My dad picked this spot because he wanted to watch a BSU basketball game. Neither of us had ever been here before, so we were excited to see what The Lift was all about. He ordered The Lift burger and was very happy with his pick and absolutely LOVED the fries. My boyfriend ordered the nachos which weren't anything exceptional. I ordered the wings - let me just say if you like a lot of buffalo sauce, then these wings are for you! Our waitress was neither rude nor friendly. In regards to TVs, you can view one from any seat in the house! Overall, not a bad place to go if you want to hang out and watch a game. My dad gives it "two thumbs up".
(3)
Chris H.
An "ok" neighborhood bar. The patio area looks fun and inviting. They have fires at night when it gets a little cool out. All the staff is very freindly and courteous.. We all had fish and chips. I will say the fresh cut fries were very good. Fish only fair! So over all good place to meet for drinks I'd your in that area. But not a go out of your way spot.
(3)
Rich L.
My date and I shared some pork street tacos which were served cool, not hot at all. the tacos were bland and the black bean side dish tasted like they came straight from the can. I ordered spinach artichoke dip which comes either with pita or tortilla chips. I ordered chips they brought pita, to the servers credit she noticed the mistake and brought the chips. The dip was barely warm the cheese in no way was even melted. I wanted a toasty hot dip with crusty cheese. I got a glop of cool stuff with tomatoes on top. We have eaten here before and been very positively pleased. I wondered why all the mediocre reviews, well today's experience shows why the reviews are negative. Gosh how hard is it to serve hot food??
(2)
Larry E.
Great little neighborhood spot. Stopped for a late lunch with friends. Being a Sunday afternoon all the tv's were carrying a football game and the atmosphere was electric. With every touchdown, interception, or fumble there was a cascade of cheers or boos (and probably more booze). Service was excellent! The young lady waiting on our table could not have been nicer. My wife and I both had a simple lunch of grilled cheese sandwich and sweet potato fries, sandwich was very cheesy and the fries superb. Not your gourmet dining experience, but a comfortable and inviting spot for a beer and a satisfying lunch.
(5)
Justin T.
I have a love hate relationship with this place. Why I love them, its easy to eat paleo. Their burgers are top notch, they serve the best homemade sweet potato fries and there is always a game on. Why i can hate this place. I love sweet potato fries. On no less than 3 occaisions I have gone in knowing exactly what I will eat: Garlic burger (no bun) with sweet potato fries. On 3 occaisions Ive gone in and been told we are out of sweet potato fries. So you may be asking yourself " so what if princess doesn't get his sweet potato fries?" Well, for one it is sweet potato fries, they are relatively easy to make and oh yeah, we live in FRICKING IDAHO!!! What is that one thing we are known for...hmmm....wait could it be? Yes it is! POTATOES!!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THERE IS AN ALBERTSONS 1/4 Miles AWAY. SEND SOMEONE TO BUY A DAMN SWEET POTATO. If they have what you want it is awesome, if they dont, i wouldnt expect them to give a shit. Great food when it is on though!
(3)
Patrick L.
As a bar and grill I might give this place a 3.5. Good food. Good beer. Good service. But the cuban is amazing. I have been back for it 3 times the last month.
(4)
Jessica D.
I love the lift bar and grill. It is my favorite place in Boise to go when I need some relaxation, beer, good food and fantastic music. I always feel at home and stay for a while when I come. Their taco salad is wonderful, I scarf it down each time. Also on Tuesdays there are 50¢ beers! If you haven't tried this place give it a try!
(5)
Andrew P.
I started regularly going to the Lift about seven months ago and have been consistently happy with the quality of their food, the strength of their drinks (which are usually perfectly mixed), and the friendliness of the staff. My only real qualm came not too long ago when they got a new kitchen manager who made changes to the way some of the dishes are prepped. He seems to be trying to save a buck by making slightly smaller portions. The food is still good, I just miss the larger portions.
(5)
D W.
Served completely charred sweet potato fries that looked like charcoal. Meatloaf sandwich was a joke, they could barely give any meatloaf on an already small section of bread. It literally looked like they took a razor blade to shave off the smallest piece of meatloaf they could find. The meat was burnt and tasted like canned meat that was over salted and just heated on the griddle until it got burn marks on it. Really no grilled onions to speak of. Is meatloaf that hard to make? I know it's not expensive so why couldn't you put more than a shaving for each paltry piece of bread? Maybe there's a meatloaf shortage I'm unaware of? For the price. NOT a decent value at all.
(1)
Caleb H.
Decent beer selection. Garlic burger and fish tacos were great! Also get the fries. Soooooo good! Service was not great (they mixed up my food with someone else's and gave me a veggie burger. GROSS!!) and place was way too loud. They made me a new burger, which was delicious but a long wait. For a bar though, not to bad. Pretty much what I expected. Probably won't be back but was an enjoyable evening.
(3)
Andy S.
Another reviewer said they have a love/hate relationship with this place and I couldn't agree more. -$2 fish tacos and .50 cans of Oly on Tuesdays is an awesome concept. The tacos are delicious, but are also small. It doesn't come out to a great deal if you're a large eater like myself. Regardless, great flavor, and consistent quality. Sometimes I crave those fish tacos for days. Yum! -The patio is one of the best in town. -This place is very accessible via Greenbelt. It's a great ride out to the Lift from downtown. -Their brunch menu is very hit-and-miss. I had something called "bread pudding french toast" this weekend and it was super tasty. However, I had the worst biscuits & gravy of my life here as well. So disappointing! I feel like I'm risking it whenever I go here. You do not get a lot of food for what you pay, either. I always end up wishing I was at Capri. -You can get a pitcher of mimosa which is a great deal for groups. -They have a coffee bar with fun mugs which I find convenient. -Service is also very hit or miss. They won't have coffee brewed for Sunday brunch and come across very annoyed when you ask where the coffee is. However, I've also had great service here as well.
