The Gold Mine Hotel Saloon makes a great place to build a weekend trip to scenic Idaho City. Driving up ID-21 (the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway) past Lucky Peak State Park and reservoir, it takes less than an hour’s drive from Downtown Boise. On the way, you enter into the Boise National Forest before coming to Idaho City. Idaho City, with a population of approximately 500 people, was once the richest, largest city in the Northwest; even larger than Portland. This was due to the rich gold mines in the area, as well as three dozen saloons and 200 assorted businesses.
Making a weekend or midweek trip allows plenty of time for exploration of Idaho City and the surrounding area. A perfect place to make the focal point of your visit is the Gold Mine Grill and Saloon, with an overnight at the Gold Mine Hotel next door. The Gold Mine Hotel has nice, large rooms with all the amenities. Each room is laid out in a different style, including a Lodge Room (hunting lodge motif), Sacagawea Room (Native American art, named as a tribute to Idaho’s most famous Native American woman), a Camping Room (a nod towards the year round camping delights in Idaho); and even a Creepy Room (black and white historical photos and a painting of a women who supposedly haunts the room).
Steve Twilegar, who owns both the Gold Mine Hotel and the adjacent Gold Mine Grill & Saloon, had generously invited me up Memorial Day weekend to see one of the top up-and-coming country music performers in Idaho currently, Jesse Dayne and the Sagebrush Drifters. Jesse Dayne and the Sagebrush Drifters were the headlining group that night, on the Trailer Park Stage in the large outdoor patio area. This stage has featured many notable Idaho-based groups, including the Jeff Crosby Band; Blind Harpdog Wilson All-Stars featuring Brooke Nicole; Gary Tackett and Full Moon Rude; Andrew Sheppard; Noble Holt and Captain Snafu; guitarist and singer Darci Carlson and her band; and singer songwriter Casey Sheldon.
The room Steve chose for me was the Fishing Lodge Room. It has an extremely comfortable King Bed, a refrigerator and a flat-screen TV. The room itself was a fisherman’s paradise, with an old fly fishing pole, pictures of local lakes and even pictures of the fish that didn’t get away. Rustic woods made all the furniture and even parts of the expansive bathroom feel like I was in a fishing lodge on Lake Cour d’Alene. Light blues on the walls created a sense of harmony with the water. The exterior of the Gold Mine Hotel continues the rich wood finishing, with both natural finished woods and a log-cabin finish to the entire hotel.
I’d originally gone to the Gold Mine Saloon for a high school Battle of the Bands, featuring young talented local musicians such as Noble Holt and Thomas Wilson. During inclement weather the music can be played inside on a small stage area, but the new outdoor stage makes this a great performance venue, with lots of tables and separate chair seating. For cooler evenings and days there is a fire pit, several free-standing wood heaters and even heaters on the stage. Food and drink service from the fully stocked bar is available too. The stage has excellent lighting and the sound quality is extremely good too.
Having been there before, I was aware that the quality of the food far surpasses anything that I expected. Steve has mentioned that he looked until he found a chef that could deliver a menu that fit with his concept of making the Gold Mine Hotel Saloon a destination where guests could enjoy scenic, rustic surroundings but yet have tasty meals and appetizers that would satisfy a discerning palate. Having eaten an absolutely delicious version of my favorite, a Chicken Fried Steak on a previous visit, I knew that it would definitely be my choice for a nice breakfast Monday morning.
With a Sunday lunchtime arrival, I was famished and thirsty. Inside the Saloon and Grill, there is plenty of comfortable seating at both high and low table plus the large bar. My eyes settled on one of Boise’s (and now all of Idaho’s) famous dishes, Finger Steaks. They came in a basket with one side. I ordered a combination of finger steaks and fried shrimp, their version of “Surf and Turf”. They are normally served with either fries or tater tots; but I chose a small upgrade so I could get another of my favorites, the Black and Tan Beer Battered Onion Rings. The basket came with everything hot out of the fryer. The finger steaks were tender with a golden brown batter on them. Containers of fry sauce and cocktail sauce accompanied the basket. It was obvious that the rings were made out of fresh onions, with the onions themselves meltingly tender inside the tasty batter.
Virtually everything on the menu at the Gold Mine Hotel Saloon is made on premises. All of the barbecued meats are smoked onsite. For dinner I had the half rack of St. Louis Ribs. St. Louis style ribs are generally larger, meatier and more flavorful than baby backs. They are a little tougher if not smoked properly, but the pitmaster at the Gold Mine has the right touch with them. My ribs were tender, cooked to just the right combination of championship winning ribs that don’t fall off the bone, but instead just have enough pull to come cleanly away from the bone when you bite into them. They were finished with a nice, sweet and spicy glaze. Having spent years judging KCBS Competitions, these ribs were right up there with the best I have had.
