Las Calaveras Restaurant

We have gone to happy hour s couple times now because the food is mouth watering and the happy hour deals are fabulous. They have $7 margaritas with 14 different flavors to try. The Flautas and nachos are lip smacking delicious. It has always been really busy when we've gone, so the service is a little slow, but I think it's because so many people have found this little hidden gem, that they have a lot of people to wait on.

It was raining and my plans were to go to another restaurant in downtown Meridian, but a spot opened up on Main Street and I saw the sign for lunch specials at Las Calveras. $2 Tacos and side, $10. 1 Taco, 1 Tapa, 1 side $10 Soup & Salad, $10. Upon entering, interesting décor, lots of black (ceilings, tables, chairs, dark lighting) and medium brown walls with oversize lighted photos, day of the dead theme. It's probably better suited to Happy Hour or dinner and late night. Since I was a single diner, opted to sit at the bar rather than take up space a four top. The menu is also a black background with neon and white lettering and with mostly blue and green lighting; a little hard to read and even harder to take good photos as they are also laminated. The bartender brought me a glass of ice water and a rolled up black cloth napkin with hefty silverware inside. Nice points on spending the extra money instead of paper, even if thick, like many other Mexican sit down restaurant do now. I had plans to get a mixed drink, but from what I could tell the margarita at $14 (a little high) would be $7 if I came back later for HH. Then I took a sip of the water. tasted like stale ice cubes and a little off, so passed on having someone make me a blended or on the rocks beverage. The $10 combo of a taco, tapa, and 1 side ended up being $16 as the side I thought I was getting (Queso Blanco) was larger than a no cost side like rice or beans. There is an extra charge for chips (home made, delicious) but an order is pretty small looking in the serving bowl provided. The taco was street taco size with an abundant amount of steak, but pretty bland. No salsa or bottled sauces to jazz it up were offered. The highlight, which I would order again was the Tapa as a side. It was Shrimp Chorizo Skewer with sliced chorizo, Patagonia Shrimp (by the way, Fred Meyer sells these in the meat market and they are wonderful grilled or added to pasta) topped with a tomatillo chile creama and Tajin. My photos turned out dark, however the topping much thicker, like a paste and darker than the photos I found afterwards on Yelp. Might try again for Happy Hour, but headed back to my usual Mexican restaurants for lunch.

This place is fire! Love Mexican food, But if this is what Mexican food in the state of Oaxaca is like... I am definitely going. Had the fajita. The chips, guacamole, salsa and queso was fantastic. The steak and shrimp with the fajita was fantastic. Definitely going here again anytime I visit Boise

Best happy hour in Meridian! Kayla always greets us with a smile right away. We don’t even need to tell her our order, she’s always takes care of us!

Overall we had a good experience at Las Calaveras. The service was great, our waitress Sophia was very helpful and prompt! We only had appetizers and drinks but they were really flavorful and unique. We had one taco which was underwhelming compared to the apps. They have a large covered outdoor patio which would be great in the summer! We made a reservation for our visit but still had to wait 15 minutes for a table to be available. We will be back to try more of their menu.

We ordered the Barría flautas and fajitas (steak and chicken.) The flautas were larger than expected (served with 3) and the jalapeño cilantro dip had just the right kick. The steak in the fajitas especially was super flavorful. I enjoyed the use of nopales in the vegetable mix, it was perfectly firm. Note: pictures are halfway though our food!

