Idaho restaurant wins James Beard Award — one of six in U.S. It’s not in Boise
What is going on with Idaho’s mountain towns and the James Beard Foundation?
Four weeks after Stanley Supper Club co-owner Benjamin Barlow snagged his second James Beard Award nomination as a chef, here comes another restaurant hours outside of Boise — with a win.
The Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum was one of six restaurants honored with a 2025 America’s Classics Award, the James Beard Foundation announced Wednesday.
“A Restaurant and Chef Awards category, the America’s Classics Award is given to locally owned restaurants with timeless appeal that serve quality food and are beloved by their communities,” a press release explains.
The Pioneer Saloon is a familiar sight on Ketchum’s Main Street — and a popular Sun Valley dining destination. It earns a 4.2 out of 5.0 stars on Yelp and 4.5 out of 5.0 on Google. Owned by Duffy and Sheila Witmer, “The Pio” was built in the 1940s as a casino, according to the release.
The restaurant and bar is known for “its delectable, locally sourced steaks paired with a massive Idaho potato,” the James Beard Foundation says. “Capturing the spirit of the American West, this saloon blends rustic charm with warm hospitality, making it the perfect spot to hunker down for the night and enjoy a hearty meal.
“Standouts at the Pioneer Saloon include the Jim Spud, a baked potato heaped with teriyaki beef, a variety of toppings and cheese; smoked Idaho trout, steamed artichoke and shrimp cocktail; and cocktails like Hemingway’s Margarita and the Wild Lupine.”
The Pio’s atmosphere features “memorabilia from Ernest Hemingway’s time in Sun Valley, Native American collectibles, animal mounts preserved from across the country and an array of Western sculptures, posters, and art.”
More than 100 restaurants nationwide have earned the America’s Classics Award since the category debuted in 1998. To be eligible, they are required to have existed for at least a decade.
Other winners this year were Lem’s Bar-B-Q in Chicago, Sullivan’s Castle Island in Boston, Lucky Wishbone in Anchorage, Alaska, Dooky Chase in New Orleans and Gaido’s in Galveston, Texas.
All six America’s Classics restaurants — and many still-unannounced winners of James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards — will be celebrated June 16 at a ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The Pioneer Saloon is the second representative of Idaho to win a James Beard Award in recent years.
Kris Komori, co-owner of Kin in downtown Boise, became the state’s first Best Chef honoree when he won the Mountain region in 2023.
