Bardenay Restaurant & Distillery

Love this place, great service, food is awesome every time I go there. The grilled salmon always comes out perfectly cooked. The dining room can sometimes be very loud as it is a big space with very high ceilings but the atmosphere is always upbeat. In other words, if you are looking for a place for a quiet dinner out, don’t go here. But if you are looking for a restaurant with great food, a lively atmosphere, fantastic service and reasonable prices then make this your first stop.

Our server Hailey was awesome! Great patio, awesome brunch, such a wonderful choice for a Sunday funday

As a foodie new to Boise, I have been asking the locals for their top picks for restaurants. My husband and I love to eat out for brunch and was told that this restaurant was a very good option. The ambiance was bar and VERY loud. It wasn’t that busy, maybe ½ full and we had to raise our voices to talk to be heard across our table, I can’t imagine what it would be like if it was full?
We both ordered the salmon and caper eggs benedict and my husband ordered a bloody mary. He said his bloody was ok, nothing special — he said it tasted like they waved the vodka bottle over the top. I had an ice tea which was OK too. We waited for our food for 40 minutes. When the waiter brought out our food it was served with a disclaimer that the Hollandaise had broke because it got too warm but assured us that it still tasted great. We, hesitantly, said we’d give it a try since we were famished even though it looked awful. I immediately tasted the sauce which tasted like melted butter — not even a hint of the lemony goodness known of Hollandaise. We called the waiter back over and said we could not eat our meals and could we please have the cook make a new sauce. He removed our plates and when he returned, he informed us that they weren’t making anymore sauce and we would have to choose something else from the menu, and to make matters worse, because now we had been at the restaurant for over an hour, they were no longer serving brunch. Ugghhh! At this point I was set on eggs benedict and since they weren’t serving brunch any longer, we decided we would go somewhere else. He then has the audacity to say to us, no problem and I’ll go ahead and take off the charges. Were thinking, they aren’t going to charge us for the drinks to compensate us for the inconvenience; but, no he meant, he was going to not charge us for the inedible eggs benedict (um really?) and he would be right back (which ended up being 15 minutes later) with our check for the drinks. UNBELIEVABLE!!! One, it doesn’t take much to whip up hollandaise sauce and 2) you charge us for drinks, when we waited over an hour and you tried to convince us to eat food which was prepared incorrectly? If I owned this restaurants and I found out my chef allowed eggs benedict to leave the kitchen with broken — and not a little broken, but cottage cheese looking broken hollandaise; They would no longer be working in my restaurant. We will not be returning, there are too many other good options in this town. Very Disappointing!

Charbroiled salmon is gods gift to man. Always great when I get it! Service is quite a bit slower than most places so don’t come in with a tight time frame of when you need to leave. Overall their food is so good and the place is always clean and looking nice! Absolutely going back.

Visiting my daughter at Boise State. Staying downtown at Hotel 43, just about a block away. Arrived about 6pm last night. The place was hoping. No tables available but we were able to get a seat at the bar. Watching the bartenders mix their drinks was very entertaining. Service was excellent and the food was too. Very responsibly priced. We will definitely be dining there again.

Great place for drinks and light fare. I went with some coworkers after work for happy hour and had a good time. We did not stay too long since we wanted to explore some other places as well, but my drink the Thai Fighter was delicious! The distillery is very nice looking.

This is a great place to meet up with a group of friends. The restaurant is large, and it’s open seating. We came on a weeknight so it was relatively easy to find seating for 6, but I imagine it might get a little crowded on weekends. Most of us ordered sandwiches which were hot and fresh. I ordered the meatloaf sandwich and was really satisfied. The meatloaf is moist, the sourdough bread is crisp, and the cheese is nicely melted. The house green salad I had on the side was also huge. Two of my friends got tacos, and I’d have to say the portions are a bit small for those. There were two tacos in each order, and I think the average person could easily eat three or four. The food was a bit slow to come out of the kitchen, but the wait staff was friendly and nicely split our check 6 ways. I’d be glad to come here again with friends or family.

Yes, yes, so hard, yes. Everything is splendid. Apps to drinks to entrees. Kim chi Reuben is a fave.

Good brunch options and a vast drink menu, This is one of the places that everyone local either loves or despises. You seldom find anyone impartial.
I’ve never had anything to complain about, (well… There was that one chocolate martini but I’m betting that was more the fault of chocolate martinis not being my thing and less on the bartender.) that being said, it’s not my first choice either, but I won’t balk at the invitation.

