Very friendly and quick staff. We had the Rose Sangria and Bartender Margherita, both excellent cocktails. We ordered the Shrimp Tacos and Carne Asada. The Carne Asada was perfectly cooked and with just the right amount of spice. The Shrimp Tacos we're delicious too, I only got one bite though. read more

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I am not sure how this restaurant snuck in the reviews it did. I gave them 2 stars for technically being edible. Upon entering the restaurant a sweet woman seated us right next to the check out machine. I was a party of two and were both relatively heafty girls from out of town with a taste for Mexican cuisine. This place did come recommended. It's cute, clean, romantic in a sense. We met our waitress as my friend and I were moving tables to avoid bumping into waitresses. We had 0 service. We got our delivery of food but the waitress hardly spoke to us. Our rice was undercooked, the beans were just horrible, I hated the cheese on the tacos, it just tasted expired. I eat street tacos weekly and have had them in almost every state I've visited, which has been a lot. I let the waitress know and maybe she just felt defeated she said it is always something. I didn't need to get a discount and money was not the issue here. The taste was truly awful. If you love Mexican food even Americanized I can promise you should avoid this place. read more

Dousing a burrito inside and out with habenero hot sauce does not make it mexican food. Even the shrimp tacos we received were soaked in their sauce, I give it 2 stars for the friendly and quick service. read more

We were a bit nervous after being seated for dinner as the host did not make us feel welcome at all. We asked to sit outside but he was to focused on other tasks that he did not hear us. When he took us to an indoor table we again asked if we could sit outside. He said "it's waitlisted" but then never offered to add us to the waitlist- he just placed the menus at the table and walked away. The server was pleasant, she took our orders and was helpful with menu items. The food came out at all different times for each person- which was a little weird. The food itself was good and had descent portions. read more

Had a table for 4 guests on Friday 12/25 for lunch - Kandra was our waitress and she was the best waitress we have had anywhere for maybe 10 years ‼ She kept checking with us and made sure the food was hot and brought all of our food together- she had a very personal touch to her service and my wife and daughter really appreciated it - Thank you Matador for a great experience and having KANDRA on your team read more

Came here for their late night happy hour. Great prices for late night happy hour and solid meal given the prices. They did seem a little understaffed/slow. Nonetheless, I'd recommend this place if you're looking for a late night happy hour spot! read more

The Matador - Habanero Shrimp - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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I always love going here. The drinks are good, the food is good, the happy hour specials are great, the service is dependable. We often go in just for the nachos and margaritas, watch a game, sit by the fire. It's a Boise staple for us. read more

Had a chance to try the downtown Boise location...was excited as I had a great experience at the Village....but it was a very very unfortunate experience. The waitress that was training a new employee wasn't very friendly or social. Once the food was delivered to us, my cousin and I started to partake in the meal, as we both ordered the Carne asada, the tacos and the burrito. We noticed the meat was very tough and stringy, we could not enjoy the meal as the rice was very hard to eat as well. Thinking maybe the meat was just tough in the beginning of the burrito, I tried to eat the next part, but the meat was continuously tough and stringy again. My cousins tacos' meat were just the same. Horrible, stringy and tough. We could not continue eating the remainder of the meal. I waived over to the waitress and informed her of the horrible meat and she just gave me an attitude, did not offer any empathy, her response, "you ordered Carne asada!" She offered to let me order something else, but I didn't want to chance it in getting something horrible again. So I left an almost full complete plate of food wasted on our table, and the waitress did not even offer to waive off the horrible meal. I would like to request for a full refund. Our waitress was Katie B. FRIDAY, June 10, 2022. 8:57PM, Outside table, party of 2. Carne Asada burrito, 2 soft taco-carne asada. The only Non white (Pacific Islander) women in the entire restaurant. Please Refund! Very DISAPPOINTED!!!! DISGUSTING FOOD, FOR A $43.00 BILL!!!! NEVER AGAIN! read more

