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North Hi-Way Café is a historic local restaurant in Idaho

By Keith C. Smith


Posted in Idaho
To eat June 16, 2022
by Courtnie Erickson


There are times when you want a home-cooked meal but don’t want to stay home to cook. On those days, the North Hi-Way Café in Idaho Falls has you covered. This delicious cafe not only serves some of the best food made from scratch in Idaho, but it is also the oldest continuously operating cafe and restaurant business in Idaho. In fact, even the building it’s in has quite a story to tell.

The North Hi-Way Café has been an Idaho Falls staple for decades. This restaurant opened in 1934, but it was definitely not the restaurant you see today.
When the cafe first opened, it was actually located in a garage. The auto shop owner has set up tables around the garage for his customers to eat while they wait for their vehicles (like their Model A!) to be repaired. Eventually, the cafe took off and the garage turned into a full-time restaurant.


Today, the cafe still has that old-fashioned charm. But it’s not the building that keeps customers coming through the door, it’s the food.
The North Hi-Way Café in Idaho Falls serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and no matter what time you visit, be prepared for a tasty meal. Cooking and food preparation begins at 3:30 a.m. each day, ensuring that even early breakfast guests enjoy fresh, home-cooked meals.
Breakfast is one of the most popular times in this cafe and you will find a whole selection of traditional breakfast foods and some specialities.

Try an omelet, pancakes, breakfast sandwich or country breakfast with your choice of bacon, sausage, ham and eggs.

For lunch, you can choose from a wide selection of sandwiches, salads and soups.
And be sure to stop for dinner one day. The North Hi-Way Café offers a selection of dishes ranging from hand cut steaks and chicken fried steak to liver and onions. If you like a good burger, try one of the many specialty burgers on the menu. Each is served with your choice of fries or potato salad.


The North Hi-Way Café in Idaho Falls is a restaurant where you will feel like family when you enter. With delicious food and an interesting history, this well-known cafe is where you’ll always want to go when you don’t want to stay home and cook.

You can learn more about the North Hi-Way Café in Idaho, such as its current hours and menu, on its website.

Have you ever eaten at the oldest operating cafe in Idaho? Did you know that this restaurant used to be a garage? Let us know in the comments!

Idaho Falls is not only home to Idaho’s oldest operating coffee and restaurant business, but also the best small zoo in the west. After grabbing a bite to eat, head to the Idaho Falls Zoo in Tautphaus Park for a day the whole family will enjoy.

Address: 460 Northgate Mile, Idaho Falls, ID 83401, United States

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Keith C. Smith
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