For my Galentines with my friends, we decided to hit up Las Calaveras. We have been to quite a few spots in Boise for our monthly outings so we wanted to check out something in Meridian. I have heard nothing but great things about this joint so I was hyped to come here. I arrived at 4:30 and it was pretty chill. There were a few tables already enjoying happy hour and some patrons at the bar. I knew I was going to have a great experience at this joint cause it was already semi busy this early in the evening. Kayla greeted me while I was looking over the menu. I ordered a Coke zero and chilled till my friends showed up. What I appreciate about the menu here is that it's reasonably priced. For a joint in downtown Meridian, they totally could have set a high price point. Tacos at 4 bucks. Tapas ranging around 5 or so. Happy hour prices were legit too. We wanted start off with some flautas and crispy jalapenos as an appetizer. I ordered a cup of their chicken tortilla soup with sour cream and avocado. I also got 2 orders of shrimp and chorizo Tapas to share with my friends. The flautas are so good! The tortilla was crispy and airy. The chicken in the inside was flavorful and tender. It was topped with all sorts of goodies and creama. The jalapeno appetizer was creamy and spicy. You can taste the salty bits of bacon. The cream cheese did help tame the heat of the jalapenos. They didn't hold back of the jalapenos, they were prominent. Those 2 appetizers are a must have! Our second round of food came and everyone's food looked fabulous! My soup had a generous amount of sour cream and avocado in top. There were hearty pieces of chicken, tomatoes and tortilla strips in every bite. The broth was savory and rich with a slight kick. The skewers I got had good sized shrimp and chorizo. It was topped with creama and cojita. I shared a couple with my friend and had a couple myself. They weren't shy with the portion of the shrimp and chorizo. I was so full from the soup, a couple skewers and our appetizers. I took the rest home to my daughter and she really enjoyed them as well. Las Calaveras has one of the dopest vibes to it. The music, the decor, the atmosphere, it's perfection. The venue is stunning, the food is hella good and the staff is super nice. I took my daughter to a similar themed restaurant for her birthday in Eagle and left so disappointed. I should have brought her here! We would have had a better experience at half the cost. By the time we left, the restaurant was packed. Packed on a Tuesday night. I can see why it was so busy! Las Calaveras hits the mark. They are fantastic and the crowd proves it. I look forward to coming back again with my friends or my daughter for another round of happy hour. I was dope I got to try this spot out. Looking forward to coming back very soon!

Hands down the BEST Mexican food we’ve ever eaten ! Flavorful & fresh. The fresh chips & salsa were addictive. We had the Fajitas Trio and the SRF y Nopales. The house margarita was made just right. We’ll definitely go again & have found our favorite Mexican restaurant.

Great service, good food! Our server was friendly and helpful. Even our children enjoyed the food

The food was absolutely delicious! They asked if I wanted spicy salsa, and it was ACTUALLY SPICY!! The atmosphere was great, very laid back. Their staff was very attentive friendly. I will definitely be back!

Great happy hour! Drinks and food came out quickly. Alejandro was very nice and his flautas recommendation was a hit! Great decor!

This has turned into our go-to date night dinner and watering hole. I haven't had a bad meal. Every menu item is better than the last. Super friendly staff. You'll love it, and that's a Scott Browne guarantee.

Went for dinner on a Friday evening. Got there in time to enjoy the last 30 mins of Happy Hour. We ordered the chips and dip trio. Loved the freshly made chips and all of the dips were very good. We really loved the smokey salsa! Service was pretty good, but after our first round of drinks our server kind of disappeared for a while and our glasses remained empty for a while. The same margarita I got for $7 during happy hour jumped to $14 after. I have no problem paying more, but it was not worth double the cost. Our dinners were just ok. Very expensive for what we got. My husband got the steak fajitas and the amount of steak, peppers and onions looked like a very small appetizer. For $22! It did come with rice and beans. The beans were actually mashed black beans and we both agreed that was a nice change from regular refried beans. But it seems like that was the only option. Something to be aware of. I got what the menu called "chicken poblano enchiladas". It was one enchilada, but it was a good-sized portion. It wasn't bad by any means, but nothing about it was memorable. The decor is really cool and it's in a great location. We were lucky enough to have a nice enough evening to sit on their patio. A great spot for a little people watching. I might go back for Happy Hour, but with all of the up and coming spots in downtown Meridian, this place wouldn't be my first pick.

Unique vibe offering a nice selection of Mexican "cuisine." Service by Alejandro was attentive. Ordered chips and guacamole which was spot on. Had the Steak Elote Quesadilla - and wow! Too much for one person but really loved this dish. Will be back.

