Black Cow Eats & Drinks — Restaurant in Fruitland

Finally, there’s a fresh, clean, and locally owned option in this small town. The Black Cow Cafe and Mercantile is a teeny-tiny garage(?)-turned-eatery planted right off Highway 95 serving breakfast and lunch. They also have lots of adorable merc including locally made jewelry, clothes and household items.

On 08/07/2021 I ordered the Holey Cow sandwich (sliced roast beef, Swiss cheese, $10.95) with Peach iced tea (they have a variety of flavors, $4.50) and my mother got the Bird & Berry (sliced turkey, craisins, Swiss cheese, cream cheese, sprouts and tomatoes, $9.95). The food was made quick and tasted great. Both sandwiches were stuffed with very generous amounts of super fresh, high-quality meat, which completely justifies the steeper prices (relative to other sandwich shops in the area). The Peach Ice was excellent as well, a little spendy but definitely worth it and I would recommend!

Now the bad. I hate doing this but I want to point it out because it’s been nearly two weeks and this still slightly bothers me. I noticed our order seemed pricier than what was printed on the menu so I asked what the breakdown was. I was informed there was price increase on some of the menu items, which I totally understand and support! A business has gotta make it’s money, and cost of goods are increasing. What I do not appreciate is no signage or heads up before ordering that there is a price increase, and having to figure it out myself. It’s not that hard to slap a handwritten sign at the front simply stating “Price increases beginning [whenever]. Please ask cashier.” To charge someone more without telling then just seems sketchy and discourteous.

I’m probably going to go back because the food is excellent. And every place deserves a second chance. I look forward to updating this to a 5 star...

WHAT A FUN PLACE! This place was packed (standing room even though they had an abundance of seating - it was all full) with people for lunch, but you can call ahead if you need it TO-GO. The environment was energetic western. The decor isn't in your face but fun to look at and incorporates the waiting room into a sitting/dining area if you want. The food is OMG Amazing! The protons are a BIG. You only need the half-size orders. I honestly don't know how they could serve so much food for so little $. The food is fresh and sits well. Not oily and just is a fun atmosphere.

Update 4/1/204 I went in for lunch the other day. This place has taken a dive since my last review. So much so that I skipped it for a lunch option. The serving size is still overly large, however the quality of food has gone down. The meat tastes of "Great Value - Walmart". Little care has gone to cleanliness. The mac and cheese comes out of one bowl and is then microwaved in a used Miracle Whip or butter tupperware. Bacon is cooked in the morning and stored on top of the oven in a tray and left out all day for use. Its old - dry - nasty, and will get you sick. Sink is overflowing with dishes and when they need one they rinse it and use it - without proper sanitation. Heating/cooling is a joke - prepare to be uncomfortable. The place is filled with kitchen smoke if they do happen to actually cook your food vs microwave it.

It's sad, it had so much potential when it opened but now it's just a dive...

Updated rating below.

A quaint little place in Fruitland, Idaho, decorated with antiques. Order at the counter, and they bring the food out to the table.

I ordered the cowboy Cuban samminch with ham, shredded pork, pickle, mustard and mayo. The bun was stuffed and so was I after finishing it. I wasn't going to, but it was probably the best samminch I've ever eaten. There was a lot of mayo, so adjust your order to your liking.

Service was great as well! There will be another trip there in the near future. Closes at 2PM. Well done folks!

UPDATE: I had reviewed the Black Cow at their old location just down the street. Now they have new digs and the place is classy. Everything is new. They also serve adult beverages, but we just had water. Not sure if they had a TV over the bar or not, as we sat on the other side of the place.

The main squeeze and I split the spicy chicken samminch and an order of fries. When I cut the sammie in half, I noticed it was not cooked through. After letting Katie know about it, she had them make another one and it was really good. Cheesy with grilled jalapenos that gave the sammie a nice bite. The fries were dynamite. They ended up comping the meal due to the first sammy.

I would normally give a place 3 or 4 stars for this, but the customer service was beyond great as was the samminch. They take good care of their customers. Looking forward to the next visit when I...