Merritt’s Family Restaurant Boise has been a State Street institution since 1975. At least that’s how long it’s been Merritt’s—the building itself (with renovations, paint and remodels) dates back to the 1920s. Like most proper cafes, it doesn’t have the fake look of a place trying to imitate a diner. What Merritt’s Cafe has is some of the best food in Boise if you want down home cooking, but down home cooking with a few surprises. Like the Capri Restaurant nearby in Boise, it offers the real thing and appears to be a local’s favorite.
When you approach Merritt’s Family Restaurant Boise, the first thing you notice about the building is their sign, Merritt’s Original Scones Since 1975. The first time I saw this, I approached with a somewhat critical eye (and very critical tastebuds). Disclaimer: In the early 2000s, my ex-wife owned a restaurant called the Vintage Tea Leaf in Long Beach, CA. I ate her scones practically every day, either at the tearoom or the next morning at home with our coffee. She was well known for them, at one point being written up in Forbes Magazine as one of the top 4 tea rooms in the United States, much upon the strength of the delicious scones. So needless to say, my bar was high.
I made sure that whatever I ordered, I was sure to get a scone. After a conversation with the waitress, who explained that virtually everything was made from scratch and in house, I asked about the two varieties of scone. She suggested the cinnamon sugar scone so I ordered that. The scone that came was very unique, big and fluffy, coated with cinnamon sugar and topped with a scoop of butter. It was very different than I was used to, but I bravely dug in. The flavor was delicious and much lighter than I had had before. Understanding that there are many different interpretations of anything good, I was very pleased with Merritt’s scone.
For breakfast, I ordered my go to favorite, a Chicken Fried Steak. Chicken Fried Steak is another item I have traveled across the country in search of, having enjoyed it in Texas, California, Oregon, Alabama and many other places. I got it with Biscuits and Gravy and Hash Browns instead of Eggs. The steak was huge and I looked at everything and figured I’d have plenty for that night’s leftovers. The flavors were excellent, the gravy had just the right amount of pepper. A proper diner knows to put the CFS on top of the gravy to preserve the crispness of it and Merritt’s did it properly. It was easy to tell it was hand-dipped and grilled instead of basket-fried. All in all, it was an excellent CFS. The biscuits were fluffy and went well with the white gravy. The hash browns were also cooked properly on the griddle, crisp on the outside and warm and tender inside.
As I wiped up the last bit of gravy with a piece of biscuit and wondered why I had no leftovers, I decided that Merritt’s was indeed a place I would try again. So a month later, I returned with a friend. I was a little surprised when he did not open the menu. Coincidentally, it was the same waitress as last time. She asked him what he wanted and without missing a beat he ordered the Chicken Fried Steak. Having seen my pictures, he did order the mini CFS instead and ordered the eggs with hash browns and a biscuit.
I explained to the waitress that I wanted to try something else so she suggested the French Toast, made with Texas Toast. I got it with a Ham Steak and a side of Hash Browns. The food came shortly and my friend was still amazed at the size of the mini CFS. He was also very pleased at the taste of everything. My French Texas Toast was nicely griddled and the ham steak nicely cooked too, with just a little tasty bit of char around the bone. It was topped with a scoop of butter and came with a side of syrup. I was halfway into the toast before the syrup was even put on, the toast by itself at Merritt’s Family Restaurant Boise was that good.
Even with the Mini CFS, my friend had plenty of leftovers for dinner. I did too this time and enjoyed the rest, cold and delicious for dinner. I should add that the coffee is really good and fresh at Merritt’s Family Restaurant Boise, it is obvious that not only do they use good coffee but they make sure to change it regularly. COVID regulations are applied, all servers wear masks and guests are asked to wear masks except when at tables. Every other booth is closed off also for safely. Even coming at an off-hour for breakfast there was a nice amount of customers enjoying their meals.
Merritt’s Family Restaurant Boise also has a full menu of lunch sandwiches and salads and dinner entrees. With the quality of the breakfasts, it should be worth exploring some of the other items such as a French Dip Sandwich, Finger Steaks and a Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad. An interesting menu item is an Indian Taco, which is a scone topped with taco meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa and sour cream. It certainly looks like Merritt’s Family Restaurant Boise is not only a comfortable place to relax and dine, but puts out quality food on a consistent basis. My server was exemplary and the cook obviously understands the phrase consistently good. In this day and age, that is quite an accomplishment and shows the care that the owners and staff have been putting in since 1975.
Merritt’s Family Restaurant
6630 W. State Street
Boise, ID 83714
(208) 853-1801
Merritt’s Family Restaurant Facebook Page
