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AREA EATS 56 IDAHO FALLS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 In a town populated with just 1,000 people, you might not expect to find much, but Ucon might just surprise you with the Rusty Lantern Diner. The warm, inviting atmosphere, coupled with themed decora- tions around the restaurant and the friendly service, sets the mood for a relaxing and enjoyable meal, but it's the food that really makes the experience. The Rusty Lantern Diner, open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, has three separate menus for breakfast, lunch and din- ner, and all of them feature home cooking that leaves everyone's stomachs practically singing. Breakfast plates include a variety of eggs, omelets, biscuits and Tommy Vaughn's LOCATION: Blackfoot WEBSITE: tommyvaughns.com Open since 2011, Tommy Vaughn's is a sport's bar and grill serv- ing everything from burgers to steak to seafood. Appetizers are a must here, and topping the list is its legendary Idaho nachos. Tommy Vaughn's eating areas are divided into a bar area, two din- ing areas, a banquet room and an outdoor patio. Eighteen large TVs are spaced throughout the restaurant, playing everything from local sports to football to Nascar, and can be found in every part of the place except the back section. Looking for lunch? A lighter menu with smaller prices and sizes is offered in the afternoons. For those who need it, a gluten free menu is also available. BJ's Bayou LOCATION: Roberts WEBSITE: facebook.com/bjs-bayou Prepare for Cajun and creole cuisine at BJ's Bayou. Customers get to pick their spiciness on a scale of 1 to 10, with 5 being normal for Cajun cooking. BJ Berlin, originally from New Orleans, opened his bayou in 1995 in the Old Roberts Hotel Building, which has served as a high-class hotel, post office and emergency hospital in its 120 years. Now the old hotel hosts live alligators and buoyant Cajun tunes, along with mouth-watering platefuls of crawfish, gumbo, creole and, of course, deep fried alligator. The Great Bambino LOCATION: Rigby WEBSITE: facebook.com/thegreatbambinorestaurant Imagine a something between a giant pizza pocket and a mini calzone, stuff it with different pizza topping combos, and you have a bambino. The Great Bambino doesn't just serve the bread pouch- es of deliciousness, however; it has a full menu that includes actual calzones, pasta and French fries. Still have room? There's always buttermilk ice cream available for dessert – keep an eye on the Great Bambino Facebook page and you might just get a scoop for free. Unable to make the pit stop in Rigby? The Great Bambino food truck brings its delicious goods to events all over eastern Idaho, so it might just come to you. gravy, hot oatmeal and toast, and hotcakes. Lunch offers burgers, sandwiches, baskets and salads. The dinner menu consists of appe- tizers, steaks, chicken, burgers, salads and, only on Fridays and Saturdays, tender prime rib. Because of the large portion sizes, it doesn't feel like there is a lot of room left for dessert, but almost everyone (myself included) rec- ommends at least taking something to go. After all, who can resist homemade pies, bread pudding, peach cobbler and cinnamon rolls? For more information on the Rusty Lantern Diner, visit its web- site at rustylanterndiner.blogspot.com. The Rusty Lantern Diner isn't the only one that caught our eye outside of Idaho Falls. Check out this list of six other eastern Idaho eats you might enjoy indulging in. Each of the Rusty Lantern Diner's hearty entrees is served with your choice of soup or salad, and some form of potato. Idaho Falls has a lot of fantastic places to eat, but it doesn't hold all of eastern Idaho's delectable foods. Check out these eateries from the surrounding area. NIKKI SIEGEL PHOTOS