Donnie Mac’s Roadside Cuisine

www.donniemacgrub.com
1515 W Grove Street

Time: 2-7 M-F
Special: $1 PBR pints
Rating: 2.5 martinis
Smoking: outside
Other mentions: outside seating, bike racks, full menu

PBR: cheaper than soda!

It was a beautiful fall day. My friend Bri and I had just finished a nice bike ride along the greenbelt and thought Donnie Mac’s was in order….as did our other friends who met us later. There was one empty table outside….and it happened to be the only table outside, oddly enough for such a fine day. We were pleased nevertheless.

After several minutes at our table and a walk inside to ask for service, we were finally provided a couple of menus but not asked if we wanted any beverages. Several minutes later we were finally asked what we would like- food and drink wise. The food menu has a large variety of items, ranging from salads, grilled sandwiches, and fried foods, where anyone will find what s/he desires. They even have a great kids menu, which I find provides just the right amount of food even for an adult. And the food is great! I highly recommend the sweet potato fries!

You can’t really go wrong with PBR; it was served up cold and for a $1 one can’t complain. It was a perfect thirst quencher to the afternoon ride. I only rated this a 2.5 because PBR is the only happy hour special. Overall, I would rate it a 3.5 because the food is really good and the ambiance fun. The service was rather lacking on this visit but once we got service it was actually really good and from previous visits, I have never found it to be an issue. If you are in the mood for something funky and a cold PBR, give this place a try!

Falcon Tavern- update

I recently visited Falcon Tavern for happy hour. I reviewed them back in March but since, they have relocated. They moved into the old Satchel's location at 705 W Bannock Street and now have a large patio for outdoor dining. They have also modified their happy hour special. Now they are serving half priced beers! This is a great move on several accounts!

Hyde Park Pub

www.hydeparkpub.com
1501 13th Street

Time: 4-6 daily
Special: $1 off drafts
Rating: 3 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions: outside seating, bike racks, full menu

Hyde Park Pub used to be called Harry’s and many locals still refer to it by that name. It is in a great location in the heart of Hyde Park of the Boise Northend. It draws a variety of folks from mountain bikers post-ride to football fans catching a game, to the family down the street.

The establishment is far from pretentious but has decent pub fare including burgers, sandwiches, a large selection of fried food, and several beer taps. This is great neighborhood bar with tasty food, a decent selection of beers, and fabulous staff. Definitely worth a visit!

Lock, Stock, & Barrel

www.lsbboise.com
1100 W Jefferson Street

Time: 11-6 M-F
Special: $2.50 wells & house wine, $2 domestic bottles, $3 drafts
Rating: 2 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions: restaurant with separate bar

This was a last minute decision to try out Lock, Stock & Barrel when a friend texted me to meet early. Few bars start happy hour before 4pm but LSB starts at 11- wow!

We parked our bikes against a tree outside since they don’t have a bike rack and wondered on it. The bar area is quite substantial with several four-tops and a lengthy bar with seating. It definitely has a feel of an upscale steak house as soon as you walk through their doors.

We were the only patrons at the moment and sidled up to the bar in typical boise happy hour (bhh) fashion. When I asked what the happy hour specials were, we received a slight grunt and a pointing up to a board above the bar. We also noticed another board stating $2 off appetizers. I was a bit surprised by the slim choices on the appetizer menu since it is a large restaurant but the options were substantial. We opted for the baked brie and garlic.

We continued to be amazed by the lack of attention from our bartender, especially being the only two patrons and sitting right at the bar. While nothing was bad at this location, we found it to be very mediocre at best.

Macaroni Grill

www.macaronigrill.com
980 N Milwaukee Street

Time: 3- close
Special: $2.99 small plates; $4.99 wines
Rating: 3 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions: bike rack

A friend of mine mentioned enjoying happy hour at Macaroni Grill a while back so the last time I was in the neighborhood I thought it appropriate to pop in and give it a try. The bar area has a few tables and a large wrap-around bar with seating. As I usually prefer, I sidled up to the bar. While there were only two other patrons in the bar, it did take Brian, the bartender, some time to make his way over to me. I also had to ask him a few questions to get the real gist of the happy hour specials out of him.