(2)
Ander S.
The other day I swung by the lift to grab a bite after mountain biking. I ordered a club sandwich and I got a few slices of bacon and Swiss cheese on a hamburger bun sliced in half? WTF? Not even the third slice of bread. Terrible......
(1)
David F.
The Lift's Reuben does indeed taste like home made corned beef, which it is. I think I got a coriander seed. That's always a flowery explosion of flavor. This has to be the most remarkable corned beef flavor I have ever had. Good side salad and Sockeye Dagger Falls on tap. I have had much better experiences with food items, service, ambiance since last summer.
(4)
Nicole D.
Spent the evening out on the back patio and had drinks and a few appetizers. Service was great, drinks were good and the food I did try wasn't too bad. They have really good salsa which I assume they make themselves. The wings are huge! Never went inside so I couldn't say much about the ambiance there.
(4)
Tami M.
Love the dog friendly patio, street taco's, best burger in town and coldest Oly. Service was awesome today as well!
(5)
Kyme G.
The Lift is a great place to meet up casually with a few friends- most of the time. They have the best fish tacos this side of the north end of Boise and you can't beat a few of them on a Tuesday night with a bucket of Oly for under $10. In the summer the patio is open with the ancient wisteria bush providing shade. Ride your bike up, pet a pooch and order a local brew on tap. In the fall, the fire is roaring on the patio making a cozy group setting. Switch to a darker ale and spin some tales with friends. Brunch at the Lift is also great. They make a good ham benny and the $1 mimosas make it easy to order a couple doubles on a Sunday. Nice mellow atmosphere, good food, decent beer and generally good service.
(4)
Matt H.
Awesome brunch menu and you can't beet the $3 bloodymarys. It can get pretty crowded on Saturday and Sunday so come early. I had a simple omlette and it was cooked perfectly. The kids loved the pancakes and french toast. We will make this a regular stop for breakfast on the week ends.
(5)
S. R.
Beer warm. Wanted another and was told by inexperienced waitress that we,d have to pay for the warm one,! Hello. Really?... Waited forever for the food and no longer dollar beers on. Monday night. Pretty much done with this joint.. Would not recommend this place at all. Buffalo wings are tasty but had to 30 min. Not sure I would come again.. Jus sayin
(2)
Celie J.
Pleasantly surprised by the quality of this little gem. Cozy and romantic patio for outdoor dining. The food was excellent. Their veggie burger was unique and tasty. Salads are generous and delicious as well. I thought this was going to be a bar that happened to offer decent food. I was in for a treat. Not only are the drinks divine but so is the food.
(4)
Christie H.
We stopped in here on our way home from a long Saturday of shopping. We wanted a cool beverage and a plate of nachos. When I first saw the plate of nachos I remarked how beautiful it looked and as we proceeded to dig into them we found them to be delicious!! I commented to our waiter how I was really enjoying them and he proceeded to tell us how fresh everything was... From the chips being homemade to the freshly made salsa, guacamole, and the chimichurri sauce the best nachos we've ever had! We sat inside on this nice fall day, but they have a super great patio,too!
(4)
Bryce p.
The Lift Burger is the best in town! The fries are hand cut daily. The tap beer selection is okay. I think they could use more local or bordering States beers. But overall, great food at an amazing price!
(4)
Sydney C.
I'll give it 2 stars because dogs are allowed on the patio, but the food has gotten bad. Used to be our favorite place for brunch but the service has declined. Took almost 30 minutes for us to get our food in a half-filled restaurant. The corned beef hash had chewy chunks of corned beef instead of the shredded "melt in your mouth" corned beef we used to get last winter. Please bring back the former kitchen staff and the quality ingredients.
(2)
rebecca c.
I just moved back to Boise from seattle yesterday and I just had to have the one salad I haven't been able to enjoy for a year now, I headed to the lift and since it was Tuesday night my boyfriend and I ordered the oly bucket and I got my sinful taco salad. The anticipation of it literally was making my mouth water I had never had a taco salad so delicious in my life. Boy was I disappointed. They used to use the butter leaf lettuce which had a perfectly crispy crunch with not too much of the overwhelmingly leafy texture. For some odd reason they decided to switch to mixed greens which omitted the refreshing crunch to a lifeless backyard leaf. They managed to replace the great with the meh, I'm sure to save money. The lettuce alone made me completely regret the salad. It was once again one of those salads I get that I'm disappointed with. They used to have a wonderful balance of the shredded chicken,black beans, tomatoes, and onions but it seemed I had been screwed on that as well. To try and cover up the "leafy" flavor I asked for another jalapeño ranch which I was sure would cure my disappointment because their jalapeño ranch was thick and creamy and had an addicting heat to it. The waitress brought me two extras I poured one on the salad but It was still blah. I was taken aback that I still was not satisfied?! How could this be?!? I dipped my finger in the other extra jalapeño ranch and it was completely watered down. A runny ranch. No chunky onions. And absolutely no heat at all. It literally tasted like watered down milky mayonnaise. The best part was the fried taco bowl, but how can someone really screw that up. I even texted my friend and asked her what happened to our favorite salad? She replied "I know I've had two since they've changed it and it absolutely sucks" Ultimately it was a complete let down. Why fix something that's not broken? I definitely won't be ordering that again, the best thing about the lift is the 50 cent olys on tuesday nights. I used to come frequently for that salad but that will be no more. It's too bad since they'll be missing two frequenting customers! Sorry lift!
