36th Street Bistro

Needing a place to have lunch post Christmas shopping, we opted to try this little restaurant. I’d been here about five years ago and enjoyed it but hadn’t been back in awhile because it’s just not convenient to where I live. After eating here again, I’ll definitely be back.
The space is in a garden center which sounds a bit eclectic, but it really works. When you enter you are in space where beautiful items for the garden and home are for sale. One finds the restaurant just by following the aroma of good food! The menu is composed of mainly salads and sandwiches. On Saturday and Sunday brunch items like quiche and eggs benedict are offered. Burgers are on the menu, but no fries as there is no deep fat fryer in the kitchen.
Never mind — -I opted for the burger which was so juicy, flavorful, and delicious that it didn’t need any other condiment. I selected a small salad to go with it which is one of the options besides soup. My husband enjoyed the Monte Cristo — -a ham and cheese sandwich that is battered and fried. Our two guests had eggs benedict (half portion) and the other opted for a salad with grilled chicken. Both plates looked really good and they were happy with their selections.
Next time we’d like to sample the dinner options here. If one has out of town guests this is a great place to take them for lunch. There is also a good selection of wines at this restaurant.

Having recently moved to the area, my gf, 3 year old
son and I decided to have lunch here. As others have mentioned it’s a bit difficult to find the door since the restaurant itself is in a garden center type store. We entered through the patio door and walked to the host stand. Two people were waiting in front of us. As we waited we noticed the wait staff staring at us and laughing. My gf was infuriated. I was shocked at how rude the wait staff was. If 36^th bistro doesn’t want people entering through the patio then they should post a sign. Maybe they were laughing at us for a different reason. Our appearance? This place left a very sour taste in my mouth.

This is one of our three go to restaurants in Boise. Good food, service and atmosphere. Unique, tucked away in a residential/​commercial/​garden center. Service is great, especially Amy. Only 4 stars because my favorite dish, the herb chicken, has been discontinued. Have introduced it to many friends who all love it. Please bring it back!

Excellent service. Great variety of food! A must for any meal. Some highlights on the menu include quinoa salad with citrus dressing, burgers, daily soups and a large variety of wine. All good.
Great home and garden store adjacent to the restaurant. Unique space with a charming outdoor eating area!

Went here for lunch on a Friday. I split the meatloaf sandwich with my friend, it was plenty big for the two of us and we both had a side salad. Great lunch, service was great. We sat outside, it was very comfortable on a 100 degree day and the sound of the fountain was delightful.

The restaurant is almost hidden amongst home and garden shops. But once we got in, the restaurant is very unique and spacious. Natural sunlight bright from large windows all over. The home and garden center right next to it also helps make the restaurant feel like a garden.
Service is very good. Decent alcohol menu (beer and stout on tap only $ 3 too). Appetizer — spinach artichoke dip — awesome. I had the Highland burger, and it was very juicy and good (seems like all beef is local and from the highland vicinity). The wife had southwestern salmon salad. It was tasty and sprinkled generously with cashews and raspberry balsamic vinaigrette. To top it all, we had crème brule desert. After dinner, the kids went out to the patio outdoor dining area where there is a water fountain and area to goof around.

Had dinner with 15 family members and 3 children Antonio was our server and he was outstanding! Extremely polite and patient. We were not the easiest group but he handled us perfectly. He deserves an increase in pay because he made that meal. Food was great too!

I’ve been to the Bistro three times now and I’ll never return. The wait staff is always friendly and attentive, but: The food is average. I had the salmon salad and the salmon was dry and bland. Worst of all is the wait for the food to get to the table. I’ve had to wait an hour to get my food. AN HOUR. Something is going wrong in the kitchen.

We had a wonderful meal there last night. I love the atmosphere, adjoined to a garden center, with all the lovely plants and openness of the glass allowing all the natural light in. I had the Beef Tenderloin dish, and there was not a morsel of food left on my plate when they took it away. Flavor, portion size, plating technique, all was spot on. Geez, I hate writing this review. Now more people will know of this gem and will make it crazy busy and difficult to get into.

Not sure what the problem is here? We had one really nice experience here, but none since. It’s not the food, it’s the service. We’ve come in during the week and on Saturdays for lunch many times, and ever since our first time, they seem to be out of the daily soup special or some other menu item, and there’s consistently an extremely long wait for the food. The staff seem stressed & rushed, which really defeats the idea of going out to have a relaxing lunch. I mean no water refill while your waiting for the food to finally arrive. Last time, my husband had to actually go look for someone to ask where our order was? The person he asked was standing at this counter area of the dining room, and offered no explanation or apology. We had family in from out of town, first time visiting the area, so it was embarrassing. The dining room nor the patio was full that day, so Just weird? It’s a shame because it’s a lovely little place and the food, when it finally arrives is good but the lack of service combined with the price point is hard to reconcile.:(

I would rate this place as a 3 but my wife might give it a 5. My wife loved the burger. In fact, says it’s one of her favorites in town. I liked the feel of the place but they close early and the service wasn’t great.

