Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar

Epi's A Basque

➤ 1115 N Main St, Meridian I-83642-2305, United States

Menu • Salad • Basque • European • Vegetarian

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"Five years after the shocking news that Epi's Basque Restaurant owners Chris Ansotegui and Gina Ansotegui Urquidi planned to retire and that the outstanding Meridian restaurant might close, I'm happy to report that seemingly little has changed from the restaurant named after the women's grandmother, who ran a Basque boarding house in Hailey. Sure, Chris is no longer there to cheerfully greet guests and give them a hug coming and going. Likewise, sister Gina and longtime server Bridget Murphy have also retired. But the current staff is just as good and the food is still wonderful. Erik McFarland, Chris and Gina's nephew and Epi's great grandson, now owns the restaurant and is head chef. He had already worked at the restaurant for 20 years when he bought it and is a graduate of Boise State's culinary program. Friends of ours from Reno drove to Boise over the weekend and after treating them to the Greek Festival on Friday, we decided to take them to Epi's A Basque Restaurant the following night. Early Saturday morning I texted their phone number and asked if they had a table available for that evening. The restaurant doesn't take online reservations, but you can call or text. Within a few minutes I received a reply back listing their open slots and I was able to confirm our reservation. Upon arrival, Erik greeted us and from memory he knew they had a table for four for us. We ordered a calamari appetizer along with one ai don't remember from past visits, Brussels sprouts in a sauce with chorizo. They were both excellent. I ordered the pork chops with pimento for an entree. My companions chose the leg of lamb, beef medallions and roasted garlic chicken. Dinners come with sliced baguettes (my only complaint is the bread isn't served warm), soup (cream of mushroom and red bean were the choices that night) and salad. The mushroom soup is one of my favorites and it was just as rich and tasty as ever. The entrees come with two side dishes that change nightly. Each of us received a serving of a yellow rice with chorizo along with a shared plate of homemade French fries. While restaurants of different cuisines offer a flavored rice dish, many times it's a throwaway dish lacking a depth of flavor. Epi's rice is really good. I love Epi's lamb chops, so it's always tough choosing between them, the leg of lamb and the pork chops. I usually switch off and sometimes order one of their fish specials. The pork chops are flavorful and come with a small laye4 of fat along the edge. So much of the pork chops available in grocery stores have the fat bred out, leaving them dry and tasteless. When I buy pork chops to cook at home, I get them from Boise's Carniceria Coalcoman. They buy whole hogs from a local farmer and butcher them themselves. The chops are like those available in stores 30 years ago. Everything we ate that night at Epi's was excellent. Pro tip: If you order the medallions, ask for extra brandy peppercorn cream sauce on the side. It's addicting. I might ask for some next time with the lamb chops or pork chops."

Sockeye Brewing

➤ 12542 W Fairview Ave, 83713, Boise, United States

Menu • Cheese • American • Sandwiches • North American

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"I used to be a big fan of Sockeye, but that's no longer the case. My last three out of four visits have been quite disappointing, with just one decent lunch experience. We were seated quickly around 6:30 PM, but it took over ten minutes for anyone to acknowledge us at our table—no eye contact, no smile, nothing. Our first round took 15 minutes to arrive, and when it did, our server brought me the wrong burger. I pointed this out, and the nachos we ordered were a soggy disaster, overloaded with toppings. I mentioned that too, but there was no manager in sight. After waiting another 15 minutes for the second round, I did enjoy the Rage Red beer. Unfortunately, after that, we were ignored for 30 minutes while waiting for the check. I've been a customer for over ten years, but I'm sorry to say, Sockeye, that this was our last visit."

