"), the U.S., of course, eventually prevailed, in what an 1877 New York Times editorial described as "On our part, the war was in its origin and motive nothing short of a gigantic blunder and a crime." (1)

In the current town of White Bird, population 91, down the canyon along Old U.S. Highway 95, is the Silver Dollar Cafe and Saloon.  You walk in under a baggie of water hanging over the door, which people believe keeps away flies.  The saloon is in front, where a woman with a beehive hairdo serves strong, cheap drinks.  Through the saloon is the cafe, where locals play cribbage and refresh their coffee at the self-serve stand.  The locals do not immediately cotton to out-of-towners, and it takes a while to find who might eventually warm up to chat with you.  We didn't find out how long the Silver Dollar had been around, but apparently an old version burned down, and this one was rebuilt around 1951.

100 Old US Highway 95 White Bird, ID 83554 - (208) 839-2293
Est. 1952 - Building constructed: 1951?
Reviews: barflyzen - earthwormenvy - richardbiking - yelp 

#1867 - Summerville's Cafe and Bar, Riggins, ID - 8/25/2011

The small town of Riggins, Idaho lies deep in a canyon, just west of the deepest gorge in north America (the Snake River Canyon) and in the shadows of the Seven Devils Mountains, which the Nez Perce once said were seven giant, child-eating monsters.  It is also at the confluence of the Little Salmon and the Salmon Rivers, the latter the longest free flowing river in the contiguous 48 states, with it's portion to the north long known as the "River of No Return." It is the Salmon that makes this old gold miner's town double in population in the summer months, and claim title to the whitewater capitol of Idaho, or of the "universe," depending upon who you talk to.  It is a far cry from the days when the town was originally named "Gouge Eye," after a tussle between two gold miners at odds over the affections of a local woman.

Despite the tourists, the town of 500 or so residents is happily free of chain restaurants, and the few local watering holes might have an expansive area for hosting large numbers of visiting bikers and rafters, fronted by a cozy area attended regularly by the locals and peppered with photos of various citizens with their hunting and fishing trophies.  This is the case with Summerville's Cafe, and it was in the small bar area that we met old John, a throwback to the times when gold miners first settled in the area in the 1850s.  John looked the perfect example of a mountain man, with his bushy beard and missing ring finger he'd lost when his ring caught in some large machinery.

And indeed John actually moved into the area to pan for gold, and lived there with a fat, diabetic mutt he named "Dog," which he was nursing through various infirmities.  Despite John's gentle nature and our pleasant conversation ranging from highway routes to cell phone carriers, we could barely have imagined a more perfect bar stool companion for evoking the days of old Gouge Eye.

106 S Main St, Riggins, ID - (208) 628-3311                      

#1866 - Paradise Burgers, McCall, ID - 8/23/2011

Update: The gates of Paradise are now permanently closed.

This is an odd sort of paradise -- somewhere between a fast food joint, a sports bar, a classic diner, and a teen hangout.  The small, limited bar doesn't have any particular attractions to recommend it, but the place has personality.


319 North 3rd St, McCall, ID 83638 - (208) 634-8377
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor

#1865 - Salmon River Brewery, McCall, ID - 8/23/2011

Salmon River Brewery is a nifty little craft brewery and pub in McCall, Idaho.  Although they are just a block off the highway, you need to know where you are going, as people would never see it in normal driving around McCall.  But once you find it, you'll have some very good beers, an eclectic choice of food from sushi to elk burgers (recommended), and a warm, funky atmosphere. The pub has that feel that the best cabins have -- built one section at a time with a hodge podge of random parts and decor assembled from personal collections and friends. There's a nice beer garden out back, with horseshoes and live bands.

SRB is run by two couples, Matt & Jennifer Hurlbutt and Matt & Ellen Ganz, who use local ingredients and work on promoting the community. Their pub is a welcome relief from the bland corporate development in various parts of McCall.

300 Colorado St, McCall, ID 83638 - (208) 634-4772
Est. Feb 27, 2009  (Brewery est. 2008)

Web site: salmonriverbrewery.com - facebook  
Reviews: link - yelp - ratebeer - beeradvocate - tripadvisor - urbanspoon

#1864 - Double Eagle Saloon, Donnelly, ID - 8/23/2011

Dave and Kathy's Double Eagle Saloon is a new cafe and lounge serving American classic comfort food and standard cocktails in a location that used to be Vigilantes Restaurant and Lounge. The "Double Eagle" portion of the name is a tribute to two members of the ownership team who are retired army colonels. 

263 Main St., Donnelly, ID 83615 - 208-325-4005
Est. 2012
Previous bars in this location: Vigilante's