Sid's Garage — Restaurant in Boise

I used to love Sids. Terrible service and policy make it so I'll never go back. The food isn't worth it and the competition in Downtown Boise is way better anyway.

My party of 4 were seated immediately. It's never busy like it once was cause the gimmick has worn off and competition is growing fast. We were sat at a table comfortable for two at best. When we asked for a bigger table we were DECLINED because those tables were reserved for parties of 6... that didn't show up for over any hour. We watched. When it was slammed this policy would make sense. It was SLOW AT 530 on a Friday. They did find us a bigger table around the corner and away from everyone which I actually liked better anyway. So all was well.

Still, as people our age do, we were discussing the policy and how annoying the staff was and how the owner should empower their people to make more logical choices in the moment. Apparently the bus boy was having a bad day. What happened next blows my mind still, now the next day. No reason for him to even enter the conversation, but he hollered across the small space for all to hear...

"Listen if you are so mad, you're welcome to leave!" We're adults. We know that. We have a choice. Thank you.

Well, I immediately took him up on the "offer" and you know what? As we were leaving this punk kid keeps RUNNING HIS MOUTH!! Like, why? We weren't talking to him to begin with. We were going to drop a stupid amount of money for apps, burgers and beer at our now just-fine size table. But because we commented on the policy being outdated and silly you want us to leave AND you want to throw shade when we immediately leave!?

What was going to come of this in his mind I wonder? That he would have caused a customer to cower and shamefully sit and wait? Then eat, then pay the overpriced bill? It's just WEIRD. It gets weirder.

Chest to chest this kid gets up in my face after I pointed out his misstep from a few feet away. He starts blurting how they have many other customers that will take our place (just not till long after we were gone? It wasn't busy still at 830) and their great reviews will swallow my poor opinion up whole, and they don't need us... amongst a room of 30 or so patrons - what a ridiculous scene he caused! What the hell man? Where did this come from? Why would that be necessary?

No surprise he wouldn't share his name and the waitress response said it all in the end as she apologized for his behavior and that she didn't mean to cause such a problem... "but the policy..." smfh leaving.

The location isn't great like the Village. It's a revolving door of similar restaurants and Sid's will be the next. Unfortunately due to terrible staffing decisions and policies like this.

Look me up. I don't give bad reviews hardly ever. A bad day, or a bad plate doesn't warrant it in my opinion. Being threatened by an employee inviting themselves into my conversation is where I draw the...

Finally ventured to Sid's today for lunch, in their newest location downtown.   Its smaller than I expected but was unique, and as soon as we walked in the door we were greeted by the owner (and everyone else working, kind of a neat thing they do) who sat us down and went over the menu and told us how they sourced everything locally beer, veggies, beef.  Very cool vibe!

We started with the truffle parmesean fries, and the flash fried deviled eggs.  Fries were on point, plenty to share amongst the three of us, great flavor,  well crisped, we'd get those again.   The eggs, they were unique, but a little bland, I really liked the Chipotle honey mustard dipping sauce they came with.

Entrees: My MIL had the Maui Wowie burger.   It was huge! (She has already squished it down when I took the picture,  she didn't know the rules 🤣).  It had a great teriyaki sauce,  with pineapple, avocado, and some slaw, it was very flavorful!  My hubby of course had the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich,  it also was huge,  tons of chicken,  plenty of spice!   Something to keep in mind,  the burgers and sandwiches don't come with any sides. I had the mac n cheese (its on the appetizer menu, but definitely enough for a meal)  It was fantastic,  the cheesiest restraunt mac n cheese I've ever had, the candied bacon on top...DEVINE!

We couldn't leave without a "famous" shake, but got it to go. We were pretty full!  Their shake of the month was Banana Foster, it was pretty good, the salted carmel was extreme,  the actual milkshake  was good but more of a imitation Banana flavor. The locally sourced Banana cake was delicious.

Pricing was decent for the quantity and quality, $70 for three of us before tip. ...

We stopped by Sid’s Garage on a Sunday afternoon for a casual bite and were pleasantly surprised by the food. I ordered the teriyaki burger, which was flavorful and juicy, with just the right amount of sweet-savory sauce. My son went with a classic cheeseburger, and he gave it two thumbs up—simple, well-seasoned, and satisfying.

What really stood out were the Parmesan fries—crispy, golden, and loaded with savory cheese. Easily some of the best fries we’ve had in a long time, and definitely worth going back for.

The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, but we didn’t have any trouble finding parking, though that could be due to it being Sunday. Seating was a bit of a mixed bag. While the layout worked fine for a quick meal, the cloth seat cushions were visibly dirty and could really use a good deep cleaning. It didn’t ruin the experience, but it did take away from the overall vibe, especially when the food itself is clearly above average.

Service was fine—not overly attentive but we got everything we needed without delay. It felt like the kind of place that draws a regular local crowd, and the menu had several other options that looked tempting.

Overall, despite a few cosmetic issues inside, the food is where Sid’s Garage shines. If you’re looking for a tasty burger joint with killer fries and you’re not overly picky about atmosphere, it’s...