There is excellent food here. My dinner was the char grilled chicken with rice pilaf, asparagus, the house salad and triple chocolate mousse cake. The two pieces of chicken were tender and tasty and came with a pesto sauce or a sauce you can choose from an extensive list; I requested the roasted corn sauce which was very good. Included with the chicken was maple flavored bacon and a so-so rice that had tiny pieces of carrot. The salad consisted of greens, cucumbers, tiny pieces of carrot and croutons. The desert was cupcake-sized, had sliced strawberries and a little chocolate syrup. It was very good. The restaurant is semi-fancy with cloth napkins but no table cloths. It is just across from the falls that give the town its name. The greenway along the river is ideal for a pre or post dinner stroll.
(5)
Sam P.
Cassidy C tried to warn me not to come to this place, but likewise I read the reviews saying how great it was and thought I'd hop in for a late lunch... In a word, my experience was TERRIBLE! For starters, I thought it was a little odd that no one else was in the restaurant. Now it was a little after 3:30pm in Idaho Falls, but I thought at least there would be another table! Against my better judgment I decided I would go in... I'd be sorry. I was greeted by the waitress and offered to sit anywhere. Seeing how there was no one in the place, I took a convenient seat. I should have known better, but it was at least 85° inside the restaurant - this should have been a hint for me. The waitress was nice enough and she let me look over the menu. There are a lot of what look like great tapas. She encouraged me to come back on Tuesday as it is apparently Tapas Tuesday. So Tapas were out! I looked at a few of the reviews for the hamburgers and some of the pictures looked amazing so that was the direction I was heading. I asked the waitress what her favorite was and she said there is the 50-50 burger (50% hamburger, 50% bacon). Sounds good to me so that's what direction I headed. The first burger, yes I said first burger, came out about 10 minutes later. I cut into it and it was extremely raw! Now I don't know where they get their bacon up here in Idaho, but I know that where I'm from bacon that's raw should not be consumed. I called over the waitress and she agreed so back it went. The second burger, this time a black and blue burger, came out about 10-15 minutes later. By the way while waiting for the first burger I asked the waitress what the temperature was in the restaurant and more importantly why is it so hot? She turned on the fan to cool things down. Anyway burger number two comes out and it's cooked thoroughly. However the bun is falling apart, the toppings on it were just odd and I'm not really certain what to say about them other than the bacon was really good and cooked. Here is the real kicker though... I explained to the waitress that I'm only allowed to eat french fries once every three months and that these in Idaho should be legendary. She agreed. But the french fries that came out were so disappointing. Something around what a high school home economics class could produce. The waitress came over and asked how everything was, and by that time I was finished. I told her I didn't really enjoy it, but apparently that's Idaho-speak for let me go get your check. All in all a pretty terrible experience. I should have listened to Cassidy C! Here's the rundown: Satisfied? No Return? No Advocate? No no no!
(1)
Ashley K.
The food never disappoints. I like trying something new every time I come here. But I can never NOT order the bacon wrapped dates and fried goat cheese! They are amazing small plates. I've been here 3 times, and more often than not, the staff is really friendly and attentive. Hell, I just drove 46 miles for stuffed dates. I'll probably always swing by this place when I'm traveling through Idaho.
(4)
Johnny V.
#NAME?
(4)
Haley H.
After a long drive up to Idaho Falls, we found this place on yelp, and, starving, decided to give it a try. We loved it! Their appetizer selection is immense (we had the shareable pita chips with hummus, salsa, and garlic feta, and when we ate all the chips the waitress brought us more) and delicious. We had burgers and gazpacho, and they were amazing. The 50%beef/50%bacon burger was crazy! Highly recommend!
(5)
Mel S.
Idaho Falls, I am pleasantly surprised by your hospitality! I stayed across the street and came across this place. Upon walking in, this restaurant looks more like a home than an eating establishment- but don't worry, the food is good! The bar offers a variety of half priced apps on different nights of the week. I ordered the stuffed (fried) jalapeños which had ground beef stuffing and spread of what looked like cream cheese mixed with more cheese. It wasn't a bad app for $3. I also decided on having the Denver steak- 8oz of a strip steak, well seasoned. I ordered a medium and it came out medium rare-ish, but whatever, it was good. You also get 2 sides- I went with the poutine like fries and zuchini. The poutine is delicious, but heavy so beware. Overall the food was good. My server/bartender was super nice and attentive. I'll definitely come back and try other dishes the next time I'm here!
(4)
Jennifer F.
First I would like to say that this place, the decor, the service, the food and food presentation is a huge surprise; in a VERY good way. If this place was in a major city the food would be at 30% more, drinks 35% more and it would be standing room only. I sat at the bar area in the back on a Wednesday evening. Open concept seating and welcoming. I ordered the tomato, spinach, Swiss cheese soup and it was delicious. I ordered a portobello stack with orzo. The plating and presentation were spot on. They have a great vegetarian menu and so many delicious items to try. Simple fresh food that was cooked perfectly. If you gorge yourself you can walk across the street and walk along the green belt and enjoy the view.
(5)
Craig L.
Arrived In Idaho Falls and found this gem off the Yelp app. First of all the location of this restaurant is perfect. It's right across the street from the falls. A leisure walk to take in its beauty first. Pleasantly surprised by the modern decor. I ordered the Hangover Burger and it was the best I've ever had. That is a strong statement so you'll need to go see for yourself. Juicy Angus beef burger with lettuce, tomato, thick bacon, sriracha sauce, and a fried egg. The fries were made from locally grown Idaho potatoes. So many good things on the menu it was hard to decide what to order. My wife had the Mac and cheese which was a winner. The service there was excellent. Ashley took the time to explain a lot about the menu and the thought behind the chef's innovative ideas. She was very nice and accommodating. You will not be disappointed. You are in for a treat.
(5)
Cassidy C.
Against the advice from the front desk people at our hotel, we decided to try this place out anyway, solely because of the great reviews this place received on Yelp. Needless to say, my husband and I are still sick to our stomachs from eating there last night. The decor is nice so we had high hopes walking in. Our waitress didn't seem to know anything about the beers or wines they served. Therefore, she couldn't recommend anything to us. We kinda just chose blindly. As a appetizer we ordered the bacon wrapped dates. They were tasty but 5 little dates for $7.99 seems a bit steep. For our entrees, my husband and I each ordered a burger (no buns) and with French fries. It looked really good but surprisingly it completely lacked flavor. Overall, we were pretty disappointed and slightly confused by the very high rating this place received.
(2)
Jason G.
Today I got a call from my brother in law saying "Dude we're taking you to dinner to this new place that we found in Idaho Falls" Skeptical about any eateries out here especially because I'm from the city of food San Francisco and Los Angeles; I decided to take the risk and it was a risk well worth taking. Upon walking into the place you are immediately greeted by a host who was very helpful and ushered us into our seats in the "Art Room". In this room are works from local artists giving this a reminiscent feeling of places in Downtown Los Angeles that supported artists for their monthly Art Walk. The ambiance was calming, the decor was modern in a good way and the first thing I noticed was the lack of salt & pepper on the table. In my experience when dining at such places where these condiments or otherwise commodities are missing then this is a direct statement from the head chef saying "Yeah you're not going to need that." My expectations at this point were sterling, high, and irrevocably challenged. The menu from design (fonts, style, etc), high-end variety with flavor pairings that actually make sense to your taste buds & previously unheard of in this area, a great white & red bottle selection were exquisite and currently unmatched in the area. I was here for Tapas so we're going to stick with a review for strictly these menu items. After a few minutes of deliberation on what to order we decided to order around 75% of the Tapas menu including items as the Pita Pizza, Stuffed Mushrooms, Fiery Tuna Tartare, Bacon Wrapped Dates, & Stuffed Jalapenos just to name a few. First off the presentation was supreme I almost felt that I would have to pay more because it was presented so nicely. We ordered Tuna Lollipops that were cooked so amazingly perfect that I practically didn't want to eat them. The Stuffed Jalapenos were something completely out of the ordinary with a two big thumbs up. All dressings were made in house, the horseradish to the Ranch. Pretty much every dish that passed our way was quickly and swiftly consumed. After stuffing our faces for a bit with four rounds of Tapas orders we were greeted by the Executive Chef Joel. He really made our evening special by giving us creative insight on his unique dishes, the local sourcing for most materials consumed and the overall direction of the vision he was presenting with this restaurant....not to mention that he is pretty easy on the eyes.... In all this place isn't for everyone, you have to have an expansive taste palette to fully appreciate each dish that comes to pass. Tapas is a growing food market that has been around on the coasts for awhile, so to see this landmark take a stab at it is uplifting and a much needed necessity for Idaho Falls. I would suggest that everyone put your Olive Garden, Johnny Carinos, and Sizzler dishes down and come try some real food .