The happy hour special has a great selection of small plates that ranged from chicken or shrimp skewers with roasted veggies to chicken parmesan atop spaghetti. Any wines by the glass are offered at $4.99 with a food purchase….this was a great deal for me as I ordered what is normally a $10 glass. The catch with this special is one must order a food plate to get the $4.99 price for each order. So for the second glass of wine, I had to order another plate. Luckily I had went with the skewers which were much lighter fare.

I really liked that MG has a bike rack out front as I pretty much only ride my bike to establishments, unfortunately it is located on a very busy road that is not bike friendly. The food was great, the wine fantastic, and the service improved greatly. Brian actually turned out to be a great server with a heavy dose of sarcasm, a couple of my favorite things. I could see returning to Macaroni Grill if in the neighborhood again.

Boise Fry Company

www.boisefrycompany.com/
111 Broadway, Suite 111

Time: 4-6 M-F
Special: buy one pint, get one free; buy one small fry, get one free
Rating: 3 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions: seating outside

Tucked away in an unassuming strip mall just on the outskirts of downtown is the Boise Fry Company. They opened their doors a few months ago specializing in fries and having burgers as sides. The day I visited, they had seven different fry options with three of those grown in Idaho. I had no idea they served beer as well until just recently. So here I am.

Happy hour is from 4-6 Monday-Friday and includes buy one pint, get one free and buy one small fry, get one free. They only have three handles but all three are high end beers. Unfortunately, two of them were IPAs and the third not far off. With only three handles, it would be nice to have a different type of beer on each. The upside, one of the handles was from a local brewery, Highlands Hollow.

The service is order at the counter style. Seating is available with regular tables, long bar style tables, and outdoor seating. Wireless internet is available but don’t expect to find outlets to keep the computer charged.

My fries arrived in a fun cylinder like holder and I was directed to doctor them up at the “Seasoning Station”. I found several different salts, including salt & rosemary, salt & vinegar, Cajun, Vanilla, and Jalapeño. I didn’t see any salt & pepper. For sauces, I tried the black bean, roasted garlic, chipotle, and regular ketchup. I was intrigued by the blueberry ketchup option but not enough to try it. I stuck with the regular ketchup.

The Boise Fry Company is certainly worth a try whether for happy hour or for lunch. The fries are great and the beers are just as good quality. It isn’t the bar style atmosphere of some of my reviews but variety is good.

WilliB's Saloon

www.willibs.com
225 N 5th Street

Time: all the time
Special: $3 wells; $4 well martinis
Rating: 2.5 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions: seating outside, bike rack

WilliB’s Saloon is located in a rather unlikely location on the corner of 5th and Idaho Streets. What was once a retro clothing shop has now been renovated into a saloon. I was dubious at first by the name but upon stepping inside, the owners definitely captured that saloon feel. With the wooden tabletops and benches and old style barstools, I kept half expecting to find sawdust on the floor and a hitching post outside….they did install a bike rack though, so big bonus points there!

WilliB’s big draw is the $3 wells and $4 martinis all the time. I ordered up a well and my friend ordered a gin martini. My drink arrived in a tall skinny glass that wasn’t fussy nor beyond expectations. My friend’s martini arrived in a rather tiny martini glass that made us both look at each other questionably until the shaker was placed next to it with the remaining contents, which worked out to be a few more glasses worth. We enjoyed the concept and the retro look of it.

WilliB’s has a small food menu with a rotating selection of sandwiches and the like. The prices seemed reasonable but we did not try any of the food. Once striking feature of the place was for such a small venue there were 4 televisions. Good place to catch a game, I suppose. All in all, it was a fun place to try, prices were reasonable, service was good, and it is not like any other bar in town.