Rock Creek

     The Rock Creek has been a cornerstone of dining in Twin Falls since 1978. Our trademark is the unique blend of fine dining quality and atmosphere with seasonal meat specials and a rustic décor reminiscent of the Idaho tradition of the hunting sportsman. The Rock Creek remembers its working-class roots while in turn working just as hard to keep its reputation as it did to get it. The restaurant continues to be owned and managed by its founders, Stan Thomas and Terry Hancock. The duo, who first became close friends playing high school football together in the 1960s, remain hands-on in running their business even as they enter their 70s. For travelers wanting to experience a taste of Idaho culture while enjoying a nice night out, this is the perfect fit. And when the native, hardworking Idahoan trades in their working boots at the end of the day for heels or a tie, this is not only a place that welcomes them, but a place that was made exactly for them.

      Many businesses claim to serve quality beef, but the Rock Creek puts in the time and money to make sure that that claim is a reality in their case—from field to table. First, Terry Hancock (owner and founder of the business, along with Stan Thomas) personally talks to meat specialists at the local distributors to find out who is selling beef that fulfills all of the Rock Creek’s standards of quality. His primary concerns are: what the beef was fed (to ensure excellent marbling in the meat), what breed it comes from (the Rock Creek only accepts Angus or Angus-cross), and whether the meat is available in primal cuts (all beef is cut in-house). In discussing this process, Stan quips, “many restaurants claim to serve “hand-cut” beef, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that hand belongs to someone who works there.” By contrast, he estimates that it takes about a year to fully train a cook at the Rock Creek, because of the complexity of cutting different steaks correctly. All cooking staff is required to go through this learning process, under supervision from 20-year-Rock-Creek-veteran Phil, along with Stan and Terry, who often personally lend their expertise. It is then determined throughout this process which pieces will be best suited to which amount of cooking, and are placed in a labelled pan accordingly, from rare upwards. This is based on many factors, such as the thickness of the meat, and ensures that when a customer tells us how they would like their steak cooked, one is chosen specifically to maximize their experience.