The Matador - The horrible tough, stringy Carne asada burrito.Friday, June 10, 2022, 857pm. - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

I order this food for take out while on a business trip. The food was placed online and I picked it up with in the time it requested to be ready. The restaurant was slow inside, yet the staff was rude, and short. The food was pricey for a designer Mexican restaurant. I was looking forward to eating here, since I have eaten at another location and loved the food. The food was very salty, and bland. There was no flavor expect the salt. The guacamole was terrible. The chips, tasted like they were two days old poured out of a grocery store bag, that had been left opened on your counter. The street tacos were simple, nothing extravagant. The meat again had no flavor. (chicken) the portions are good, but does it matter when you do not want to eat it? I woke up about 9 hours later with food poisoning... I can not recommend this Restaurant under any circumstances to anyone. read more

First visit and I chose late lunch on a Sunday. By the way, street parking downtown Boise on Sunday is free. First impression, dark cozy, high ceilings, looks like in 1863 to 1900s building inside. I ordered carnitas street tacos as a starter, and the fish tacos as an entrée. The chips and salsa delivered were pretty good. Salsa was fantastic with a smoky roasted tomato flavor and thick density, chips were stale. About 20% full with a variety of regular tables, high tops, and padded booths. My Server was very pleasant and helpful. All the servers were a little disheveled in my opinion. It seems that fixing up your hair and really looking good for work is not the norm any longer. This seems to be a reflection of the management. Overall food was a solid four. What drug down the score was the stale chips, my first impression with this restaurant, and the dry street taco Carnitas meat. The moderately seasoned beans and rice didn't help. But the fish tacos were just about a five. The Baja fish tacos are deep-fried in a great slaw with tasty dressing on a flour tortilla shell. Super yummy and fresh. They serve black beans and Spanish rice which were pretty good. I'd give them about a three. The street tacos appetizer, Carnitas, we're just OK I'd give those about a three. The meat was very dry and lacked the typical Carnitas flavor. It just tasted like roasted pork. Generous portions to be sure. They have a very good wine selection and a pretty fair beer choice. Overall, it's a four. I would come back and bring my family and friends. EDITED: I realize one visit is not enough to fairly rate a business. I will be back, I will try the carnitas tacos again, and I will definitely be eating those fish tacos. If I get stale chips I'll simply request some fresh ones. Thanks Zak for your attentive response to this review. read more

A nice place (decor wise). When it comes down to food, mm my expectations weren't met. I asked for Rib eye tacos, the tortilla was flour tortillas (cold). The beans were undercooked, & the rice was tasteless. We also ordered Chiles rellenos; it was more of the pepper topped with nacho ingredients poured over it.. We also ordered cocktails, they were alright. read more

They are a very large restaurant right downtown Boise in the Restaurant Zone and the food and service is great! Authentic dishes from Mexico and very consistent. The prices are high but so is everyone else, right? Have fun read more

First time eating here, was difficult to choose a place for dinner before seeing a show at The Egyptian Theater nearby. So happy we ate here. Ordered the Divorciadas Enchiladas plate with flour tortillas, black beans and rice. Used to corn tortilla enchiladas-never had flour and the chicken was thigh instead of breast. It was so flavorful. The serving was generous, too. We ordered guacamole, too, which came with green chile salsa and pico de gallo. Was loving everything but the guac, it was flat. Chardonnay with this dish was a great compliment. Not a tequila person, but wow their selections are endless. So far, this is the best Mexican food I've had in Idaho. read more

My boyfriend and I come to this restaurant for our date nights. It was a 30 minute wait, but was so worth it. We had Chiara. She was very attentive, friendly, and knew her liquor options well. The manager that sat us and talked with us was very friendly and genuine again. The food came out hot and delicious as well. read more

Great service and a great happy hour for food! No drinks are on the HH menu but everything we ordered for food was excellent. We ordered the jalepeno poppers, romaine salad, Brussels sprouts, and the chorizo quesadilla. All so fresh and soooooo good! read more

