Bittercreek Alehouse

Our server was fantastic at beer suggestions. Bittercreek had the best veggie black bean and sweet potato burger I’ve ever had — and it didn’t fall apart like most veggie burgers. The most scrumptious desert was their strawberry shortcake! But this isn’t your grandmother’s recipe… the shortcake is similar to an orange/​almond scone and served with real sweet cream and a strawberry jam syrup on the side that you pour over. OMG our taste buds were exploding! Wow!

The good reviews of this place were all right. I ordered the pork tacos and hubby got the trout. Both were really delicious and the waitress was very knowledgeable and friendly. They have a great beer selection which we thoroughly enjoyed. They even had a little lunchbox of stuff to keep my 4 year old entertained, nice!
The thing that put this place over the top was the desserts. Now, I’m pretty picky about my desserts. I may order a standard pub/​restaurant dessert to fill a sweet tooth, but I’ll hardly be impressed. Well here, they may call him/​her a modest pastry chef, but I’d go back there just to order another dessert. That little molten chocolate brioche with an actual frozen custard (yes you can taste the smooth richness of the custard) was the real thing. Decadent without being heavy, elegant without being pretentious… and just heavenly. It was hard to slow down and enjoy every bite because I polished that thing off so fast my husband only got one bite in. So worth it.

I have been a huge fan of Bittercreek for years. I hadn’t been in awhile so I was excited for the chance to pop in one beautiful Friday afternoon. I was pleased to see that the atmosphere is still the same comfortable one. The dark woods and great seating make it easy to find a place with a view or be private if that is what one wants. The menu had some great new items since I had last been in and I was excited to try some new things. I tried the poutine with duck confit. It was sinfully delicious and was the perfect pre-​weekend treat. This was by far the best poutine I have had in Idaho. It was LUSCIOUS.
I also have to commend the staff. I am used to the kind of hip staff that work at so many downtown Boise establishments. They seem to usually have a sort of disconnected coolness that can sometimes make them unapproachable or seem stoic and disinterested. Bittercreek has NEVER given me that vibe. I was so pleased with my waiter, Tyler Adams. Everything he did was done with kindness and the utmost attention to detail. Since I started a strict diet in 2015, I don’t take many opportunities to cheat on it, but when I do, I want it to be worth it. He was extremely attentive to my requests and I left Bittercreek feeling well-​cared for. Because of that, I can’t wait for my next trip.
If you haven’t been to Bittercreek in awhile, make it a point to stop in and see them again. It is worth it!

So this was a great experience! We came in with our 2 and 4 year olds and were initially apprehensive that the Ale house would be too fancy. The staff member who assisted us was awesome. She got the kids drinks with kids, she asked the kitchen if they could hook up our persnickety eater with a modified cheese plate, and the rest of the food was phenomenal! The kid sized Mac and cheese was a huge hit with kid 2. Hubby got some great beer and the Huntsman. Burger which he thoroughly enjoyed and I got the sweet potato and black bean burger. All was delicious and fresh. Would totally come back!

Amazing find in the coolest neighborhood… Just left SF/​OAK and felt right at home with the street vibe, food and fun!
After a long day, enjoyed two excellent beers from an expansive range and stunning burgers from a creative list. Good thing we didn’t see the fries/​onion rings before we ordered or the carb limit would have been shot. From the smiles and shoveling going on at the next table, both are a success.

Love the pub style restaurant. Staff is very friendly and the poutine is to die for!

Incredible beignets! What a great way to finish off any meal you have here. All the food is on point, and I suggest that a good introduction would begin with a visit during happy hour. 3 dollar local beers for the win. Great staff, good food, and great beer. What else could be said?

Always a great selection of beer that is always changing and the servers are always knowledgeable. This is a great spot to hang out and have a few drinks with friends and maybe watching some sports.
The duck poutine is a must have!

Yum, yum, yum!!! Such awesome food. I had a few cocktails and a beer. My dad and I shared the duck carnitas tacos, the coleslaw is so good. It’s tangy, not creamy. Just how I like it.
The mac n cheese was great, also. I am so coming back. Loved it all. Plus, your server Slim was fun, as well.

The service is a bit odd, but that is fine considering how knowledgeable the servers are. They are beyond helpful when it comes to beer and food.
Love this place, one of the best restaurants in Idaho.

Though I was very upset with my experience here, the owner did personally message me and handled the situation nicely.

The more I come back to Bittercreek, the more I like it. There are a lot of places in town that try to do the gastropub beer and burger concept (exhaustively so, in fact — can we get a decent ramen place already?). But this place really does that schtick best.
They have a decent numbers of beer on tap that is well-​curated, a must in my book. Do I really wanna peruse 50+ beers that seem to be chosen at random, as I must at some of the other beer-​focused places in town? The selection here is thoughtfully chosen, which lends me the confidence to experiment with choices I might not make otherwise. I know the beer guy or gal at Bittercreek’s got my back.
The staff is also helpful in the beer department, as they’re pretty knowledgeable about the beer they serve, a monumental task considering the number of taps and bottles they have rotating out on a regular basis. Service is prompt and friendly, basically all I could ever ask for.
I wish I knew more about the food, but almost every time that I come here, I wind up ordering the poutine. My good intentions prevailed a few times with the salmon and caesar (great) and the burger (pretty good), but the poutine is the one that keeps me up at night. Typically I convince my boyfriend to share that with me alongside the wings and I’m happy as a clam.

