Being a kid who was born and raised here in Idaho Falls, I have seen plenty of small businesses and restaurants come and go in my life. One such location that has popped up in recent years is Park Avenue Grill, located on 1480 Fremont Avenue. Open from 11-4 on Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday, this restaurant makes all of its profit from the lunch rush from the local Idaho State University campus and INL offices.

When I walked in, I instantly felt the homestyle feel that most local restaurants give off. I felt welcome and I was confident that my money would be well spent, and it was. After greeting Keegan Oldham, former WSS food writer and author of previous year’s Kegan’s Kravings, we walked into the small building where we were greeted by the store owner’s son. We placed our order, got our drinks, and sat in the middle of the restaurant. From our position, we could see the staff preparing our food in the back, and the anticipation rose as my hunger did.

After about a 10 minute wait, our food arrived, and let me tell you, it looked beautiful. My order, which consisted of a mac and cheese burger with fries, came out steaming hot and words can’t describe the emotions I felt. The second the waiter left us to have our lunch, I dove into the heaven that sat on that plate. It did come at a price however, sitting at 13$ for the burger. I did go for a bigger burger however and there were plenty of other options so don’t let that ruin it. 

The first thing to note about the burger was that it could not be eaten by hand; the mac and cheese made the burger too unstable, and for the first time in my life I had to eat a burger with utensils. Next thing I knew the burger was gone, and my decision was made. This place was a keeper. The burger itself consisted of the bun, burger, mac and cheese, lettuce, tomato, and cheese, was by far one of the best that I have ever had. It was simple and yet so good, but the only thing it was missing was some kind of sauce to amp it up a bit. Other than that minor inconvenience, the burger really was heaven on a plate.

Overall, I would rate Park Avenue Grill an 8/10. The food was beyond amazing and the staff was fast and friendly, and the experience was enjoyable. The reason I docked 2 points was due to the hours; not many students can make it there and back in time for class and it would be a great dinner location, but they just simply aren’t open after 4. Next time you have an extended lunch and want to go somewhere that will blow you away, be sure to head on over to Park Avenue Grill.