(2)
Miss Denice R.
Typical pub grub bar fare with no inspiration, tater tots and the like. Boy seemed to enjoy his cubano but left some on his plate and when about it asked simply said "'sal right". His friend had a teriyaki chicken sandwich, which looked like bottled sauce on a grilled chicken breast. The avocado and boiled egg were sadly forgotten on my "build a salad". I doubt we will visit again since they don't take American Express even though it was posted in the front window.
(2)
Jane L.
Waitress great - everything else, not so. Would love to comment on the food but the person who was delivering the food couldn't find us - we had moved one table down to accommodate a group of six who wanted to sit together. Twenty minutes later our food was delivered - hadn't even been under a heat lamp! I asked if he really expected us to eat the dried up cold food & he laughed and said yes! Well, the answer was "no" and we asked for our check for our drinks......and they gave us one!! There were apologies from the manager-no offer of anything to make up for the crappy experience-we paid, walked out the door and will never return. I guess the Lift hasn't paid attention to the number of restaurants in Boise that offer the same menu and better service.....that have gone belly up. Are you paying attention owners???
(1)
Fabian N.
Grumpy staff. Food is ok.
(1)
Eric L.
It's seriously not that good. I've heard a lot of people talking about how great the "new menu" is. I wonder what the old menu was like...because I was not impressed. I love fish tacos and am on a quest for the best fish tacos in town: The Lift definitely did NOT have the best...in fact, they weren't anything special at all. I won't go back.
(2)
Lucy T.
Like the new atmosphere, love the weekend brunch. Fun patio, and dollar mimosas!
(4)
KT T.
I USED to like this place. Loved it, actually. It was always our go-to place for decent bar food (fish tacos, hummus plate, and nachos= yum!) Plus, 50 cent Holy Oly night? Awesome. My opinion changed one night a few weeks ago. A group of 8 of us went for Oly night and ordered several buckets and multiple plates of food. At the end of the night our bill was close to $80. I paid with my debit card and gave our waitress a CASH tip of $30, which we felt was generous but reasonable since we had two kids with us. Imagine my surprise when I looked at my online bank statement the next day and realized our waitress had given herself a $15 dollar additional tip on my card. I called and the person I spoke to said, "Well what do you want ME to do about it?". Seriously?! Avoid this place unless you like dealing with shady wait staff and rude management. So not worth it, even for 50 cent Oly!
(1)
Nicholas R.
I went to the lift on a Saturday night with my fiance and a friend. I ordered 3 Vodka and Cran's. 1 came with Vodka, the other two were just Cranberry juice. I wouldn't say that the bartender or wait-staff were necessarily rude, just not friendly. And that's all she wrote.
(1)
Sara H.
I was super surprised when we came to this place! My fiance and I rode our bikes on the greenbelt, and decided to stop by here and eat. On the outside, it looked pretty ordinary. Just like a small divey bar. Which is exactly what is it. However...the experience was a BLAST! Best dive bar in Boise! Not only was the food amazing and beer cold, but we met a couple of amazing people there and ended up spending FOUR hours just talking and laughing! The bar is pretty neat, and unique. It's solid concrete, but its a 'W' shape which was unusual for me. I liked it. Service was...perfect. It wasn't hard to get the bartenders attention, nor order more food and beer when we wanted. We will be going back for sure! If you haven't tried this place, I would recommend and adventure there. Their brunch menu was DELICIOUS! Reason for 5 star: It was the perfect example of a "Dive" bar. Cozy, Safe, Good food, Good people, and COLD beer!
(5)
Ryan E.
This place used to be pretty fun to go to and have some food and beer. Now it is mostly lackluster. Tuesday nights used to be packed on 50 cent Olympia night. About 5 months ago that become $1.00 Olympia night which was still not bad, now they charge $2.00 for Olympias. They have also sky rocketed the price of the all you can eat spaghetti Thursday dinner they had. I am not sure what business model they are following but it looks like they much rather not have people in the place to buy food and drinks. For the old prices it was a great place we would go there a couple of times a week, at the new prices not so great. This place would be a good candidate for Kitchen Nightmares, a year ago it was lively with a great mix of older and younger folks, now it is slow maybe 20 customers and most of them were 60+. It is time to go to Burger and Brew down the street.
(2)
Brian M.
Great patio out back w/ amazing grapevine trellace, killer fish tacos (wish they would bring back the Tuesday special ... bump up the price if you have to!), hand breaded chicken strips, better bar food than usual ... Real fries too. Did I mention they serve food late? Until 11 or midnight (?) - a rarity in Boise! Note: they can't serve minors past 9:30 pm (silly Idaho rule) so plan accordingly.
(3)
Pat R.
The place to go with dogs. Sit on the back patio under the wisteria vines, listen to the music, and dine on some really good bar good. Do not miss the bacon mac and cheese. Pork street tacos are great appetizer too. Have had fish tacos, Reuben, burger and my personal favorite, turkey and Brie with sliced apples and honey mustard dressing. All worth doing again. The only thing that could be better is if they had a canine menu!
