This is one of our favorite places in Boise. Great service, excellent food, reasonable prices for such a nice restaurant. Not sure why it only has 3 stars. I had the best cheesecake in my life here! I think it was a caramel cheesecake, which was a seasonal special. We always come here when we're in Boise. read more

Completely stuck in 1990s-early 2000s. Only half of the outside patio was able to take advantage of happy hour. That half was completely in the sun in 100° weather. The other half is for dining room that only had two tables seated. $14 chips and salsa included stale food, service chips, and tasteless. Pico salsa. The croquettes were decent and unlike others in Boise (see pic). Our waitress was friendly... The problem here is the food. A lot of food service and unmemorable quality. I had not been here in a couple years. The patio is beautiful, but I would not come back just for that. Certainly would suggest eating elsewhere. read more

Cottonwood Grille - $15 chips and salsa and guac. - American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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This was one of my family's favorite restaurants to go to for special occasions. The food was really good, service was friendly, and the overall vibe was good I've been there a few times in the last year, and my family + guests who come with us notice the lack of quality. My mom called ahead for a reservation in their private room and received confirmation it was all set, but when we got there, the host said there was no record. Instead of being kind and understanding that things can get mixed up, the host suggested my mom never made the reservation, even after she shared the name of the host she spoke with previously. Eventually we were given a table in that room but it was barely put together. We had to ask them to remove some of the tables believe 3 tables was more than what we needed, and the demeanor towards us felt as though we were an inconvenience. The food took a long time to come, as did the servers. I kept having to ask for more water and remind them because they'd forget. I just went there recently for rehearsal dinner, and the service was not good. The appetizers took almost an hour to come out, drink orders weren't taken for a half an hour, and the food didn't come until almost 2 hours. I wasn't the only one who noticed a lack of attentiveness. The food was average, for the price point it was not worth it. I know what it's like to have an off day, and I worked in the food industry as well. I'm truly not a person who leaves negative reviews because I know what it's like to have days where i'm not at my best. I've worked when I'm understaffed, operations aren't going as planned, etc. I didn't consider leaving a review until my last visit because the lack of kindness from the servers to everyone and overall poor experience happened again. It's a bummer that something changed, because it really was one of our favorite places to go but given poor experiences (we've had more, just didn't share) considering happening we won't come back. read more

We decided to try here based off someone else's recommendation. Nice entrance. Nice area. Food and actual restaurant "vibe is cafeteria ". Chairs on wheels, the way tables are situated. Not an upscale place at all. read more

Friendly staff. Good steaks and salads. Okay fish. Been here a few times. Most recently came with a group of 4. Staff is super friendly. Was seated quickly on a Saturday night (with a reservation). Menu is fairly diverse with steaks, sandwiches, pasta and fish. Our group ordered a mix of steak and fish and pasta dishes. The prime rib was good sized, cooked to the right temperature and tasty if a bit on the salty side. The trout and salmon were okay but dry. Dessert was the cheesecake which was surprisingly tasty. Portion sizes were good, prices in the $20-$30 range for an entree. Was a reasonable meal for a reasonable price. Some dishes were good some missed read more

Cottonwood Grille - Prime rib - American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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Had a birthday dinner here on Labor Day weekend. The place was fairly empty and felt understaffed. Our waiter, while nice, was fairly incompetent. Clearly he was not trained properly or not trained at all. Lack of table awareness. Did not know that La Crema is not a house wine. Told the table it was their cask wine. This was incorrect. The food was OK. Just incredibly uninspired. Order tenderloin med rare. Came out very rare. The gravy/sauce was bland. The mashed potatoes, while made with real potatoes, were no warmer than room temperature. The vegetables that came as a side were just sad. Mushy and overcooked squash, red pepper and other random vegetables. The entry was plated poorly. It seems that the staff and leadership at this once fine dining restaurant, just do not care anymore. The ambiance has the vibe of assisted living. In my 60's I was one of the youngest diners there. Odd choice of background music. Hits from the 80's. In short, it seems that Cottonwood is circling the drain and have lost their way. read more