Are you a Bardenay novice? This is my first visit here as it was recommended by my dinner date who dined here previously, our original plan was barbacoa but was way too crowded. After you walk through those doors here’s what to expect
Seating yourself-​Ambience
We were welcomed to a packed dining room and quickly greeted, but not in the way that I hoped. A guy pointed to the sign and said go ahead just walk around and seat yourself, I could see this being very intimidating as other people were also circling around tables. it’s very hard to enjoy a meal when you have me *cue the jaws music* sharking around your table. I hate doing this and feel it’s uncomfortable for both parties, after awhile I spotted a table and went in for the kill. It was a 6 person table for the two of us (not my first choice but it’s survival of the fittest in these deep waters) if I could explain Bardenay in one word as previous Unilocal reviewers said. it is LOUD.
Menu–
I gotta say the prices for the food were not bad at all for downtown, I like how they had $ 8 – 25 options. They offer a weekly dinner specials, seasonal brews on tap, and extensive wines. When it came to ordering I eyed the Pacific Cod and Chips or the Unilocal infamous chicken alfraedo (many rave about it). I decided on the alfraedo due to I’m used to the best Cod in the Valley (Kilted Kod) and only knew I would be dissapointed. My dinner date got the black bean and quinoa Burger and now all we had to do was wait.
Wait and Cleanliness–
After about 30 mins our food came out, during that time I watched the kitchen show. (We were seated right next to it) I paid special attention to how long our food sat in the window, as well as tables being bussed. Amazed by the amount of servers grabbing dirty dishes dropping them off then right back to serving food with not cleaning their hands.
Food–
It finally arrives and I first feel the plate to check for warmth, it is hot but not super hot, which usually indicates a chef mike (microwave) helped make it. My date right away said that hers was luke warm, we knew this due to watching it sit in the window to be served. She decided not to to mention it bc she was starving, I on the other hand dug in to enjoy my alfraedo. As pictured it arrived much like a tinder date, way different than imagined or pictured lol
Pasta– cooked perfectly
Sauce– fresh and homemade
Chicken– overcooked and dry, this was dissapointing
Bread– 2 sticks of it with no butter or garlic flavor
Overall I felt the food for the price was meh, $ 13 bucks and chicken is overcooked, $ 10 and the burger plate was luke warm. Maybe next time I will try the Cod instead, what a shame.

If we are downtown, Bardenay Boise is one of our go-​to brunch spots. You can get a HUGE meal for a reasonable price. If only the Boise and Eagle offerings were the same, I’d be the happiest camper around. While Boise has brunch on Saturdays AND Sundays, the Eagle location only has it on Sundays. Bummer!
Food: We love going here for happy hour, as they food and beverage offerings are great. The satay’s (chicken, beef and shrimp) are my favorite happy hour item. I can order one of each and they fill me and my husband up! If we’re going for brunch, which is often why we go, the French toast and Bardenay Breakfast are our two top picks. I’ve also had the Basque Scramble (SO GOOD!) and Eggs Benedict – all were divine! What I also appreciate about Bardenay is the ala carte brunch ordering. Typically if my husband orders a meal, I’ll order a side of egg whites and fruit, making it a great place to enjoy a great atmosphere as well as a healthy meal.
Drinks: We haven’t had much to drink at Bardenay!
Happy Hour Offerings: M-​F 4 – 6 Happy Hour (and late happy hour) with food and drink specials. Get the satay’s… they’re great!
Atmosphere: The downtown location has a really nice venue. There’s a good amount of indoor and outdoor seating as well as a private entertaining room in the back. The bar area is very nice. I love the feel of the restaurant. It feels very American, very classy and very open.
Service: Great and prompt service every time we’ve been. If they’re busy, it might take a minute to get your food, but it’s worth the wait.
Healthy Hack: Order a la carte. I typically don’t order off the menu but instead get a side of egg whites and fruit!
Overall Quality: Very good quality and more upscale choices.
Overall Value: Not too pricey for some great and diverse choices.
TIP: Go for brunch! Big portions and served on Saturday AND Sunday!