(4)
Robert P.
Such a fun place. I've been here three times and every visit has been better than the last. Beers are reasonably priced, the food is good, and all the staff are very friendly and personable. I love walking in and being greeted warmly. They also have every baseball game. Make a stop.
(5)
Sara R.
Tuesday night, $10 Lift burger and local brew! I highly recommend this! Rotating local beer is fun and tasty, food is great too. Homemade fries are AWESOME! Crispy, never soggy!
(5)
Beth C.
We went on a Friday night, but at a weird time (after the dinner crowd and before the bar crowd). We must have picked a good time, because we got served right away and the food came fast. The servers were nice. My husband and I are on a quest for the best fish tacos in Boise, and a waiter at a different restaurant suggested The Lift. The fish tacos here were pretty good. My husband had the shrimp fajitas. Also pretty good. I wouldn't make a special trip out here for them (I live a distance from it), but if I were in the neighborhood, I would try it again.
(3)
Ashley K.
Highly recommend this place! The food is fantastic - I suggest the chicken strips, salads, and nachos! YUM! Their brunch menu is also really good! Be sure and order some dollar mimosas too! Great atmosphere and the staff is always friendly - especially MJ.
(5)
Bree B.
I am defiantly a fan of The Lift. The fish tacos are out of this world, as well as their eggs Benny and "The Hash". It's perfect to sit out on the patio in the warm summer days and you can even bring your dog along with you. I have never had bad food at The Lift, ever. Although once I had some pretty bad service! I was surprised by the brunch menu, because it was so small (their dinner menu is quite large). I do consider myself an Eggs Benedict connoisseur and their Eggs Benny was RIGHT ON POINT!
(4)
Reid S.
Tuesday's, Thursday's and Sunday's are the days to head to the lift. Tuesday's for the fifty cent Olympia cans, Thursday's for the five dollar all you can eat spaghetti and 3 dollar Payette's, and Sunday's for the bomb breakfast and one dollar Mimosas. Other than that... meh
(4)
Laurel M.
Very friendly staff, good pub food with a menu that changes occasionally. Try the fish tacos, for $3 a la carte, it's a cheap snack. 6-7 televisions for sports, pool table and video games, and Tuesday 50cent cans of Olympia beer. The outdoor patio is great in the summer, with a dog bowl for your pooch. Family friendly and smoke free inside, and FREE WIFI!! The Boise Hashers run through regularly,
(5)
Cory P.
I really want to like this place, several of my friends really do, but I just don't get it. They do have a great patio, so I totally get that part of it. Beer never seems quite cold enough, and the although the food tastes good at the time, it always makes me feel ill later on. I don't know if they need to change out their fryer grease more often or what, but it just never settles on my stomach.
(2)
Scott B.
Go for the cheap beers and stay for the fish tacos. Their fish tacos are some of the best I've had and they run a special on them on Tuesdays, but go any night and pay full price, they're definitely worth it.
(4)
Shayna W.
Tuesday night $2 fish tacos and .50 Oly's are amazingly good and you can't beat the price. It's a bit loud, but the service is always good and the atmosphere fun filled. Lots of TV's around if you need to watch a game and if the weather is decent, sitting outside in the covered patio is a nice change.
(4)
Danny A.
Great wings, beer is not as cold as it should be.
(3)
danger m.
it's okay, not bad but not great, it's pub food. the tots are pretty good. the fish tacos looked promising but i didnt try them yet. Wouldnt go out of my way to go here, but if i have to eat here i wouldnt mind as they have beer. edit: they got rid of their extra fried fries in favor of more traditional fries. i never experienced the original, but the group i was with was not happy.
(2)
Elmira D.
First, I'm not much of a drinker, so I can't really attest to many of the bar offerings. I go to The Lift mostly for lunch and the occasional brunch. The Lift serves up consistently good bar food. I love the crispy Tater Tots, the fish tacos and any of the burgers. I also enjoy going for brunch, where they have many delicious options. Also, the $1 mimosas are a nice touch. I also enjoy going here for Tour de France coverage. I've enjoyed many afternoons quietly watching the Tour and having lunch or an iced tea, and never feel like I'm going to be chased out of the bar if I'm not drinking.
(4)
Leah H.
Have been here a few times, always sat outside and it's a great relaxing atmosphere. Great area for kids to roam and also has music playing. I have always ordered the Club on foccacia (sp) bread and it has been awesome every time. Only thing I don't like so much is that a draft beer is $3.50 and then a little can of Clamato is $1.00 so you are looking at $4.50 for a draft red beer. I had three so that was $13.50 just for beer! I think $4.50 is a bit much but it also could have been someone new working too, so not 100% on the price. Love it though and wil keep going back!
(4)
k f.
My husband and I ordered hamburgers for lunch. The meat had a great taste but the bun was so soft that it couldn't hold together. The fries were mediocre - they had some kind of coating on them. This will be the last time we go.
(1)
Bryan N.
Went for a mid-week lunch. Nice atmosphere, friendly waitstaff. Food was good - rather enjoyed their take on the club sandwich (which is prepped sort of in the same vein as a philly cheesesteak), and the fries were great. Bit more of a tilt to being a bar (I haven't been there at night yet), which is reflected in the atmosphere of the place (kind of an indecisive "are we a bar, are we a restaurant?" vibe), but otherwise no gripes.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Divey Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Wed, Thu, Fri Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Emilee B.
