When most people travel, they seek out dining establishments with local flavor and flare in an attempt to try something different because it adds a little excitement to their vacation or work trip. However, when close to home those same adventurous people often choose to frequent chain restaurants while overlooking hidden local gems. One such place might just be Idaho Falls best-kept secret, The Celt Pub And Grill.
Ambiance
When my wife and I first arrived, we were greeted by a friendly staff, but it was the exposed brick interior walls and locally milled woodwork throughout that truly welcomed us. With a local band warming up in the back—a regular sight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights—we were instantly impressed by the atmosphere The Celt offers.
Quality Menu
For those anticipating pub-style food, think again. While a lot of the attention (and rightfully so) tends to focus on the bar that includes 24 beers on tap, a fine selection of Scotch and Irish whisky, craft cocktails, as well as a thoughtful selection of wine, it’s the food that deserves a little bit of the spotlight as well.
The impressive menu ranges from sandwiches and finger foods to seafood, steak and prime rib and all come in at affordable prices.
For Starters
The house-smoked chicken wings are the most popular according to General Manager Liza McGeachin. The Mesquite cherry smoked wings come as a dry rub with home-made blue cheese and XXX (sweet and spicy) sauce.
From the first bite you can instantly taste the smoked flavor and each wing was super moist and very delicious. We also went with another house favorite, the Fish & Chips. The hand battered red snapper included a side of wasabi tarter sauce and was served with a basket full of Idaho fries. While battered fish can tend to be a little on the greasy side, that’s not the case here. It was done to perfection.
Main Course
I was drawn to “The Oinker” Hog Roast and like the chicken wings, there is a distinctive smoked flavor to the thinly sliced and slow roasted spicy pork shoulder. It is sautéed with broccolini, garlic and onions, pork a jus with sharp white cheddar cheese and served on a hoagie roll. It’s the kind of sandwich you need a knife and fork to eat and each bite melted in my mouth.
Being so close to St. Patrick’s Day, my wife opted for the Corned Beef & Cabbage for her meal. This updated take on a traditional dish is made with all natural slow-roasted corned beef with sautéed cabbage and it was served over a bed of Colcannon potatoes then topped with bold brown gravy. It was easy to see why this is a popular choice at The Celt and a favorite year-around.
We left full and very satisfied with our decision to give The Celt Bar And Grill a try. With plenty of other great choices on the menu left to be discovered, this is one local hot-spot we know we’ll be back soon to experience once again.