Papa Joe’s Italian Restaurant and Bar

I’m eating a Freschetta Pizza, straight from my freezer to my oven. It’s WAY better than the excuse of a pizza I got a week ago at Papa Joe’s. NEVER order «Pizza» at Papa Joe’s. I feel sorry for those who claim it’s their «favorite» pizza.

Trying hard but nothing amazing here. Meatballs had no flavor and were lukewarm at best. And they could use some salt. The salad wasnt bad and the ranch tasted home made and was very good. The Mediterranean dish was ok, too many flavors fighting for top spot and not enough salt again. Service was good that’s why the third star.

Came from out of town at a slow period of the day. Pizza was amazing, crust was crispy and buttery. Service was quick, but we were pretty much the only ones there.

I am giving 3 stars only because my husband loves the lasagna pizza. I ordered the eggplant parmesian and it was one of the worst meals I have had in a while. The eggplant I wonder if it is pre fab that they purchase regardless it is so thin all you can taste is grease and breading not to mention overcooked so much that it was like hard rubber if you can imagine.

Friendly and welcoming atmosphere although probably more of a locals place. Right across from the Boise Micron Business Building, it is very conveniently located and yes, has its own parking lot. The food is delicious and they often have buffet lunch type specials. They make one yummy Bloody Mary, and the bartender remembers your drink orders and makes you feel extra-​welcome and special. We will definitely be back!

I loved their bruschetta! It was AMAZING! I’m not sure why this place is receiving bad reviews, I loved the customer service I received while dining there and I had a perfect view. Whenever I’m back in Boise will stop by again!

This is probably my favorite go-​to place when I want a great grilled chicken breast with grilled zucchini and risotto. Always good, always delicious, always hot and fresh, and the service is always outstanding.
They remember what my favorites are, and I just relax here. The salads are great too, with their house balsamic!

Went Saturday night, at 6:00pm. I was surprised that they did not have lasagna available for dinner. Probably should be better prepared for a dinner crowd.

We had a great experience! Stacey and Ben both provided top notch service! The food was really good! The sauerkraut and sausage appetizer was amazing! The salad, even the salad dressing, the pizza and the gelato were all delicious!

I don’t understand all these negative «time» related reviews-​we had a fantastic speedy and attentive service experience. The bruschetta and lasagna was fantastic-​the Obon and wine poured and served speedily and the overall vibe magnificent. All the haters should just stay away because it’ll make more room for us when we visit again!

While I fear that it’s only a matter of time before this place is targeted by a certain national pizza chain for trademark infringement, until that day Papa Joe’s remains a great little spot for a beverage and a damn fine slice of ‘za.
Come for the ambiance, stay for the questionable fire code standards.

Never disappointed by the food, cocktails, or the service whenever I am here! I asked for 1 and ½ ice cubes in my whiskey and Nate, the bartender, actually cut an ice cube in half for me! I would give them 6 stars if I could!

We waited a bit too long for pizza that was soggy, Lasanga that was overcooked and Garlic bread that didn’t have a hint of Garlic.
We paid a lot of money for at best, mediocre food. I came, I ate and I’ll move on

tl;dr — The food was mediocre and the service was horrid. The only saving grace here was the barkeep had a heavy hand.
Showed up during a fairly slow time and waited a few minutes to be seated as the host/​hostess was nowhere to be found. Then I waited 14 minutes before seeing a waitress (the same one who had walked by about 5 times) and getting a drink order. A few minutes later the gentleman who seated me (now my waiter) stopped by to ask for my drink order again…
Cue another 5ish minutes and I was graced with a water and asked if I was ready to order. I ordered the sirloin medium rare with a side salad to come out first. A few more minutes and I received my drink order (this is right around the 25 minute mark). 15 more and I get my entrée and salad together.
The drink was amazing. The food was bland and tasteless. Though the house ranch was nice and the salad greens fresh. The steak was cooked to temp, but an extremely tough cut of meat overall. The grilled zucchini was decent and the risotto was just bland as bland can be.
During this time, I waited another 10 minutes for a refill and observed another waitress telling her guests about an amazing special they were having. Really wish I was given a breakdown of the special myself, it sounded great.
In the end, my waiter came by about 10 minutes after I was done to hand me a check with no offer of coffee or dessert. The whole Arsenal lasted about 90 minutes and honestly, if the location wasn’t so convenient to walk from my hotel I would have left during the waiting game in the beginning.
Overall, would NOT recommend.

