POCATELLO — A menu item from a long-time staple of the Gate City restaurant scene was recently described as being one of the best in the country.
Chowhound , a website dedicated to food aficionados, recently listed the Reuben sandwich from Elmer’s as one of the “Hands-down best Reuben sandwiches in the US,” according to reviews.
“Reuben enthusiast Chris Rowland — owner of the Reuben Realm — had this to say: ‘The sandwich all blended perfectly with a deep satisfying taste with just the right amount of messiness,’ Chowhound wrote about the Reuben at Elmer’s in Pocatello. “The Reuben was absolutely delicious, and was a full centimeter taller than most Reubens that I have gotten from diner-style restaurants, and the workmanship showed.”
David Walker, the kitchen manager at Elmer’s in Pocatello, recently sat down with the Idaho State Journal to share what makes the Reuben so satisfying, his ascension from dishwasher to manager and the qualities that have kept Elmer’s as one of the go-to Gate City eateries.
Elmer’s has been a part of Pocatello since 1968. In 1960, Walt and Dorothy Elmer opened the first breakfast-focused Elmer’s Colonial Pancake House in Portland, Oregon.
“Truly a family owned and operated labor of love, Walt, Dorothy, and their three sons poured their hearts into serving the local community,” Elmer’s says on its website . “It was an immediate success thanks to their commitment to bringing people together for home-style cooking, using only the finest ingredients. Built on the foundation of Walt Elmer’s famous buttermilk pancakes, the original recipe for pancake batter was purchased for $1,000 and rumor has it that Walt kept it locked in his safe. We still use Walt’s original recipe today.”
While it's the Reuben that’s recently received national acclaim, Walker says the German Pancake still reigns supreme as the restaurant’s No. 1 seller.
“The German Pancake, hands down, is our best-seller,” he said. “It's just always been a fan favorite, and it's ordered at all times of operating hours. It’s unique. I don't know of another place in town that offers a German Pancake. It's picture perfect. It's tall. It's beautiful. It's hearty looking and it makes people comfortable.”
But when it comes to lunchtime, no offering is more popular than the Reuben, Walker said.
“The Reuben is a big seller for us,” he said. “It comes on toasted marble rye bread with two pieces of sliced Swiss cheese, saturated in thousand island dressing with slightly grilled sauerkraut and char-grilled sliced corned beef.”
He continued, “I really love the combination of the corned beef and thousand island,” Walker said. “It’s hearty food. And sometimes, I’ll cook up some crispy hash browns and throw a little bit into my sandwich to make it like a corned beef hash sandwich."
And while Elmer’s isn’t necessarily known for dinner, Walker says local residents have to give the slow-roasted prime rib dinner a chance, which is available every day of the week after 4 p.m.
Aside from the fan favorites, Walker says the entire menu at Elmer’s is worthy of consideration, particularly because the highest level of care is considered when making every dish. In fact, Walker says there are Vimeo videos describing the exact details for every item on the menu and he and his kitchen staff take great pride in ensuring anything that is ordered is created exactly as it should be, every time. Add that to the notion that Elmer’s has the best customer base in the city and that’s what makes the diner such a great place to work, Walker added.
“What makes Elmer’s great is the customer base that we have — lifelong customers that have been coming here since they were young,” he said. “And the ambiance we create for those customers and the staff as a whole. But most importantly, the food.”
He continued, “I feel like the customers look for an accurate ticket time, their food hitting their table promptly and that the plating of the entree is beautiful and picture-perfect every time."
Walker also said that it’s critically important for his staff to operate well as a team, especially because Elmer’s boasts an open kitchen where customers can see how the staff are interacting as they’re cooking.
“You have to have communication and positivity that flows in the kitchen, because in my experience, when you hear kitchen staff bickering and then you get your plate and it's not up to your standards, that leaves a bad taste in your mouth,” Walker said. “Also, it's not only the food, but the experience. People want to have an experience when they go out to eat. That's what they're paying for, not just the meal, but the experience that comes with it — being waited on, being talked to and being asked questions. It's like going to a movie.”
Walker says the same amount of care and attention that goes into creating a positive guest experience and nailing every item that’s served out of the kitchen’s window is also placed on ensuring the employees of Elmer’s feel valued and connected. It’s not just a group of colleagues, it’s a family, he says, and one that has a huge focus on the community.
“If you want to come work on this team and be in this family, respect is what's expected,” he said. “We respect each other, we look out for each other. We don't accuse each other of stuff. And honestly, when I took over this kitchen, I had to bulldoze it. I had a lot of guys that were upset that I became the kitchen manager and a lot of guys that didn't respect me as the kitchen manager. So I got rid of them all. And the kitchen that I currently have right now is the best staff I've ever had. This is the longest I've seen my staff stay and a lot of them have been here for years now."
Walker became the kitchen manager of Elmer’s in 2020 after starting in 2019. He worked at the restaurant twice before, once as his first job as a busboy when he was 14 and again as a dishwasher and prep cook at age 16.
“Elmer’s has always kind of been in my blood,” said Walker, who is now age 30. “This last time I came back in 2019 I started as a dishwasher at $8 an hour and my life was at a point where it was starting to grow. And with that, my skill set and my mindset began to grow within the company, I began to learn more, I began to get good with the numbers and the food costs and the portion sizes. My boss once told me, ’Every ounce counts. You want to over portion there goes your raise.’ So I started learning how to be accurate and precise with every ounce of the ingredients.”
Walker also said that Elmer’s is huge on second chances, especially for those who have struggled with substance abuse in the past.
“We hire a lot of second chancers,” he said. “This is my personal take on it. We are a restaurant of recovery. When I started to grow as a dishwasher I was actually in an outpatient treatment program and I grew into my sobriety. I've been sober for about six years now. We do have a lot of guys where this is a safe place for them to work and a place to be around people that have gone through what they're going through and that are going to support them and be there for them.”
If you’re interested in working for Elmer’s, Walker encourages you to stop by and apply, adding that “we are hiring about 90 percent of the time.”
For everyone else, stop by Elmer’s at 851 S. Fifth Ave. in Pocatello anytime between 6:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday or 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and give the German Pancake, Reuben sandwich or slow-roasted Prime Rib a try.
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