Jumbos in Pocatello still serving real portions after six decades of business and recent expansion
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POCATELLO – Despite introducing new locations over the last few years, the Gate City’s longest continuously family-owned restaurant has not lost its identity.
Heidi Hunsaker, owner of Jeri’s Jumbos Cafe, which started serving consessions inside the Ross Park Aquatic Complex two years ago, and Jumbo’s Xpress Cafe, its new food truck location, sat down for an interview with EastIdahoNews.com. The new food truck is located at 4539 South 5th Avenue.
Something Jumbos has been known for since 1966 when Hunsaker’s grandparents purchased the restaurant has been big, hearty portions.
“We’ve kept those same portions for 60 years, nothing has changed. We keep the same quality, the same consistency, the same size food. We’ll have people tell us, ‘you know, if you cut back a little bit on your portions, you could charge a little less.’ Maybe so, but that’s not what we’re known for,” Hunsaker said.
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The first dish that Hunsaker had EastIdahoNews.com sample was the Traveler’s Sandwich, otherwise known as their grab-and-go sandwich, or their breakfast sandwich.
This sandwich is served on nice, firm, homemade bread and features two hard-cooked eggs and four strips of bacon. And with melted cheddar cheese, it’s reminiscent of a grilled cheese sandwich, but more.
The Traveler’s Sandwich doesn’t need to be served with these exact ingredients. People can order it with ham, sausage, a burger patty, or even a combination.
“Over at Jumbos, we have a lot of people who actually do multiple meats. So they’ll … stack it with like three meats, so they’re getting quite a bit of meat on there,” Hunsaker said.
The Colorado Slopper was the second dish EastIdahoNews.com tried, and can only be found at the food truck location.
The meal contains two quarter-pound beef patties on an open-faced bun and is then covered in their Colorado green chili, which is a pork green chili with cheddar cheese, onions, and jalapeños on top.
And for fans of this meal, the Colorado green chili can also be served in a breakfast burrito or on top of a breakfast skillet. Hunsaker said one man who was from Colorado bought an entire bowl of it from them.
The dish’s spice level depends on how hot the chilis Jumbos uses are.
“The spice level changes, that’s one thing, like, people need to understand. … It could be really spicy. It could be not,” Hunsaker said. “You’re just at the mercy of the chilies.”
The third and final dish EastIdahoNews.com sampled was the Loaded Fries, available at the food truck and at Ross Park.
“When we started at the swimming pool, we thought it would be fun for kids, kind of a little mess,” Hunsaker said.
The dish starts with an “ultra crisp fry,” chosen specifically for its ability to hold up without falling apart. Then Jumbos tosses the fries in a parmesan cheese and garlic seasoning, and then they cover it in nacho cheese, bacon bits, ranch and barbecue sauce.
“Just a loaded mess,” Hunsaker said, to describe the dish. “That’s what we call it on the menu at the pool. It’s called a mess … but (it’s) super good.”
As Jumbos expands, Hunsaker doesn’t plan on letting that expansion get in the way of what it started out as. She does that not only by keeping portion sizes large, but also by treating her long-time employees right.
“We’re always willing to help our staff. They know they can come and ask for anything they need. And we’re kind of like a family. … We celebrate each other’s wins and losses and all those things, and we’re there as a support group for one another, so I think that’s important,” Hunsaker said.