(5)
Dee Dee S.
On our way back from Yellow Stone we happened to stop for lunch at this little great restaurant. Friendly service with gourmet food at a very reasonable price. Their signature tomato soup (TSS) was excellent. Our family had a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian entries that were outstanding. I highly recommend this restaurant. We thank Emma for her great service.
(5)
Jana A.
Our son was sick in the hotel room so I walked over to get some takeout food. The vegetarian section of the menu is what brought me over. The ratatouille was really good and my husband liked his steak, too. This place really should be listed as vegetarian friendly on yelp.
(5)
Hayley G.
So far the best thing I've had there is there pita chip tapa with the three different dips! So good. The thai corn cake thing is the best thing I've had on the vegetarian menu. I'd skip the marinaded salad--it was meh. sweet potato fries are good too. Everything is pretty good, the service was super slow each time we came but once. One of the male servers was super helpful and nice. It's one of the better places in IF.
(4)
Brandie L.
Sooooo delicious. We've lived in IF for 3 yrs and this is the best restaurant we've been to yet, and we've been to most of the non-chains. The dishes were unique, flavorful, and reasonably priced. Our server/bartender was very knowledgeable about the menu and offered several great suggestions. We loved the fried goat cheese, the chicken lettuce wraps, and the seared ahi tuna entree. Great date night restaurant.
(5)
Aaron S.
This place is great. It's the only tapas in Idaho Falls. Essentially tapas are appetizers. I went with a few friends and we all ordered a couple of tapas. All of the appetizers where really good. Some of the highlights are the bacon wrapped dates, siracha onion rings and the seared beef. Our waiter was really out of it and we didn't see him for about 30 minutes. When he finally showed up he said some other table was taken up his time. Come for the food, not the service. Also, make sure your waiter writes down you order. Our waiter said he could remember everything and forgot 3 of our tapas.
(4)
Lilly O.
I actually have dreams about their chicken parm sandwich. We have been a dozen or so times and the service is reliably good and friendly.
(5)
Crystal Q.
We stopped in here 2 times in the last week for birthday's. Its quickly becoming a favorite place to enjoy food and drinks. The staff is friendly and the food is really delicious. I love getting a bunch of stuff and sharing. So much fun.
(5)
Lisa A.
The wine selection was poor. The food was uninspired and quite boring... lacked flavor and execution. Don't get the trout, dry and burnt wood tasting, or flank steak, overcooked. For the price I expect greatness and they fell well short. Service was excellent but food needs to wow not the service.
(2)
J M.
We were not impressed. With an average 4.5 stars, we were expecting greatness. The server was awesome. The beer selection was almost all bottles and the food was uninspired. The salad was overpriced for its quality. My burger was good but huge and my companion did not enjoy his burger at all.
(3)
Mimi F.
I work in the food service industry, so I try and avoid writing reviews because I know the situations that servers go through, but EVERY time I go here I get the WORST service! My waters aren't filled, items are consistently forgotten, and the kicker, is that we are the only table in there! Again, I'm a server, our income depends on being attentive and insuring the customer is enjoying the meal they are about to pay for. Food is incredible, but I won't go here again until they have a business wide meeting, informing their employees that the service they provide is ABSOLUTELY unacceptable.
(2)
Brooke B.
The food was exceptional. It was well priced and prompt. The service was friendly and helpful. Overall it was an awesome experience!!
(5)
J R.
You have got to be kidding me! Amazing food great beer why is this place not in Boise or San Francisco instead of Idaho Falls? Great experience awesome staff best bacon wrapped dates I have had. I'm lucky enough to eat at a tapas bar in a different state at least every couple of months and this one right near the top. Check it out.
(5)
Jason F.
I stopped by here a while ago with my wife and her parents for a late lunch / early dinner. The inside of this restaurant is decorated quite oddly in my opinion although not badly. Some examples of it being decorated oddly were the tassel like items coming from the lights and also that there seemed to be a large amount of empty space that they could have been using for tables but were not. I think that my favorite part of the decor of the restaurant were the pictures that were hanging in the men's bathroom. They were actually entertaining enough that I guarded the door while I had my wife go in and look. Since this was a tapas place our table decided to split the pita chips (Lightly fried pita bread chips dusted with Parmesan served with homemade salsa, hummus and bubbling garlic feta dip), shrimp and grits (Blackened jumbo shrimp servedover cheddar jalapeno grits) and apple chicken sausage(Grilled and served over caramelized onion with a honey Dijon herb sauce and crostini bread) while I went with the cherry chicken wedge (A wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with cherry jalapeno marinated chicken, dried cherries, goat cheese and pecans. Drizzled with lemon cherry vinaigrette) for my entree. Our three plates of tapas came out first and all of them were pretty good. My favorite of the bunch was the pita chips with the bubbling garlic feta dip which was really tasty. After we had finished all of the appetizers our entrees came out and boy was I impressed with my wedge salad. They somehow managed to infuse some cherry flavor into each and every bite which I absolutely loved. We ended up leaving Republic full and very satisfied with our meals. The bottom line for me is that I would come here again in the future. While the decor of the dining room was a bit odd for me I absolutely loved their food!
(5)
Lisa R.
Love the tapas! Loved our visit even more with beer fest going on and great tasting menu and beer pairings with Payette Brewing Co out of Boise, ID. Service was very attentive and helpful. Decor is fun, with some interesting and entertaining photos (don't miss some fun ones in the Men's room, my husband blocked the door so that I could have a peek). It was great to share the food and in this case the beer samplings (they served full sized beers with each course of pairings!) We especially liked how quiet the restaurant was even though there were plenty of other patrons around. We tried the the drunken chicken, pita and dips off the menu and slider and fettuccine with braised pork tenderloin off the special pairing menu. All of the food was divine.
(5)
Jennifer S.
My family took me here while I was visiting from New York. Even though I get a ton of great options in the city, I would say Republic definitely is on par with all of those restaurants. The food is reasonably priced but prepared as lovingly as a more expensive restaurant. The steak options were perfectly cooked. Actually, everything was perfectly cooked. There were four of us, so we were able to sample quite a bit of the menu - nothing disappointed. My step mother thought the grits were a little too creamy and rich - she was looking for something a little more traditional - but really that was the only critique. I liked the grits, but I do eat a ton of rich food (I say, giving my little pot belly a friendly pat). The service was what really put the restaurant over the top. I think our server's name was Hugh - he was great the entire time. He let us taste many wines before we decided on a bottle, and did so without any negativity. He seemed genuinely happy to give us a great experience. We went a little late with dinner, but no one made us feel rushed. Great place to eat a meal - def recommend.
(5)
Julia F.
Stopped here for dinner while driving across country because they had good reviews. I had tomato Spinach Swiss soup to start with, which was included with the Portobello Stack with pesto risotto. It was really good! The sauce that was on the plate was amazing. My husband shared some of his Fingerling Potato Hash, which was made up of three colors of crispy potatoes-very tasty. Fingerling potato hash The restaurant also had really good craft beers on tap. The owner/chef even came out one time to make sure we were happy with the order.
(5)
Jan W.
Thank you yelp! Wonderful food and drink! Service was spot on! Not a local, wish I was....
(5)
VapeSpec L.
Chef Joel offers a fantastic menu with a great selection of tapas. The food is always fresh, and local when possible. Tapas Tuesday is a great way to give them a try with the half off tapas menu. I love the fried goat cheese with cracked pepper honey, and the stuffed jalapenos. If you are looking for a great steak try the Las Vegas Strip, I am yet to try the Denver Cut. The Republic house burger is another fantastic choice consisting of a patty that is 50% ground beef and 50% ground bacon. Whatever it is you are craving you are sure to find it here. They also recently opened a full bar. Chef Joel does dinner parties as well featuring local breweries and themed meals, providing a fun and tasteful social dining experience.