Cute little restaurant with a small eclectic menu. We arrived during happy hour so each of us had a half price margarita (which were very tart, a bit too much lime dominant), chips & salsa and chips & guacamole for starters. The homemade chips were very good. My wife had the tortilla soup which was good but too spicy for her. I had the pollo lindo taco which was one of the best tacos I've ever eaten. Wonderful flavors with a pineapple pico that blended perfectly. Such a depth of flavor, delicious. Overall they need to work on their margarita mix and offer different heat levels for the more delicate palates.

This place wasn't bad at all. We did come for lunch so it was a quick seat and we got our food pretty quickly. We got there at about 1 or so and it was still brunch. I do have to say, the brunch menu looks great, but there needs to be some sides with them. Potatoes or something. For lunch we both got three tacos for $3 each and added on a side. The corn ribs. Super yummy. The poblano taco has a nice kick to it. Steak needs some more seasoning. The chips and salsa flight were really great. The chips are a tad too thick. We ordered salsa verde, queso, and the cilantro sauce. I ordered a Mexican hot chocolate. I do not recommend getting that. You can tell it was made with straight water. I could buy my own mix and make it better, which I'll probably do.

This was my second time here. Very different experience from the first. They have very obnoxious live music on Fridays. Maybe some people like this but this guy has an electric keyboard that he carries and goes and stands at each table whether it's welcomed or not. It was extremely loud. Our server was nice but her follow through wasn't there. She ask if we wanted more chips and then never brought them. She ask if I wanted another glass of wine and the brought me a red when I was drinking white. She never refilled my husband soda or water. The surf and turf tacos were really good! The caso was barely warm and bland. The shrimp and chorizo appetizer was nicely done. The prawn taquitos sounded like a good idea but they were definitely over cooked. The crab tasted like fryer oil and the prawns were hard and chewy. Overall an expensive underwhelming meal with a karaoke atmosphere.

Alejandro at Calaveras is absolutely amazing! His service was next-level--attentive, friendly, and genuinely made the entire experience unforgettable. He anticipated our needs before we even had to ask and made fantastic recommendations that elevated the whole meal. You can tell he truly cares about his guests and takes pride in what he does. If there's ever a server who deserves recognition (and a well-earned dinner!), it's Alejandro. Dining with him is an experience in itself--Calaveras is lucky to have him!

Nice place very clean and friendly servers. Food is fresh! However everything is super SPICY! Not much on the menu available for someone who doesn't like spice.

Fantastic food and service by Marley! Tacos delicious, corn ribs too. we will be back!

Ambience at Las Calaveras is upbeat, fun and friendly. The service was friendly and fast. We ordered a margarita and a house lager beer. The beer is crafted by the restaurant and it was great. The margarita however, was disappointing as it tasted like the mix was store bought. Not what I expect from a trendy Mexican restaurant. With our cocktails we ordered chips & salsa which was just ok. Salsa was good but the chips were not crisp, a little soft. We then ordered the popular surf & turf tacos from the happy hour menu. They came out and looking amazing with all the fixings but their was no flavor. The cabbage was soft not crunchy and the shrimp & steak had no flavor. So sad to say we were over all disappointed. In conclusion, if the margaritas were crafted by the bartender and the food tasted as good as it looked, we would not been able to walk in without a reservation.

A wonderful menu, and dinning experience. My clients were visiting from out of town. They couldn't say enough about their hospitality and experience!

Awesome food great happy hour prices. The people are amazing My go to places for happy hour and tacos.

We stopped in for the first time tonight for dinner. The service was great and the food was amazing. The guac and chips were beyond good. Fresh and crispy home made chips and guacamole that was bursting with flavor without being Spicy hot. I had the "Surf and Turf" Tacos which had delicious and tender Carne Asada and flavorful and not overcooked shrimp. My wife had the smash burger which she enjoyed a lot. Staff was friendly and efficient. Our order was taken promptly and our food was delivered within a time frame you would expect. We will put this restaurant on our list of favorite places to go for dinner and we will be back often!

