Gastro pub opening in downtown Idaho Falls offers ‘eclectic’ menu
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IDAHO FALLS – A new gastro pub is moving into the space formerly occupied by a longtime Chinese restaurant in downtown Idaho Falls.
Happy Chinese Restaurant at 504 Shoup Avenue ceased operations on July 29. Chen and Lily Li opened it in 2003. It was temporarily closed for about three months last year when Lily passed away. EastIdahoNews.com spoke with Chen in January when it reopened. Chen has not responded to our messages about the closure this time around. We’ll update this story with his comments if he gets back to us.
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Meanwhile, Jeff Sullivan and his wife, Kristina — who opened a food truck last year called Sully’s Lunchbox — have moved into the space. After a good turnout during a soft open over the weekend, the Sullivans are busy preparing for the official opening of Sully’s GastroPub on Tuesday.
The pub offers a menu of 11 burgers and four sandwiches, with Japanese and Asian dishes, and other items coming soon. One of the most popular is the Slap Yo Granny Blue, which Jeff describes as a “blueberry compote burger.” It includes pickled jalapenos, Fresno peppers, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on a brioche bun. Customers also enjoy the Royale Burger, served with a beef patty, bacon, fried egg, lettuce, tomato and Sully’s signature sauce.
The menu includes beer, wine and mocktails as well.
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Jeff tells EastIdahoNews.com he liked the idea of having a permanent location downtown, and when this building became available, it was a good fit.
“The cool old buildings (are full of history and a major draw for customers),” Jeff says.
The couple are putting the finishing touches on the restaurant, which has an early 1900s feel to it.
Jeff has always enjoyed cooking. He grew up watching Julia Child, “Yen Can Cook,” and other cooking shows on TV. He frequently cooked his own meals at home.
“We’ve always liked weird food or different food. We lived in California and Vegas, so we got to see all kinds of foods — Asian, Mexican, you name it. When we moved up here, (there wasn’t a wide variety of these kinds of foods),” says Jeff.
The Sullivans moved to Idaho Falls in 2018. He worked as a mechanic at Ron Sayer Dodge for several years, but it wasn’t until last year that he decided to become a restaurateur.
Though Tuesday is the official opening of Sully’s GastroPub, he and his wife are planning a grand opening celebration for a later date.
He’s excited for the community to sample the menu, and his goal going forward is “to be the best” restaurant in town.
“I’ve got to get the cooks trained, but we’re updating our menu. We have a marinara with spaghetti and Italian meat balls, a Vietnamese salad, sushi rolls, a skirt steak with a chimichurri sauce, a Japanese marinated rib-eye. We’ll add specials all the time. It’s real eclectic food,” Jeff says.
Sully’s GastroPub is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, with a 10 p.m. closing time Friday and Saturday. They’re hoping to offer a brunch menu on Sunday in the near future.