My dad picked this spot because he wanted to watch a BSU basketball game. Neither of us had ever been here before, so we were excited to see what The Lift was all about. He ordered The Lift burger and was very happy with his pick and absolutely LOVED the fries. My boyfriend ordered the nachos which weren't anything exceptional. I ordered the wings - let me just say if you like a lot of buffalo sauce, then these wings are for you! Our waitress was neither rude nor friendly. In regards to TVs, you can view one from any seat in the house! Overall, not a bad place to go if you want to hang out and watch a game. My dad gives it "two thumbs up".
(3)Chris H.
An "ok" neighborhood bar. The patio area looks fun and inviting. They have fires at night when it gets a little cool out. All the staff is very freindly and courteous.. We all had fish and chips. I will say the fresh cut fries were very good. Fish only fair! So over all good place to meet for drinks I'd your in that area. But not a go out of your way spot.
(3)Rich L.
My date and I shared some pork street tacos which were served cool, not hot at all. the tacos were bland and the black bean side dish tasted like they came straight from the can. I ordered spinach artichoke dip which comes either with pita or tortilla chips. I ordered chips they brought pita, to the servers credit she noticed the mistake and brought the chips. The dip was barely warm the cheese in no way was even melted. I wanted a toasty hot dip with crusty cheese. I got a glop of cool stuff with tomatoes on top. We have eaten here before and been very positively pleased. I wondered why all the mediocre reviews, well today's experience shows why the reviews are negative. Gosh how hard is it to serve hot food??
(2)Larry E.
Great little neighborhood spot. Stopped for a late lunch with friends. Being a Sunday afternoon all the tv's were carrying a football game and the atmosphere was electric. With every touchdown, interception, or fumble there was a cascade of cheers or boos (and probably more booze). Service was excellent! The young lady waiting on our table could not have been nicer. My wife and I both had a simple lunch of grilled cheese sandwich and sweet potato fries, sandwich was very cheesy and the fries superb. Not your gourmet dining experience, but a comfortable and inviting spot for a beer and a satisfying lunch.
(5)Justin T.
I have a love hate relationship with this place. Why I love them, its easy to eat paleo. Their burgers are top notch, they serve the best homemade sweet potato fries and there is always a game on. Why i can hate this place. I love sweet potato fries. On no less than 3 occaisions I have gone in knowing exactly what I will eat: Garlic burger (no bun) with sweet potato fries. On 3 occaisions Ive gone in and been told we are out of sweet potato fries. So you may be asking yourself " so what if princess doesn't get his sweet potato fries?" Well, for one it is sweet potato fries, they are relatively easy to make and oh yeah, we live in FRICKING IDAHO!!! What is that one thing we are known for...hmmm....wait could it be? Yes it is! POTATOES!!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THERE IS AN ALBERTSONS 1/4 Miles AWAY. SEND SOMEONE TO BUY A DAMN SWEET POTATO. If they have what you want it is awesome, if they dont, i wouldnt expect them to give a shit. Great food when it is on though!
(3)Patrick L.
As a bar and grill I might give this place a 3.5. Good food. Good beer. Good service. But the cuban is amazing. I have been back for it 3 times the last month.
(4)Jessica D.
I love the lift bar and grill. It is my favorite place in Boise to go when I need some relaxation, beer, good food and fantastic music. I always feel at home and stay for a while when I come. Their taco salad is wonderful, I scarf it down each time. Also on Tuesdays there are 50¢ beers! If you haven't tried this place give it a try!
(5)Andrew P.
I started regularly going to the Lift about seven months ago and have been consistently happy with the quality of their food, the strength of their drinks (which are usually perfectly mixed), and the friendliness of the staff. My only real qualm came not too long ago when they got a new kitchen manager who made changes to the way some of the dishes are prepped. He seems to be trying to save a buck by making slightly smaller portions. The food is still good, I just miss the larger portions.
(5)D W.
Served completely charred sweet potato fries that looked like charcoal. Meatloaf sandwich was a joke, they could barely give any meatloaf on an already small section of bread. It literally looked like they took a razor blade to shave off the smallest piece of meatloaf they could find. The meat was burnt and tasted like canned meat that was over salted and just heated on the griddle until it got burn marks on it. Really no grilled onions to speak of. Is meatloaf that hard to make? I know it's not expensive so why couldn't you put more than a shaving for each paltry piece of bread? Maybe there's a meatloaf shortage I'm unaware of? For the price. NOT a decent value at all.
(1)Caleb H.
Decent beer selection. Garlic burger and fish tacos were great! Also get the fries. Soooooo good! Service was not great (they mixed up my food with someone else's and gave me a veggie burger. GROSS!!) and place was way too loud. They made me a new burger, which was delicious but a long wait. For a bar though, not to bad. Pretty much what I expected. Probably won't be back but was an enjoyable evening.
(3)Andy S.
