2 Best Restaurants in Boise, Idaho

First there were brewpubs, now here's a restaurant–distillery, where the the fixings for the inventive cocktails, like the Prickly Pear Margarita, are truly house made (Bardenay is a nautical term meaning cocktail). Spacious and wood-rich, the restaurant and bar, in the heart of downtown, adds creative Idaho flavor to bar-menu favorites, from burgers and sandwiches to charbroiled salmon and rum pepper steak. There's a whole menu of gluten-free choices, a kids' menu, and in addition to the house distillations, a range of draft beers is available. The place is noisy and vibrant during lunch and weekday dinners, and serves brunch on weekends.

Since it's always packed and bustling, you will most likely have to wait for a table at this breakfast-and-lunch hot spot. A small upstairs seating section overlooks the bar and kitchen, with sunrise-colored orange-and-pink walls. Start with the fruit cup, piled with berries, citrus, and other fruits, and be sure to order something smothered with hollandaise—it’s a house specialty—like the veggie benny or eggs blackstone, and top it off with a “sunrise” mimosa (OJ, mango, guava, cranberry, and optional champagne). Goldy’s coffee shop around the corner lets you enjoy a coffee and board games while you wait for your table.