(5)
Tom B.
Great menu. I had the bacon wrapped dates, fried goat cheese and tuna tartar. Combine that with a glass of Malbec and I am a happy man. Btw Torry is an exceptional bartender and he makes an impressive old fashioned.
(4)
Blissful W.
I was staying in idaho falls for 3 nights at a hotel by the river. I randomly picked The Republic and walked in. What a great atmosphere. The food blew my mind. We tried the fried pickles and crab cakes. Next day we ate there again. Next day we ate there again twice! I also tried some other restaurants on the river and they were good. No question The Republic was the best on the river.
(5)
Brittney B.
TO start off it took a while to get drinks, which they bring out in what looks like a tall shot glass. Then every time we get a refill they bring out a different size glass, at one point we had like 5 different sized glasses on our table. The food was way over priced for the amount you receive. I had a 50% bacon 50% beef burger and couldn't taste the bacon. The onion jelly on the burger was pretty good all give them that. Then when it came time to check out it took them forever to come get my card. this place does have a good selection of beer and wine so if you where going out for drinks or a business meeting then this is more the p[lace to go, not so much as a dinner place.
(1)
Hannah E.
Waited 15 minutes after being seated for a waitress to come over and ask for our drink order. Don't know what took so long because the place was empty. They were out of what I wanted to order and the lettuce on the house salad that came with my meal was not fresh at all. The chicken and spinach that came was fine, along with all of the other food that we ordered. Bathroom was dirty and the toilet was clogged.
(2)
Rochelle V.
Absolutely loved everything about this place! Awesome food (gotta try the bacon sriracha onion rings), friendly and helpful wait staff, and a beautiful space. If I lived in Idaho Falls, I'd be a regular. Yummy beer too. 5 stars!!
(5)
Patti-Lynne B.
I rarely give 5 stars to a restaurant but this place deserves it. Service was incredible, suggestions were spot on, and the food was beyond delicious!! Prefect portion sizes, menu offers a great variety, and the quality of food was higher than expected for the reasonable prices. Overall just a wonderful experience.
(5)
Adam M. G.
We chose to eat tapas as opposed to entrees. Loved the fried goat cheese and mushroom pizzettas. Cheesecake was very good but we only liked the maple sauce. Highly recommend restaurant :)
(4)
Mike H.
An excellent addition to Idaho Falls' dining options. Great ambiance, I'm pretty sure they started streaming my Spotify playlist when I walked in for lunch. ;-) So far I've only tried a couple of the tapas, but the stuffed jalapeños were awesome. And I really enjoyed the balsamic reduction with the sweet potato fries. Everything has a handcrafted feel, and you can tell a lot of thought and skill was put Into the menu. The Idaho Reuben sandwich is amazing! Can't wait to come back and try more tapas.
(4)
Pen T.
We arrived around 4:30pm on a Saturday. I called ahead to inquire if they still accept Restaurant.com certificates and the girl on the line confirmed that they do. The door was open, the sign "OPEN" was up and yet there was not a soul in the restaurant. We waited about 5 minutes but no one came out so we left. Never a good first impression.
(1)
D D.
Great tapas in the old Wasabi / Whitewater location. We enjoyed dinner and we'll be back - a good addition to high-end dining choices in Idaho Falls. Republic staff were attentive, quick to support little alterations to tone down the dishes that finicky kids ordered, and the food was delicious and distinctive/unusual. Decor has distinctive local art prints (many look like pop-art colorizations of local landmark photos). Among the adults, our favorite tapas were: crab cakes with a dill-relish remoulade (fantastic, ordered another), sweet potato fries with an intriguing balsamic reduction, mushroom caps (stuffed with wild rice and seasoned pork), inside-out stuffed jalapeno poppers (meat stuffing, relatively mellow fresh peppers, wonderfully-crunchy tempura batter, and a big cherry cream-cheese dollop on the side rather than as the stuffing), a seared filet of beef with a great coarse mustard sauce, tuna tartare (I loved it, but I'm a sushi / poke fan), shrimp and cheesy grits, and a surf-and-turf that had the tastiest shrimp and steak tenderloin drizzled with chinese chili sauce. Our kids ordered from the meals and were happy with their fish & chips that had a heaping mound of fresh-cut fries topped with crunchy/juicy fried fish, and a shallow (but still new-york fluffy) cheesecake slice. Tapas is somewhat new to the area, so locals may appreciate knowing in advance that the servings are small courses, not entire meals. Prices are 6-9 per tapa (seems consistent with other Tapas restaurants and for distinctive, quickly-served plates like these). Six of us ate and had beer/wine for $100, which is in keeping with tapas places we've enjoyed in bigger cities.
(5)
John M.
Plus one star for the friendly service. The bacon wrapped dates were good. They could have used an almond in the center. The mushrooms tasted like they were reheated. It's a weird kind of tapas menu with pizza and jalapeños. I wasn't expecting it and stayed pretty basic. They have a nice wine and beer menu but lack any type of sangria option. I didn't stay for dinner.
(3)
James B.
I am glad I found this place. The staff is friendly and the food is great. I talked to the chef and you can tell he takes pride in his work. The atmosphere is modern and laid back. Highly recommend.
(5)
T R.
I'm pretty picky, and I rarely give out reviews. But this place was great. Very good food and exceptional service. And very reasonable prices. I'll be back the next time I'm in town. Thank you!
(5)
Rawl R.
Outstanding find on Yelp! We planned to stop for lunch on the way from Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone and found this gem! Awesome Pita Chips with hummus, salsa and garlic cheese dip started our fare. Everything tastes homemade and fresh! We also had the stuffed mushrooms with rice and horseradish. We then split a chicken parm sandwich which was fresh and unique with spinach and homemade tomato topping - also not to be missed. To top it off, we took in the picturesque falls just across the street. HIGHLY recommend this reasonably priced diversion if you're in the area.
(5)
Summer D.
This is our favorite place to eat in town! Unbelievably friendly service. Dog friendly, they are very happy to set up a wonderful table outside for us each time we have dined here. Our favorites are the tapas! We love the surf and turf but the sauce is a little to spicy for us so the chef debuted a new sauce & it was so delicious we ordered a second plate! The wine list is also very good. If you aren't sure what to get just ask for a recommendation, they are sure to give a great one! We will definitely be eating here each time we are in town :)
(5)
Andrew W.
Republic is different than anything you will find in Idaho Falls. It is certainly a diamond in the rough. We ordered two tapas to start, fried goat cheese, and the crab cakes. The fried goat cheese was possibly the best tasting dish of the night, but there wasn't nearly enough of it for how good it was. I am by no means a crab cake enthusiast, however these were delicious. I can at least tell the difference between real and imitation crab, and this was the real deal. For our entree I ordered the ravioli, which was nothing like I had expected. The pasta was more like a very flaky bread, and the sauce was absolutely fantastic. Unlike any ravioli I have ever tried, but possibly the best. My friend ordered the prime rib, which he ordered medium rare. It was cooked perfectly and filled the whole plate. Although not as adventurous as some of the choices on the menu, it was still a fantastic piece of meat. We sat at the bar and the bartender was fantastic. He had lots of recommendations for first timers. He was very knowledgeable about the different beers on tap and let us try all of them before deciding on a pint for ourselves. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anybody. I would love to see this place gain more popularity so that it sticks around. Idaho Falls needs a restaurant like this.
(5)
Tim J.
Fantastic food. We've been twice, and both times have been extremely pleased. The crabcakes are excellent, as is the pork/asparagus/apricot entree. Even the tapas and entrees we're not entirely blown away by are very good. If you're looking for familiar food and enormous servings, you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for the best food in Idaho Falls, this might just be it.
(5)
William H.
I had the quesadilla and a 1/2 cherry chicken salad. I would highly recommend these. I am sure the rest is great as well
(5)
Ellisa B.