We went to celebrate our Aunt's 95th birthday and the service by Chris is what made the experience 5 stars!!! He's the best!! Ordered Baked Brie appetizers, everyone enjoyed various soups and salads that accompanied their entrees. The gazpacho soup was fresh and a bit spicy, what a version! The French onion soup, and the sausage soup (fav of my Aunt). Entrees included the prime rib, lamb shank and salmon dishes. Everything was tasty, service top notch, and it was great experience overall. read more

Cottonwood Grille - Our birthday celebration brought to the party room - American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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This place is hidden. I've been to Boise many times and I had no idea this place existed. The location is neat, very formal set up and a great overall space. It can be used for so much. They serve lunch and dinner to my knowledge and I added both menus in the photos. The Solomo Sandwich lunch special was great. Sliced pork, red peppers (not spicy), some great sauce. The overall review is a 4 out of 5. Service was alright and things took a while. I would come back for a date night or a business lunch or dinner. I'll be coming back to try more of the menu. read more

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I was torn between a 3 and 4 star review. Most of the food was really good. The beef stroganoff was not good. The meat was dry and the sauce was bland. One of the wedge salads came with some plastic. The crème brulee was ok, but we have had way better at less expensive restaurants. The steaks were both amazing! Lamb was pretty great, shrimp scampi was good and the veggie rigatoni was good! Mashed potatoes were good, so were the green beans and pilaf. Our waiter was phenomenal and the restaurant its self was very pretty! Drinks came out very fast, food not so much, but everything came out hot and how it was supposed to be! Overall it's a pretty quiet restaurant and it has a pretty nice bar that you can sit at as well as some outdoor seating. Personally, I might go back and just avoid the stroganoff and crème brulee. If the price was a bit lower, I'd definitely go back. read more

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We met several families from out of state, long time friends for a special occasion- 20 people or so. Had made a reservation for 3 large tables on a Friday night. Restaurant was less than half full at 6:30. Service was extremely slow, and disjointed, with it being unclear who was the server (s) for our table. Took 30 minutes to get a drink order. Good looking menu... a salmon in a cage being a known dish. I had the monkfish, it arrived cold and seemed thrown together-- fish overcooked, maybe from sitting under a heat lamp too long. Under spiced, and bland. Each table wanted to pay separately, this was a trouble... ended up throwing 4 cards down to pay whole thing. None of the staff seemed appreciative of our dining there. Can't recommend for the prices and lack of service read more

This place was nice! very clean, kinda reminded me of a lodge restaurant.. great if you are wanting a quiet and nice atmosphere. This is not a young crowd restaurant. We went around 4 pm and i was the only person under 60. this is NOT a complaint.. just letting you know the atmosphere. The Calamari was excellent, the nachos were a decent size, the hummus was ok and the waitress helped us pick out the mixed drinks to fit our palette. I will come again for sure for their happy hour. i would love to try a main dish one day soon. read more

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Was considering for our wedding dinner, so we went in to sample the menu. We were met by a hostess in faded black denim, and a poorly fit tucked in t shirt. Once seated, my fiance was given water, but instead of setting mine either next to his or walking to the other side of me, she reached her arm across my face, not more than an inch from my nose to set it on the opposite side of me. Our waitress was pleasant enough, but our bread was hard and cold and my soup was bland. The lamb was good, but not worth going back for. I reached out to Christi Mott to potentially set up dinner, but did not receive a response. I reached out under my husband's name and received a response within 24 hours. Curious, I reached out twice more with different female names with zero acknowledgment from the event coordinator. Meanwhile she readily answered any emails sent under my fiancé's name. Location and price was good for our wedding dinner, but the blatant sexism from the event coordinator, Christi, sent our business elsewhere. read more

Drink glasses smelled dirty towels, the waiter was unattentive and the "medium rare" ribeye cap steak was undercooked, tasted of blood and as tough as shoe leather. Very dissapointed. It's incredible how different the experience here has become, I hope they improve quickly and are successful, but this type of experience isn't the path to succeed. read more

