East Idaho Eats: The Tailgate is serving up local bison burgers, slow-cooked brisket and more
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IDAHO FALLS – The Tailgate has been a big blue staple of the green belt for the last year and it’s serving up juicy bison burgers, fresh cut fries and brisket smoked long and slow. It’s perfect for a lunch at the river or a quick bite on your lunch break.
Nate Harvey, the owner and chef, got his start in the culinary world when he was young.
After working in restaurants as a teen, he decided to continue on his journey to flavor-town by getting a culinary arts degree from the former culinary school at Idaho State University.
“I was tired of working for other people, so I decided to start my own kind of adventure,” says Harvey.
The Tailgate is cooking up many Idaho-esque classics with their own twist such as the bison burger, which contains your choice of melty cheese, grilled mushrooms and onions, tomato, lettuce, and a bison patty which is locally sourced right here in Idaho, a side of their fresh-cut fries and fry sauce.
The bison burger is juicy, and if you’re like me and have a soft-spot for blue cheese, I highly recommend it on this burger. It melts perfectly in between the soft bun and bison patty, satisfying the need for a perfect burger with a western twist.
Another fan-favorite is the philly cheesesteak, with a homemade cheddar cheese sauce, and the option to have it with or without peppers and onions.
The cheese is melted to perfection, and I would HIGHLY recommend getting it with the grilled peppers and onions. It adds a perfect flavor to the tender meat underneath.
Lastly, a personal favorite, is the smoked and loaded brisket fries, which is a plate of fresh cut fries with shredded cheese, topped with a very generous helping of slow-cooked brisket. And to top it all off, the whole plate is covered in their homemade whiskey barbecue sauce.
“The brisket is a 16 hour smoke,” says Harvey. “This is probably one of our most popular things on our menu.”
After all is said and done, I can definitely say that I recommend going down to the greenbelt and visiting The Tailgate, located right off of Memorial Drive.
They are open Wednesday through Friday from 11-7 pm. and during the farmers market.
Make sure to keep up to date with The Tailgate on their website, and Facebook.