We stopped in Boise on our drive to Seattle, and Bittercreek Alehouse was a great find. Service was fast and friendly despite it being a busy Friday night, and the atmosphere was relaxed and gave a good vibe. My fiancé ordered the Reuben with French fries and I ordered the Chicken Wiseguy with house greens dressed in a chive vinegerette. The entrées were delicious, and had excellent flavor. For an appetizer we had the hummus plate, but we both felt that it was a bit overpriced, though it was very good. I recommend this restaurant if in downtown Boise.

This is the place next to red feather. Awesome place. Good food and great timely service! Our waitress was awesome. It was bustling with people and there was a wait on a Friday night but we didn’t mind. I would totally go here again!

This is one of few times (if ever) that I have given a restaurant a 5 star rating. I have embarked on a quest for the best mac and cheese and I believe I have found it here. I ordered the mac and cheese sin any add ins and it was so good I shared bites with some patrons leaving the restaurant-​they were equally impressed. It wasn’t overwhelmingly cheesy but had a diverse selection of cheeses and the fried onions on top reminded me of the richness of baked mac and cheese. This was my first stop on my search for the best mac and cheese in Boise and my goodness did it set a high bar! Another thing I like about this establishment is that there aren’t reservations. You can show up and be seated in under 30 min without having to call ahead. Also their beer selection is phenomenal and so is the service. Definitely coming back :)

Incredibly impressed with the service and the wonderful food! My accommodation requests (sans bread for the burger, swap the beef for the lamb and no carrots in the slaw) didn’t even seem to phase the exceptional staff who went out of their way to be certain that I had a fabulous experience.
Cheers to my server, Sarah, who truly made this a great dinner in Boise!

I had a hard time deciding which restaurant to review between the pair (red feather + Bittercreek) = same owner, so it’s like comparing conjoined twins.
Bittercreek gets my nomination between the two because I love their $ 8 Basic Egg Breakfast (1 egg any style with 2 sides). It’s simple, priced perfectly, decadent, and pairs nicely with one of their bloody mary’s. This is my JAM during the summer on Saturday’s while the saturday market is going. Great people watching, terrific patio, and quality food you can enjoy over and over again.
One of the larger reasons I’m writing this review is because not only is the owner running a perfectly streamlined and successful business, but he/​she has made quite a mark on Boise for being innovative and forward thinking. In the very basement there is the wildest worm farm you couldn’t imagine. it’s extremely anti-​climatic, but they give tours on first thursday’s and the crew working this event are some of the best salesman I’ve ever encountered. I can’t stop going because they are so knowledgeable about worms it frightens me. Every time I go I learn something new, and shock someone else that I drag along. It’s absolutely fantastic.
Kudos BC + RF. Way to keep Boise clean and bellies happy.

I can’t believe it took me this long to try this place! Went for lunch this weekend with the hubby and baby and we were quite pleasantly surprised. We ordered the porktine to share, a fried green tomato sandwich for myself, and the fish and chips for my husband. Porktine was tasty, gravy didn’t overpower the fries and the curds were delicious. I don’t have a lot to go on with regard to poutine, with the only other time having tried it being at a Burger King in Montréal. This was definitely tastier than that.*shrug* Fried green tomato sandwich was good, wish the tomatoes were cut a little thicker so they weren’t lost in the bacon. Some goat cheese would’ve been killer as well, but they don’t have goat cheese. Husband liked his fish and chips (he had it wish their spaghetti squash and that was super tasty as well; great if you like fresh garlic). And it’s quite evident they use quality ingredients.
My take away from this meal is that the food is good, not great. What does make this place pretty special is that they’re exceptionally environmentally conscious — they allow a tour of their earthworm farm every first Thursday of the month, where they feed the worms all of their waste (menus included, as they’re printed with non-​toxic inks). Glasses used for water are recycled wine bottles. :) The atmosphere is also much warmer and friendlier compared to similar establishments (looking at you, Taphouse). Service was exceptional, beer options aplenty and very very child friendly (our waiter brought over a lunchbox full of goodies like crayons, note pad, paper money, plastic figurines, and mazes for my son. FUN!). We can’t wait to pay another visit.

Whether you’re looking for a spot to sip a cold one, eat a big, delicious meal, people-​watch, or just enjoy happy hour, Bittercreek is a super-​popular spot. They’re part of Boise’s elite 8^th Street Marketplace and they are one of the strongest contenders on the block for the best of the best.
Food: The food is so good. The popcorn appetizer is really surprising, you don’t see many restaurants that offer popcorn as an app! Their mac and cheese is absolutely heavenly, with the thick, creamy mac and generous portion. The burgers are incredibly delicious, with a big, juicy patty and an expertly toasted bun. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with their food.
Drinks: The drinks are on point! I love how they offer a full bar with several local taps, wines, and ciders. The honey cider is hard to beat.
Atmosphere: They have a great dimly-​lit indoor seating, offering both bar-​top seating as well as high and low tables. The kitchen is open so you’re able to see the cooks working away. They also offer an outdoor patio that gives you an awesome view for people watching on 8^th Street. It’s usually a very busy spot!
Service: Always fast, friendly and reliable.
Happy Hour Offerings: M-​F Food and drink happy hour. I like how their happy hour features special local drinks – like discounted Idaho wines, beers and ciders.
Healthy Hack: n/​a
Tips: n/​a

Came here to enjoy dinner and some good college football. Atmosphere in this place is high on energy. We loved the lighting and the industrial look to this place. We loved that they use all local products to make their food. Even the ketchup was homemade!
We ordered fish and chips along with thai chicken pita. Our server was good but not very personable, but it was a busy day. Huge selection of beer if your into good beer!
Overall food was amazing give this place a 4.5 stars