I grew up in Shelley but left Idaho 20 years ago. Now I come home once a year to visit family and friends. On my most recent visit we wanted to go somewhere for lunch, but no one wanted to make a decision, so I did a quick yelp search and we ended up at Republic. Thank you Yelpers!! I felt the tapas we got at Republic were on par with those I've eaten at some of the best tapas places in Washington DC and San Francisco. We ordered the pita chips with 3 kinds of dip (could have skipped the hummus, but deciding who got the last bite of the feta/garlic dip may have started a serious family feud), the fingerling potatoes with a really tasty sauce, and the chicken apple sausage with onions and crostini. Presentation and unique yet well-matched flavor combinations made these dishes fun to eat and satisfying. Prices were reasonable - our potatoes were only $4 - they'd better be cheap in Idaho! The other tapas were more like $9 which seemed appropriate. We also ordered sandwiches from the lunch menu: The grilled four cheese, the ham and gouda, and the chicken parmesan. Of the three, I probably liked the ham and gouda best (we cut them into pieces and shared so we could try them all) but all 3 were excellent. Even though they were really good, in retrospect, I wish I'd skipped the sandwich and tried more tapas or maybe the Ravioli. Sandwiches were the safe choice for a family lunch at a new restaurant, but after eating there, I trust the chefs at Republic. I would enjoy trying more new (to me) things from them. Our server was amazing, and the only thing I would have liked to see was a more innovative dessert menu, or at least one unique dessert. We were far too full to order dessert anyway though. Fellow Idahoans, please help a girl out! Go eat at Republic and then tell your friends about it! They didn't have many diners when I went. You need to get the good word out so this restaurant will be around for many years to come. Idaho Falls needs a place like this!
(5)
Cathy H.
Amazing attention to detail and quality! Thank you, we need a fine dining opportunity here in town ... And it doesn't hurt your wallet either! Thank you for great atmosphere too!
(5)
William S.
Four staff walked by us without acknowledging our existence. Couldn't even get a table in a half empty restaurant. A sign on the desk asking for patience is no substitute for professional service. Might be interesting food--never got a chance to find out. Left after 10 minutes of waiting. Can't give it no stars, so 1 star will have to do.
(1)
Robert C.
We had lunch, prime rib sandwich and Parmesan chicken sandwich, both were delicious! The prime rib was seared just right, had two tapas appetizers- seared filet and fingerling potatoes, our waitress recommended a on tap raspberry beer from a local brewer- fantastic! Great service, great riverfront view, highly recommended!
(5)
Eric Z.
There are three restaurants that share the little plaza and each is pretty good. I've eaten at all three and this one really has the potential for sticking around. I hope so and here is why. Several things run through my mind about the Republic but I keep coming back to the delicious food. A friend and I thought we would give the place a try after class. The entrance is on the main street and throws you off because through the windows it doesn't look like anyone even works there. Upon entering you wait in what feels like an empty coffee/pastry shop and it's at this point that you can see how the restaurant extends much further back. Several families were eating so things began to look up. Okay, don't judge by the entry even though it feels very much like a separate restaurant. The staff is very friendly and still learning how to be efficient so be nice. The wide selection of craft beers all come from bottles and cans but big deal...they were cold and tasty. It caught my eye so I had ratatouille which was served with grilled green bean and rice. Super good. When I'm back in town I'll order it again. For an appetizer I ordered a apple chicken sausage served with caramelized onions and toasted bread....this too was really tasty. The last dish we ordered was fish and chips. The batter was light and crunchy with a fantastic tartar sauce that had a little kick. The fries looked hand cut and still had the potato skin on the ends. They were cooked just right and delicious. I dinged a star because of the confusing atmosphere which tries the complicated task of transitioning the customer from a log cabin style coffee shop to a much more formal looking dining area. To get to the bar it seems like a long walk from the cabin entrance and through the restaurant. Might need to retry that idea. Very nice staff, good beer, mad good food(!), and funky layout.
(4)
Sharon S.
Best dining in Idaho Falls and open for lunch. I plan my trips to be here for lunch. Dishes are creative without being kooky and are beautifully presented. Service is knowledgeable and appropriately attentive without being overbearing. Try the salad with tenderloin.
(5)
Lisa C.
Pleasantly surprised to find a quality tapas bar/restaurant in southeast Idaho. Creative menu; fresh, locally sourced ingredients; carefully prepared; inventive presentation. Comfortable ambience with nice local art pieces on display. Great beer selections from a variety of northwest, boutique breweries--enjoyed the wine selection as well. Our favorite tapas were the crab cakes, surf-n-turf with sweet chili sauce, and the stuffed jalapeño. Service was prompt and attentive. Would highly recommend and will definitely return. I would disregard the reviewer who awarded only 1 star in January of 2014: completely at odds with our experience and that of everyone else's. Clearly, that reviewer is incapable of recognizing (or appreciating) fine cuisine. Nice job, Republic Grill--keep up the great work!
(5)
Ashley Jo W.
I went here with my aunt, mom, grandma, sister and kids for lunch. I liked the atmosphere. The service was horrible. We waited forever for our food and watched other patrons get their food before us that came in after us. My burger was burnt and black. I liked the fry sauce though but the fries were over cooked or cooked twice and terrible. My daughter liked her butter noodles and my son loved the fruit. I liked that they pitted the cherries. My aunt and mom loved the sausage stuffed jalapenos with cranberry cream cheese. My sister had the surf and turf and while she liked the shrimp and chili sauce, the steak was so rare it made her sick. My aunt said the chicken in her sandwich was dry. My mom did like her prime rib sandwich so I will give this place two stars. The food needs improvement and our server was never around. When we needed to pay we sat there forever before she came back and took our cards. My grandma and aunt wanted to pay cash though and she never acknowledged them. We finally scraped together enough to pay their bills between the group and left unsatisfied.
(2)
C M.
This is an excellent addition to the Idaho Falls area. My husband and I went out last Friday night to The Republic on the recommendation of some friends. We just relocated to Idaho Falls after having lived back East for several years--where Tapas bars are popular--and this was the best Tapas I have had, bar none. I usually don't like the concept of Tapas because I feel when all is said and done, you get less food, but for more money. This is not the case at The Republic however. We left the restaurant stuffed to the gills for a very reasonable price, and the food was phenomenal. We started with the pita chips and they were to die for. They were warm and fresh and perfectly flaky. The chips were accompanied with fresh salsa which was very good, fresh hummus which was very, very good, and a baked cheese dip which I would have drunk straight from the bowl if my husband would let me. We ordered the fried pickle, which was an entire dill stuffed with ham and cheese. Personally this was not my favorite, but my husband thought it was great and I have since heard him recommend it to friends. We ordered the quesadilla which was quite filling and generously proportioned. The best part was the sauce it was served with. Finally, the best part of the meal was the fried goat cheese. They were little balls of fried heaven, quite frankly. The goat cheese was high quality and the fried dough had a sweetness to it that reminded me of the Tiger's Ears you can buy at the State Fair. It was served with honey and crushed black pepper--a combo I never would have thought of but I must say it was delectable. The service was a little slow, but there was a convention in the room next door that the wait staff was working frantically to serve, so we gave them a pass. It was disappointing to see the restaurant sparsely populated however. The chef clearly puts a lot of effort and passion into his recipes and it's a shame when a local business such as The Republic has so many empty tables when the Chili's next door has a 45 minute wait. Idaho Falls is in desperate need of more places like this...where the food is fresh, creative, and delicious. I would recommend this place to anyone, and we look forward to returning very soon.
(5)
Aaron S.
Simply put, the best restaurant in Idaho Falls. Chef is on site, and cares about good food. Nice fresh atmosphere, and helpful and pleasant servers.
(4)
katie c.
My husband and I just had a really nice date-night dinner at Republic. It's the second time we've been, and we were--once again--not disappointed. Craig was our server and he was fantastic. He offered a wine pairing if we were unsure what to order, and shared specials with us. We had five of the Tapas plates and were satisfied with all of them. We did two repeats from last time and three new ones. Tonight we tried the Fiery Tuna Tartare, fingerling potatoes, pita pizza, sweet potato fries with balsamic reduction, and shrimp & grits. We moved here from South Carolina and I am regularly skeptical of shrimp & grits from anywhere else. While it was a different style here, the dish was awesome. We'll keep going back to this place and encourage fellow IF residents, as well as tourists and visitors stopping through to give it a try. I am so thrilled there are a few more good, lovingly prepared, local places to eat in Idaho Falls.
(4)
Sturg N.
Best food in Idaho Falls at a great price! New restaurant, new owners, AMAZING food. The new chef is incredible and has crafted a great experience. If Tapas aren't your thing (they are delicious!), they have a full "normal" menu. I have eaten here three times and the food is consistently outstanding!!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Hipster Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
R M.