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Late night drink and food was not bad! The moscow mules are super tasty! The taco happy hour wasn't the best but super good for $2 a piece at 10pm on a Thursday. Service was also very good! read more

Ambiance was great but service was not good and food was just okay. Our server was odd, I felt like he didn't match the ambiance or feel of this restaurant, he was super unusual. Forgot our silverware, didn't bring food out at the same time. Just a weird experience. Food was good while we ate it but we all had upset stomachs that night and were in the bathroom all night unfortunately. read more

Megan was the best serve i have ever had at this location. very kind and charismatic and attentive to our needs. helped us decide on the best food and drinks for our taste, predicted our every move. let alone the food!!! omg i had the rib-eye tacos with cilantro lime sour cream and they were to. die. for. I am obsessed. thank you guys very much. read more

The Matador - ribeye tacos and fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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The street tacos were delicious! Stray from the trio sampler (queso/salsa/guac) - flavors just aren't there. Service was decent, ambiance was buzzing so that's always good read more

Finding good Mexican food in Idaho is not the easiest task for sure. My husband tried The Matador a few months back and was very impressed with the food. He described it as "fancy" Mexican. After trying it for myself, I'd say that it's more along the lines of the Mexican food you'd get on the coast in Carmel, CA - Not "fancy" but definitely not your local hole-in-the-wall go-to place either. With that being said, the food still has the ability to hit the spot when you're looking for something Mexican inspired. The salsa provided with the chips was more sweet than spicy - good, but I personally would've preferred a more traditional, spicer taste. On the bright side, when I ordered the steak fajitas they asked me how I wanted the meat cooked, which made me ecstatic! I love my steak medium rare and I've NEVER had a Mexican restaurant ask me how I want my meat cooked in fajitas (and they usually come well done and on the tougher side). HUGE points! When my meal came out there were four tortillas (a perfect ratio for the amount of food - I hate a huge plate of food with too few tortillas), and they julienne the veggies which makes them easier to eat. More bonus points! The fajitas had a lot of flavor - almost a hint of sweet at the end but not so much that it over powered the dish. My husband ordered the braised carnitas entree (which is the same entree he got the first time he came.) While he still enjoyed the flavor, the meat this time around was QUITE dry (a disappointment since he said it was so juicy during his original visit). Sadly, this is where they lose points with me. Since this was the second visit between the two of us, we will need to come again to see if they are normally more consistent with their food quality. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and we will be back to give them a third (tie braking) chance, but I won't be ranting or raving to others until I know they can provide more consistency. read more

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Stopped in for an early dinner. Great outdoor patio. Food was great. Goat cheese stuffed jalapeños wrapped in bacon were delicious. I had the ribeye tacos. Meet was perfectly cooked and flavorful. Crispy onions added nice flavor and texture. If I lived in town I would certainly return. read more

Cute place. It was definitely crowded and cool vibe. Carne asada was really good, came with peppers, rice, corn and black beans, not refried, I enjoyed it and would go back. read more

So I tried to reheat my sad birthday dinner to no avail. I cannot recommend this restaurant in good faith. read more

Cool place, good food, terrible service. We asked the waiter how long a particular dish takes as a friend was joining us and he said 15-20 minutes. It came out in under five. We asked to keep it warm and he said that it had touched the table so he can't. A waiter's job is to make sure your food is done right, if your steak is overdone they bring you a new one and give that one to the staff or homeless, period. Our party still hadn't joined us and he asked to bring us the check. They didn't even bring forks, knives and napkins for everyone either. Worst service I've had in years. read more

The taco salad and street tacos were full of flavor and quite tasty. The service was very attentive and friendly too. The happy hour is a great deal and worth planning for. If you're downtown Matador is worth considering it as an option for great tasting Mexican food. read more

The Matador - Taco Salad - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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Came for lunch for the first time. The fish tacos are great, fantastic flavors. Emily was a wonderful server, very attentive! read more