Went for happy hour. Place was about 1/4 full. Kitchen got backed up on our second order. Drink order came out wrong. The waitstaff makes too many trips to the tables without accomplishing anything. They look busy, but nothing gets done. This is a problem with direction from either management or training. We had an assortment of happy hour items. Loved the carne asada & shrimp (Surf & turf) tacos. Loved the pollo lindo taco - huge and very tasty. Had the grilled halloumi cheese and proscuitto tapas - salty, but really good. The shrimp Chorizo skewers were tasty. The Carne Molino was hamburger meat, blah. The tajin corn ribs were outstanding. Lots of flavors and sauces here. Not boring or commonplace. This place deserves another visit and it will get one Beautiful interior, lots of skulls (calaveras) all done up with a day of the dead theme. Nice, very nice. Lots of free street parking and a free lot behind the building. This is friendly downtown Meridian not the s-hole downtown Boise. Try this place. Your taste buds will thank you. We left knowing there is a lot of menu unexplored.

Came here today for the second time and brought my wife, her first time. She ordered the two tacos and side lunch special, and I ordered the protein bowl special, with shrimp. Both were delicious. I'm a little surprised that they don't provide complimentary chips and salsa, but I'm trying to lose weight, so I don't mind. Marley, our server, did a great job. We'll be back! Side note: My wife is Latina, and she said Las Calaveras means "The Skulls". The interior has many prints of what looks like the same model made up to look like a character from Dia De Los Muertos. Some might like it. I found it a bit creepy.

Marlee was amazing. The food was incredible and the service unmatched. Love this place.

Great food and drinks. Great atmosphere too! We have always had excellent service. We met the owner and he was a very friendly guy. Feels like family when you come in.

Great food! Order the Flautas. They're a little bit spicy but the spice is balanced. And Sophia, our server, was excellent. We sat outside under a toasty heat lamp and enjoyed conversation (quieter than inside). thanks for a wonderful evening!

Maria was muy bueno!!! Good service, friendly and quick service. Food was done well and quickly.

Sophia was just the most amazing server! Food was amazing, drinks she recommended were great! Love the atmosphere & Sophia's Vibes, will be back for sure!

Didn't know if this place would be good so wanted to try lunch first and it was Yummy!! What great service and kind of scary atmosphere LOL with a New Orleans Vibe. We sat outside and it was very pleasant and we received good service. You know how sometimes sitting outside the staff forgets you but that didn't happen. Great waitress

Absolutely great food, great service and atmosphere. We had surf and turf tacos together with the never ending chips/dip from the happy hour menu. The flavors were fantastic, the portions were large enough to take some home. We'll be back, again and again. I sure love it when a family owned business appears primed for success.

Marlee was great!! She was attentive, friendly, and fast! We love La Calaveras, and always have a great time, Marlee made it even greater!

This place is awesome. Service has been great every time. The food is fantastic and the happy hours great. Drinks are not too bad either. Perfect spot to meet up with friends. Ambience is nice and chill as well.

First time here tacos are great salsa needs some heat cheese dip was curdled guacamole was delicious. Rice was terrible I make better rice quite pricy for tacos but they were delicious but overall idk if we'd be back

We tried a new spot and were seriously impressed--especially by the Mexican prawn taquitos. Perfectly crisp and full of flavor, and that mango chile sauce they came with...absolute perfection. We also sampled all the salsas (because how could we not?) and honestly couldn't pick a favorite. Each one brought something totally different to the table, and they were all so good. We sat out on the patio, which made it even better--great vibes, great food, and a perfect place to hang out and unwind. We'll definitely be back!

I did really like the ambiance. The restaurant decore was nice. The service was great. The server Sophia was great very attentive check on us frequently. The food was good the only down fall is that everything is on the expensive side. One thing I do expect from a Mexican restaurant is chips and salsa. At $5 dollars for a side of chips and salsa is steep, considering 2 meals and no drinks was over 40 dollars with tip.

Came in for a drink during happy hour, just to check it out. Our waitress was super fun and helpful, and even the manager came out to check on us. Everyone looked happy, like they got along and enjoyed where they work- food that went by us looks awesome- can't wait to come back and eat!!

