Bar Gernika — Restaurant in Boise

I visited Bar Gernika on my final night in Boise. The hustle and bustle of the Friday night crowd was apparent, but I was greatly kindly and led to high-top once a table came open. The restaurant may not be bright and chic, but its heart pours out from every nook and cranny. I started with their daily soup - a creamy, umami-packed mushroom bisque that was so good I inhaled before I even got my beer (or took a picture). For dinner, I had their Basque chorizo sandwich with a side of traditional croquetas. The chorizo was deeply spiced with a kiss of heat, complemented by the sweetness of the grilled onions and pimientos. The croquetas were piping hot and perfectly crisp - try them with the tangy Tiger sauce in bottles on each table! All of this was appropriately washed down with a local nut brown ale.

Needless to say, I left with both my heart and belly full. The staff all clearly care deeply about the food and the customers - especially the chef who works endlessly over a hot stove, yet still finds time to bring you your food with a genuine smile. If you're in Boise looking for a taste of Basque food, I implore you to go give Bar Gernika an evening...

Unfortunately, we had a very bad experience here today. We had a large group of 11 people which understandably can be a bit overwhelming at times and we try to take that into account when finding a restaurant. We were very excited to try this restaurant as we have heard good things and spend a lot of time at the other basque restaurants. When we first walked in we were relieved to see that the restaurant was almost empty! It went down hill from there though. We were immediately treated poorly. The server was outwardly rude and obviously annoyed that we were there. We sensed this and tried to offer to help move tables together to try and take some of the burden off and we were met with harsh words. We were honestly taken back, since most of us have worked in The service industry we try to be good customers. It was so bad that we decided to walk out. The cook followed us out and apologized but the outright rudeness from the servers made us feel completely unwelcome. Luckily the restaurant across the street was happy to serve us and we had a...

The food here was absolutely excellent for a small bar/dive-like place, One cook in a small open kitchen behind the door turning out solid food. I spoke with the cook, she is clearly proud of the job she does and should be. The Solomo was tender flavorful and the baguette was the perfect mix of crunchy outside and airy bread. We had that with the soup of the day which was a delicious cup of lamb chili. Not too hot, but filled with spice flavor. Rich and delicious. We also had the Lamb Grinder which was delicious with plenty of slow cooked tender lamb with grilled onions, peppers, Swiss cheese and Au Jus, Sort of a cross between French dip and cheese steak. The croquettes were amazing. Lots of beer and wine choices and attentive service. Check...