Tucked into an old house along Highway 55 in McCall, Idaho, sits a restaurant serving genuine New Orleans cooking in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. 🦐
Frenchie’s On 3rd opened after chef Thomas Smith and his partner Janelle Toohey decided to build a full-time life in the mountain town they’d originally only planned to visit for a season.
Armed with more than 50 drafts of a menu and very little else, the couple turned an old house into what’s become one of McCall’s most beloved neighborhood spots.
How Frenchie’s on 3rd won McCall’s hearts
Thomas and Janelle actually met in Talkeetna, Alaska, working together at the same hotel, with Thomas cooking in the kitchen after twelve years running restaurants in New Orleans’ French Quarter, and Janelle running the events side of the business.
A friend suggested they visit McCall to see if the food and beverage program at Brundage Mountain Resort might be a good fit, and the couple ended up staying four years before the itch to open their own place finally took over.
When a commercial space opened up on 3rd Street in McCall, the pair recognized it immediately: it was the same building that housed Paradise Burger, the very first restaurant they’d ever eaten at when they moved to town.
So they took the leap, and Frenchie’s On 3rd was born, named less for romance and more for comfort, since Janelle says she likes the idea of a “granny name” for a restaurant that feels warm inside an old house.
The menu pays direct homage to Thomas’s years in the French Quarter, built around genuine Southern cooking rather than a watered-down, tourist-friendly version of it.
Designing five new specials a week for years running hasn’t been easy, but both owners agree it’s kept them sharp and deeply connected to the community around them.
That community-first mentality is exactly why locals keep returning to this McCall restaurant year after year, filling the dining room and the shaded patio alike for a taste of the Bayou in the middle of Idaho’s mountains.
Food Highlights
- Fried Chicken Po Boy: Crispy fried chicken topped with slaw and a tangy house sauce.
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Shrimp Po Boy: Fried shrimp piled onto a soft roll. 🦐
- Seafood Chowder: A creamy, seafood-packed chowder.
- Gumbo: A rich, sausage-packed gumbo that diners compare favorably to what they’ve had in actual New Orleans restaurants. 🍲
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Pot Roast: Slow-cooked, tender beef served after 5 p.m. alongside mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans. 🥘
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Roast Beef Sandwich: Sliced roast beef piled high on a sandwich roll.
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BLT Po Boy: A Southern spin on the classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.
- Blue Plate Special: A rotating weekly dish the owners created to stay creative in the kitchen.
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Blazin’ Burger: A spicier take on the restaurant’s Northwest-style burger lineup, built for diners who want a little more heat with their beef.
Atmosphere
Frenchie’s leans fully into its converted-house setting, with a casual, lived-in feel both inside and on its shaded outdoor patio. 🏡
Diners order at the counter and the food gets brought right to the table, keeping the whole experience relaxed and unfussy.
The room stays lively and loud in the best way, filling up fast with families, ski-day regulars, and out-of-towners chasing a taste of Louisiana.
It’s the kind of place where toddlers, ski boots, and cold beers all feel equally at home. 🍺
Bottom Line
Visit for genuine New Orleans cooking built by a chef who actually ran kitchens in the French Quarter, a rotating Blue Plate Special worth planning a trip around, hearty comfort food like pot roast and gumbo, and a warm, community-first atmosphere that’s kept locals coming back for years. 🦐
Address:
319 North 3rd Street, McCall, ID 83638
📞 (208) 630-6104
🕔 Open Mon-Fri, 11 AM–8 PM (closed Sat-Sun)