Price = Average | Service = Excellent | Cleanliness = Good | Interior = Rustic Mountain West…read morebrewery | Exterior = Scenic river setting | Parking = Plenty nearby | Would I return? = Yes
Overall, Eruption Brewery is one of the more unique food stops in Lava Hot Springs. The standout for me was the Slow Roasted Idaho Elk Sourdough Pizza. The taste is above average, but the uniqueness of the local elk, sourdough crust, maple wood-fired oven, on-site brewery, and river setting pushes the overall experience higher. I would definitely visit again, especially to try more of the pizzas and house-brewed beers.
I ordered the Slow Roasted Idaho Elk Sourdough Pizza for $26, which is cooked in their maple wood-fired oven. It comes with basil pesto, a five-cheese blend, slow roasted local elk, roasted bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and microgreens.
The basil pesto comes through across the pizza without being overpowering. There is a really good balance between the pesto, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers, microgreens, and cheese. What stood out most was that the elk still maintained its own flavor. When biting into a piece of the meat, you can almost taste it separately from the rest of the pizza rather than having it get lost among all the toppings.
The slow roasted elk was very tender. The sourdough crust also gives the pizza a lighter and more subtle bread flavor compared with a more traditional pizza crust. Their five-cheese blend was interesting too. It was not as stretchy as the typical mozzarella you would expect on pizza and had a slightly firmer texture, almost reminding me a little of cheese curds.
One of the more interesting parts of the restaurant is the huge maple wood-fired pizza oven, which is visible from the dining area. It runs extremely hot, around 900 degrees according to the staff, so my pizza came out surprisingly quickly.
This is also a legitimate brewery rather than a restaurant that simply happens to serve a few house beers. They have brewing tanks and equipment right inside the building and offer 20 craft beers on draft. I sampled the You Fuggly Brown Ale, Dirty Blonde Ale, Plum Around Cream Ale, Naked Nut Stout, Patio Pounder Pilsner, and Banana Hammock Hefeweizen. I am generally not much of a beer person, but I ended up ordering the Plum Around Cream Ale. The plum flavor gave it a much more unique taste and made it more enjoyable for me than a typical beer.
Service was excellent. The staff was very friendly and especially helpful with letting me taste the different beers before deciding.
The atmosphere is another highlight. It has a rustic Mountain West brewery feel with exposed wood, stone walls, industrial details, brewing equipment, and the huge wood-fired oven all visible from the dining area. Large glass garage-style doors open directly onto the patio, so when they are raised, the indoor and outdoor spaces almost blend together and get plenty of fresh airflow.
The location also fits Lava Hot Springs really well. The Portneuf River is only steps away, with trees, a walking area, footbridge, and rocky hills surrounding the area. It gives the restaurant a scenic, relaxed small-town Idaho feel and makes the outdoor seating especially appealing on a nice day.
Parking is plentiful throughout the surrounding area, so it should not be much of an issue.
