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New 16 Hours
16 Best Bars in Boise 2016
When it comes to small-city bars, Boise has a gathering place for every taste, every lifestyle.
Boise has a local bar on the map for every thirst. Check out these best bars in Boise.
1. Best Wine Bar
Boise’s newest downtown wine destination is Bodovino—located in the BoDo south 8th street historic district. Bovovino features 144 US and foreign wines on tap for a modern tasting experience with atmosphere. Wine enthusiasts order by the ounce, by the glass, or by the bottle and pair the wine with a favorite light fare to please any appetite. Choose from a variety of tapas, flatbreads, salads, sandwiches, and desserts and over 30 kinds of cheese. Patrons will enjoy a variety of attractive seating options in one of Boise’s most exquisite vintage locations inside the 8th street marketplace.
404 S. 8th Street
Boise, ID 83701
208-336-8466
Yelp: 4 stars, 41 reviews
2. Best Beer Bar
For a beer experience, Taphouse Pub & Eatery has over 40 draft beer selections on tap, from Alaska to Hawaii and including Idaho’s own. They offer an American menu with great food for weekend brunch, daily lunch, and dinner all week long. For sports fanatics, there are plenty of big screens and counter space for a casual fun evening in the heart of downtown Boise. Locals love it, and visitors experience a real hometown adventure over their favorite brew.
760 W. Main Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-336-6991
Yelp: 4 stars, 56 reviews
3. Best Sports Bar
Sports enthusiasts can’t beat Boise’s Ram Restaurant & Brewery, located directly across from Boise State University—home of the famed Boise Broncos. Bronco supporters literally walk across the street after the pre-game festivities to take in the football game. The Ram is one of Boise’s few sports bars located right on the Boise River, featuring a seasonal patio with river views. Sports fans enjoy craft or bottled beers, regular happy hour, and a variety of steaks, seafood, salads, and sandwich options for every member of the clan.
709 East Park Blvd
Boise, ID 83712
208-345-2929
Yelp: 3.5 stars, 100 reviews
4. Best Whiskey Bar
Source: flickr.com
Whiskey Bar is just that—the best darn whiskey in downtown Boise, and lots of it. Patrons enjoy a daily happy hour and choose from a vast selection of whiskeys: Bourbon, Rye, Canadian, Tennessee, Single Malt, Scotch, Blended Scotch, Irish, American, Indian, and Japanese. For the serious whiskey connoisseurs, Whiskey Bar’s atmosphere is casual and conversational with lots of wood and an open-garage-door concept during three seasons. People come to relax, party, and sample exquisite whiskeys.
509 Main Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-429-5755
Yelp: 3.5 stars, 20 reviews
5. Best After-Work Drink Spot
If you’re ready for some after-work social relief, the Hyde Park Pub & Grill (formerly known as Harry’s) is only ten blocks from downtown Boise, with a great outdoor patio in local ambiance. Hyde Park is one of Boise historical North End diamonds, with an annual street fair, plenty of history, and small-town charm. This corner drink spot is definitely low-key and casual, described as “not your normal neighborhood pub & grill.”
1501 N 13th Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-336-9260
Yelp: 3.5 stars, 42 reviews
6. Best Dive Bar
A true dive bar doesn’t even have a website. If this is your dream along with great cocktails, you will love downtown Boise’s Cactus Bar. Dive bars are sometimes the solution to your sorrows, and this cheap, low-class bar is certain to please every time. Expect to pay cash only for strong drinks at low prices and smoke to your hearts content. One fine reviewer said, “If you are high maintenance, go somewheres else.” That pretty much sums it up for this iconic piece of history, and the locals keep on loving it.
517 W Main Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-343-9732
Yelp: 3.5 stars, 12 reviews
7. Best Cocktails
If you are thirsty for the fifties, you are going to love Modern Hotel and Bar located in downtown Boise’s newly evolving Linen District. The decor is taken right out a fifties’ movie, and the cocktails are nothing less than fascinating, made with flair from all fresh ingredients. Enjoy local, homegrown cuisine for brunch, happy hour, or dinner. Described as “business, artist, and even cowboy friendly” and “one of Boise’s best-kept secrets,” The Modern offers a fine taste of vintage local drinking, dining, and living.
1314 W Grove Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-424-8244
Yelp: 4 stars, 161 reviews
8. Best Live Music
The Reef in downtown Boise offers some of the best live music in downtown, with regular weekend bands for listening, dining near, and dancing to. Enjoy exotic island-style foods and atmosphere. Patrons love summers at the Reef. You will dine near tiki torches under grass umbrellas on an upper-floor seasonal patio, or eat, drink, and dance to the music in the Tiki Lounge as the indoor lights go down. It’s a great gathering place that livens up as the night goes on.
