Best Basque Restaurants in Boise, Idaho

If you’re looking for Basque food in Boise, head to Grove Street between 6th Street and Capitol Boulevard in the Old Boise Historic District. That’s where you’ll find Boise’s Basque Block. Not only is this unique area home to some of the best Basque restaurants in Boise, it’s the epicenter of Basque communities in the United States.

When my husband Mike and I recently visited Boise, ID, we had one goal: Find the best restaurants in Boise that serve authentic Basque food. Goal accomplished! But the best part was that, as we grazed from one eatery to the next, we learned a lot about this fascinating Basque community.

Piquillo peppers and anchovies at one of the best Basque restaurants in Boise

The Boise Basque Block

Large Basque populations can be found in the United States in California, Nevada, and Idaho. In the 1800s, immigrants came from Spain’s Basque Country to Boise, Idaho. They stayed in boarding houses, became sheep herders, and raised families in their new homeland. 

So, while California has the largest Basque population by state, Boise has the highest concentration of Basque people outside of Spain. 

In 1993, the building for the Cyrus Jacobs-Uberruaga Basque boarding house was converted into the Basque Museum and Cultural Center. As the only Basque museum in the U.S., it takes its mission to preserves the heritage of Basque culture seriously. 

A few doors down, so does the Basque Center, which operates as more of a social club and community center. They hold annual events like the Sheepherders Ball with traditional Basque food and dancing, and Basque festivals like the San Inazio Festival where you’ll see the Oinkari Basque Dancers.

This celebration of the ancestral homeland makes Boise one of the best places to explore the most enduring truth of Basque culture: Where there is Basque people, there will be Basque cuisine!

The Basque Museum and Cultural Center on Boise’s Basque Block

Basque Food in Boise

The Basque city of San Sebastian in northern Spain boasts more Michelin-Star restaurants per square kilometer than all of the foodie cities in the world except Kyoto, Japan. More than San Francisco, more than NYC, even more than Paris. If that doesn’t make you want to eat the local food of the Basques, maybe hearing about Basque specialties will.

What is Basque food? Since the Basque region lies in both Spain and France, the Basque gastronomy has influences from both Spanish and French cuisine. The region borders the Bay of Biscay, so many traditional dishes involve fresh seafood—including fresh fish like cod, hake, anchovies, and tuna—to make such favorites as Bacalao al Pil Pil (fried cod with crispy skin), Marmitako (a fish stew), and Txipirones (baby squid sautéed in their own ink). 

A portion of the Pyrenees Mountains also lies in Basque Country, so a variety of hearty meat dishes are also featured on the menus of Boise Basque restaurants. These include lamb stew, Abubias de Tolosa (bean and pork stew), and Morcilla (blood sausage), among many others.

Pintxos, a Basque version of tapas, are small snacks that feature such typical Basque ingredients as piquillo peppers, anchovies, chorizo, ham—really anything tasty that you can put a toothpick through. 

Additional traditional-style tapas include Basque Meatballs, Croquetas filled with creamy béchamel, and Patatas Bravas, fried potatoes with a creamy paprika sauce.

If you want to taste these dishes and more of the best Basque food Boise has to offer, the restaurants below will not disappoint!

A variety of pintxos, or Basque tapas

Best Basque Restaurants in Boise

The Basque Market

The Basque Market is located in the very heart of Boise’s Basque community, on the Basque Block in downtown Boise. It is not only a great place to shop for Basque cheese, sausages, olive oil, peppers, sauces, and specialties of all kinds, it is also one of the most fun Basque restaurants in all of Boise, Idaho.

Owners Tony Eiguren and Tara Eiguren have more than 47 years of cooking experience between them and a passion for Basque cuisine and culture. You can taste the expertise and love in every bite of the offerings on their menu. These range from a wide variety of always-available pintxos to giant paellas that are served only on Paella Days, starting at noon on Wednesdays and Fridays.

My husband Mike and I had a great time on the charming patio sharing a parade of pintxos paired with a variety of Spanish wines and beers. The fresh ingredients and fulsome flavors of the food, the gregarious crowd of fellow patrons, the warm sun lighting up a perfect fall afternoon, all made for a memorable meal and unique experience in a friendly spot.

Address: 608 West Grove Street, Boise, ID 83702

Croquettas and Pimientos Verdes at the Basque Market in Boise

Bar Gernika

In the late 1980s, the Basque Cultural Center capitalized on an opportunity to buy the old Cub Tavern, a once landmark Boise bar that had fallen on hard times. The center then leased the bar, located in the Basque Block, to Dan Ansotegui, so that it could be renovated and repurposed as a gathering place for the Basque people of Boise.

