Timber Gastro Pub joins a bevy of places honoring early Inland Northwest history in a big way with a prime location, top-notch design and a well-versed restaurant team.
Located in the former Hot Rod Cafe, Timber is highly visible and easily accessible from Highway 90 in Post Falls, which gets a new Greensferry Road freeway exit later this year. At 7,500 square feet, the place could seem cavernous, save the redesign by HDG Hissong + Hurtado Design Group of Spokane, which reapportioned the space into smaller seating areas of high-tops and booths. Their trademark is blending chic, urban industrial and rustic design elements, along the lines of two other North Idaho restaurant projects, Fire Artisan Pizza and Crafted Tap House + Kitchen.
There are grainy, oversized, sepia-toned images of rugged logging operations and rough-cut wood slats on the walls, but also linen napkins and serve-yourself bottles of water on the tables. While servers might be a little too cute in their red suspenders and jeans, there are plenty of them, and the emphasis on fast, friendly and flexible service is duly noted.
Service is a critical component to running a successful restaurant. That comes from experience, which owners Bill Miller and Randy Ingraham — of Spokane restaurants Longhorn BBQ and Maggie's South Hill Grill — have in abundance.
The menu, designed by executive chef Jeff Chatigny, is an extension of the level of detail throughout Timber. The Steak House burger ($13.95) with crispy onion, blue cheese and housemade pickles is a mix of pork belly and Angus beef. Pizza is wood-fired to order, ranging from simple margherita ($11.95) to the Hawaiian-inspired Da Kine ($13.95) with Spam, kalua pork, and diced mango and pineapple.
The bar menu ranges from custom, logging-themed cocktails like the Old Growth ($7.50) with huckleberry vodka to 16 rotating, regional taps like MickDuff's Knot Tree Porter ($5) out of Sandpoint or Timber House, a Scottish-style ale brewed especially for Timber by Spokane-based Waddell's Neighborhood Pub & Grille. ♦
Timber Gastro Pub • 1610 E. Schneidmiller Dr., Post Falls • Open Sun-Thu, 11 am-9 pm; Fri-Sat, 11 am-10 pm • facebook.com/timbergastropub • 208-262-9593>