Who doesn't like happy hour? I'm always looking for great happy hour apps and today's happy hour spot is Cottonwood Grille. It was my first time at this venue. I know it's been around for a while. It's never been brought up as an option before so I'm happy that my friend suggested it. Walking in, we were instantly greeted. The host asked us if we were doing happy hour. Of course we were so we were told to head to the lounge area. We were quite early so the venue was pretty empty. The bartender saw us and got us taken care of with water and menus. After looking over the drink menu, I asked Max, our server, if they had mocktails. Non were listed in the menu so Max got creative and made one for me. It was a strawberry lemonade mojito. Boy was it good! I tried really hard not to finish too quickly. It was tasty! Max took our orders. I ordered a few appetizers and was concerned he couldn't remember it all. I was wrong, Max did a great job! I ordered a shrimp taco, a grilled shrimp cocktail, a cup of clam chowder, calamari frita and croquettas. I wanted to try a little of everything! Max got everything delivered and not one mistake! The clam chowder was thick and hearty. It had big pieces of clam and potatoes. It was perfectly seasoned! It was on the luke warm side. I would have like if it could have been a little hotter. The grilled shrimp cocktail was my favorite! You get a huge lemon slice and cocktail sauce with it. The shrimp was fresh! And when you added the cocktail sauce and lemon juice...... so good! The calamari was tender and savory. It could have been fried a tad longer. The crust on the outside was still soft so it was one noted in texture. Even though the calamari were kind of soft, it still was delicious! It also came with cocktail sauce and both together was fantastic! It was my first time having croquettas. The filling was soft and the exterior was crunchy. It was nice to be able to try them out. They were tasty but the soft to crunchy ratio was a little off for me. I would have liked more crunch to them. My last appetizer was the shrimp taco. The shrimp was savory and tender! It was topped with radish, onion and cilantro for a crunchy texture. All the elements worked! It was the perfect sized shrimp taco. I might have gotten a lot of appetizers but I'm happy I did! They were all great! Excited that I got to try this joint out. Cottonwood Grille is one of my mother law's favorite restaurants. I can see why! The venue is stunning. The staff is friendly. And you can't beat the happy hour prices that they have! I'm looking forward to coming bask and having dinner with my husband here. I think we'll be in for a real treat when we do. read more

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Our first time in Boise and this restaurant was recommended by a friend. First, it is in a great location along the Greenbelt path and in a beautiful setting. The river is on the other side of the path so you can hear a little water trickle by while sitting in the patio. We didn't dine inside but it looked very nice. We stopped in for brunch after our walk along the greenbelt. The patio was a lovely setting for a beautiful day. Beautiful plants, flowers and bird feeders to enjoy the birds. Our server Kyla was attentive and pleasant. We ordered the bacon infused bloody Mary's which were excellent. The drinks came with bacon and other toppings. The spice level was perfect. The hash and poached eggs were good. The avocado Benedict was also tasty but the potato's were super soggy. Lastly the chilaquiles with both red and green sauce had great flavor. I personally enjoy the chips more crispy but it as enjoyable. I asked if the sausage would be served crumbled on top the chilaquiles and she said yes but out came two sausage links. That was a bit of a miss. All three of us had poached eggs with the entrees. We all mentioned to each other that the eggs were a bit overcooked as there really wasn't much yolk to dip into and enjoy. I would suggest asking the server to have to poached eggs cooked 30 seconds less so you can enjoy the yolk. I would recommend sitting in the patio and giving this place a try for a nice Sunday brunch. read more

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I was Visiting Boise and looked for a unique place to have lunch. The place was very neat, clean and quiet. I ordered the turkey wrap along with sweet potato fries.. The food was very good, and sweet potatoes Frys were excellent! Cooked perfect! Waiter was friendly and service was good. We sat inside, but Next time I would try the beautiful, quaint patio, which is by the Greenbelt. As far as ambiance, it is a great place for an afternoon business lunch, or middle aged girls afternoon out! Also had a nice glass of white wine to enjoy the afternoon. read more

