Jumpin' Janets

547 Vista Avenue

Time: 4-7 M-F
Special: wells 2 for $3 (really a very strong double for $3!)
Rating: 4 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions:

My friends and I decided to pop in here for happy hour yesterday. I was very happy to see the "no smoking" sign on the door when I entered. I was also pleased to find happy hour is a double for $3- M-F 4-7.

This particular evening table service was provided. The server was friendly and quick. After a couple of drinks, we thought it would be smart to order some food and were surprised by the menu options available- sandwiches, salads, and burgers. One friend ordered the spicy chicken sandwich ($6.75), while i shared a prime rib dip ($7.75)with the other friend. Both sandwiches came with a side salad.

This being somewhat of a dive bar, we really didn't have high hopes for the food but were hungry. Well we were VERY surprised at what we got. The salad had romaine lettuce with tomatoes and grated cheese (no iceberg in sight!). The chicken sandwich wasn't a fried chicken patty but a chicken breast with a tasty sauce. The dip was an amazing amount of sliced prime rib, not deli meat in the least, served up on a tasty roll with a very nice au jus.

I came here for the happy hour; I will return for the food!

Bonefish Grill

www.bonefishgrill.com
855 W Broad Street

Time: 3-6 and 9-Close daily
Special: $6 featured martinis, $5 premium wines, ½ off wells, ½ off premium liquor, $4 draft beers & house wines. And ½ off select appetizers.
Rating: 4.5 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions: They offer an anytime menu with several $5 options including sangria and Svedka Martinis.

My friends and I first came upon Bonefish during the Martini Mix-Off in May and it quickly became one of our favorite stops, especially on the weekends. It is located in a great part of town at the 8th Street Marketplace. The happy hour deals are fantastic and every time we have Shannon for a bartender, the service is stellar. Unfortunately on this visit Shannon had gone home for the day but we still had a great time.

There were several of us on this visit and most of us ordered food so we were able to sample a variety. I personally love the Bang Bang Shrimp. But the mussels were tasty as well and there were plenty to go around. I heard no complaints whatsoever from our group and the food went down quick.

Drinks were plentiful on this visit. A few of my friends continue to return to Bonefish specifically because of one of the martinis they entered into the mix-off: The Bandit. It is a lovely concoction of American Honey Bourbon and Butterscotch Liqueur with a honeyed rim. This particular evening my friends only got one because they ran out of this fine liquor. Note to Bonefish: stock up! Besides this one glitch in our plans, everything else was fantastic. We will continue to return, especially if the American Honey is there!

The Lobby

www.thelobbyboise.com
760 W Main Street

Time: 4-6 M-F
Special: $2 wells, drafts, and house wines
Rating: 4.5 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions: Martini Wednesdays 4-7 house martinis $6; $1 PBR pints on Wednesdays; Specials during all Bronco and Vandal games and during Monday Night Football; bike racks

Due to my crazy travel schedule as of late, I was long overdue to try out The Lobby. Taking over the space formerly occupied by Lush, it is in prime downtown real estate- on Main between 8th and Capitol. They have done a great job with the remodel brightening things up while still providing a cozy feeling. They also promote local artists with their works on display, I believe on a rotating basis.

On this brisk evening, I sidled up to the bar and thought it appropriate to order a Widmer Brrr (it didn’t disappoint!). They do offer a fine selection of beers on tap that will fit anyone’s liking. There are a few wine options as well and of course a full bar. Everyone seemed very friendly, staff and patrons alike. I felt right at home here.

They have a few TVs around for folks to watch whatever game happens to be on but they didn’t distract from the bar experience at all. They blended in well with the tastefully decorated lounge.

I was lucky enough to have Adam, one of the proprietors, as my bartender on this visit. He told me they are working on permits for outdoor seating and an outdoor grill so they can serve food. Both will be great additions to this fine establishment. This is definitely a place to which I plan to return again and again. Once they get the food going, it will be moved up to a 5 martini rating!

Bungalow

boisebungalow.com
1520 N 13th Street


Time: 3-7 and 9-1 daily
Special: $6 martinis; $1 off other drinks; 2 for 1 appetizers.
Rating: 3 martinis
Smoking: outside
Other mentions: outside seating, bike racks, full menu, full bar

Bungalow sits in a prime location in the center of Hyde Park in the North end of Boise. Surprisingly, the building has been home to several bars and restaurants in my 15 years of Boise. I’m not even sure I ever had a chance to patron its last resident. Hopefully Bungalow can withstand the necessary turbulence of this economy and hold ground longer.

My friends and I only visited the lounge during this visit so I can not attest to the restaurant area but if it is anything like the lounge, it is tastefully decorated and not overly pretentious. While it appears to be too upscale for many, the variety of patrons during our visit gave the feeling of just another great neighborhood bar. Not sure if that is what the owners are after, but it certainly seems to work.

My friends and I all ordered a variety of items for our enjoyment. The deals I found to be the best: the 2 for 1 appetizers and $6 any martinis. Seriously, any martini....even Grey Goose with a twist. I have ordered similar around town for upwards of $12. The beers came in at around $3 during happy hour and they have some tasty handles, including Widmer’s seasonal Brrrr.

There were four of us this visit so we ordered four appetizers. The meat and cheese plate ($12), the pizza of the day ($10), the wings ($8), and the Brie ($10). All the food was excellent and very filling.

The only real complaint we had was with our service. Sometimes it was good but sometimes it was non-existent. We had to flag down our server several times and it was sort of awkward. There were only five tables that evening with two servers and the bartender was handling those at the bar, so it wasn’t very busy. When the bill arrived, it was incorrect and missing a couple of the happy hour discounts.

Mostly, we were very pleased with their happy hour and are sure to return for the martinis and appetizers.

Barbacoa

www.barbacoa-boise.com
276 W Bobwhite Court


Time: 4-6 daily; 9:30-11 Thursday, Friday, & Saturday
Special: 2 for 1 drinks
Rating: 2.5 martinis
Smoking: outside
Other mentions: outside seating, bike racks, full menu

I had only been to Barbacoa once and that was for lunch about a year ago, so I thought it was time to try out their happy hour. We arrived right at 4 to get things started. Like usual, we cozied up to the bar. We were informed that most any drink is included in the 2 for 1 deal except the list of drinks on the cocktail menu in front of us. Most of those were the fancy drinks that we rarely order anyway, so no loss on our parts. We were much later informed that those drinks are discounted during happy hour, though.

With drinks in front of us, we decided to check out the appetizer menu. It offered a variety of options including mini tacos, pizzas, and tableside guacamole. I’ve heard great things about their guacamole but since I’m allergic to avocados, that was not an option. So we went with our normal standby of nachos. The nachos are available regular ($9) or with topping options (add $3): chicken, barbacoa beef, shrimp, or crab. We went with the barbacoa beef. When the dish came out, it was huge. We could only eat about half the order it was so big, and rather tasty.

It seemed that about every half hour, the lights kept getting dimmed until it was really quite dark in the bar. Sure, it can add a bit of ambiance but too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing. Another oddity, the restrooms are not marked well and I had to ask someone which was the women’s. It would be nice to make that just a bit more obvious. A big bonus for the establishment- they have a bike rack, always a huge plus for happy hour attendance.

My friend and I enjoyed Barbacoa but we weren’t wowed by it. The drinks are expensive ($5.50 for well drinks) so happy hour is the only time you may see us there. Granted they do use higher end liquor, such as Smirnoff for vodka instead of Komchatka, but still pricey. The food prices seemed reasonable for what was served. The décor is pleasant and different from other restaurants in the area.

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.

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.