BY ANNIE CARBUTT
EVERYBODY LOVES A LITTLE SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY. It’s hard not to when you’re greeted with a warm “How y’all doin’ today?” upon first entering a new restaurant. This was exactly our sentiment when we visited the new Rib & Chop House in Idaho Falls for the first time.
Rib & Chop House boasts a unique concept: Rocky Mountain Hospitality. While this may seem rather ordinary on the surface, a quick chat with Idaho Falls General Manager Chandra McCurdy reveals there’s more to it than initially meets the eye.
The first Rib & Chop House was founded in 2001 by Burke and Melissa Moran out of Livingston, Mont., but their beginnings actually reach down to Louisiana. It was here that the Morans first decided to move to a small town in the Mountain West and open up a restaurant.
“The Morans had their sights set on the Rocky Mountains, but they knew they could never part with their Southern roots and all the great spicy flavors that Louisiana is known for,” Chandra said. “That’s when they decided to bring Southern flavors and hospitality to the table along with everybody’s favorite meat and potatoes that are such a staple in the West.” Enter the Rib & Chop House.
The Rib & Chop House brings high quality steaks and dishes with a unique Southern twist to small, Rocky Mountain towns. The Morans have gone the extra mile to create an accommodating, family-friendly atmosphere in every sense of the word.
“We have a cool thing going called our Apple Program,” Chandra said. “An apple is always readily available for kids so they have a snack before anyone even has to ask. This ensures everyone is comfortable and can take their time ordering without kids getting too hungry while they wait. We also place white paper over all our tables so kids can use the crayons we provide to color wherever they want while the adults chat and have a good time.”
This seems to be the true passion behind Rib & Chop House: bringing a welcoming and elevated experience to people who might otherwise have to go without. Their menu showcases a fun blend of steakhouse staples and interesting Southern additions. We highly recommend starting with a platter of the fried green tomatoes. They come with a smooth blue cheese layer between crispy breaded tomatoes and a topping of crabmeat with a delectable balsamic drizzle.
Chop House steaks are next level. The côte de boeuf is their premium steak, a Frenchcut ribeye of certified Angus beef that is large enough for two. This exceptionally tender, marbled steak is seasoned with fresh rosemary and garlic and served on a sizzling platter. Just one of these makes the whole restaurant smell amazing.
We also loved the New York strip. The flavor is full, rich, and easy to cut into—both firm and tender. Anyone with a New York strip on their plate will have to swat away all the eager forks from other plates.
For you fish lovers, the cedar plank salmon is out of this world. We highly recommend ordering it with the Jamaican brown sugar glaze—what the Chop House fondly refers to as the “crème brûlée of entrees” because the brown sugar has a nice crackly crunch to it that is oh-so-enjoyable to cut into. The dish is also spectacular to look at. They bring it to the table all aflame, which is not only fun to see but really brings out the smoky flavors of the cedar plank wood.
The famous hand-cut tenderloin filet is a delectably lean, tender cut. It truly melts in your mouth and has the perfect level of juiciness with a phenomenal flavor.
If you’re not full yet, the Louisiana pasta jambalaya really brings Southern spice and comfort to the table. Covered in a warm cajun red sauce and bejeweled with tender bites of jumbo shrimp, grilled chicken, and andouille sausage all served over linguine noodles with a side of buttery garlic bread, this dish is the epitome of Louisiana comfort.
The Rib & Chop House also serves a variety of tantalizing drinks. We tested the Old Fashioned, a warm, classic standby with a perfect balance of flavors, as well as the non-alcoholic berry mojito, a pleasing mixture of huckleberry and club soda with house recipe mint syrup and lime juice. At the end of our visit, we were delightfully full as we savored the complexity of textures and flavors on our palates.
The Rib & Chop House is rapidly expanding due to its popularity among customers who are delighted from the first moment they enter the restaurant. Everything from the friendly atmosphere to the fragrant aromas on the air to the variety of tasty choices on the menu is sure to bring people back again and again.
The Idaho Falls location displays an attractive variety of photos taken around town, and they’re displayed with such panache that it feels like the whole restaurant concept was conceived just for Idaho Falls. If you ask us, the Chop House belongs here.
320 Memorial Dr 208-701-6330 | www.ribandchophouse.com