The Matador - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Oh, you guys, I realllllly wanted to like this place. And I thought I would. But bummer - I was not impressed. We went here Tuesday for lunch - hoping there would be a Taco Tuesday special something. There wasn't (but I'm not knocking their rating for that). I won't name our server, though he was really nice, and smiley - but he made a mistake which is why I'm not naming him here. Anyway. We started with the guacamole. MATADOR GUACAMOLE, $8 Tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo, queso fresco, cilantro. And then placed our order for tacos. STREET TACOS, $12 Five of our favorite tacos served with white onion, cilantro, housemade salsa, radish, and lime on corn tortillas: Carnitas, Pork Belly, House-made Chorizo Shredded Chicken, Ground Beef. My friend got the shredded chicken tacos, and I opted to get 2 carnitas tacos and 3 pork belly tacos. I did appreciate that they would allow you to mix and match your tacos. Street tacos - they are just like the kind you get from a traditional taco truck - but you pay $12 for 5 of them, and you get nothing else with them (like rice and beans). In my opinion that's a little spendy for 5 little tacos. Because you eat with your eyes first, I felt like the 5 little tacos should have been on a smaller plate because with the absence of rice and beans - or anything else besides the tacos - the dish looks somewhat bare and not overly appealing. And that's pretty much how I would describe the tacos: not overly appealing. The shredded chicken tacos were inedibly salty. As were the carnitas tacos. The pork belly tacos were better, though the pork belly was super crispy and I like some crispy plus some soft fatty texture to my pork belly. Unfortunately (though fortunately) the guacamole was bland, and we topped our tacos with that to sort of offset the salt. And it worked for the carnitas tacos, but not for the chicken tacos. We actually left some tacos which is totally unlike us. Back to the guacamole - it was to be an appetizer - but we got our tacos before the guacamole. I asked what happened to the guacamole and he said he had forgotten and that he would get it right away. Which he did, but it was supposed to be an appetizer. But like I said, it may have been a good thing that it came late so that we had it to top our tacos. The complimentary tortilla chips that came with salsa when we first got there were thin and flavorless. (They actually needed salt.) I ordered iced tea and our server kept the refills comin' - which were necessary because with all that salt I was chuggin' down that iced tea. The pico de gallo was suuuuper limey. I noticed it and it didn't bother me too much, but my friend did not care for it. It's a nice place, and is centrally located in downtown Boise. I'm not going to say don't ever go there, it's probably worth a try. I just don't know that I would choose to go there again, because it was just mediocre for me. read more

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Thank you for always making my experiences here great and welcoming as I walk in the door all to the end! Also I have done door dash orders and thank you for following special requests and alterations on the food as well! You guys are impeccable! Might want to pass off training on basic customer service, and etc. to the meridian location at the village! The margaritas here are amazing my favorite is the strawberry margarita for sure! For food I can never get enough of their salsa verde chicken enchiladas they are the best! The only thing I wish was better is the chips and salsa the chips always have tasted stale and old and the salsa is watered down no yummy flavor to it. I mostly go for the food and drinks though definitely recommend this location for a first good experience and good customer service the meridian location lacks at friendliness, customer service, and time efficiency. Thanks for a good the friendly faces and customer service! read more

I've been going to the Matador for awhile now. I always go back. It's a great Mexican restaurant. The vibe of the place is like bones/bulls which makes sense because of the name. They have the option to sit inside and outside which is always nice. The menu has a bunch of options. Usually at Mexican restaurants I have trouble finding something I can eat because I'm lactose intolerant. However, here, I feel like I have multiple options. Sometimes I just have to ask for my food without dairy but it usually doesn't take away from the meal. I personally liked the poblano burrito without the dairy and I'm always up for a good fajita. The staff are very friendly and try to get everything to you in a timely manner. The food isn't super cheap but I wouldn't consider it expensive either. It's a great place to grab lunch or dinner. read more

