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    Modern Bar and Restaurant

    4.6 (48 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    Modern Bar and Restaurant Photos

    MODERN BAR AND RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Modern Bar and Restaurant

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    Secluded, simple, and sexy patio.
    Melinda P.

    Listen. This little spot off the beaten path deserves attention. Tucked away and not a tourist attraction, the authenticity of the menu, cooks, an servers deserve a hard-earned nod. The menu is fresh with room for development, the beverage menu is fresh and authentic, and the staff is genuine. Understated and off the beaten path, this space is genuine and fresh. Bring a group to enjoy the subtle ambiance. My hubby describes this as tranquil and inspirational. (Also, we've had incredible convos over the past two hours, so...)

    Delicious rum and coconut drink!
    Melissa P.

    I love the Modern and make it a must to stop at the restaurant when I'm in town every couple of months. They have the best menu, and the food is probably one of my favorites in Boise. I love all of their international dishes with in-season ingredients. Though this particular day, I was not too hungry, so I asked the bartender what snack I should get and she recommended the light tempura baked cauliflower. The flavor was out of this world, and I was instantly a fan. For a drink, I was in the mood for something sweeter, so I tried the delicious rum, and coconut milk drink. It was the bartender's favorite recipe from her family in Puerto Rico. She added nutmeg to this cold delicious drink, it was divine!

    Heather S.

    Very OK. Good drink options, ok food. Nice outdoor space. Service was inattentive but not bad. QR code menu required.

    Pina colada crème brûlée
    Bryan F.

    My steak was juicy and tender, and the fries were crispy! Clam chowder was delightful as well! All the servers were friendly and helpful. I really enjoyed the elegant, modernist vibes of the restaurant!

    Crispy cauliflower
    Holland V.

    Really great meal, perfect spot for a little date night. The inside is small, but quaint. Unfortunately, we did have an older couple sit next to us who watched the news on their phone for half the meal at high volume which was very annoying, but not the restaurants fault... Onto the food, we shared everything. We started with the cauliflower app and it's probably one of the best cauliflower dishes I've had. So much so I went home that week and attempted to re-create it! The Kalamata olives and Peppercinis complemented the baba ganoush flavor wonderfully. My boyfriend who doesn't even like cauliflower loved this dish. Next we got the mushroom soup. It was okay, completely puréed so I got a little bored of it. A cup size would have been perfect. They do add these strange like rice croutons ontop, could have used a bit more for added texture. The chicken dish was fantastic, honestly not even sure what it was filled with but the squash it was accompanied by was to die for. I got a glass of wine and my partner a cider and our bill was over $100 for sharing 3 plates....definitely a pricy meal, but worth it for a nice, quiet evening out.

    Cocktails
    David S.

    Very strange setting, but the food and service were great. Starting with the cocktails, very good and unique. The bread and pickles were a good choice to start the meal. As was the heirloom tomatoes. The braised pork belly entree was perfect too.

    Lemon meringue custard pie
    Kelli H.

    We came in on an extremely hot day so outside seating for us was a no go though the patio looked great and had a nice big mister. Unfortunately with seating inside it was super loud in there. We had to tell the whole time we talked. The atmosphere inside was also pretty lacking. Our server was super friendly and kind. Everything came out quickly and every single dish had tons of flavor. My husband and I both finished our entrees easily. I wish we would have ordered a salad too since the ahi tuna was very small for our appetizer. The dessert was so fresh and not too heavy. Perfect way to end our meal. We both enjoyed our meal so much. Our only complaint really was the acoustics in the tiny restaurant. Even on a Wednesday night during their rush it was too hard to hear each other.

    For May 2020 take away meals some easy finishing cooking is required - instructions included
    Michele R.