There is excellent food here. My dinner was the char grilled chicken with rice pilaf, asparagus, the house salad and triple chocolate mousse cake. The two pieces of chicken were tender and tasty and came with a pesto sauce or a sauce you can choose from an extensive list; I requested the roasted corn sauce which was very good. Included with the chicken was maple flavored bacon and a so-so rice that had tiny pieces of carrot. The salad consisted of greens, cucumbers, tiny pieces of carrot and croutons. The desert was cupcake-sized, had sliced strawberries and a little chocolate syrup. It was very good. The restaurant is semi-fancy with cloth napkins but no table cloths. It is just across from the falls that give the town its name. The greenway along the river is ideal for a pre or post dinner stroll.
(5)Sam P.
Cassidy C tried to warn me not to come to this place, but likewise I read the reviews saying how great it was and thought I'd hop in for a late lunch... In a word, my experience was TERRIBLE! For starters, I thought it was a little odd that no one else was in the restaurant. Now it was a little after 3:30pm in Idaho Falls, but I thought at least there would be another table! Against my better judgment I decided I would go in... I'd be sorry. I was greeted by the waitress and offered to sit anywhere. Seeing how there was no one in the place, I took a convenient seat. I should have known better, but it was at least 85° inside the restaurant - this should have been a hint for me. The waitress was nice enough and she let me look over the menu. There are a lot of what look like great tapas. She encouraged me to come back on Tuesday as it is apparently Tapas Tuesday. So Tapas were out! I looked at a few of the reviews for the hamburgers and some of the pictures looked amazing so that was the direction I was heading. I asked the waitress what her favorite was and she said there is the 50-50 burger (50% hamburger, 50% bacon). Sounds good to me so that's what direction I headed. The first burger, yes I said first burger, came out about 10 minutes later. I cut into it and it was extremely raw! Now I don't know where they get their bacon up here in Idaho, but I know that where I'm from bacon that's raw should not be consumed. I called over the waitress and she agreed so back it went. The second burger, this time a black and blue burger, came out about 10-15 minutes later. By the way while waiting for the first burger I asked the waitress what the temperature was in the restaurant and more importantly why is it so hot? She turned on the fan to cool things down. Anyway burger number two comes out and it's cooked thoroughly. However the bun is falling apart, the toppings on it were just odd and I'm not really certain what to say about them other than the bacon was really good and cooked. Here is the real kicker though... I explained to the waitress that I'm only allowed to eat french fries once every three months and that these in Idaho should be legendary. She agreed. But the french fries that came out were so disappointing. Something around what a high school home economics class could produce. The waitress came over and asked how everything was, and by that time I was finished. I told her I didn't really enjoy it, but apparently that's Idaho-speak for let me go get your check. All in all a pretty terrible experience. I should have listened to Cassidy C! Here's the rundown: Satisfied? No Return? No Advocate? No no no!
(1)Ashley K.
The food never disappoints. I like trying something new every time I come here. But I can never NOT order the bacon wrapped dates and fried goat cheese! They are amazing small plates. I've been here 3 times, and more often than not, the staff is really friendly and attentive. Hell, I just drove 46 miles for stuffed dates. I'll probably always swing by this place when I'm traveling through Idaho.
(4)Johnny V.
#NAME?
(4)Haley H.
After a long drive up to Idaho Falls, we found this place on yelp, and, starving, decided to give it a try. We loved it! Their appetizer selection is immense (we had the shareable pita chips with hummus, salsa, and garlic feta, and when we ate all the chips the waitress brought us more) and delicious. We had burgers and gazpacho, and they were amazing. The 50%beef/50%bacon burger was crazy! Highly recommend!
(5)Mel S.
Idaho Falls, I am pleasantly surprised by your hospitality! I stayed across the street and came across this place. Upon walking in, this restaurant looks more like a home than an eating establishment- but don't worry, the food is good! The bar offers a variety of half priced apps on different nights of the week. I ordered the stuffed (fried) jalapeños which had ground beef stuffing and spread of what looked like cream cheese mixed with more cheese. It wasn't a bad app for $3. I also decided on having the Denver steak- 8oz of a strip steak, well seasoned. I ordered a medium and it came out medium rare-ish, but whatever, it was good. You also get 2 sides- I went with the poutine like fries and zuchini. The poutine is delicious, but heavy so beware. Overall the food was good. My server/bartender was super nice and attentive. I'll definitely come back and try other dishes the next time I'm here!
(4)Jennifer F.
First I would like to say that this place, the decor, the service, the food and food presentation is a huge surprise; in a VERY good way. If this place was in a major city the food would be at 30% more, drinks 35% more and it would be standing room only. I sat at the bar area in the back on a Wednesday evening. Open concept seating and welcoming. I ordered the tomato, spinach, Swiss cheese soup and it was delicious. I ordered a portobello stack with orzo. The plating and presentation were spot on. They have a great vegetarian menu and so many delicious items to try. Simple fresh food that was cooked perfectly. If you gorge yourself you can walk across the street and walk along the green belt and enjoy the view.
(5)Craig L.
Arrived In Idaho Falls and found this gem off the Yelp app. First of all the location of this restaurant is perfect. It's right across the street from the falls. A leisure walk to take in its beauty first. Pleasantly surprised by the modern decor. I ordered the Hangover Burger and it was the best I've ever had. That is a strong statement so you'll need to go see for yourself. Juicy Angus beef burger with lettuce, tomato, thick bacon, sriracha sauce, and a fried egg. The fries were made from locally grown Idaho potatoes. So many good things on the menu it was hard to decide what to order. My wife had the Mac and cheese which was a winner. The service there was excellent. Ashley took the time to explain a lot about the menu and the thought behind the chef's innovative ideas. She was very nice and accommodating. You will not be disappointed. You are in for a treat.
(5)Cassidy C.
Against the advice from the front desk people at our hotel, we decided to try this place out anyway, solely because of the great reviews this place received on Yelp. Needless to say, my husband and I are still sick to our stomachs from eating there last night. The decor is nice so we had high hopes walking in. Our waitress didn't seem to know anything about the beers or wines they served. Therefore, she couldn't recommend anything to us. We kinda just chose blindly. As a appetizer we ordered the bacon wrapped dates. They were tasty but 5 little dates for $7.99 seems a bit steep. For our entrees, my husband and I each ordered a burger (no buns) and with French fries. It looked really good but surprisingly it completely lacked flavor. Overall, we were pretty disappointed and slightly confused by the very high rating this place received.
(2)Jason G.
Today I got a call from my brother in law saying "Dude we're taking you to dinner to this new place that we found in Idaho Falls" Skeptical about any eateries out here especially because I'm from the city of food San Francisco and Los Angeles; I decided to take the risk and it was a risk well worth taking. Upon walking into the place you are immediately greeted by a host who was very helpful and ushered us into our seats in the "Art Room". In this room are works from local artists giving this a reminiscent feeling of places in Downtown Los Angeles that supported artists for their monthly Art Walk. The ambiance was calming, the decor was modern in a good way and the first thing I noticed was the lack of salt & pepper on the table. In my experience when dining at such places where these condiments or otherwise commodities are missing then this is a direct statement from the head chef saying "Yeah you're not going to need that." My expectations at this point were sterling, high, and irrevocably challenged. The menu from design (fonts, style, etc), high-end variety with flavor pairings that actually make sense to your taste buds & previously unheard of in this area, a great white & red bottle selection were exquisite and currently unmatched in the area. I was here for Tapas so we're going to stick with a review for strictly these menu items. After a few minutes of deliberation on what to order we decided to order around 75% of the Tapas menu including items as the Pita Pizza, Stuffed Mushrooms, Fiery Tuna Tartare, Bacon Wrapped Dates, & Stuffed Jalapenos just to name a few. First off the presentation was supreme I almost felt that I would have to pay more because it was presented so nicely. We ordered Tuna Lollipops that were cooked so amazingly perfect that I practically didn't want to eat them. The Stuffed Jalapenos were something completely out of the ordinary with a two big thumbs up. All dressings were made in house, the horseradish to the Ranch. Pretty much every dish that passed our way was quickly and swiftly consumed. After stuffing our faces for a bit with four rounds of Tapas orders we were greeted by the Executive Chef Joel. He really made our evening special by giving us creative insight on his unique dishes, the local sourcing for most materials consumed and the overall direction of the vision he was presenting with this restaurant....not to mention that he is pretty easy on the eyes.... In all this place isn't for everyone, you have to have an expansive taste palette to fully appreciate each dish that comes to pass. Tapas is a growing food market that has been around on the coasts for awhile, so to see this landmark take a stab at it is uplifting and a much needed necessity for Idaho Falls. I would suggest that everyone put your Olive Garden, Johnny Carinos, and Sizzler dishes down and come try some real food .