Another reviewer said they have a love/hate relationship with this place and I couldn't agree more. -$2 fish tacos and .50 cans of Oly on Tuesdays is an awesome concept. The tacos are delicious, but are also small. It doesn't come out to a great deal if you're a large eater like myself. Regardless, great flavor, and consistent quality. Sometimes I crave those fish tacos for days. Yum! -The patio is one of the best in town. -This place is very accessible via Greenbelt. It's a great ride out to the Lift from downtown. -Their brunch menu is very hit-and-miss. I had something called "bread pudding french toast" this weekend and it was super tasty. However, I had the worst biscuits & gravy of my life here as well. So disappointing! I feel like I'm risking it whenever I go here. You do not get a lot of food for what you pay, either. I always end up wishing I was at Capri. -You can get a pitcher of mimosa which is a great deal for groups. -They have a coffee bar with fun mugs which I find convenient. -Service is also very hit or miss. They won't have coffee brewed for Sunday brunch and come across very annoyed when you ask where the coffee is. However, I've also had great service here as well.
(2)Ander S.
The other day I swung by the lift to grab a bite after mountain biking. I ordered a club sandwich and I got a few slices of bacon and Swiss cheese on a hamburger bun sliced in half? WTF? Not even the third slice of bread. Terrible......
(1)David F.
The Lift's Reuben does indeed taste like home made corned beef, which it is. I think I got a coriander seed. That's always a flowery explosion of flavor. This has to be the most remarkable corned beef flavor I have ever had. Good side salad and Sockeye Dagger Falls on tap. I have had much better experiences with food items, service, ambiance since last summer.
(4)Nicole D.
Spent the evening out on the back patio and had drinks and a few appetizers. Service was great, drinks were good and the food I did try wasn't too bad. They have really good salsa which I assume they make themselves. The wings are huge! Never went inside so I couldn't say much about the ambiance there.
(4)Tami M.
Love the dog friendly patio, street taco's, best burger in town and coldest Oly. Service was awesome today as well!
(5)Kyme G.
The Lift is a great place to meet up casually with a few friends- most of the time. They have the best fish tacos this side of the north end of Boise and you can't beat a few of them on a Tuesday night with a bucket of Oly for under $10. In the summer the patio is open with the ancient wisteria bush providing shade. Ride your bike up, pet a pooch and order a local brew on tap. In the fall, the fire is roaring on the patio making a cozy group setting. Switch to a darker ale and spin some tales with friends. Brunch at the Lift is also great. They make a good ham benny and the $1 mimosas make it easy to order a couple doubles on a Sunday. Nice mellow atmosphere, good food, decent beer and generally good service.
(4)Matt H.
Awesome brunch menu and you can't beet the $3 bloodymarys. It can get pretty crowded on Saturday and Sunday so come early. I had a simple omlette and it was cooked perfectly. The kids loved the pancakes and french toast. We will make this a regular stop for breakfast on the week ends.
(5)S. R.
Beer warm. Wanted another and was told by inexperienced waitress that we,d have to pay for the warm one,! Hello. Really?... Waited forever for the food and no longer dollar beers on. Monday night. Pretty much done with this joint.. Would not recommend this place at all. Buffalo wings are tasty but had to 30 min. Not sure I would come again.. Jus sayin
(2)Celie J.
Pleasantly surprised by the quality of this little gem. Cozy and romantic patio for outdoor dining. The food was excellent. Their veggie burger was unique and tasty. Salads are generous and delicious as well. I thought this was going to be a bar that happened to offer decent food. I was in for a treat. Not only are the drinks divine but so is the food.
(4)Christie H.
We stopped in here on our way home from a long Saturday of shopping. We wanted a cool beverage and a plate of nachos. When I first saw the plate of nachos I remarked how beautiful it looked and as we proceeded to dig into them we found them to be delicious!! I commented to our waiter how I was really enjoying them and he proceeded to tell us how fresh everything was... From the chips being homemade to the freshly made salsa, guacamole, and the chimichurri sauce the best nachos we've ever had! We sat inside on this nice fall day, but they have a super great patio,too!
(4)Bryce p.
The Lift Burger is the best in town! The fries are hand cut daily. The tap beer selection is okay. I think they could use more local or bordering States beers. But overall, great food at an amazing price!
(4)Sydney C.
I'll give it 2 stars because dogs are allowed on the patio, but the food has gotten bad. Used to be our favorite place for brunch but the service has declined. Took almost 30 minutes for us to get our food in a half-filled restaurant. The corned beef hash had chewy chunks of corned beef instead of the shredded "melt in your mouth" corned beef we used to get last winter. Please bring back the former kitchen staff and the quality ingredients.
(2)rebecca c.
I just moved back to Boise from seattle yesterday and I just had to have the one salad I haven't been able to enjoy for a year now, I headed to the lift and since it was Tuesday night my boyfriend and I ordered the oly bucket and I got my sinful taco salad. The anticipation of it literally was making my mouth water I had never had a taco salad so delicious in my life. Boy was I disappointed. They used to use the butter leaf lettuce which had a perfectly crispy crunch with not too much of the overwhelmingly leafy texture. For some odd reason they decided to switch to mixed greens which omitted the refreshing crunch to a lifeless backyard leaf. They managed to replace the great with the meh, I'm sure to save money. The lettuce alone made me completely regret the salad. It was once again one of those salads I get that I'm disappointed with. They used to have a wonderful balance of the shredded chicken,black beans, tomatoes, and onions but it seemed I had been screwed on that as well. To try and cover up the "leafy" flavor I asked for another jalapeño ranch which I was sure would cure my disappointment because their jalapeño ranch was thick and creamy and had an addicting heat to it. The waitress brought me two extras I poured one on the salad but It was still blah. I was taken aback that I still was not satisfied?! How could this be?!? I dipped my finger in the other extra jalapeño ranch and it was completely watered down. A runny ranch. No chunky onions. And absolutely no heat at all. It literally tasted like watered down milky mayonnaise. The best part was the fried taco bowl, but how can someone really screw that up. I even texted my friend and asked her what happened to our favorite salad? She replied "I know I've had two since they've changed it and it absolutely sucks" Ultimately it was a complete let down. Why fix something that's not broken? I definitely won't be ordering that again, the best thing about the lift is the 50 cent olys on tuesday nights. I used to come frequently for that salad but that will be no more. It's too bad since they'll be missing two frequenting customers! Sorry lift!
