Bar Gernika

Great food, great beer, and friendly service in a fun location. The inside is a bit divey; the food is definitely the highlight here. Their jalepeno lamb grinder was awesome – it had heat but my mouth wasn’t burning – and the croquetas were my favorite part. I’ll be back on Saturday to try their beef tongue as scary as it sounds!

I love little joints like Bar Gernika. I’m not going to nitpick about its level of «Basque-​ness», but rather, focus on what it is: A great little bar with its own identity, that does what it does really, really well.
The space is cozy, with plenty of exposed brick and stuff on the walls to keep the eye busy when your company goes to the restroom. In warmer weather they have outdoor seating, too, if that’s what you seek. The bar is well stocked, servers friendly, and the menu, while not immense, is pretty ideal (IMO) for the environment.
The mister and I shared apps of a cheese plate with the chorizo upgrade (because chorizo is always an upgrade), and an order of heaven balls — I mean, croquetas.
YOU NEED THEIR CROQUETAS IN YOUR LIFE. On the reals. They were so good, I came damn close to having them as a side to my entrée in addition to the shared appetizer portion. You have been warned.
After some deliberation, the Mister and I ordered lamb grinders (his spicy, mine regular), both choosing the soup of the day (white bean with ham) as a side. The sandwiches were BIG. As in, we each took home half to top with an egg and house for brunch the following day. (Okay, maybe they weren’t enormous, but after the apps, we didn’t want to overstuff ourselves and not savor them as appropriate.) The lamb was cooked perfectly, sliced thin, and layered onto excellent quality bread, before being crowned with deliciously melty cheese. The au jus accompanying the sandwiches was so good, we even got a container to make sure that came home as well.
With all the new development on the horizon for downtown Boise, local spots like Bar Gernika need to survive. Go! Have some croquetas! Repeat!

Great place for a dinner and drinks. The lamb grinder is excellent. Get the croquettes, you won’t be disappointed. Beer selection is well curated and has some real standouts.

Small pub on the corner, where we grabbed a table in back, and tried out some hearty Basque pub fare. Rich and plentiful at a good price.

Let’s start with this: Bar Gernika is a good bar. Its sandwiches taste great, the croquetas are tasty, and the beer list is exceptional.
That being said, for a bar that advertises itself as Basque themed, Bar Gernika is a let-​down. No Keler 18, no cider, no Txakoli??? It takes more than a font and a lamb sandwich to make something Basque. This did little to transport me to Euskadi.
Again, Gernika’s a good bar. But if you’re looking for a good Basque experience, look at your other options.

I saw this on diners, drive In’s and dives on television. The food is interesting but, to me, it was nothing special. However, I am not basque therefore I don’t have the understanding of the food. The bar is pretty small and it’s kinda grungy looking. The people are friendly.

We stopped in here with some friends for lunch and the place was pretty packed, but we were still able to get a table even though we had a fairly large group. The service was fast and attentive. Our drinks never ran empty and we were never left wondering where our server had gone.
While service was great, this place really shines on its food. Freaking fantastic. We got to try many different things on their lunch menu, since we all pretty much ordered different things. I loved everything that I tried. I had the Chorizo Supreme sandwich and my wife had the lamb grinder. I can’t remember what all of my friends ordered, but everything I tasted made me want more.
If I’m ever back through the area, I’ll definitely want to stop here again!

Lovely juicy tasty lamb/​veggie kebbab–
The flan is outstanding (made w/​heavy cream!!! yum)

How do I love Bar Gernika? Let me count the ways!
Croquettas are proof that God exists – dip them in tiger sauce and your world will be forever altered. The spicy lamb grinder is two meals worth of greatness, and the fries were perfect!
Add in the friendly service and excellent selection of microbrews and imports on tap – oh, and you really should try a kalimotxo (that’s Coke and red wine, just trust me)…I’ve been coming here for years and have never been let down.
It was a great way to warm up on a grey and rainy day in Boise!

A classic. Croquettes and a spicy lamb grinder are my go to. I always want to try something new, by why mess with my happy place.
One of the best beer selections in Boise. Always on point.

I enjoyed this place and I will be back. The atmosphere was cozy and quaint and the food was pretty good. I ordered the patty melt and it was up to delicious. Next time I will go with something that is a little more authentic which is why we go to Bar Gernika! Worth a try!

Always love following Guy around the country on a Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives pilgrimage… So I found myself in Boise and ended up at Bar Gernika!
I ordered the Solomo Sandwich — Marinated pork loin with pimentos and served on a freshly baked French toll. In a word… AMAZING! Opted for the French fries (Idaho, right?) and they were fresh/​crisp and delicious. For $ 8.75 this was the perfect pit stop prior to heading to the airport.
If I lived here I’d definitely order a few of the craft beers, as they have a great selection on tap/​in bottle available (But work calls!)
Here’s the rundown:
Satisfied? Yes
Return? Yes
Advocate? Yes

Visiting some friends and family and decided to try some Basque food since it’s pretty popular here. I’ve never tried Basque food so I don’t have much to compare to but the food was good!
Location was very nice, we opted for the patio instead of the bar and boy was it some nice scenery! The streets weren’t too busy but there was definitely enough going on to make it enjoyable.
Service was pretty good, the lady checked up on us pretty regularly, which is great especially since we sat outside.
I’m a very picky eater and they definitely accommodated my request when I ordered the spicy lamb grinder without jalapeños but add pepper jack. The food was pretty good, croquetas are a must! They do get very filling very quick so I recommend you share with someone.
Very nice intro to Basque food if you’ve never had it

Wow, all these years I’ve lived here, and I’ve never known about how much Boise and Basque have in relation. This pub makes you feel as if you aren’t in the US anymore. Old English feel and environment. Great food! Good beer! And it was a blast to go there during the Basque festival! My fiancé and I went in there and barley heard a lick of English! We loved it! It was like having a culture shock in your home. We will be back.