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Brunch with my bff and 2 nieces. My ham & cheese panini was so hard, I had to cut it with a knife. One niece had the quiche and said it wasn't that great. Other niece has Cottonwood Benedict and said it was flavorless. Any restaurant can have a bad day and I understand. My biggest issue was our waiter. I completely understand that my nieces are beautiful but, Auntie is the one picking up the check so, you might want to acknowledge me‍ quick to get their drinks but they actually had to order mine because, I guess I'm invisible I also understand that accidents happen but when the crude on your shirt could be scrapped off with a knife, maybe keep a couple spare server tops in the office. None of us will be returning. read more

Perfect luncheon experience on outside patio. Salads were amazing, customer service was lovely and the atmosphere was perfect. Reasonably priced for a very nice venue. read more

Cottonwood Grille - American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Yesterday 6 of us went to the Cottonwood right before 6 pm. We asked for a table on the patio but were told they couldn't push 2 tables together -- it's their policy and it was a fire hazard. It's not a fire hazard as long as you leave, I believe, 32" between tables. Plus, the patio wasn't even a third full. Our waitress was slow and didn't get our orders right (there weren't very many customers so I'm not sure why service wasn't better). It took her a long time to come back and ask how our food was or if we needed more drinks. And, she automatically got a 20% gratuity. For good service I'm happy to give 20 or 25% but this was definitely not deserved. My food was ordinary. I got the prawns and pasta. $26 for pasta and four shrimp. My salad was good but the blue cheese dressing wasn't good. This restaurant used to have excellent service and food. They need to up their game. read more

Slooooow service, bad food. The location and building is great, it's too bad the service is terrible and the food is overpriced and not good. We went on a Wednesday and it took 20 minutes just for someone to come put us water and take drink orders. Restaurant was nearly empty and they had plenty of staff. We had to ask several times for things and we were there for over 2 hours! Once we got or food after an hour and a half, we never saw our server again. We had to wave her down in order to pay. read more

The Cottonwood was 'the place to go' years ago, but it seems to be in steady decline. The good The atmosphere, particularly the patio along the Greenbelt. It's incredible. The meh The service. Staff used to be well-informed about the menu and what went into every item. We drop in once or twice a year because it's so nice to sit on the patio and see the change in staff training. Not that we ask a lot of questions, but staff really seems to be uninformed about the menu. The server disappeared when it was time for the check. Nice enough guy but we had to flag him down so we could pay and leave. The bad The food was just really no good. I ordered a BLTA, which can be a real delight. Mine was served on dry-ish bread that had no character or taste. The condiments were the smallest servings possible. The bacon was just basic bacon and was cooked 'til it was dry. This sandwich was not good in any way. My dining partner ordered some shrimp dish. Might be ok if you like maximum horseradish, but it went past tasty to just hot. Only half of that was eaten. My future visits are probably relegated to getting drinks and sitting on the patio. read more

My first time in Boise and my friends f Recommended this restaurant and it was delicious. We tried a few appetizers and dinner and everything was delicious. The ambiance is so elegant but not stuffy. We had a very feud my server was very attentive. read more

Cottonwood Grille - Scallops - American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Great place for a quiet bite and a beer or glass of wine. The service was fast and I appreciated that.

Excellent service and nice ambiance. Food selection is very good and reasonable prices.

Food was fine, service could have been better, the very young hostess had a rude attitude and didn't seem to know what she was doing. I'm not even sure if she's old enough to work. Also her nose ring is gross and should be taken out. She took forever to get us our table and just overall didn't have a very uplifting atmosphere. My server was friendly and made up for the rude introduction, however my food had a hair in it, so that was just a cherry on top. I will not be returning. read more

This is my favorite downtown restaurant! The menu has something for everyone, the fireplace in cold weather is so cozy, and the outdoor patio in warm weather is nicely shaded and picturesque. Also, one of the few restaurants that have their own parking lot. Just the best! read more