    "Woohoo"! The Modern is phasing in to reopening with a limited menu for take out two days a week with first pick up available Friday 5/8/20. See their web page for the details. (Linked at end for your convenience.) HOW IT WORKS: In a nutshell... *Use their easy to navigate interface at the web page to order food (libations available too) and reserve a time of your choice on Tuesdays and Fridays (4p to 7p) for orders placed in advance from a short list of mains and sides. Credit card is charged at order so pick up is transaction contact free. *Orders placed between Thu and Sun to be picked up on Tuesday. *Orders placed between Mon and Wed to be picked up Friday. *Menu changes weekly and is posted on the web page every Thursday. *Mains are $15 - $16 each and sides around $7 to $12. Cocktails start at $40 and sized to serve 4. Wine selections by bottle for as little as $20 to start. Remember to add a gratuity! *Pick up is in Modern's parking lot. Specify at time of order if you want delivery to car or pick up from the outside table. (They provide home delivery option within a limited area.) If to car pull into spaces marked 1 or 2 and call number on sign. UPDATE NOTE 5/9: SOME COOKING IS REQUIRED FOR SOME DISHES. We so appreciate the Modern (see previous reviews) and that their Chef (Nate Whitley) uses the same kind of local sourced products we buy to use at home. So we eagerly placed our order to pick up on Friday 5/8 at 4:15p to try this on their first day. *We were surprised to find mains are not ready to serve but very well packaged (recyclable containers too) refrigerated sort of 'meal kit' that require a little simple cooking at home. ( 1- Example: brown up the gnocchi in a little olive oil in pan on cook top before adding mushroom ragu and kale to simmer a bit to heat all and soften kale, plate it up, add parmesan, good to go. 2 - Example: heat polenta in oven, heat lamb meatballs in pan on cooktop for a little 'color up' then add berbere sauce to simmer and heat through, add spinach to wilt, plate polenta with warm meatballs and sauce, good to go.) A 4x6 card for each dish with easy to follow instructions is provided. *The web page didn't specify when we ordered that some easy finish cooking would be required at home. This is only a tad more complicated than 'heat and eat', but I know (seriously) people who would find this daunting. And some who don't find it at all daunting but who may not want to have to do any finish at home after evening pick up. And pans will be dirtied needing washing. Now you know. *My husband and I sipped a glass of wine as we stood side by side at cooktop preparing the two dishes we ordered. Each of which was absolutely delicious and generously sized. (We pulled Gaston's baguette out of our freezer to heat in the oven along with the polenta so we'd have it to wipe up every drop of the fantabulous sauces. Good plan.) POSTSCRIPT RE DINING GRATITUDE IN TIME OF COVID19: We have valued the "all people are welcome" vibe at Modern so even we whose 60's and beyond are the road ahead find the hospitality has always been a draw for us. (See previous reviews dating back to 2013.) We are local food fan(atics) and miss our meals at Modern that supplies such great ones using the same local farmers and producers product that we do at home. But we are both in an age demographic that is being encouraged to limit restaurant dining even beyond May 16 when eateries who chose to re-open for in house dining in Idaho cam do so. So even after Modern reopens for in house dining, we need to restrain ourselves to eating out for a while longer to follow CDC guidelines in ongoing covid19 management. Which makes us grateful when we can pick up Modern's food to take-away until we can join back in in person. And through take-away have a chance to continue to support the Modern employee team who make it all work so well by buying the food and leaving gratuity. Life is short. Celebrate it with great local food. BUT...EQUAL ACCESS CONCERNS: I have had multiple sclerosis (MS) since college days. I rely on businesses to follow the now 30 year old rules of the Civil Rights law of ADA to be able to park and get in the door to have a seat and participate equally with everyone else. Modern has always done a good job of ADA compliance for parking. I was disappointed to see they have converted their ADA parking into pick up order parking. Had I needed to park to get out of my car, I would have been unable to do that. I'm expecting they will return it to ADA parking when they reopen. And as they move forward to revamp part of their outdoor dining and expand it, I hope they will make the required ADA changes to make the outdoor space accessible. Their existing patio excludes people like me. FOR TO ORDER INFO SEE THIS: https://www.themodernbar.com/modern-to-go-dinner-boise

    Gnocchi and Halibut entrees

    Revisited - never disappointed- tasty mocktails, amazing appetizers of fresh bread, olives, pickles and whipped butter. Highly recommend this wonderful restaurant.

    Chocolate KitKat and Ricotta churros
    Angela M.

    Had an awesome experience with their NYE dinner menu! The complimentary sips were much appreciated throughout the meal, and there were a number of exciting menu options that made it difficult to choose from. I know things have changed lately, but the food reminded me of what I refer to as the "Remi" days. While he is off elsewhere still doing amazing things, I'm stoked to put this place back on our list as a go-to spot. Great service also!

    Melon gazpacho with cucumber sorbet.
    ConnieTrue S.

    This was a surprising find. We were hesitant from the outside as it is on the bottom floor of a motel, but don't be deceived. It's a tiny restaurant, but this just means the service is amazing. We had the fried cauliflower and tempura vegetables for our appetizers, the local melon gazpacho with cucumber sorbet, and for our mains we had the gnocchi and tagliatelle. Everything was excellent.

    Pork chop, salmon,steak

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Tish T.

    Bryan, thank you! So glad you were happy.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Excellent, great service, wonderful food, delightful experience. We will be back soon, and will recommend The Modern to friends.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Everything is amazing and fresh. It's a taste bud explosion! Service and ambiance is perfect

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Boise's BEST cocktail spot. Killer drinks, awesome vibe. Bartenders are on point every time.

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Inviting and unpretentious setting. Thoughtful and unique cocktails. Each food dish was exceptional. Very highly recommend.

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    4 years ago

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