Idaho’s Snake Pit Restaurant may have served Wyatt Earp

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 is now the oldest eatery in the state, offers a comforting selection 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 wooden hunting lodge. Inside the cozy space, the walls are adorned with taxidermy and other knick-knacks, there’s a piano and a wood-burning stove, and the wooden furniture has been handcrafted over the years by former guests and owners—including a chair made from the horns of a moose shot in 1954.

Today, the Snake Pit serves as a destination for kayakers, cyclists and fly fishermen who flock to the nearby Coeur d’Alene River and the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, a 73-mile recreational trail. However, it used to be a hangout for lesser types – gold diggers and gunfighters. Oh, and a particularly famous Wild West character: Wyatt Earp, who is believed to have visited the Snake Pit, although details are few. We know that Earp joined the gold rush and became deputy sheriff of surrounding Kootenai County. And although his stay in the area was short-lived, his legend lives on in the Snake Pit. The Wild West may be long gone, but the Snake Pit is one of those timeless American restaurants where you can get a strong sense of the past.

The Idaho Gold Rush fizzled out and Wyatt Earp moved on, but the snake pit endured, hosting loggers, railroad travelers and… the cast of the 1997 volcano thriller “Dante’s Peak,” who filmed scenes there over the years. Although it has changed hands (and names) over the years, the name “Snake Pit” may have something to do with the fact that the outbuildings where customers once relieved themselves were located near a swampy area full of water snakes – some guests liked to bring them in and display them in a glass case. Today, the Snake Pit is also known as the Enaville Resort, a name introduced in the 20th century to give it more prestige.

The Snake Pit is known for its hearty po’boy-like sandwiches centered around ruby ​​Idaho trout. You can also get “Dante’s Nachos,” inspired by the film, and more unusual dishes like a selection of Wagyu beef burgers and the restaurant’s take on a French dip called “River Dip,” complete with leftover sliced ​​prime rib, pepperjack cheese , horseradish mayonnaise, and au jus, of course. The dinner menu is equally meat-heavy, with entrees like prime rib, chicken-fried steak, teriyaki king salmon, and chicken piccata, to name a few.

But the food for which the snake pit is most famous comes from a different part of the cow. Have you always wanted to try Rocky Mountain oysters? This is the only place that deep fried them and serves them with blue cheese or ranch dressing.