Eight great places to find vegan and vegetarian food in Boise
The “Entice” course from Under the Table Boise’s recent five-course vegan dinner. | Photo courtesy of Lex Nelson
Plus a new restaurant coming soon
Story by Lex Nelson
On July 31, the supper club Under the Table Boise hosted a five-course vegan dinner featuring creative dishes like a tower of slow-cooked potato, chimichurri, smoked tempeh and grilled pearl onion skewered by a cocktail pick. It was a sign of changing times. Although Idaho will likely always be a beef-and-potato state, more plant-based options are appearing every day in local restaurants and on the menus of pop-up dining experiences like Kula + Nosh.
Boise is even home to its own plant-based foods company, The Kula Connection. Kula founder Michelle Russell no longer plans to open a vegan restaurant in the city, but Boise still has plenty of plant-based dining on offer that goes beyond standbys like Indian cuisine. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, add these eight spots to your must-eat list.
Coming Soon: Frondescence
103 N. 10th St.
Boise’s well-known vegan food truck, The Void, is temporarily closed, but the father-and-son team behind it have a new plant-based restaurant concept in the works. Co-owner Justin Arroues said Frondescence will be a vegan “fast food experience” spanning multiple cuisines.
“(I’m) hoping to get more non-vegans to open themselves up to plant-based foods,” Arroues wrote in an email. “It’s a long shot in Idaho. I get a lot of pushback and laughs from most Idahoans, so getting non-vegans to try my food has been the biggest challenge yet. But I’m fighting for it and love the fight.”
Americana Pizza
304 S. Americana Blvd.
At this New York-style pizza spot, diners can choose between two vegan bases for build-your-own pies: red sauce with vegan cheese and olive-oil based white sauce with vegan cheese and sesame crust. For toppings, you’ll find a wide selection of vegetables on offer, plus plant-based versions of sausage, pepperoni and chorizo.
slicesofamericana.com
Barbacoa
276 Bobwhite Ct.
Barbacoa is one of the city’s most talked-about fine dining restaurants, and it offers an entirely vegetarian “Leaves, Fruits, Roots & Grains” menu. The menu includes a plant-based version of the restaurant’s tableside guacamole (served with “vegetable chips”), lighter bites like mini tacos and stuffed poblano peppers, and heartier fare like the Enchilada Verde.
barbacoa-boise.com
BBQ4LIFE
930 S. Vista Ave.
This laid-back lunch and dinner spot is part traditional barbecue joint and part “smoked vegan” experience. Stop in to try the loaded vegan nachos, tempeh salad, vegan potato salad and mac and cheese, and an entire menu of vegan sandwiches including the Spicy Smoked Spaghetti Squash Sandwich and meatloaf-inspired Vegeloaf sandwich served on Texas toast.
bbq4life.net
Big Bun Drive-In
5816 W. Overland Road
Big Bun is a classic drive-in burger joint that has been a mainstay in Boise since 1954 — but its menu isn’t stuck in the meat-eating past. Drive through or walk up to try the Garden Burger Burger (vegetarian), Impossible Burger (vegan), or a Vegan Grilled Cheese with shoestring fries from a designated vegan fryer. The restaurant also serves plant-based desserts including shakes, cones, ice cream sandwiches and sundaes.
bigbundrivein.com
The High Note Potatoes (with toast or scrambled tofu) or Breakfast Burrito hit the spot at the High Note Cafe. | Photo courtesy of Lex Nelson
High Note Cafe
225 N. Fifth St.
High Note Cafe is Boise’s only 100% plant-based restaurant. Swing by this small, quirky spot during weekend brunch hours to try the High Note Potatoes, Hot Cakes, Brunch Torta and locally famous Breakfast Burrito stuffed with scrambled tofu, red potatoes, spiced black bean puree, pico de gallo, house green salsa, cilantro cream sauce and avocado.
highnotecafeboise.com
Mai Thai
750 W. Idaho St.
This upscale “modern Asian” restaurant offers an extensive vegan menu with options ranging from drunken noodles, pad thai and Vegan Duck to sushi rolls like the Spicy Jackfruit Roll filled with jackfruit, pickled mustard greens and fried onion and topped with mango, avocado and sriracha.
maithaigroup.com
A flight of wine and vegan/vegetarian ice creams at The STIL. | Photo courtesy of Lex Nelson
The STIL
786 W. Broad St.; 13 S. Latah St.; 3724 S. Eckert Road
This ice cream shop’s name stands for “The Sweetest Things In Life,” and it’s certainly a sweet destination for plant-based eaters. You’ll find a range of vegetarian and vegan flavors, including Cookies with Grandma (coconut cookie dough), Float Season (blackberry and dark salted chocolate) and the booze-infused Caught In the Rain (coconut, rum and cashews).
ilovethestil.com
Wild Root Cafe
276 N. Eighth St.
This chic downtown cafe serves brunch, lunch and dinner, and almost every item on the menu can be prepared vegan or vegetarian. Stop by for the Chickpea Melt on toasted local sourdough with havarti cheese and chickpea “tuna” salad, or the Falafel Salad with that serves up falafel on a bed of pickled red cabbage, raita, harissa carrots, radish and tahini vinaigrette. Then wash down your meal with beer, wine or a craft cocktail.
wildrootcafe.com
Still hungry? Visit Kibrom's Ethiopian & Eritrean Cuisine for African cuisine, Bombay Grill for Indian food, Lemon Tree Co. for sandwiches, Guru Donuts for donuts and Stella’s Ice Cream for more frozen treats.