I LOVE this place. Great date restaurant. They have a wicked awesome Malbec as well! Their food is terrific and staff is on it and friendly as well. A great place to go for conversation with friends, or a… potential lover…

I’ve eaten here twice and my feelings are mixed. The first time was for my dad’s birthday dinner and the sauce on his lasagna was bitter. We were comped his meal, but still, his birthday dinner was sort of ruined. The second time, my pizza was soggy on the bottom, like they put it on a wet plate. There’s also a fly problem in the restaurant in the summer – I counted 7 just flying around my table *inside*.
Everyone there is really nice though so I feel bad about having to give only 2 stars, but after the 2^nd iffy experience I felt like I had to.

Had very high hopes for eating some good Italian food and was very disappointed tonight. Normally I overlook bland food for good customer service, but our server was not on top of it today. She struggled to maintain good service and seemed very unapproachable. Didn’t offer us any specials or drinks (and it’s Friday). Went to go get drinks elsewhere.
Food was colorful but lacked taste (bland). Lasagna is somewhat something that you can’t go wrong with and I honestly couldn’t say anything impressive about it. Tasted quite similar to something you’d get out of a jar but less flavor. Weather on the patio was nice though :-)
$ 30 meal should taste a lot better

I don’t talk up eating and drinking establishments often. That’s not really my thing. Yet, I’ve recently found myself – a business traveler in Boise on a two-​week stay – coming to Papa Joe’s quite regularly. My two favorite meals beyond their BBQ Chicken Pizza are the spaghetti and meat sauce (a very rich sauce for a seeming simple, basic meal… it’s worth it,) and the 8 oz. sirloin. I’ll be honest: the steak is the very reason I’m writing this review. Sirloins are a tricky cut to perfect, and Joe’s truly has. It’s made-​to-​order and seared just enough to mix the juiciness with unique spice and the perfect amount of char. Add a bed of rice and steam-​cooked veggies, along with a local brew and a ball game. THAT’s a spirited night out.
The service here is personable and friendly, and there’s always been a table upon walk-​in.
I’d call this a great spot for a first date, as they brag a little on their espresso, which I’ve yet to try.
Give it a shot; you’ll love it!

Came here for lunch on the suggestion of some locals.
We had been driving all day and were very hungry. I ordered the meatballs off of the appetizer menu and Blue ordered The God Father sandwich with a side salad.
The salad was small but decent as one might expect from a side salad. The meatballs were. OK. They were made with gluten free bread crumbs which gave the meat balls an odd texture. The sandwich was… A little sad. On the menu it made it sound like it would be overflowing with meat… Not the case. There was a baguette with a scant amount of meat.
Needless to say, Blue left hungry and I with a bit of an upset tummy.

This has been a go-​to spot for our neighbors for some time now. I have to say, the laid back atmosphere sure makes me think «Casual Italian» is a great tag-​line for this restaurant. There are rooms that seriously look like your (or your grandmother’s) living room. Sit and eat some Italian comfort food in a very relaxed atmosphere. If it’s not crowded, I certainly could see doing work or grading papers here.
As for the food, we had a fairly mixed experience. The buffalo (hot) wings were totally legit, almost to the point of being a little vinegar heavy (this is pretty traditional, in my experience); however, they were excellently spicy. My wife and I each got a personal size pizza, which was maybe too small. The crust wasn’t outstanding and, because they were so small, it felt like there was almost no cheese, just toppings. The sauce was forgettable.
My neighbor let me try her chicken marsala and it was amazing. The pasta seemed freshly-​made and the chicken was wonderfully smoky (like it was done on a charcoal grill).
I give this place an A for service and atmosphere (if you like the low-​key thing), but maybe a B– on the food (because it was so hit or miss). As long as you aren’t expecting Asiago’s style Italian, I don’t think you will be disappointed.