That back story paved the way for today’s Bar Gernika, a Basque pub and eatery serving up Basque favorites made from traditional recipes. These include the highly popular solomo sandwiches—marinated pork loin with pimientos served on a warm baguette—and lamb stew, a savory mix of tender lamb, potatoes, onions, and green peppers in a rich sauce. Plenty of Basque and Spanish beers and wines are also to be found among the wide selection of options poured at the bar.

Address: 202 South Capitol Boulevard, Boise, ID 83705

Patatas Bravas, one of the most popular Basque foods

Leku Ona

Leku Ona is the Basque restaurant in Boise that makes its home in the boutique hotel of the same name. Located right next door to The Basque Market, Leku Ona Restaurant is a hit with Boise-area Basques in the mood for fine dining. It’s equally popular with anyone looking for authentic Basque food with a modern twist in an upscale setting.

This paragon of Basque style, whose name means “Good Place,” was a great stop on our tour of Boise Basque eateries. Helmed by Asier Garcia, a chef born, raised, and trained in Basque Country, Leku Ona boasts a menu of refined fare. Our Salt Cod Stuffed Peppers was an elegant version of the Basque staple, with a tasty fish in sweet piquillo peppers topped with a decadent cream sauce. It was one of the highlights of our Boise moveable feast.

Address: 117 South 6th Street, Boise, ID 83702

Salt Cod Stuffed Peppers, a traditional Basque dish

Ansots

I can honestly say that I fell in love with Ansots before I even reached our table. Walking into this Boise restaurant, I was welcomed by the scent of garlic, the sight of homemade sausages and Basque bacon hanging in a cavernous display case, and the sound of warm greetings from the friendly staff. I knew this was going to be a good place to eat before we even looked at the menu.

When we did look at the menu, there were far too many items that sounded amazing. We eventually decided on 3 pintxos: Piquillo Peppers with Anchovy Fillets, Basque Meatballs, and Clams & Chorizo Motzak.

The sweet peppers played perfectly off of the tangy anchovies with their briny slap. The lamb and chorizo meatballs were delicious, topped with roasted garlic slivers and drenched in a soulful Salsa Española. And the rich chorizo and sweet clams in a lovely white wine broth were the third big hit on this delectable winning streak. The only downside was that we were now too full to try any of the Basque chorizo sandwiches.

It wasn’t until much later that we learned that Ansots was the restaurant of Dan Ansotegui, the former owner of Bar Gernika, Basque descendant of local culinary legend Epi Lamiquiz, and proud keeper of the flame of tradition, ensuring top-notch preparation of Basque meals from beloved family recipes. It’s no wonder our experience was so pitch-perfect, from our first steps through the door to the last bite at our table.

Address: 560 West Main Street, Boise, ID 83702

Basque meatballs with roasted garlic in a salsa Española

Epi’s A Basque Restaurant

David Inchausti first left Basque Country to work in the United States in 1914. He earned enough money to travel back to Spain, where he met and later wed Epifania (Epi) Lamiquis. The couple then returned to the U.S. and settled in Idaho.

Epi began to cook for Basque ranchers, and her reputation for recreating the magic of the Basque homeland spread far and wide. David and Epi opened the Gem Bar in Hailey, ID, to offer Basque favorites not only to Basque families but to a much wider audience. Epi continued to wow diners for decades thereafter.

In 1999, Christi and Gina Ansotegui opened Epi’s in Idaho’s capital city to honor their Grandma Epi, and the restaurant is now in the capable hands of Erik McFarland, Epi’s great-grandson. True to tradition, the food is still delicious, the ambiance is welcoming and fun, and the love for sharing the best of Basque cuisine with all comers shows no sign of fading.

Address: 1115 North Main Street, Meridian, ID 83642

Chorizo and clams at a typical Basque restaurant in Boise

Tips on Eating Basque in Boise

You may not be able to eat at every Basque restaurant Boise, ID, offers, but you can certainly eat at more than one in a day and at an affordable price. 

In fact, sharing a few small plates of local favorites and then moving on to do the same at the next restaurant is quite acceptable. And because the eateries are so close together in the heart of downtown Boise, this plan is easily executable.

Think of it as one big delicious meal, a progressive lunch or dinner, or your own personal food tour. Since you’ll be walking, you can even add some wine tastings.

I suggest going to your top picks first and ordering the dishes that sound best to you in the beginning. This way, if you run out of steam, your must-try places and dishes won’t be missed. The worst-case scenario: You’ll hit the places you didn’t make it to next time!

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