D'railed — Restaurant in Idaho Falls

We have lived in the Idaho Falls area our entire lives, and have known of D'railed for quite some time but never really felt we had a special enough occasion to go, as it is widely regarded as a top of the line, yet still local, eatery. On a whim (but with reservations) we decided to treat ourselves, and were not disappointed in any aspect. Before going, you should know and recognize that the charm of this restaurant is in no small part based on the history of the building. It was previously a railroad boarding house, and sits (not surprisingly) directly across the street from the railroad tracks. Depending on whether you are a local or not, you may call this a less desirable neighborhood, but again, the charm comes from the history and unconventionality. In other reviews, some people have mentioned the parking situation. I'm not sure when people become too uppity to park in a gravel lot, but here's the deal. There is plenty of on street parking for a block in both directions that doesn't require you to park in gravel. If you'd like to park directly across from the restaurant, the gravel lot is your choice. And to be clear, it's not really a "lot", per se, as there is barely room to pull your vehicle nose-in off the road into the gravel so it's not like you are going to walk across a gravel pit. It's literally 5 steps to asphalt. The building itself it no fuss. If you didn't know it was a restaurant, you could drive by thinking it was a row house. Once inside, the dining area is relatively small and intimate. We were seated right by the front door, which we enjoyed as it allowed for really nice people watching. It seems as though everyone who came in had a smile on and was excited to be there, and the few people who were turned away without reservations were genuinely disappointed. We were seated and served our drink orders very promptly. Joy was our server, and if the owner is reading this, please give her a raise or a nice Christmas bonus because she was phenomenal. She was very well versed on the menu, and was able to tell us about every item we inquired on, as well as happily share her favorites. Plus, she was very personable and just a genuinely nice person! For starters, we had the Cotton Candy Brisket. Amazing, moist, and great flavor. For dinner, my wife had the Caesar Salad, and I had the New York Strip Wagyu. Both were delicious and as ordered. But honestly, the star of the dinner was the potatoes we also ordered. They don't seem to be on the menu that's currently on Google and I can't remember what they were called, but they seemed to be a fried mashed potato, with brisket and a hollandaise sauce on top. Oh my lanta, we both ordered them as a side and just gushed over them! Joy said they were fairly new to the menu and I hope they stay. They are an entire meal in themselves! For dessert, we ordered the Slattern Brownie, which is a skillet-served brownie topped with ice cream, whip cream and I think candied almonds? Anyway, between the two of us we couldn't finish it even though, dang, chef's kiss. To top off the evening, my wife was given a long stem rose and a thank you on our way out. I mean, talk about guaranteeing a return trip! We're not sure why we haven't been before, but our overall experience was spot on and I can't say enough good about the whole night. What a little treasure...

Someone I knew called to say they would be playing in a band here one night so we made a reservation to ensure we could see them play. Two days before that night, they called back to say they would NOT be playing because the owner had double booked bands that night. Apparently something similar had happened before and the band has sworn to never return.

So naturally, we called to inquire about canceling our reservation because then entire reason we booked one was to see the band play. We were told there is a $300 fee for canceling a reservation. We explained the entire situation and were told - completely unsympathetically - the $300 cancelation fee would not be waived and that there was another band that would be playing that evening.

So rather than be out $300 for someone else’s mistake, we kept the reservation. We were seated in a room away from all other guests and directly outside the bathroom. Talk about an awkward atmosphere in sight, smell, and sound. We asked the waitress about the band that was supposed to be playing that night and were told there’s a small “sort of” stage behind the restaurant for live music but there certainly was no performance that evening. So much for being double booked.

Having to park across the street on gravel is a bit of a let down for what this place claims to be. There is a ramp to the side of the front door for wheelchair access but nothing else inside is handicap accessible. The chairs appear to be nice and in good condition but once you sit in them, you realize they are blown out and shortly after they are cutting off the circulation in the back of your legs.

The menu is a bit odd as everything is ala carte - meaning everything is served separately and costs extra. I have my suspicions that the wagyu was not as exotic as is claimed because I’ve had quite similar steaks in both texture and flavor from the likes of Longhorn’s black angus. I was also a bit confused by the drizzle of honey and balsamic vinegar on the cutting board that was my plate. Neither went well with the steak and appeared more likely to be a spillover from what was used in an attempt to resurrect what was supposed to be Brussels sprouts. They were burnt until bitter and equally crunchy and tough. Almost like they were freeze dried and then deep fried for far too long.

The staff were nice and helpful for the most part. There was one that came through to use the restroom that smelled very strongly of cigarettes. Not that I mind sharing a bathroom or the close quarters of an old railroad bunkhouse, but when paying that much for a dinner, I’d like to taste what I ordered and not what the staff had on their break.

Overall, we ate what we were served but left underwhelmed by basically everything. But of course the “owner” would leave a snarky reply. And in response to the claim of not having a stage or booking bands, perhaps you ought to delete the pictures of your outdoor seating and scan the other reviews for comments about the live music that you also have advertised on Google and other review platforms like...

Amazing customer service. The owner Jay is a great person, and so is his restaurant. We ordered cheese curds, sear Ahi(tuna), and lamb lollipop as appetizers. I will review each item base on my experience.

Cheese curds-The cheese melts in your mouth texture, Outside was crispy and the combination of both texture is amazing. PS the cheese curd is from a local place.

Sear Ahi-definitely a high quality cut of tuna, the seasoning is perfect. Most importantly it tasted fresh.

Lamb lollipop-It is the best lamb that I’ve had in my life. For those of you who is not a lamb person, this will blown your mind. It has a very good seasoning, and good charcoal taste to it. And the balsamic vinegar just completely take out the gamey taste of the lamb. I highly recommend getting this appetizer.

Next, I will review the two entrees we had, which was A5 Wagyu New York Strip, and 20 oz lobster tail.

A5 Wagyu New York Strip-if you are looking for portion, this is not for you. But if you are looking for the best tasting cut of steak, this is for you. My experience with this steak can only describe in one word: Heaven. They cooked it perfectly, and I honestly feel like I was in paradise when I first took a bite. The meat melts in your mouth, and the way they cooked it had a really good flavor. Flawless.

Lobster tail-I am not really a lobster person, and I usually have allergic reaction when I eat lobster. What blows my mind is that this lobster did not bothered me at all. The lobster was so fresh, that you can taste the natural sweetness from the lobster. I honestly really enjoyed it.

Next, I will review the desert we got, which were Brownie and ice cream, and cheesecake.

Brownie and vanilla ice cream-it was huge and delicious. It has very rich flavor and very satisfying. It is meant for 2 people or more.

Cheese cake-it was definitely a presentation, the waitress bring out and torch the top, and it gives the caramelize texture. The cheesecake is on the firm side, but it was really good.

Overall, it is a high end restaurant. I will totally recommend you to take your special one for special occasions. It is not a cheap restaurant, high quality food comes in fair price. What I love the most about this restaurant are the customer service, and how chiefs brings out the natural fresh flavor of each dish. Thank you D’Railed for providing a wonderful experience for my wife’s birthday. We will always recommend our friends and family to come to your restaurant. And thank you Jay for your kindness, we really...