105 S 6th Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-287-9200
Yelp: 3 stars, 83 reviews
9. Bar With the Best Outdoor Space
There is nothing you won’t find quaint and comfortable about the 13th Street Pub and Grill, offering a corner courtyard by summer and fireplace surround by winter. The 13th Street Pub and Grill is Boise’s best outdoor space, perfectly situated in the center of Boise’s north end in the historic Hyde Park district. This eating and drinking establishment has music, atmosphere, and taps to suit singles, friends, and families. It’s indoor/outdoor all year around, conducive to socializing, but personal for those who wish to observe from a quiet corner. Enjoy fine food in appetizers, brunch, lunch, and dinner along with great microbrews and cocktails to your liking.
1520 N 13th Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-639-8888
Yelp: 3.5 stars, 83 reviews
10. Most Expensive and Worth It
Nested in the middle of Boise’s busiest downtown street, Red Feather Lounge shares space and atmosphere with neighboring Bittercreek Alehouse, to offer elegance and four stars for drinking and dining with swank. Described as “modern American,” Red Feather Lounge collaborates with locals to offer ethical food choices in a pristine atmosphere. Visitors and locals alike are pleased with this lounge-to-love experience and are happy to pay a little more for every minute.
246 N 8th Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-429-6340
Yelp: 4 stars, 176 reviews
11. Best Local Joint
An oldie, but one of Boise’s best downtown destinations in Old Boise, Pengilly’s Saloon has been satisfying customers since 1976. It’s got character, live music, and pool, and the regulars find it home away from home. Enjoy regular nightly bands and a weekly Thursday night concert with Boise’s renowned musical artists, The Frim Fram Four. Esquire Magazine rated Pengilly’s as one of the top 100 bars across the nation. It’s the place to drink in Boise.
513 W Main Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-345-6344
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 19 reviews
12. Best Day Drinking Spot
It’s big, it’s beautiful, and it’s Boise’s one and only restaurant distillery, at three lively Idaho locations. Bardenay has the locals and out-of-towners covered for every meal and any cocktail. In the spring, summer, and fall months, the Bardenay patio is an open gathering place only one block from The Grove and sharing space on the same block with The Basque Center. The atmosphere is great any time of the day or night, and the food and drink are nothing short of phenomenal.
610 W Grove Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-426-0538
Yelp: 4 stars, 221 reviews
13. Best First Date Bar
Absolutely the most interesting, eclectic, intriguing, and unique in the city, the Barbacoa on Boise’s ParkCenter Pond is one of a kind! It’s a must-see, unique experience every visitor and resident should make time for. The Latin American cuisine is exquisite, and the drinks are amazing, but the atmosphere is one you’ve got to see to believe. Don’t miss the seasonal rooftop for breathtaking views of the reflective ParkCenter Pond below, a tree-lined Boise River, and the stunning foothills that surround the area. Decide for yourself.
517 W Main Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-338-5000
Yelp: 4 stars, 332 reviews
14. Best Juice Bar
For those seeking a healthy choice in 2016 and beyond, there is no shortage of options at Tree City Juice & Smoothie Café, available in three convenient locations in the Boise area. Students and residents alike are excited to find a smoothie that is loaded with real fruit, natural ingredients, and real juice. There are a number of food options morning, noon, and night for those who wish to make a healthy choice. Boise’s main Tree City Juice & Smoothie Café is situated with a view across from the Boise State University campus and only a few blocks from the famed Boise Train Depot on Capitol Blvd.
Tree City Juice & Smoothie Cafe
1265 S Capitol Blvd
Boise, ID 83706
208-342-0467
Yelp: 4 stars, 17 reviews
15. Best LGBT Bar
Balcony Club is Boise’s go-to bar for alternative lifestyles where everyone is welcome. Dancing, vibe, and down-to-earth is how some of Balcony Club’s customers describe their experience. The Balcony Club is “Boise’s best local dance club for over ten years running.” That says a lot. Patrons enjoy drinks, dancing, and happy hour seven days a week right on the second floor in the heart of downtown Boise where all of the action takes place.
150 N 8th Street, Suite 226
Boise, ID 83702
208-336-1313
Yelp: 3.5 stars, 26 reviews
16. Best New Bar
Bier Thirty at Bown Crossing is home to one of Boise’s up-and-coming best little beer bars, offering more than 400 craft and imported beers and ten taps to please the neighborhood. It is situated on a quaint block at the end of ParkCenter Blvd and the beautiful newly developed Marianne Williams Park, just off the Boise River and the Boise Greenbelt. Bier Thirty chefs are preparing some interesting food choices to pair with local and foreign beers, and the outdoor patio keeps getting bigger as patrons discover this intriguing beer experience. Cycle over, enjoy beer and food with your friends, and hop on the greenbelt. It’s an evening for those who love the great outdoors.