Have never been disappointed here. Fresh food and a solid portion that leaves you satisfied but not stuffed. My favorite is the meatloaf sandwhich with side salad. Very flavorful, juicy and if you’re lucky you get an end peice!

I have been here several times and never had a bad meal. However, today I got a latte with no coffee in it, and the waitress argued with me. Then we were delivered food that was not ours. Next we were brought our food but with the wrong sides (turns out they were out but didn’t bother to tell us). The wait was long and the service slow and rude. Will have to carefully consider whether or not to come back.

This is a nice place with an interesting atmosphere (being joined to a garden center). Some might think it is an odd combination, but I think it makes for a unique and interesting dining experience. We did have a little trouble locating an open door (arriving there for dinner after the garden center entrance was closed) but worse case you may find yourself wandering around the outside of the building for a minute or two until you find it. You can pretend you are admiring the shrubbery in case anyone notices.
We had a company dinner here with approximately 20 people the other night. I think 20 people in one party was a lot for the kitchen to handle. It’s not the same as serving 10 couples… All the food has to come out at once and the staff more or less managed to pull it off. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I did very much appreciate the effort, though, as they were very friendly and I could tell they cared and were doing the best they could for a large party. «A» for effort, «A+» for being friendly.
There were two appetizers that I tried. Since I didn’t do the ordering, I will guess at what the ingredients were. One was a basil, goat cheese and crandberry spread with apples, and bread. This was very nice. The crandberries might easily overpower the flavor but you can exercise «crandberry control» and get the blend just right. It looked great, too. I am not a huge fan of goat cheese but this was so mild that I was only able to discern very little «Essence of Goat». It was yummy. The second appetizer was cucumber rounds or «cups» filled with some colorful additions of fruit or vegetables (I can’t remember exactly). It looked great. I couldnt decide how to eat it so I popped the whole round in my mouth at once. This didn’t really work for me (cucumber too big and crunchy and overpowered the other ingredients), but I don’t want to discourage others from trying it as it might just be me and my country bumpkin upbringing. It did look great, so go ahead and order it to impress your dining companion.
I ordered the salmon fillet for my entrée. It is served with risotto and a wine reduction sauce. It had a very nice presentation and plating. My salmon was a bit cold (see above, regarding the large party) but the taste was nice. The risotto was very nicely cooked «Creamy with a bite» and was yummy. Another thing I liked about the salmon entrée was that it was perfectly sized for a medium sized guy who no longer wants to feel like an over stuffed pillow after eating out.
Several in our party ordered the beef fillet, which I was told comes from local highland cattle and is healthier than the normal Angus variety. I surveyed several in our party and 4 out of 5 liked it. Again, the portion looked just right, especially if you are planning for a multi course dinner including dessert. The temperature (I was told) was again too cool but see my note about our large party of 20.
I had the crème brûlée for dessert. It came perfectly sized and was perfect, except for the strawberry on top which looked great but must have ripened in a warehouse somewhere instead of on the vine. Oh well, strawberries aren’t in season anyway.
Anyway, it was a nice dinner despite some problems handling our large party. I’m going to try this place again soon. Nice job, 36^th Street Bistro.

This was FANTASTIC. My half salad was perfect for my taste and appetite, the bf ordered a meatloaf sandwich that he said was amazing. As an added bonus you can walk around the store after you meal! We did a good portion of Christmas shopping without even trying. Definitely is going to get a second visit.

Great spot on Hill Rd, in a greenhouse style building attached to a garden center that’s fun to browse! Short and sweet wine and beer lists, but they tend to mix it up so there’s always a worthy choice. The menu rotates with the seasons, with a constant being the use of Highland beef (delicious, grass fed & finished, huger protein, lower fat beef). Great menu options, ranging from burgers to stews to steak to pasta and fabulous salads. Awesome patio in the summer. A definite Boise favorite.

Excellent food, the chocolate torte was to die for. Wonderful atmosphere, our waiter Ryan was a hoot! He was very nice, prompt, and took great care of us. Been to this restaurant a few times over the years, food is always excellent as is the service. Highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking for healthy, fresh eating.

If you haven’t stopped in this little tucked-​away bistro– you need to! Surrounded by a unique and somewhat quirky garden nursery, the bistro offers fantastic water features and a decent wine selection. The patio looks amazing and my fantastic waiter– Antonio– said the Christmas décor is amazing!

Here’s an update… The next day I receive an email from the manager, Jodi, telling me how first thing the next morning, the host told her all about what happened and she was sorry and was going to credit my meal back to my credit card and she wanted me to give them another chance to make it right. HA! I just checked my credit card and no credit. That’s fine, because I ate the meal. It’s just another poor example of customer service. Nice try, 36^th Street.

Good coffee, breakfast sandwiches, service, and atmosphere. I’ve been here several times for coffee and keep coming back. One of the coziest coffee shops in town, especially when the nursery next door is open.