(5)Dee Dee S.
On our way back from Yellow Stone we happened to stop for lunch at this little great restaurant. Friendly service with gourmet food at a very reasonable price. Their signature tomato soup (TSS) was excellent. Our family had a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian entries that were outstanding. I highly recommend this restaurant. We thank Emma for her great service.
(5)Jana A.
Our son was sick in the hotel room so I walked over to get some takeout food. The vegetarian section of the menu is what brought me over. The ratatouille was really good and my husband liked his steak, too. This place really should be listed as vegetarian friendly on yelp.
(5)Hayley G.
So far the best thing I've had there is there pita chip tapa with the three different dips! So good. The thai corn cake thing is the best thing I've had on the vegetarian menu. I'd skip the marinaded salad--it was meh. sweet potato fries are good too. Everything is pretty good, the service was super slow each time we came but once. One of the male servers was super helpful and nice. It's one of the better places in IF.
(4)Brandie L.
Sooooo delicious. We've lived in IF for 3 yrs and this is the best restaurant we've been to yet, and we've been to most of the non-chains. The dishes were unique, flavorful, and reasonably priced. Our server/bartender was very knowledgeable about the menu and offered several great suggestions. We loved the fried goat cheese, the chicken lettuce wraps, and the seared ahi tuna entree. Great date night restaurant.
(5)Aaron S.
This place is great. It's the only tapas in Idaho Falls. Essentially tapas are appetizers. I went with a few friends and we all ordered a couple of tapas. All of the appetizers where really good. Some of the highlights are the bacon wrapped dates, siracha onion rings and the seared beef. Our waiter was really out of it and we didn't see him for about 30 minutes. When he finally showed up he said some other table was taken up his time. Come for the food, not the service. Also, make sure your waiter writes down you order. Our waiter said he could remember everything and forgot 3 of our tapas.
(4)Lilly O.
I actually have dreams about their chicken parm sandwich. We have been a dozen or so times and the service is reliably good and friendly.
(5)Crystal Q.
We stopped in here 2 times in the last week for birthday's. Its quickly becoming a favorite place to enjoy food and drinks. The staff is friendly and the food is really delicious. I love getting a bunch of stuff and sharing. So much fun.
(5)Lisa A.
The wine selection was poor. The food was uninspired and quite boring... lacked flavor and execution. Don't get the trout, dry and burnt wood tasting, or flank steak, overcooked. For the price I expect greatness and they fell well short. Service was excellent but food needs to wow not the service.
(2)J M.
We were not impressed. With an average 4.5 stars, we were expecting greatness. The server was awesome. The beer selection was almost all bottles and the food was uninspired. The salad was overpriced for its quality. My burger was good but huge and my companion did not enjoy his burger at all.
(3)Mimi F.
I work in the food service industry, so I try and avoid writing reviews because I know the situations that servers go through, but EVERY time I go here I get the WORST service! My waters aren't filled, items are consistently forgotten, and the kicker, is that we are the only table in there! Again, I'm a server, our income depends on being attentive and insuring the customer is enjoying the meal they are about to pay for. Food is incredible, but I won't go here again until they have a business wide meeting, informing their employees that the service they provide is ABSOLUTELY unacceptable.
(2)Brooke B.
The food was exceptional. It was well priced and prompt. The service was friendly and helpful. Overall it was an awesome experience!!
(5)J R.
You have got to be kidding me! Amazing food great beer why is this place not in Boise or San Francisco instead of Idaho Falls? Great experience awesome staff best bacon wrapped dates I have had. I'm lucky enough to eat at a tapas bar in a different state at least every couple of months and this one right near the top. Check it out.
(5)Jason F.
I stopped by here a while ago with my wife and her parents for a late lunch / early dinner. The inside of this restaurant is decorated quite oddly in my opinion although not badly. Some examples of it being decorated oddly were the tassel like items coming from the lights and also that there seemed to be a large amount of empty space that they could have been using for tables but were not. I think that my favorite part of the decor of the restaurant were the pictures that were hanging in the men's bathroom. They were actually entertaining enough that I guarded the door while I had my wife go in and look. Since this was a tapas place our table decided to split the pita chips (Lightly fried pita bread chips dusted with Parmesan served with homemade salsa, hummus and bubbling garlic feta dip), shrimp and grits (Blackened jumbo shrimp servedover cheddar jalapeno grits) and apple chicken sausage(Grilled and served over caramelized onion with a honey Dijon herb sauce and crostini bread) while I went with the cherry chicken wedge (A wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with cherry jalapeno marinated chicken, dried cherries, goat cheese and pecans. Drizzled with lemon cherry vinaigrette) for my entree. Our three plates of tapas came out first and all of them were pretty good. My favorite of the bunch was the pita chips with the bubbling garlic feta dip which was really tasty. After we had finished all of the appetizers our entrees came out and boy was I impressed with my wedge salad. They somehow managed to infuse some cherry flavor into each and every bite which I absolutely loved. We ended up leaving Republic full and very satisfied with our meals. The bottom line for me is that I would come here again in the future. While the decor of the dining room was a bit odd for me I absolutely loved their food!
(5)Lisa R.
Love the tapas! Loved our visit even more with beer fest going on and great tasting menu and beer pairings with Payette Brewing Co out of Boise, ID. Service was very attentive and helpful. Decor is fun, with some interesting and entertaining photos (don't miss some fun ones in the Men's room, my husband blocked the door so that I could have a peek). It was great to share the food and in this case the beer samplings (they served full sized beers with each course of pairings!) We especially liked how quiet the restaurant was even though there were plenty of other patrons around. We tried the the drunken chicken, pita and dips off the menu and slider and fettuccine with braised pork tenderloin off the special pairing menu. All of the food was divine.
(5)Jennifer S.
My family took me here while I was visiting from New York. Even though I get a ton of great options in the city, I would say Republic definitely is on par with all of those restaurants. The food is reasonably priced but prepared as lovingly as a more expensive restaurant. The steak options were perfectly cooked. Actually, everything was perfectly cooked. There were four of us, so we were able to sample quite a bit of the menu - nothing disappointed. My step mother thought the grits were a little too creamy and rich - she was looking for something a little more traditional - but really that was the only critique. I liked the grits, but I do eat a ton of rich food (I say, giving my little pot belly a friendly pat). The service was what really put the restaurant over the top. I think our server's name was Hugh - he was great the entire time. He let us taste many wines before we decided on a bottle, and did so without any negativity. He seemed genuinely happy to give us a great experience. We went a little late with dinner, but no one made us feel rushed. Great place to eat a meal - def recommend.
(5)Julia F.
Stopped here for dinner while driving across country because they had good reviews. I had tomato Spinach Swiss soup to start with, which was included with the Portobello Stack with pesto risotto. It was really good! The sauce that was on the plate was amazing. My husband shared some of his Fingerling Potato Hash, which was made up of three colors of crispy potatoes-very tasty. Fingerling potato hash The restaurant also had really good craft beers on tap. The owner/chef even came out one time to make sure we were happy with the order.
(5)Jan W.
Thank you yelp! Wonderful food and drink! Service was spot on! Not a local, wish I was....
(5)VapeSpec L.
Chef Joel offers a fantastic menu with a great selection of tapas. The food is always fresh, and local when possible. Tapas Tuesday is a great way to give them a try with the half off tapas menu. I love the fried goat cheese with cracked pepper honey, and the stuffed jalapenos. If you are looking for a great steak try the Las Vegas Strip, I am yet to try the Denver Cut. The Republic house burger is another fantastic choice consisting of a patty that is 50% ground beef and 50% ground bacon. Whatever it is you are craving you are sure to find it here. They also recently opened a full bar. Chef Joel does dinner parties as well featuring local breweries and themed meals, providing a fun and tasteful social dining experience.
