Idle Isle Cafe

The Idle Isle Café on Historic Main Street in Brigham City has been in business since May of 1921. The establishment opened as a combination candy shop and café by P.C. and Verabel Knudson and is one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in Utah. Part of the history and charm of the Idle Isle Café is the 1920s décor along with hand-crafted wood booths. The restaurant continues to serve patrons today from the same marble and onyx soda fountain that was installed in the 1920s. Actor John Wayne visited the restaurant when he came to Utah to celebrate the Centennial of the transcontinental railroad.  

The Idle Isle Café is known for is "Idle Berry Pie" which includes blueberries, blackberries, and boysenberries. “Each of our pies are made from scratch,” explains the café’s current owner, Travis Porter.  “My wife makes the pies.  This was something that was passed on from her mother, the café’s previous owners.”  In addition to its delicious dessert, the Idle Isle is known for made-from-scratch comfort food like pot roast, meatloaf, and homemade rolls with apricot marmalade.  

When Bushnell Hospital was a prominent part of the area, Verabel Call Knudson, Idle Isle restaurant owner at the time, tried to encourage amputees to come downtown and be seen outside of the hospital setting wearing their new prosthetics. She realized the spiritual boost that good food could give a patient, and she gave a free steak dinner to any Bushnell amputee who could walk through Idle Isle’s door on his own with the use of his artificial limb(s). 

Your Guide to Authentic Regional Eats, Roadfood. Accessed December 9th 2020. https://roadfood.com/restaurants/idle-isle/.

The Great Idle Berry Pie in Brigham City, Zoomeboshi. July 28th 2017. Accessed December 9th 2020. https://zoomeboshi.com/2017/07/28/the-great-idleberry-pie-in-brigham-city/.