Beet and Basil — Restaurant in Ponderay

Ok. So I am going to preempt with letting you know that I don't usually do bad reviews but this was just too weird to let it go and leave it.

A few points to make. First, parking is difficult to find. We circled multiple times before we found a spot. We did have a small child in arms so we were pretty dedicated to finding a spot as close as possible.

Secondly, we were originally planning to go to Spuds, but I loved the look of the outdoor space and the general appearance of Beet and Basil so I made the last minute decision that we should try this place instead.

We walked in and there was a small party ahead of us. The indoor restaurant was COMPLETELY void of customers, the tables were empty. There was about 5 staff standing around. We weren't acknowledged at first.

Once the party ahead of us was taken out back to be seated on the patio, we had to get the attention of a staff member and inquire if (1) our daughter could use the restroom and (2) tell them we were a party of 5 waiting for a table. We were told that it wouldn't be long.

We waited for quite some time, about 10/15 minutes or so. During this time we felt as though we were being stared at. At one point I said to my husband, "are kids allowed to be here?" Because I felt like the stares were a bit passive aggressive and I thought it might be about the little one. But I answered my own question that they would have said something by now.

After the 15 or so minute wait, a server came to tell us that it would be a 45 minute wait for a table!!

"Wait. What about those empty tables?" You say.

I thought of that also, and asked why we couldn't sit inside. We were told that the reason for the wait was due to the kitchen being "too busy"

So there you have it. Apparently they have too many tables and not enough kitchen staff and too many servers to function in any way that would be considered reasonable by any...

Decent food, Terrible service, Don’t bother unless you have 2+ hours and want to ask for everything a normal restaurant would typically deliver automatically. The food here is unique and tasty. The service is atrocious. We had to ask the servers for everything. Water refills, drink refills, access to a high chair, etc. The staff was friendly but made sure to take 5-15 minutes to get anything. They checked on our party of 7 about every 40 minutes or so. It took 15 minutes from when we were seated to actually talk to a server. We called ahead to make a reservation and were told we don’t need one because they weren’t busy and would have a table ready if we show up in next 15 minutes. We show up and were told that we were told wrong and it would be a 20 minute wait. 40 minutes later we were seated. We ordered buttered noodles for our kids as soon as we saw the server and asked that they come out as soon as they were done. An hour and 20 minutes later and after inquiring twice, they arrived with half of the other main dishes for our party. I’d love to give this place a better rating because the food is good and unique, but it just isn’t worth the wait. Food taste 7-10. Food Uniqueness 8-10....

Myself and my family recently visited Beet & Basil for an early fathers day. I had been leery of eating there because the restaurant that previously occupied that location (LaRosa) was my absolute favorite in town which left some very big shoes to fill. I have to say that not only were the shoes filled but completely overflowed. Service was absolutely on point. And the food was outstanding. I had the chicken vindaloo with a side of naan and was blown away by the flavors. I have not had such authentic Indian food since I was in India! Incredibly happy to be blessed enough to partake in it locally now and am looking forward to doing so on a regular basis! The pricing was also absolutely on point! Family of 5 ate for 130$ after a very healthy tip and we ordered multiple drinks for the children as well as several appetizers. Also the kids menu is probably the best I have seen locally. The macaroni and cheese was VERY affordable and definitely made fresh in house. Beet and Basil has definitely been added to the list of local family favorites! Thank you so much guys and keep up the...