Went to the Cottonwood Grill in Boise Idaho for the first time for our 40th wedding anniversary. The young lady gave us the wrong menu so the prices were quite considerably high in the dinner then the lunch menu we were given the manager was gracious enough and fixed our bill accordingly my husband had the flank steak it was so tender and delicious I had the salmon it was okay we shared a delicious creme brulee the Vodka Huckleberry drinks were pretty good read more

Always a wonderful dining experience at Cottonwood. Their signature Manhattan cocktail is "spot-on." Great service and high-quality dinners and menu. read more

Cottonwood Grille - Trout dinner almandine with rice pilaf - American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

If you look through my reviews, you'll see very few low-star entries.. I don't like writing these, but feel the need to share my experience because it was frankly one of the worst in a long time. My group had a reservation for 7pm, but we were still made to wait about 10 mins for our table...in an empty restaurant. We asked if we could dine outside since the weather was beautiful, but we were told that they are unable to push tables together to accommodate our group (of 7). That's fine, we had a nice table inside, and got to ordering. It took 40 mins to get our wine that we ordered for the table, and the server was not really capable of opening the wine bottles. They had to get assistance from the manager - which is fine, but waiting 40 mins then watching them struggle for another 10 was a bit much. The appetizers were great - no complaints there although again, they took longer than usual to come out. If the restaurant was busy, I'd understand...but we were one of only a small handful of guests so this was noticeable. We waited 90 mins in total to get our entrees...and once they were delivered, my colleague didn't even have cutlery. He asked for this and instead of getting it for him immediately, the server went to another table and proceeded to take an order! I ordered the steak and requested it cooked medium rare...and it was blue. The rarest steak I've ever had. I had been looking forward to it, since I rarely order steak, and this was a huge disappointment. There was no way I was sending it back either, since I'd been waiting 90 mins and had no idea how much longer I'd have to wait to have it fixed. We expected much more at the price point this place is charging. Perhaps this was a hot spot decades ago, but I would not return here nor would I ever recommend it. read more

For the money they charge here avoid at all cost! This was a horrible experience for what they charged ... We did dine in they stated that was really busy and made a HUGE deal about rhe reservations. Our party arrived at 530pm and we were the biggest group in the dining area. The rest of the restaurant was fairly empty. I didnt understand why the booking g a table was a challenge. Our food took 2 hours to prep and serve and when it finally came it was cold. I ordered the beef strogonhoff and the beef was drier than the Sarah desert and the noodles soggy. My food like it was leftovers or had sat for some time (days) before being served. The drinks had no ice in them...and we're neglected to be refilled at multiple requests. My family member basically went the whole dinner without any refills water or any other beverage. We were also short a set of silverware I had to borrow someone less fork. At ten people at 50 dollars a plate + drinks...600 dollar bill ...my partners food was under cooked and was unfinish-able . We sat at the thermostat and the resturant was almost at 80 degrees. For the service we received the service would been better at Ihop. read more

The ambiance was lovely. And that's as far as it goes. So disappointed with the food! The plating was embarrassing, seriously bad. For the prices they are charging they should at least have pretty plates. Under-seasoned and mediocre at best. Will never go back. read more

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Always & forever one of my fav places! Adrian at the bar is incredibly helpful & attentive. The food is amazing. The basque chorizo soup, nachos, croquettes- epic. A go-to for happy hour every day! read more

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The food was excellent. Restaurant atmosphere very warm with large stone fireplace, fabric upholstered chairs, large lobby away from dining. Bar with tables and lounge area. read more

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Invited to dinner tonight with 3 couples. Service was terrible, our server totally ditched us and left us with someone else toward the end. Our cocktail order prior to dinner took forever. My Dinner was cold, my friends dinner was totally bland, no flavor. Our 3rd (And final) experience going there. Totally overrated. so many other options in town with way better service and food. read more

Very nice Valentines dinner. Pros: Spacious & attractive dining room, well rounded menu with beautiful plating and presentation. Meats cooked to perfect temps with generous portion size and impressive service from our server, Macy. She was knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. Cons: A bit chilly up against the window, courses were delayed, and they don't pack leftovers for you, nor provide a bag when you do it yourself. Mashed potatoes were highly underseasoned & bland; they could've used a touch of dairy as well. Other: No outstanding comments on food and taste. It was good as expected, not groundbreaking nor underwhelming, just balanced in themiddle. We would like to return to experience the outdoor dining in the warmer months. read more