(2)Miss Denice R.
Typical pub grub bar fare with no inspiration, tater tots and the like. Boy seemed to enjoy his cubano but left some on his plate and when about it asked simply said "'sal right". His friend had a teriyaki chicken sandwich, which looked like bottled sauce on a grilled chicken breast. The avocado and boiled egg were sadly forgotten on my "build a salad". I doubt we will visit again since they don't take American Express even though it was posted in the front window.
(2)Jane L.
Waitress great - everything else, not so. Would love to comment on the food but the person who was delivering the food couldn't find us - we had moved one table down to accommodate a group of six who wanted to sit together. Twenty minutes later our food was delivered - hadn't even been under a heat lamp! I asked if he really expected us to eat the dried up cold food & he laughed and said yes! Well, the answer was "no" and we asked for our check for our drinks......and they gave us one!! There were apologies from the manager-no offer of anything to make up for the crappy experience-we paid, walked out the door and will never return. I guess the Lift hasn't paid attention to the number of restaurants in Boise that offer the same menu and better service.....that have gone belly up. Are you paying attention owners???
(1)Fabian N.
Grumpy staff. Food is ok.
(1)Eric L.
It's seriously not that good. I've heard a lot of people talking about how great the "new menu" is. I wonder what the old menu was like...because I was not impressed. I love fish tacos and am on a quest for the best fish tacos in town: The Lift definitely did NOT have the best...in fact, they weren't anything special at all. I won't go back.
(2)Lucy T.
Like the new atmosphere, love the weekend brunch. Fun patio, and dollar mimosas!
(4)KT T.
I USED to like this place. Loved it, actually. It was always our go-to place for decent bar food (fish tacos, hummus plate, and nachos= yum!) Plus, 50 cent Holy Oly night? Awesome. My opinion changed one night a few weeks ago. A group of 8 of us went for Oly night and ordered several buckets and multiple plates of food. At the end of the night our bill was close to $80. I paid with my debit card and gave our waitress a CASH tip of $30, which we felt was generous but reasonable since we had two kids with us. Imagine my surprise when I looked at my online bank statement the next day and realized our waitress had given herself a $15 dollar additional tip on my card. I called and the person I spoke to said, "Well what do you want ME to do about it?". Seriously?! Avoid this place unless you like dealing with shady wait staff and rude management. So not worth it, even for 50 cent Oly!
(1)Nicholas R.
I went to the lift on a Saturday night with my fiance and a friend. I ordered 3 Vodka and Cran's. 1 came with Vodka, the other two were just Cranberry juice. I wouldn't say that the bartender or wait-staff were necessarily rude, just not friendly. And that's all she wrote.
(1)Sara H.
I was super surprised when we came to this place! My fiance and I rode our bikes on the greenbelt, and decided to stop by here and eat. On the outside, it looked pretty ordinary. Just like a small divey bar. Which is exactly what is it. However...the experience was a BLAST! Best dive bar in Boise! Not only was the food amazing and beer cold, but we met a couple of amazing people there and ended up spending FOUR hours just talking and laughing! The bar is pretty neat, and unique. It's solid concrete, but its a 'W' shape which was unusual for me. I liked it. Service was...perfect. It wasn't hard to get the bartenders attention, nor order more food and beer when we wanted. We will be going back for sure! If you haven't tried this place, I would recommend and adventure there. Their brunch menu was DELICIOUS! Reason for 5 star: It was the perfect example of a "Dive" bar. Cozy, Safe, Good food, Good people, and COLD beer!
(5)Ryan E.
This place used to be pretty fun to go to and have some food and beer. Now it is mostly lackluster. Tuesday nights used to be packed on 50 cent Olympia night. About 5 months ago that become $1.00 Olympia night which was still not bad, now they charge $2.00 for Olympias. They have also sky rocketed the price of the all you can eat spaghetti Thursday dinner they had. I am not sure what business model they are following but it looks like they much rather not have people in the place to buy food and drinks. For the old prices it was a great place we would go there a couple of times a week, at the new prices not so great. This place would be a good candidate for Kitchen Nightmares, a year ago it was lively with a great mix of older and younger folks, now it is slow maybe 20 customers and most of them were 60+. It is time to go to Burger and Brew down the street.
(2)Brian M.
Great patio out back w/ amazing grapevine trellace, killer fish tacos (wish they would bring back the Tuesday special ... bump up the price if you have to!), hand breaded chicken strips, better bar food than usual ... Real fries too. Did I mention they serve food late? Until 11 or midnight (?) - a rarity in Boise! Note: they can't serve minors past 9:30 pm (silly Idaho rule) so plan accordingly.
(3)Pat R.
The place to go with dogs. Sit on the back patio under the wisteria vines, listen to the music, and dine on some really good bar good. Do not miss the bacon mac and cheese. Pork street tacos are great appetizer too. Have had fish tacos, Reuben, burger and my personal favorite, turkey and Brie with sliced apples and honey mustard dressing. All worth doing again. The only thing that could be better is if they had a canine menu!