After getting snubbed at another eatery we checked out what else was in the area. Being the first time in Boise (on our way back home) we were looking for local fare. We got it right the 2^nd time!
This Basque restaurant appears to be a local favorite, having been around for decades. This is not foo foo food for the poser crowd. This is real food with great service at a value price.
We both had the spicy lamb grinder, I went with a delicious mushroom bisque, my wife the fries (we are in Idaho!!). The grinders came w a side of au jus. Warning: they are spicy w loads of jalapeños.
Bottom line: great value!

If you want some good quality Basque food this is the place for u. Got there lamb grinder and it was delicious. There service is a little slow and not the best but u get what u ordered it just takes a lite bit of time. This is the kind of place u go just to relax and enjoy your company and have some good drinks and food.

Be careful with what you order by that I mean read carefully on the menu to see what the meal includes and the price of it.
My friend ordered a basque dish that was pretty much like ordering a hot dog that costs $ 7. Hahaha, I say for his meal compared to the price the amount he had, it wasn’t worth it.
I ordered the lamb stew and it was pretty good, and the entire dish was filling. First time having basque and I’m glad that I chose this place.

After reading the Unilocal reviews I finally decided to hit this place up and was not disappointed! I scored a side of the croquetas as recommended and they were very tasty! I got the lamb kabobs and my date got the lamb grinder. Both had a definite home style flavor that I appreciated. Didn’t try one of their many beers — maybe next time.
Prices were decent for what you get and the sever was a woman who was extremely friendly and helpful. The vibe was welcoming and homey. I will definitely be visiting again soon.

Where we come from has a great food scene, but there is one genre that is painfully missing… Basque!
We often travel to Boise for work and Bar Gernika was suggested to us by several individuals.
It was a rainy Saturday night when we walked the short distance from our downtown hotel to this quaint little corner spot. Usually downtown Boise is crazy on a Saturday night, but I think the rain and the Hockey game were keeping the area a little more quiet. That being said, Bar Gernika is a TINY place, and even though there was only one party ahead of us, we still ended up waiting about 15 minutes for a table, and about another 20 minutes for our food. Typically this would hurt a restaurants score, but we weren’t in a hurray that night, and really… what do you expect from a truly family run place? You don’t come to places like this for a quick meal.
We ordered the Lamb Stew and the Lamb Kabab, both with the Croquettes.
The Lamb Stew was lovely. Very home-​style feel and satisfying on a cold rainy night. The meat in the Stew wasn’t nearly as tender and Lamb (y) tasting as the Lamb on the Kebab. The lamb in the stew tasted more like beef, with a similar texture, but the lamb on the kebab was a wonderful medium rare center and very tender.
The Croquettes were every bit as good as others have said. Having never had one before, my mouth didn’t quite know what to make of that first bite. If you have never had one before, it is like a breaded deep fried mashed potato ball, but the potato on the inside is as smooth as silk. Supposedly they are popularly eaten with the house Tiger Sauce, but we found it elegant to cut one in half and then slather a healthy amount of butter across the top, or dip them in the stew.
The veggies that came with the Kebab were decent, and had a sort of vinegar note to them.
On the recommendation of a regular, we ordered the chocolate mousse for dessert. When they brought it out I was afraid that it was going to taste like Jell-​O instant pudding… Not. Even. Close. This mousse taste like they took a high end chocolate bar, melted it down, mixed it with rainbows and a fluffy cloud and then put it in a little bowl. I am going to have dreams about that mousse.
The best part was the check. We had two entrees, a glass of wine, and dessert and the total bill came to about $ 30 before the tip. Realize, it isn’t a ton of food, so I wouldn’t go if you are super starving, but it is definitely enough to satisfy a normal eater.
We are thrilled to have found this place… You think they might consider coming to Utah?

BOISE, ID: Happy to visit this famous bar in the Basque area of Boise. I had been checking out the sandwiches in the photos for awhile before I made the trip.
The ambience is nothing fancy; Basque-​y looking darkish interior with pretend exposed ceiling beams and wood trim/​chairs/​tables. It’s a small dining area and is packed at lunch.
I sprung for the Spicy Lamb Grinder and the Croquetas.
The Lamb Grinder (4 stars) was awesome; spicy meat, crisp/​soft baguette, peppers and cheese, like a Philly Steak Basque Style, included au jous, which was fine, I didn’t dip it a lot.
The Croquetas (4 stars) were delicious and a rare experience, order them. Crispy exterior and a tasty but lightly flavored soft interior. Must be tried.
The big winner of the meal was the sweet/​spicy Tiger Sauce: awesome! So delicious I could drink it. Like a sweet Tobasco glaze; it was amazing on everything.
The waiter was kind of rude.