This place! I’m going to start off by I ended up here twice in one day. We ended up here for lunch unexpectedly and I was blown away with the rich and tangy Panzanella Bruschetta Salad. Beautiful, good size, valuable.
We went back that night for drinks because the bar was beautiful but also packed at lunch. We had 3 drinks each. We each had a Dirty Martini (Vodka), my friend had a Spicy Bloody Mary (Now I like my Marys hot, but the wasabi flavor was too much for me when I tasted it) and a specialty cocktail called Basil Instinct. The menu lists Basil Instinct as a Gin drink, she ordered it with Vodka and it was so delicious! A fresh mouthful of tangy sweetness.
My second drink was a Huckelberry Lemon Drop, it was the perfect balance of tang and sweet. It was a beautiful purple color that was fall in a martini glass. My last drink was of my own making (the Bardenay Lemon Vodka, Triple Sec, a splash of Chambord, and a float of Prosecco– I named it the Pink Fuzz)
They also have the greatest fries yet in Boise!

Amazing — bar staff were awesome. Recommended a drink — incredible. Food was great too!!!

Went here tonight with a large group! Nice seating in the Boiler room.
Food for me was a house salad (ok) and the steak… just ok. I’d have to give it another try, but my first impression was nice atmosphere but just average food.

RUDE! long time customer (see previous reviews) picks up a high dollar to-​go order– bartender asks if he can help, and I tell him my to-​go order is right behind him– he says nothing and walks away to help another customer– when I finally get helped, I ask the wandering bartender why he ignored me, a second bartender says, «we’re really busy» and the restaurant is ¹⁄₃ full. This rudeness and unprofessionalism is new to Bardanay– this is why Boise will never be a first tier restaurant city– the service tonight was more like a Stinker gas station than a restaurant– Management needs to pay attention to hiring and training — otherwise Bardanay will end up being yet another Boise restaurant disappointment.

Wanted to try Basque food, but it was a Sunday and they’re all apparently too religious to do business on the Lord’s day. Since we were already in Basque town, we went here instead.
Charming little hipster bar with lovely outdoor patio and crazy-​extensive menu with something for EVERONE, plus tons of fancy schmancy mixology craft cocktails. My sis had some kind of gin thing with basil, which she loved, and I had a spicy Bloody Mary, which was GREAT (and very spicy, but not intolerably so).
I had a steak pita wrap with apricot couscous, and my sis had a bunch of happy hour tapas that were only around $ 3 each — hummus, chicken satay, plus something else. Total bill was VERY reasonable for the quality of the food — around $ 40.
Service was GREAT, too — very friendly and patient (the menu is so overwhelming, it took us awhile to figure it out).
I would probably come here again!

I really love Bardenay’s Mediterranean plate. Most of the time I will order that for my dinner. However, if I stray away from this delicious menu item, you will find me consuming their salmon plate. It is always cooked very well… I really dislike when salmon is over cooked… but I am happy to report that I have not ran into this issue at Bardenay.
Their dirty vodka martinis with blue cheese stuffed olives are beyond tasty.
If you want delicious food, in a laid back but classy atmosphere… you should definitely eat here. Whether or not you are hangin with friends or meeting your dad for a quick bite to eat. This is definitely a great establishment!

Landed in Boise on a Sunday and read thru my fellow Unilocalers’ reviews and decided upon this place.
I tried their house made gin with tonic and lime. It was not as distinctive as I would have liked (I had a house gin in Albuquerque that was memorable. So memorable in fact that I can’t remember the bar.)
I also ordered the trout. Again, it was decent but nothing special. It included garlic mashed potatoes but I couldn’t taste the garlic. The fresh (?) green beans were probably the best.
Pricing is reasonable so it deserves 3 stars.

I sat at the bar on a Sunday evening, the restaurant was fairly empty and the staff was busy speaking to an employee sitting at the bar. One bartender noticed me and then took great care of me.
I ordered the steak salad and the steak was sub-​par. I ordered it medium to medium rare and it was rare. Since the cut of meat had strings of fat laced through it I had a hard time eating it. The bartender did take the steak back to the kitchen to give it a little more warmth and then it was more edible when returned. Nothing special about the salad or dressing itself. Just ok.

So perhaps it was a bad idea to choose a place that specializes in spirits when neither one of us was in the mood to drink.
Our bad.
Nevertheless, a really cool space. This is a happening joint, even on a week day night. We’ve walked this place on a weekend night… Yeah… Not gonna happen.
They have a plethora of spirits, so if you are in the mood to get your creative juices flowing, I highly recommend checking this place out.
But like I said before, we didn’t drink, so my review is based solely on the food. Blue hot the trout and I got a streak sandwich sans the bread. Both were good, well cooked, and I don’t really have anything bad to say about it. We’ve certainly had better food in Boise, but they did a decent job.
Our server was extremely helpful and friendly, which goes a long way with us. We probably wouldn’t go back for the food alone, but we will for sure be back for a drink sometime.