Rim Rock Bar & Grill building demolished in South Pocatello
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POCATELLO — An iconic South Fifth Avenue gathering place that served generations of locals was reduced to rubble Thursday as demolition crews tore down the former Rim Rock Bar & Grill building.
For more than five decades, the establishment drew bikers, athletes, league players and locals for pool, darts, horseshoes, cold beer and its famous Rim Rock burgers, often voted the city’s best.
The business closed in 2021 after owners Steve and Julie Lenon, who operated the Rim Rock from 2007 to 2021, were unable to secure a lease extension or purchase the aging building.
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“I would’ve liked to have bought it and fixed it up, but the owners wouldn’t sell,” Steve Lenon said.
Lenon said he was not surprised to see it demolished.
“The building was literally falling apart. I’m curious to know what they found under that old building,” he said.
It’s unknown how old the building actually was. Lenon said he tried to locate old city records for the building but was unsuccessful. He believes the bar had other names in its very early years, including Hoffbrau and Sacajawea.
He described the Rim Rock as a rare community hub known for tournaments, fundraisers and a large, well-kept beer garden and horseshoe area — even attracting Idaho’s own Olympic champion Picabo Street for a day of playing horseshoes.
“We had the best customers. Everyone got along. There was never any fighting,” Lenon said. “So many great memories. We miss the Rim Rock and its people.”
Most recently, Jumbo’s X-Press Cafe had its food truck on the property. For now, the property’s future remains unclear.
The Lenons have since relocated their popular burger eatery to Cues & Brews, 259 E. Center St. in Pocatello, where Rim Rock Grill continues to serve the community.