Craft beer and elk burgers in McCall's historic 1914 train depot overlooking Payette Lake.
Salmon River Brewery sits in the heart of McCall, Idaho, housed inside the town's historic 1914 railroad depot. Originally built by the Idaho Northern Railroad when the station was known as Lakeport, the rustic wood-and-stone building served as the gateway for travelers arriving in this mountain outpost until the trains stopped running in the 1980s. In 2024, founders Matt and Jenn Hurlbutt purchased the depot building, cementing the brewery's permanent home next to Hotel McCall and the shores of Payette Lake. The property is divided into distinct spaces: the cozy Pub and heated patio within the historic depot, the Taphouse and rooftop deck overlooking the water, and an expansive courtyard where guests play bocce ball and cornhole under the mountain sky.
The brewing operation relies on a 15-barrel system housed in an adjacent 1,800-square-foot brewhouse, where head brewer Matt Hurlbutt and his team craft award-winning beers. The brewery's signature offering, Udaho Gold, is a crisp, refreshing golden ale that famously caught the attention of Adolphus A. Busch IV, an heir to the Anheuser-Busch family, who purchased a minority stake in the business after tasting it. Other core selections include the Buzz Buzz Coffee Porter, which blends an English-style porter with cold-brewed toddy coffee made from fresh Dawson Taylor Coffee beans roasted in Boise. The tap list also features celebrated creations like the Alpenglow Lager, a Vienna-style lager that won a North American Beer Awards gold medal, and the Dark Villain Imperial Milk Stout, another multi-time gold medal winner.
The kitchen matches the caliber of the brewhouse with a menu of hearty, elevated pub fare. The undisputed star of the menu is the Black-N-Blue Elk Burger, a third-pound game patty topped with pungent gorgonzola crumbles, grilled onions, thick-cut bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a signature spicy aioli, all served alongside hand-cut fries tossed in garlic rosemary salt. Other popular options include the Wild Salmon Fish and Chips, dipped in an in-house beer batter and served with a tangy Carolina slaw, and buttermilk-battered tri-tip finger steaks. Guests can also share 16-inch house-made pizzas, such as the Hot Honey pie with ricotta cream, Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and a drizzle of hot honey, making the depot a lively gathering place after a day on the lake or the slopes of Brundage Mountain.
Order the Black-N-Blue Elk Burger with a pint of Udaho Gold, and head up to the rooftop deck in the summer for views of Payette Lake.
Coffee & Craft — Roadside fuel stops curated by Basecamp West. The best coffee shops, craft breweries, diners, and eateries worth the detour on your next Western road trip.