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Idaho's Oldest Restaurant Has Been Around Since The Days Of Wyatt Earp

Column: industry Tag: restaurant,Idaho Published: 2024-12-05 12:54 Source: www.mashed.com Author: SAM WORLEYDEC. 4

Idaho

idahosnakepit / Instagram

In the 1880s, the discovery of gold sparked a boom around Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. One of the beneficiaries of this gold rush? The Snake Pit, a restaurant that opened in 1879 or 1880 and today is the oldest eatery in the state, boasting a comforting menu of steaks and sandwiches, a selection of craft beer and cocktails, and a healthy dose of rustic charm. From the outside, the Snake Pit looks like a two-story wood hunting lodge. Inside the cozy space, the walls are decked out with taxidermy and other bric-a-brac, there's a piano and a woodstove, and the wooden furniture has been handmade over the years by former guests and owners — including a chair crafted from the horns of an elk shot in 1954.

These days, the Snake Pit serves as a destination for kayakers, cyclists, and fly-fishers flocking to the nearby Coeur d'Alene River and the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, a 73-mile recreational path. Once, though, it was a watering hole for less reputable types — gold miners, and gunfighters. Oh, and one particularly famous Old West character: Wyatt Earp, who's thought to have visited the Snake Pit, though details are scarce. We do know that Earp joined the gold rush, becoming deputy sheriff of surrounding Kootenai County. And, though his stay in these parts was short-lived, his legend lives on at the Snake Pit. The Old West may be long gone, but the Snake Pit is one of those timeless American restaurants where you can get a potent sense of the past.

The Snake Pit over time — and what to order today

Idaho

idahosnakepit / Instagram

The Idaho gold rush fizzled and Wyatt Earp moved on, but the Snake Pit stayed put, playing host over the years to loggers, railroad travelers, and ... the cast of the 1997 volcano thriller "Dante's Peak," who filmed scenes in the restaurant. Though it has changed hands (and names) over the years, the name Snake Pit might have to do with the fact that the outhouses where customers once relieved themselves sat near a swampy area filled with water snakes — some guests liked to bring them inside and show them off in a glass enclosure. Today, the Snake Pit is also known as Enaville Resort, an appellation applied in the 20th century to make it seem more respectable.

The Snake Pit is known for its hearty sandwiches like a po' boy built around Idaho ruby red trout. You can also get "Dante's Nachos," inspired by the film, and fancier fare like an assortment of Wagyu beef burgers and the restaurant's take on a French Dip called the River Dip, complete with leftover sliced prime rib, pepperjack cheese, horseradish mayo, and au jus, of course. The dinner menu is equally meaty, boasting entrees like prime rib, chicken-fried steak, teriyaki king salmon, and chicken piccata, to name a few.

But the food that the Snake Pit is most famous for comes from, well, another part of the cow. Ever wanted to sample Rocky Mountain oysters? This is the only place around that serves them, deep-fried and served with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

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