(5)Tom B.
Great menu. I had the bacon wrapped dates, fried goat cheese and tuna tartar. Combine that with a glass of Malbec and I am a happy man. Btw Torry is an exceptional bartender and he makes an impressive old fashioned.
(4)Blissful W.
I was staying in idaho falls for 3 nights at a hotel by the river. I randomly picked The Republic and walked in. What a great atmosphere. The food blew my mind. We tried the fried pickles and crab cakes. Next day we ate there again. Next day we ate there again twice! I also tried some other restaurants on the river and they were good. No question The Republic was the best on the river.
(5)Brittney B.
TO start off it took a while to get drinks, which they bring out in what looks like a tall shot glass. Then every time we get a refill they bring out a different size glass, at one point we had like 5 different sized glasses on our table. The food was way over priced for the amount you receive. I had a 50% bacon 50% beef burger and couldn't taste the bacon. The onion jelly on the burger was pretty good all give them that. Then when it came time to check out it took them forever to come get my card. this place does have a good selection of beer and wine so if you where going out for drinks or a business meeting then this is more the p[lace to go, not so much as a dinner place.
(1)Hannah E.
Waited 15 minutes after being seated for a waitress to come over and ask for our drink order. Don't know what took so long because the place was empty. They were out of what I wanted to order and the lettuce on the house salad that came with my meal was not fresh at all. The chicken and spinach that came was fine, along with all of the other food that we ordered. Bathroom was dirty and the toilet was clogged.
(2)Rochelle V.
Absolutely loved everything about this place! Awesome food (gotta try the bacon sriracha onion rings), friendly and helpful wait staff, and a beautiful space. If I lived in Idaho Falls, I'd be a regular. Yummy beer too. 5 stars!!
(5)Patti-Lynne B.
I rarely give 5 stars to a restaurant but this place deserves it. Service was incredible, suggestions were spot on, and the food was beyond delicious!! Prefect portion sizes, menu offers a great variety, and the quality of food was higher than expected for the reasonable prices. Overall just a wonderful experience.
(5)Adam M. G.
We chose to eat tapas as opposed to entrees. Loved the fried goat cheese and mushroom pizzettas. Cheesecake was very good but we only liked the maple sauce. Highly recommend restaurant :)
(4)Mike H.
An excellent addition to Idaho Falls' dining options. Great ambiance, I'm pretty sure they started streaming my Spotify playlist when I walked in for lunch. ;-) So far I've only tried a couple of the tapas, but the stuffed jalapeños were awesome. And I really enjoyed the balsamic reduction with the sweet potato fries. Everything has a handcrafted feel, and you can tell a lot of thought and skill was put Into the menu. The Idaho Reuben sandwich is amazing! Can't wait to come back and try more tapas.
(4)Pen T.
We arrived around 4:30pm on a Saturday. I called ahead to inquire if they still accept Restaurant.com certificates and the girl on the line confirmed that they do. The door was open, the sign "OPEN" was up and yet there was not a soul in the restaurant. We waited about 5 minutes but no one came out so we left. Never a good first impression.
(1)D D.
Great tapas in the old Wasabi / Whitewater location. We enjoyed dinner and we'll be back - a good addition to high-end dining choices in Idaho Falls. Republic staff were attentive, quick to support little alterations to tone down the dishes that finicky kids ordered, and the food was delicious and distinctive/unusual. Decor has distinctive local art prints (many look like pop-art colorizations of local landmark photos). Among the adults, our favorite tapas were: crab cakes with a dill-relish remoulade (fantastic, ordered another), sweet potato fries with an intriguing balsamic reduction, mushroom caps (stuffed with wild rice and seasoned pork), inside-out stuffed jalapeno poppers (meat stuffing, relatively mellow fresh peppers, wonderfully-crunchy tempura batter, and a big cherry cream-cheese dollop on the side rather than as the stuffing), a seared filet of beef with a great coarse mustard sauce, tuna tartare (I loved it, but I'm a sushi / poke fan), shrimp and cheesy grits, and a surf-and-turf that had the tastiest shrimp and steak tenderloin drizzled with chinese chili sauce. Our kids ordered from the meals and were happy with their fish & chips that had a heaping mound of fresh-cut fries topped with crunchy/juicy fried fish, and a shallow (but still new-york fluffy) cheesecake slice. Tapas is somewhat new to the area, so locals may appreciate knowing in advance that the servings are small courses, not entire meals. Prices are 6-9 per tapa (seems consistent with other Tapas restaurants and for distinctive, quickly-served plates like these). Six of us ate and had beer/wine for $100, which is in keeping with tapas places we've enjoyed in bigger cities.
(5)John M.
Plus one star for the friendly service. The bacon wrapped dates were good. They could have used an almond in the center. The mushrooms tasted like they were reheated. It's a weird kind of tapas menu with pizza and jalapeños. I wasn't expecting it and stayed pretty basic. They have a nice wine and beer menu but lack any type of sangria option. I didn't stay for dinner.
(3)James B.
I am glad I found this place. The staff is friendly and the food is great. I talked to the chef and you can tell he takes pride in his work. The atmosphere is modern and laid back. Highly recommend.
(5)T R.
I'm pretty picky, and I rarely give out reviews. But this place was great. Very good food and exceptional service. And very reasonable prices. I'll be back the next time I'm in town. Thank you!
(5)Rawl R.
Outstanding find on Yelp! We planned to stop for lunch on the way from Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone and found this gem! Awesome Pita Chips with hummus, salsa and garlic cheese dip started our fare. Everything tastes homemade and fresh! We also had the stuffed mushrooms with rice and horseradish. We then split a chicken parm sandwich which was fresh and unique with spinach and homemade tomato topping - also not to be missed. To top it off, we took in the picturesque falls just across the street. HIGHLY recommend this reasonably priced diversion if you're in the area.
(5)Summer D.
This is our favorite place to eat in town! Unbelievably friendly service. Dog friendly, they are very happy to set up a wonderful table outside for us each time we have dined here. Our favorites are the tapas! We love the surf and turf but the sauce is a little to spicy for us so the chef debuted a new sauce & it was so delicious we ordered a second plate! The wine list is also very good. If you aren't sure what to get just ask for a recommendation, they are sure to give a great one! We will definitely be eating here each time we are in town :)
(5)Andrew W.
Republic is different than anything you will find in Idaho Falls. It is certainly a diamond in the rough. We ordered two tapas to start, fried goat cheese, and the crab cakes. The fried goat cheese was possibly the best tasting dish of the night, but there wasn't nearly enough of it for how good it was. I am by no means a crab cake enthusiast, however these were delicious. I can at least tell the difference between real and imitation crab, and this was the real deal. For our entree I ordered the ravioli, which was nothing like I had expected. The pasta was more like a very flaky bread, and the sauce was absolutely fantastic. Unlike any ravioli I have ever tried, but possibly the best. My friend ordered the prime rib, which he ordered medium rare. It was cooked perfectly and filled the whole plate. Although not as adventurous as some of the choices on the menu, it was still a fantastic piece of meat. We sat at the bar and the bartender was fantastic. He had lots of recommendations for first timers. He was very knowledgeable about the different beers on tap and let us try all of them before deciding on a pint for ourselves. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anybody. I would love to see this place gain more popularity so that it sticks around. Idaho Falls needs a restaurant like this.
(5)Tim J.
Fantastic food. We've been twice, and both times have been extremely pleased. The crabcakes are excellent, as is the pork/asparagus/apricot entree. Even the tapas and entrees we're not entirely blown away by are very good. If you're looking for familiar food and enormous servings, you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for the best food in Idaho Falls, this might just be it.
(5)William H.
I had the quesadilla and a 1/2 cherry chicken salad. I would highly recommend these. I am sure the rest is great as well
(5)Ellisa B.