(4)Robert P.
Such a fun place. I've been here three times and every visit has been better than the last. Beers are reasonably priced, the food is good, and all the staff are very friendly and personable. I love walking in and being greeted warmly. They also have every baseball game. Make a stop.
(5)Sara R.
Tuesday night, $10 Lift burger and local brew! I highly recommend this! Rotating local beer is fun and tasty, food is great too. Homemade fries are AWESOME! Crispy, never soggy!
(5)Beth C.
We went on a Friday night, but at a weird time (after the dinner crowd and before the bar crowd). We must have picked a good time, because we got served right away and the food came fast. The servers were nice. My husband and I are on a quest for the best fish tacos in Boise, and a waiter at a different restaurant suggested The Lift. The fish tacos here were pretty good. My husband had the shrimp fajitas. Also pretty good. I wouldn't make a special trip out here for them (I live a distance from it), but if I were in the neighborhood, I would try it again.
(3)Ashley K.
Highly recommend this place! The food is fantastic - I suggest the chicken strips, salads, and nachos! YUM! Their brunch menu is also really good! Be sure and order some dollar mimosas too! Great atmosphere and the staff is always friendly - especially MJ.
(5)Bree B.
I am defiantly a fan of The Lift. The fish tacos are out of this world, as well as their eggs Benny and "The Hash". It's perfect to sit out on the patio in the warm summer days and you can even bring your dog along with you. I have never had bad food at The Lift, ever. Although once I had some pretty bad service! I was surprised by the brunch menu, because it was so small (their dinner menu is quite large). I do consider myself an Eggs Benedict connoisseur and their Eggs Benny was RIGHT ON POINT!
(4)Reid S.
Tuesday's, Thursday's and Sunday's are the days to head to the lift. Tuesday's for the fifty cent Olympia cans, Thursday's for the five dollar all you can eat spaghetti and 3 dollar Payette's, and Sunday's for the bomb breakfast and one dollar Mimosas. Other than that... meh
(4)Laurel M.
Very friendly staff, good pub food with a menu that changes occasionally. Try the fish tacos, for $3 a la carte, it's a cheap snack. 6-7 televisions for sports, pool table and video games, and Tuesday 50cent cans of Olympia beer. The outdoor patio is great in the summer, with a dog bowl for your pooch. Family friendly and smoke free inside, and FREE WIFI!! The Boise Hashers run through regularly,
(5)Cory P.
I really want to like this place, several of my friends really do, but I just don't get it. They do have a great patio, so I totally get that part of it. Beer never seems quite cold enough, and the although the food tastes good at the time, it always makes me feel ill later on. I don't know if they need to change out their fryer grease more often or what, but it just never settles on my stomach.
(2)Scott B.
Go for the cheap beers and stay for the fish tacos. Their fish tacos are some of the best I've had and they run a special on them on Tuesdays, but go any night and pay full price, they're definitely worth it.
(4)Shayna W.
Tuesday night $2 fish tacos and .50 Oly's are amazingly good and you can't beat the price. It's a bit loud, but the service is always good and the atmosphere fun filled. Lots of TV's around if you need to watch a game and if the weather is decent, sitting outside in the covered patio is a nice change.
(4)Danny A.
Great wings, beer is not as cold as it should be.
(3)danger m.
it's okay, not bad but not great, it's pub food. the tots are pretty good. the fish tacos looked promising but i didnt try them yet. Wouldnt go out of my way to go here, but if i have to eat here i wouldnt mind as they have beer. edit: they got rid of their extra fried fries in favor of more traditional fries. i never experienced the original, but the group i was with was not happy.
(2)Elmira D.
First, I'm not much of a drinker, so I can't really attest to many of the bar offerings. I go to The Lift mostly for lunch and the occasional brunch. The Lift serves up consistently good bar food. I love the crispy Tater Tots, the fish tacos and any of the burgers. I also enjoy going for brunch, where they have many delicious options. Also, the $1 mimosas are a nice touch. I also enjoy going here for Tour de France coverage. I've enjoyed many afternoons quietly watching the Tour and having lunch or an iced tea, and never feel like I'm going to be chased out of the bar if I'm not drinking.
(4)Leah H.
Have been here a few times, always sat outside and it's a great relaxing atmosphere. Great area for kids to roam and also has music playing. I have always ordered the Club on foccacia (sp) bread and it has been awesome every time. Only thing I don't like so much is that a draft beer is $3.50 and then a little can of Clamato is $1.00 so you are looking at $4.50 for a draft red beer. I had three so that was $13.50 just for beer! I think $4.50 is a bit much but it also could have been someone new working too, so not 100% on the price. Love it though and wil keep going back!
(4)k f.
My husband and I ordered hamburgers for lunch. The meat had a great taste but the bun was so soft that it couldn't hold together. The fries were mediocre - they had some kind of coating on them. This will be the last time we go.
(1)Bryan N.
Went for a mid-week lunch. Nice atmosphere, friendly waitstaff. Food was good - rather enjoyed their take on the club sandwich (which is prepped sort of in the same vein as a philly cheesesteak), and the fries were great. Bit more of a tilt to being a bar (I haven't been there at night yet), which is reflected in the atmosphere of the place (kind of an indecisive "are we a bar, are we a restaurant?" vibe), but otherwise no gripes.
(4)