Abracadabra’s is ‘where the magic happens’

POCATELLO – Drivers going down Pocatello’s busiest road have the chance to stop and experience food that’s “magic” at an aptly themed restaurant.

Abracadabra’s Breakfast & Bistro opened up in Pocatello at the beginning of 2018, building a loyal customer base in its seven years of operation.

“What draws people to our restaurant really is just our welcoming environment … and magic that we put into our food,” said Brandi Hutchinson, general manager of the Abracadabra’s Pocatello location at 1151 Yellowstone Avenue.

People who enter the “laid-back” environment of Abracadabra’s will find themselves surrounded by unique posters and pictures themed around the mystical arts where they can relax. When their food is hot and ready, one of the magicians in the kitchen will set it out on the window, right below a sign that reads “Where the magic happens.”

“We keep a very laid-back home field environment here,” Hutchinson said. “I always tell people, my house is your house. Come on in, sit where you like.”

One of the most popular items customers will order are the breakfast nachos, a heaping plate of “chips with a breakfast twist.” Covering the chips are three meats, ham, bacon and sausage with tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro cooked into the eggs.

Staff will then cover the nachos with fresh veggies, sriracha sauce, and queso and hollandaise sauce, both made in-house.

“I call it the fan favorite,” Hutchinson said. “It’s kind of one of the best things you’ll ever have, to be honest.”

If a customer’s sweet tooth is calling the shots, they can order another popular item called the Cap’n Crunch Encrusted French Toast. The dish is served with house-made buttermilk syrup, banana slices and three not-so-small dollops of whipped cream.

After kitchen staff cut the restaurant’s baguettes from Big Wood Bakery in Ketchum, they encrust the slices with Cap’n Crunch cereal.

“The Cap’n Crunch, it just adds. … It’s like a frosting. I say it’s like cereal with frosting,” Hutchinson said.

Another savory breakfast menu item is the caveman Benedict, a chicken fried steak and eggs Benedict. This Benedict is served on an English muffin with a layer of gravy, chicken fried steak, another layer of gravy, some poached eggs, covered in Abracadabra’s hollandaise sauce.

Next to the Benedict is a serving of hash browns, as well as what the restaurant calls “soul cabbage.”

“This is a homemade bacon onion, cabbage saute. It (has) apple cider vinegar and brown sugar, so it’s like a barbecue kraut,” Hutchinson explained.

The deep-fried Monte Cristo sandwich has elements of both breakfast and lunch, being a savory sandwich that’s dipped in french toast mixture. Served with a side of fries and raspberry jam, the Monte Cristo sandwich has black forest ham, turkey with Swiss and white cheddar cheese, all of it topped with a dash of powdered sugar.

“The key to the Monte Cristo is the jam,” Hutchinson said. “We kind of just stepped it up a notch with our homemade raspberry jam.”

The first Abracadabra’s was opened in Idaho Falls. and a third was opened in Twin Falls the same year as the Pocatello location. The restaurant is open six days of the week, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed Tuesday.

As people enjoy the meals featured in this story and many others, they can also enjoy the “feeling like you’re at home with everybody,” Hutchinson said.

“What keeps people coming back for more is (the) homemade aspect (of) our food, and then just the environment, the friendly, welcoming, smiling faces,” Hutchinson said. “All our employees, you’ll hear them in the kitchen saying hello to people out here too. We just created this really fun vibe that has good food.”