I grew up in Shelley but left Idaho 20 years ago. Now I come home once a year to visit family and friends. On my most recent visit we wanted to go somewhere for lunch, but no one wanted to make a decision, so I did a quick yelp search and we ended up at Republic. Thank you Yelpers!! I felt the tapas we got at Republic were on par with those I've eaten at some of the best tapas places in Washington DC and San Francisco. We ordered the pita chips with 3 kinds of dip (could have skipped the hummus, but deciding who got the last bite of the feta/garlic dip may have started a serious family feud), the fingerling potatoes with a really tasty sauce, and the chicken apple sausage with onions and crostini. Presentation and unique yet well-matched flavor combinations made these dishes fun to eat and satisfying. Prices were reasonable - our potatoes were only $4 - they'd better be cheap in Idaho! The other tapas were more like $9 which seemed appropriate. We also ordered sandwiches from the lunch menu: The grilled four cheese, the ham and gouda, and the chicken parmesan. Of the three, I probably liked the ham and gouda best (we cut them into pieces and shared so we could try them all) but all 3 were excellent. Even though they were really good, in retrospect, I wish I'd skipped the sandwich and tried more tapas or maybe the Ravioli. Sandwiches were the safe choice for a family lunch at a new restaurant, but after eating there, I trust the chefs at Republic. I would enjoy trying more new (to me) things from them. Our server was amazing, and the only thing I would have liked to see was a more innovative dessert menu, or at least one unique dessert. We were far too full to order dessert anyway though. Fellow Idahoans, please help a girl out! Go eat at Republic and then tell your friends about it! They didn't have many diners when I went. You need to get the good word out so this restaurant will be around for many years to come. Idaho Falls needs a place like this!
(5)Cathy H.
Amazing attention to detail and quality! Thank you, we need a fine dining opportunity here in town ... And it doesn't hurt your wallet either! Thank you for great atmosphere too!
(5)William S.
Four staff walked by us without acknowledging our existence. Couldn't even get a table in a half empty restaurant. A sign on the desk asking for patience is no substitute for professional service. Might be interesting food--never got a chance to find out. Left after 10 minutes of waiting. Can't give it no stars, so 1 star will have to do.
(1)Robert C.
We had lunch, prime rib sandwich and Parmesan chicken sandwich, both were delicious! The prime rib was seared just right, had two tapas appetizers- seared filet and fingerling potatoes, our waitress recommended a on tap raspberry beer from a local brewer- fantastic! Great service, great riverfront view, highly recommended!
(5)Eric Z.
There are three restaurants that share the little plaza and each is pretty good. I've eaten at all three and this one really has the potential for sticking around. I hope so and here is why. Several things run through my mind about the Republic but I keep coming back to the delicious food. A friend and I thought we would give the place a try after class. The entrance is on the main street and throws you off because through the windows it doesn't look like anyone even works there. Upon entering you wait in what feels like an empty coffee/pastry shop and it's at this point that you can see how the restaurant extends much further back. Several families were eating so things began to look up. Okay, don't judge by the entry even though it feels very much like a separate restaurant. The staff is very friendly and still learning how to be efficient so be nice. The wide selection of craft beers all come from bottles and cans but big deal...they were cold and tasty. It caught my eye so I had ratatouille which was served with grilled green bean and rice. Super good. When I'm back in town I'll order it again. For an appetizer I ordered a apple chicken sausage served with caramelized onions and toasted bread....this too was really tasty. The last dish we ordered was fish and chips. The batter was light and crunchy with a fantastic tartar sauce that had a little kick. The fries looked hand cut and still had the potato skin on the ends. They were cooked just right and delicious. I dinged a star because of the confusing atmosphere which tries the complicated task of transitioning the customer from a log cabin style coffee shop to a much more formal looking dining area. To get to the bar it seems like a long walk from the cabin entrance and through the restaurant. Might need to retry that idea. Very nice staff, good beer, mad good food(!), and funky layout.
(4)Sharon S.
Best dining in Idaho Falls and open for lunch. I plan my trips to be here for lunch. Dishes are creative without being kooky and are beautifully presented. Service is knowledgeable and appropriately attentive without being overbearing. Try the salad with tenderloin.
(5)Lisa C.
Pleasantly surprised to find a quality tapas bar/restaurant in southeast Idaho. Creative menu; fresh, locally sourced ingredients; carefully prepared; inventive presentation. Comfortable ambience with nice local art pieces on display. Great beer selections from a variety of northwest, boutique breweries--enjoyed the wine selection as well. Our favorite tapas were the crab cakes, surf-n-turf with sweet chili sauce, and the stuffed jalapeño. Service was prompt and attentive. Would highly recommend and will definitely return. I would disregard the reviewer who awarded only 1 star in January of 2014: completely at odds with our experience and that of everyone else's. Clearly, that reviewer is incapable of recognizing (or appreciating) fine cuisine. Nice job, Republic Grill--keep up the great work!
(5)Ashley Jo W.
I went here with my aunt, mom, grandma, sister and kids for lunch. I liked the atmosphere. The service was horrible. We waited forever for our food and watched other patrons get their food before us that came in after us. My burger was burnt and black. I liked the fry sauce though but the fries were over cooked or cooked twice and terrible. My daughter liked her butter noodles and my son loved the fruit. I liked that they pitted the cherries. My aunt and mom loved the sausage stuffed jalapenos with cranberry cream cheese. My sister had the surf and turf and while she liked the shrimp and chili sauce, the steak was so rare it made her sick. My aunt said the chicken in her sandwich was dry. My mom did like her prime rib sandwich so I will give this place two stars. The food needs improvement and our server was never around. When we needed to pay we sat there forever before she came back and took our cards. My grandma and aunt wanted to pay cash though and she never acknowledged them. We finally scraped together enough to pay their bills between the group and left unsatisfied.
(2)C M.
This is an excellent addition to the Idaho Falls area. My husband and I went out last Friday night to The Republic on the recommendation of some friends. We just relocated to Idaho Falls after having lived back East for several years--where Tapas bars are popular--and this was the best Tapas I have had, bar none. I usually don't like the concept of Tapas because I feel when all is said and done, you get less food, but for more money. This is not the case at The Republic however. We left the restaurant stuffed to the gills for a very reasonable price, and the food was phenomenal. We started with the pita chips and they were to die for. They were warm and fresh and perfectly flaky. The chips were accompanied with fresh salsa which was very good, fresh hummus which was very, very good, and a baked cheese dip which I would have drunk straight from the bowl if my husband would let me. We ordered the fried pickle, which was an entire dill stuffed with ham and cheese. Personally this was not my favorite, but my husband thought it was great and I have since heard him recommend it to friends. We ordered the quesadilla which was quite filling and generously proportioned. The best part was the sauce it was served with. Finally, the best part of the meal was the fried goat cheese. They were little balls of fried heaven, quite frankly. The goat cheese was high quality and the fried dough had a sweetness to it that reminded me of the Tiger's Ears you can buy at the State Fair. It was served with honey and crushed black pepper--a combo I never would have thought of but I must say it was delectable. The service was a little slow, but there was a convention in the room next door that the wait staff was working frantically to serve, so we gave them a pass. It was disappointing to see the restaurant sparsely populated however. The chef clearly puts a lot of effort and passion into his recipes and it's a shame when a local business such as The Republic has so many empty tables when the Chili's next door has a 45 minute wait. Idaho Falls is in desperate need of more places like this...where the food is fresh, creative, and delicious. I would recommend this place to anyone, and we look forward to returning very soon.
(5)Aaron S.
Simply put, the best restaurant in Idaho Falls. Chef is on site, and cares about good food. Nice fresh atmosphere, and helpful and pleasant servers.
(4)katie c.
My husband and I just had a really nice date-night dinner at Republic. It's the second time we've been, and we were--once again--not disappointed. Craig was our server and he was fantastic. He offered a wine pairing if we were unsure what to order, and shared specials with us. We had five of the Tapas plates and were satisfied with all of them. We did two repeats from last time and three new ones. Tonight we tried the Fiery Tuna Tartare, fingerling potatoes, pita pizza, sweet potato fries with balsamic reduction, and shrimp & grits. We moved here from South Carolina and I am regularly skeptical of shrimp & grits from anywhere else. While it was a different style here, the dish was awesome. We'll keep going back to this place and encourage fellow IF residents, as well as tourists and visitors stopping through to give it a try. I am so thrilled there are a few more good, lovingly prepared, local places to eat in Idaho Falls.
(4)Sturg N.
Best food in Idaho Falls at a great price! New restaurant, new owners, AMAZING food. The new chef is incredible and has crafted a great experience. If Tapas aren't your thing (they are delicious!), they have a full "normal" menu. I have eaten here three times and the food is consistently outstanding!!
(5)Harold M.
Excellent tapas; reasonable prices.
(5)