Yard House

➤ 3693 E Longwing Ln, Meridian, ID 83646, United States

Menu • Burgers • American • Canadian • North American

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"As for the food and drinks, Yardhouse has something for everyone. You can choose from simple appetizers, pizzas, burgers, colorful and healthy options, and my personal favorite, poke nachos. With a selection of 100 beers and ciders, they also serve excellent craft cocktails. The Smokey Old Fashioned is a popular choice among our group. The service is where Yardhouse truly excels. From the management to the incredible servers, we have always felt welcomed and have received friendly, genuine, and professional service. I've even begun to remember the names of the staff! On several occasions, we've left Yardhouse discussing whether we had the best server ever. Their attention to detail is impressive—whether it’s avoiding hot plates near our baby, providing our dog with water, or noticing when a dish hasn’t been touched for some time and offering a takeaway box. Bravo! Pricing is reasonable, with food and beverages ranging from $5 to $10 for beer and $15 to $30 for entrees. However, the real bargains are during Happy Hour, where a large selection of meal-sized appetizers and pizzas are half off, and drinks are discounted. We often enjoy a couple of appetizers each and a drink for under $20 per person during Happy Hour. With a great patio, Happy Hour deals, and excellent staff, Yardhouse provides the best dining experience we've found in Meridian so far!"

Goodwood Barbecue Co

➤ 1140 N Eagle Rd, Meridian, Idaho, 83642, United States

Menu • Soup • Meat • Cheese • American

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"We had some friends visiting from out of town, and a group of seven of us decided to come here for dinner on a Sunday evening. The place is obviously very popular, and was busy. One of the reasons the person that made our reservations chose Goodwood is because they take reservations, and that is a nice perk if you have a large group. My wife and I had the 1/3 rack of baby back ribs. She chose the steak fries and the beans and I chose the steak fries and the creamy coleslaw. The ribs were good, not great, but I did not find the coleslaw very flavorful, and the steak fries were just OK. My wife felt the same away about her food. Our large booth was not very comfortable for two of our party that were plus size, and even I felt a little cramped. I will say that our server was very good, and I'm sorry I didn't ask his name, so I could give him a shout out."

The Empanada Club

➤ 1580 N Stonehenge Way Ste 106, Meridian, ID 83642, USA, United States

Menu • Food • Wine • Vegan • Fast Food

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"Full disclosure: I attended The Empanada Club as part of a Yelp Elite event in which I was given two free empanadas. This review is not in any way influenced by free products, however. Additionally my friends and I purchased a dessert and their meals while we were there so we also financially did support the business. Our experience of the food is true to any visit of the restaurant. The service here is beyond kind. I hadn't ever been to this restaurant so I had questions about the empanadas and the employees were patient and so friendly as they chatted with me. As for the empanadas themselves, I got the vegan one, which is vegetables in a coconut curry sauce. I don't love coconut so I wasn't predisposed to like it, which was unfortunate. That's one minor problem with this restaurant: the menu is incredibly limited, especially for vegetarians, so if you have any taste preferences or dietary restrictions you might not find anything you like on the menu. I didn't like the vegan empanada, but that was due to not liking the filling. My friend got the chicken, which had a nice, moist filling, but she thought the addition of the boiled eggs inside was strange. None of the other empanadas ad appealed to her, though, so she chose that one. My other friend got the original, with ground beef, onions, and the same boiled eggs. She said it had lots of flavor but again, thought the eggs were weird. However, they are obviously a traditional part of the filling so we accept that as part of the meal. We just wish they had more options available for people to try. Instead of being fried like traditional empanadas, the versions here are baked. That makes them much healthier but not as crispy and flaky as the deep fried kind. I have to say, I wished they were fried. If I'm going to eat something in a butter crust with a rich filling, I'd rather go all the way and have it fried. I think these would be outstanding that way. However, they do make them nice and as crispy as I think they can be in the way they bake them. The restaurant itself is beautiful, clean, and open. There's plenty of parking and it's easy to find. I will come back and hope that maybe I can find a great treat here. I can say that the prices are fairly reasonable. You will pay about the same as a meal at Subway plus you're supporting an awesome local business. I felt like all the ingredients used were high quality and they were making everything fresh. They also did an excellent job in keeping the atmosphere in the restaurant feeling welcoming, so it's a great place to try."