Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands			3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2016 USD ($) restaurant state property	Apr. 29, 2016 USD ($) restaurant property	Jul. 29, 2016 USD ($) restaurant state segment $ / shares shares	Jul. 24, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Apr. 29, 2016 USD ($) restaurant
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of restaurants | restaurant	522		522
Number of states in which entity operates | state	18		18
Number of reporting segments | segment			2
Deferred gift card revenue	$ 12,793	$ 14,147	$ 12,793		$ 14,147
Shipping and handling costs			3,313	$ 3,869
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable	758	534	758		534
Accounts receivable reduction related to sales promotions	4,920	4,916	4,920		4,916
Notes receivable	21,564	20,886	21,564		20,886
Accretion income			558	499
Raw materials and supplies	13,644	13,815	13,644		13,815
Finished goods	12,199	11,183	12,199		11,183
Depreciation			17,534	$ 20,114
Current assets held for sale	30,539	31,644	30,539		31,644
Goodwill and other intangible assets	19,790	19,829	$ 19,790		19,829
Dilutive shares not included in computation of dilutive earnings per share (in shares) | shares			313,382	205,144
Cash dividends (in dollars per share) | $ / shares			$ 0.34	$ 0.31
Accrued non-income taxes	14,433	15,696	$ 14,433		15,696
Self-insurance reserves	19,639	20,169	19,639		20,169
Non-current deferred sale leaseback gains	55,300	$ 56,036	55,300		$ 56,036
Net gain (loss) on sale			736
Advertising expense			$ 9,259	$ 8,993
BEF Foods Noncompetition Agreements
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life			5 years
Building and Improvements | Minimum
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives			5 years
Building and Improvements | Maximum
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives			50 years
Machinery and Equipment | Minimum
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives			3 years
Machinery and Equipment | Maximum
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives			10 years
Capitalized Internal Labor Costs
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Depreciation			$ 927	553
Enterprise Resource Planning System
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives			10 years
Mimi's Cafe
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Sale note receivable	$ 30,000
Sale interest rate	1.50%
Sale note receivable term	7 years
Bob Evans Restaurants
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Promotional spending			$ 6,774	8,749
Number of properties | restaurant		143			143
Lease term (in years)					20 years
Non-current deferred sale leaseback gains	$ 56,868		$ 56,868
Advertising expense allocated percentage			72.00%
Bob Evans Restaurants | Nonoperating Restaurant | Current assets held for sale
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of locations held-for-sale | property	29	30
BEF Foods
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Promotional spending			$ 16,291	$ 14,752
Number of properties | restaurant		2			2
Lease term (in years)					20 years
Non-current deferred sale leaseback gains	$ 2,305		$ 2,305