The Matador - Poblano carnitas - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Horrible service and mediocre food! While sitting on the patio we watched our waiter, Spencer B, take a glass that had been sitting outside on a patio stand, remove the straws from the glass, fill the glass with water and serve it to us! I had already asked for a different glass of water because the first glass had things floating in it! When I told Spencer that the glass of water was even dirtier than the first, he proceeded to argue with me! He later snatched the credit card reader from my hand and walked away! read more

Loved my experience here! Very unique flavors for Mexican food. But in a good way. Lots of gluten free options and our server was very knowledgeable about what was/wasn't gluten free and willing to accommodate/modify dishes for me - bless her. Enchiladas and the tortilla soup were delicious. Definitely the outstanding meal of my recent trip to Boise. read more

The Matador - Enchilada plate - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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Great place for margs and food. Food was delicious! Margs we're great as well! Our server was great as well. read more

The Matador - Blood orange margarita - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

I've been wanting to check out this place since i've arrived in boise in May, but i've been skeptical of the menu. My boyfriend and I went and checked it out and the carne asada meat I ordered was super good, and my boyfriend got an enchilada, he said it did not taste like an enchilada should and didn't eat it. The rice didn't taste right either, I guess we both come from eating pretty authentic mexican food and this food just wasn't the greatest in our opinion. Although the service was wonderful and they were so nice! the Atmosphere was great too, just wasn't a fan of the food. read more

The Matador - Grilled Carne Asada y Enchiladas y Queso con Chorizo which was amazing (the cheese dip) - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Love it. Absolutely fantastic every time I go. Wait time is kinda long so that's the only negative I can think of

Came here with a party of 5 and the place was packed. Expected over an hour wait because the restaurant doesn't do reservations it's all first come first serve which was apparently a smart decision because the lady at the front said It would only take 20 minutes. 10 minutes later we were sitting at a table! Now when I say the service was fast I mean fast! We sat down and they almost immediately took drink orders. Took maybe 5 minutes to get those keep in mind it was very very busy. Maybe 10 minutes after that they took our order. Less than 20 minutes later we had our food. The Agave chicken wrap I got was absolutely incredible and these were some of the best fries I've ever had! 10/10 recommended! ps it's right in the heart of downtown Boise read more

The Matador - Agave Chicken Wrap - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Always a favorite! Awesome tequila flights. This is actually how I was introduced to Don Julio 1942, so I silently thank The Matador each time I enjoy a sip of that delightful caramel colored beverage. Food is always great, service is always attentive. They have significant happy hour specials, which includes bevs and food - it's also available on the weekends which is a solid business choice. Space is a little higher end, but it's still BOI, so jeans, boots and a Northface will suffice. This was a favorite spot of ours when we lived here and the first place we promised to come back to when we booked this weekend away. read more

What a great restaurant!!! This Mexican fusion is out of this world. The flavors are so big here everything was delicious. Warning they have a heavy hand with the tequila haha!! The civeche was so citrusy and had such good texture! The tortilla soup is the best I've ever tasted!!! read more

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Food was 7/10, but what stood out to us was the hospitality. Our server that we had went above and beyond. Her name was Krista/Krissa? She also looks like Kendall Jenner. Lol. Thank you for making us feel welcome. read more

One of my favorite places the food is good. The service and atmosphere and ambience is always good and the cocktails are always right on.

I am so glad my crew and I came here for late lunch. The menu had a bit for everyone. We tried the tri dip appetizer to start with. Guacamole, bean, queso. OMG were they delicious. I couldn't decide which one I liked best. I'm usually not a fan of beans, but I do t know what they did to the beans but they were fantastic. The drink menu was extensive. We tried a bunch of them, and liked them all. The blood orange was my favorite. They have a selection of specialty seasonal foods. My colleague had the habanero steak burrito. It came highly recommended. It was good, but the habanero overtook the taste of everything else. The rest of us went for mushroom tacos, which were on their seasonal menu, and they t blew us all away. The sauce the mushrooms the onions and peppers all blended in so nicely together that you had a burst of deliciousness in every bite. If you are in Boise, this is a must visit. read more