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Inside out: A peasant like myself doesn't go to fancy places very often, but I would qualify this is pretty fancy. Inside and out the ambience is classy, there is ample parking and it's easy to get in and out of the location on River st. Inside it's quite beautiful, their fireplace is to die for, and the view of the river is an absolutely impressive thing to look at while you eat. I bet there is summer seating outside, but I've always gone in the colder months. It seems they might even have room for rent for events as one was going on the last visit. Service: Every experience I've had has been top notch here, my family has gone a few times because this is a place my grandma loves. My family isn't the typical clientele and never really looks the part, fancy for us is a nice second hand Pendleton coat. I feel like the thrift store hippies among the fancy folk but the staff has never treated us poorly in any way. Food: none of my family has had any complaints, my grandma loves lamb and it's one of the only places she can go get it. I've never had a salad the way they make it but the Caesar with anchovies is delicious and their vegetable rigatoni is out of this world. Every single dish seems to be prepared with care- I'm not used to fancy so maybe it's not the top tier, but it is for me. I will say the price per plate is a bit higher than any regular dinner spot for me but if you want to ritz it up - splitting a dish is possible and every portion has been enough to do so. Overall I would say check it out if you want to go and feel fancy and spend a bit of money. It's not a place that Lay people could regularly afford but it's also not the craziest I've ever seen. read more

Feels like a retirement home cafeteria. I ordered some pesto pasta dish and it literally tasted like just straight olive oil. Don't recommend. read more

We reserved the party room for a birthday dinner. Contacting and reserving the room was very easy, and the room itself was a perfect space with a sliding door that let us feel separate from the dining room. We had two designated waitstaff that were very attentive and friendly. The service and food were great. The overall experience is one that I would recommend for any group event. read more

First of all ambiance is lovely for a chilly day. We were taken to a table next to booths and outside door. I requested a table closer to the fire place and after checking we were given a table that was much closer and cozier for us. Our server was pretty busy at first but very good. I asked for recommendations for sandwich and salads. I took his recommendation for the Cuban sandwich. My husband ordered the elk meatloaf as recommended by our server. My husband said the meatloaf was good and my Cuban was good. Fries hot, crispy and good as well. It's been years since I've eaten a sandwich so it was very much enjoyed Our server was one of highlights for our meal. He gave his menu recommendations, gave us room and space to order, grabbing my husband's coffee for a refill during dinner and giving recommendations for dessert bringing us a lovely berry cobbler plus another coffee refill. Berry cobbler was beautifully presented and I think my husband's favorite part of his meal. To sum up..... ambiance clean warm and inviting spacious cabin feel. Food average (I have pretty high expectations) though adequate serving size and temperature appropriate for our options. Prices were very affordable but you will pay $3 for soup or salad on entrees. Service was about us being comfortable and taken care of in timely fashion. Our server Chris was especially good and engaged with us pleasantly. We would return for a casual lunch but probably not for dinner. Besides, Chris only works lunch!! read more

I do sort of hate to do this, but people should be warned. This place is waaay overpriced for what you're getting, and not special at all. We went for my dad's birthday because he's been hearing it be advertised on the radio for the last 6 years or so, and always mentions it. Radio advertising should have been our first clue. Things to note: Impressive, warm fireplace. Beyond the fireplace though, the ambiance was lacking. Very brightly lit inside, sort of oddly so. Service was decent, if a little goofy. But she was attentive, and had a sense of humor which goes a long way. Food felt like we were eating in the lodge at a national park somewhere. As in, passable, but not what I would call good at all. Just very very basic and uninteresting. And the calamari appetizer was straight up gross. From presentation to texture/taste. Avoid this. If the prices were half what they are, I wouldn't be writing this review. But for the money you have to spend to dine here, they really shouldn't able to get away with this. This place needs a major overhaul, or to be laid to rest. read more