Hemlock Boise — Restaurant in Boise

Hemlock Review:

My girlfriend and I went to Hemlock for the first time on Saturday, May 17th.

I'll start with things that we thought needed improvement, but none of these were horrible or deal breakers. When we first walked in, we were greeted by a young blond girl that asked us to "step over there" and pointed to an area with a glass door. It wasn't immediately clear that she meant the host stand or why we needed to "go over there". Clear direction is better than none. She was super nice though, and im sure she will get better with experience. Our table wasn't immediately ready, but we were early, no issues there at all. The actual hostess did try and seat us, but they were unable to. (All good, we were early) we decided to have a drink at the bar. Sitting at the bar is not comfortable at all with stationary seats. My girlfriend who is on the shorter side and petite was uncomfortable, so anyone who is a big guy like me will find it very uncomfortable, especially at 6ft tall or taller. The actual seat by itself was comfortable, just the distance between it and the bar just doesn't work.....just my .02.

The Bartender that served us was Isabella. She was an absolute delight. We had Manhattans, and they were on point.

When our table was ready, we got to meet our server Virginia. She was a true highlight of our evening. She was attentive, sweet, had excellent knowledge of the menu, and her customer service was top notch.

We started with the Tartar appetizer. Phenomenal! We loved it. It's must have. For dinner we ordered the Ribeye and New York Strip. Sides were the Robuchon mashed potatoes and the Brussels sprouts. Steaks were cooked perfectly. We paired it with foie gras and bone marrow butter, both were excellent with the steaks. We also added a butter poached lobster tail. The only low light with dinner was that the Brussels sprouts were way too salty....not inedible, just way over salted.

As with most modern restaurants it was very loud, but that's to be expected. There was an employee messing with the lights for a few minutes (it was a tad annoying during dinner, but nothing to be mad about), but the place is new and they will get the kinks worked out.

Based on the food and service, we will 💯 be back. I wish the restaurant and the...

5 Stars – “Instagram reels lied to me… but Hemlock came to save my palate”

Boise, we need to talk. I’ve been tricked, bamboozled, and click-baited by more Instagram reels than I care to admit. So many places here look like Gordon Ramsay’s wet dream on social media, but in person? It’s giving Olive Garden with a ring light.

But then… Hemlock.

Got a dog sitter, dusted off my social skills, and headed downtown. Walked in solo, scoped out the scene, and grabbed a bar seat next to a lovely woman from London—who instantly became my dinner comrade. Within minutes, I was adopted by the bar crowd and fully vibing with the bartenders like we were castmates in a high-end food show nobody asked for but everyone needed.

The cocktail menu hit me right in the nostalgia—artsy, inventive, and straight out of the East Village playbook (shoutout Please Don’t Tell). This wasn’t your basic vodka-cran. These drinks had a storyline.

I started with the sausage board: duck, boar, elk. Basically, a National Geographic documentary, but delicious. Then came the ribeye, because if Boise has one food group it should get right, it’s beef. I split it—and my faith in local cuisine—thanks to my new British friend. Paired with mashed potatoes and some roasted carrots that could have starred in their own spinoff series, it was easily one of the best meals I’ve had in town.

And the kicker? I met the owner. Told him the food was phenomenal, and he hit me with, “Thanks, but honestly, my chef’s not on point tonight—we’re still dialing things in.” Are you kidding me? If that was an off night, then someone get this man a Michelin star and a therapist, because he clearly has standards higher than my cholesterol after that ribeye.

Long story short? Hemlock lives up to zero Instagram hype—because it doesn’t need any. Come for the steak, stay for the cocktails, and leave with a new appreciation for places that...

We visited Hemlock on their second official night open, arriving around 8 PM with a reservation for two. Complimentary valet was a great start — definitely a perk for avoiding the usual downtown Boise parking struggle.

Unfortunately, the service did not match the ambiance or food quality. When we arrived, we were greeted but told our table wasn’t ready. The host suggested we wait at the bar and grab a drink in the meantime. We sat down, looked over the drink and food menus for a solid 5–10 minutes, but were never acknowledged or served — despite 4–5 bartenders behind the bar and only a few guests seated there.

Eventually, the host came back and walked us to our table. Even after being seated, we waited another 15 minutes before my husband had to wave someone down just to get our order taken. Throughout the night, we had 3 to 5 different bartenders randomly check in — no one seemed assigned to our table, and we had to repeatedly wave people down just to get basic service. By the end, we had to walk up to the bar ourselves to ask for a to-go box and our check.

The food and drinks were solid — the wagyu steak (medium rare) came out perfect, and the bread bowl was a nice touch. We also thought it was thoughtful and inviting to see our names printed on the menu — a small but memorable detail.

To add to the frustration, the prices on the receipt didn’t match the menu — the wagyu was listed as $75 but rang up as $80, and the bread bowl was shown as $9 but charged as $10.

We understand this was only their second night open, and we’re hoping these issues are just early hiccups. Still, spending over $300 for poor service left us disappointed. We might try again once the team finds their rhythm, but wanted to share this honest feedback in hopes it helps the...