The Capri Restaurant in Boise is one of those places that just confuses food people. Sitting in a parking lot with a Budget Motel, you just might wonder what the hoopla is about.
Obviously not the location or the cosmetics, although recently adding Rudy the Rooster to the top of their sign makes a nice change and upgrade. So what’s special about this old-fashioned diner? In a word, the FOOD! The Capri Restaurant is one of those rare places that puts out delicious, consistently good food, year after year.
One of their hallmarks is their breakfast. Their Pumpkin Pancake is huge, the size of a plate. It had nice, fresh whipped cream with pumpkin spice mixed in, as well as whipped butter. A side of a sausage patty went really well with it. There was no doubt that these were ground here—-the taste was excellent! 
We also ordered the Eggs Benedict. Being used to it in other places, a side of sausage links was ordered due to the fact that most Eggs Benedict are pretty small. Not so at Capri Restaurant, it came with a large slice of real ham on it that made for a very delicious, filling breakfast. And the sausages were huge, almost the size of an Italian sausage. You will definitely not leave hungry from the Capri Restaurant!
Lunches at the Capri Restaurant are pretty amazing too. One day, one of the day’s specials was a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. Tending to having been disappointed with most place’s versions of this classic, it was a debate over whether to get it or not. Game to try, it came out shortly, served with fries (or optional tater tots too). On a soft hoagie roll, the thinly sliced beef looked really nice. It also oozed real provolone cheese, nicely melted. But the real treat was the onions and peppers. Nicely grilled, there were tons of fresh green, red and yellow peppers, cooked to an al dente bite that was really nice. Many places cook the peppers and onions til they have no texture except mushy, but these went really well with the sandwich. Capri Restaurant certainly knows how to cook and season correctly, since not only the peppers and onions were done nicely, but the beef was not overcooked and not over-salted.
Another day’s visit yielded a nice Reuben served with tater tots. It was a nice version of this classic deli sandwich. The day’s highlight however was that diner staple, the Chicken Fried Steak. It was thicker and not as tender as I was used to. Personally, I thought it was really good—one of the best Chicken Fried Steaks I’ve had. It actually was like eating steak! It is available as a lunch, with mashed potatoes, vegetable and soup or salad; or as a breakfast, with eggs, hash browns and toast. Often their special of the day, their Mushroom Swiss Burger was excellent, the burger patty actually having a great beefy taste and not the blandness so many burgers do.
There is one thing that is necessary to have upon your visit to the Capri Restaurant. Have it with coffee, have it with ice cream, have it with lunch, have it with breakfast—but have it! That is a piece of the Capri Restaurant’s pie. One day, the pie of the day was fresh baked raspberry. This place makes one of the best crusts I’ve had, light and flaky. Another day, they’d just made some marionberry pie. They definitely know the secret to making a good pie. Today, it was strawberry-rhubarb pie. So much pie and so little time!
One noticeable thing when you’re in the Capri Restaurant in Boise is their customer greetings. There are a lot of regular customers and they’re always greeted by name. With such repeat business, it’s easy to see how they remain popular year after year. By my next visit, I’m sure I will be greeted by name too since I’ve already been there several times. This is becoming a regular stop on my breakfast/lunch circuit and after one visit, I’m sure it will be on yours too.
Capri Restaurant
2520 W. Fairview Avenue
Boise, ID 83702
Open 6am-3pm daily
Phone: (208) 342-1442
Photo Gallery follows. All photos by Ed Simon for The Boise Beat.