For my sides, I got a nice piece of cornbread, more onion rings; and Steve’s Famous Mac & Cheese. The Mac & Cheese was creamy, with hints of white cheddar and several other nice melting cheeses. Bread crumbs and fresh scallions topped this wonderful side dish. For lunch and dinner, plenty of other meat choices are available including pulled pork, tri tip, brisket and chicken. Appetizers include chicken wings with a choice of several sauces and a unique Pulled Pork Nachos, with the tender applewood smoked pulled pork topping a large potion of corn chips. Rounding out the Nachos is a topping of sour cream, a cheese blend, BBQ sauce and guacamole, with a side of salsa.
For a lighter lunch, there are also a nice selection of entree salads, including a House Salad, a classic Hail Caesar Salad and a Saloon Salad, with a nice portion of smoked brisket topping the greens. Sandwiches are also on the lunch menu and feature a Killer Chicken Sandwich, with a grilled chicken breast; a Brisket French Dip; a Tri Tip Sandwich on a hoagie roll and slathered in BBQ Sauce; and a Gold Mine Burger, made from a blend of American Kobe Beef. Pulled pork is featured on two sandwiches, with the Pitmaster combining the pulled pork with the smoked beef on a toasted bun.
Relocating to the outdoor stage area, I ordered a nice whiskey and relaxed in a comfortable chair. Local favorite Jeremiah Nelson started the afternoon’s music and brought a hometown feeling to the Trailer Park Stage. Aaron Golay got the crowd on their feet and Eli Howard amped it up. By the time Jesse Dayne and the Sagebrush Drifters took the stage, the crowd was in a dancing mood and ready for some of the best country music around. Jesse’s combination of original tunes, well-played covers and excellent showmanship made for a memorable evening. By the time Jesse got the band into an excellent version of Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll the crowd was dancing to the music. A high energy version of the country standard Ghost Riders in the Sky showed that Jesse Dayne and the Sagebrush Drifters are poised for great things in music.
After a comfortable sleep in the Fishing Lodge Room, I was ready for a nice cup of coffee and some breakfast. With a nice breakfast menu including scrambled eggs, omelets, biscuits and gravy and pancakes, it might have been a difficult choice for me. However, I’d been thinking of the Chicken Friend Steak Breakfast Plate for weeks already and didn’t even bother with the menu. The Chicken Fried Steak was nicely battered and grilled perfectly with the steak inside juicy and tender. Topped with their house sausage gravy, a nice portion of hash browns and two slices of sourdough toast, this was a breakfast to be savored. Over breakfast, Steve told me a little of the background of the Gold Mine Hotel Saloon and what his plans were for Idaho City.
After the delicious breakfast, we walked outside, where he had just received three of the ‘tiny homes’ that were being set up as guest cottages. Steve then took me on a small tour of Idaho City. I had last seen a portion of the town at the recent Idaho City Days sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, arriving in time for the Chili Cookoff and having a chance to enjoy many bowls of chili, including Steve’s Gold Mine Chili. Steve pointed out several historical buildings, some original such as the old jail and the Boise Basin Mercantile, started in 1865 and still a functioning building. With the Boise Basin Museum and many other buildings along the old boardwalk, Idaho City is a place of living history. We passed antique shops, a trading post, an ice cream parlor and other buildings such as restaurants, antique galleries and the recently acquired Idaho City Hotel. Outside the city is The Springs, with private tubs for nice soaks as well as a pool fed by the mineral springs.
As I drove back to Boise, I couldn’t help but smile as I began to make plans for another visit to Idaho City. With the Gold Mine Hotel and Saloon as my starting point, I could easily spend several days exploring the town, visiting the forest and maybe even coming to see the annual Rodeo. There are even guided walking tours of the historical downtown area. For more exercise, day hikes in nearby Charcoal Gulch or horseback riding can get you plenty of things to do. After a long day, relaxing at the Gold Mine Saloon and Grill with a nice cool drink and a delicious meal is the perfect capper to a long weekend or a short vacation in Idaho City.
Gold Mine Hotel
100 Gold Road
Idaho City, ID 83631
(208) 392-4787
Gold Mine Grill & Saloon
3887 Highway 21
Idaho City, ID 83631
(208) 392-4787
Gold Mine Hotel, Saloon & Grill website
Gold Mine Grill & Saloon Facebook Page
All photos by Ed Simon for The Boise Beat