Food was absolutely delicious 10 out of 10, so fresh and flavorful. Our server Sophia was fantastic.

Service and food was excellent. Alejandro was very attentive and we appreciate the timeliness of the service. Chips were addictive and food was fresh

My first impression was that this restaurants menu makes no sense. It was hard to read and understand where the Mexican food was because half the menu was bruschetta and things alike. We came in with a larger group and a reservation and our server (young woman with long wavy brown hair) was probably the best part of the whole experience. She was really on top of it which I appreciate. We started with the chips, salsa, guac and queso and it was ok. The guac was super chunky but in a way that made it hard to scoop up. The chips were fresh and warm and that was great! The drinks were good and I got the steak nachos. I wasn't very impressed but I guess for being a Tex Mex kind of place it was decent. The decor is what threw me off the most. I felt like they were going for a San Diego Tex Mex restaurant feel, or maybe trying to be similar to a place Iike Mesa in Nampa, but it was giving "landlord special" and the bathrooms were rather dusty. The live music was.....interesting. All in all, maybe not my cup of tea but hopefully it will improve in the future!

The Protein Bowl!!! The Service!!! The freshness! The Spice! And...Marlee! What could be better than a downtown lunch in the shade on their patio.

Husband and I tried this place last week around lunch time and we were very happy with everything we tried. Our server was kind and very helpful when we explained it was our first time. We ordered the Chips and Medium Salsa ($4/ if you are a salsa snob like me, you WILL be happy!!) the Nachos appetizer with chicken ($16/ pictured/ these are to die for especially with the chicken added), 2 Steak Tacos ($6 each/ seasoned well and packed full) and a side of the Elote Corn ($5/ be careful bc these things are so addictive!) Everything was very delicious and we left FULL. Our bill was under $40 and we felt that what we ordered was priced appropriately. The ambiance and decor was great, I loved it! It's always fun to find a place that can seat you outside. Thanks for a great experience and a fun date spot for us!

This was the first time I visited Las Calaveras. This place caught my eye because of my bonus daughter who loves the concept. So I decided to take her out for lunch with my other bonus daughter. I don't like the word step when talking about these special girls Anyway to the review. With chips and salsa this good, I don't mind paying. Very fresh and salsa was a hit. We ate light so I'm looking forward to spending time with my wife and really enjoy the food. So far so good. Service was great and the place was very clean.

Good food and good service. Hopefully they keep expanding their seafood options. We'll be back.

So happy we stopped in. We called ahead to see if we needed a reservation and we did not. Place was packed and we got the last table. Fresh food always pleases the palate. Guacamole was fantastic. Flank steak was delicious and the tacos were great as shared by my table mates. Decor, music and ambience was warm and welcoming. Live music on Wednesday nights is coming soon.

First time visitor. We came on a Saturday around 11:30am for the brunch menu. They have both patio and indoor seating. Seating inside looked comfortable but we opted for the patio. Our server promptly checked on us and took our drink orders and answered questions. My friend and I ordered off the available brunch menu. They offered breakfast tacos, quesadillas, burrito which I was pleased to see. We started with chips and salsa and appreciated the freshly fried chips. We got the mild salsa which has a uniquely sweet flavor which may have been from carrots. My friend ordered the breakfast tacos with chicken and I ordered the breakfast quesadilla with birria beef. I must say the presentation and the meat ratio was good. My birria however tasted like pork not beef. The chicken tacos (3 per order) came with a nice sauce. Both included scrambled eggs and skillet potatoes. The food was fresh and filling. I can't wait to return and try some other menu items. We enjoyed our visit.

What an amazing New Mexican / Cantina joint in downtown Meridian. Inside very well done with great ambiance and atmosphere. Great art on the walls and lots of seating all around. We came here yesterday during lunch time and got seated right away. Service was 5 star all the way! Simply amazing! For food this place has a tapa vibe menu so that's what we went with. I will rate each thing below separately. Margaritas-5 star and you can tell some care went into making these! Chips and dips we had the guacamole, spicy salsa and queso-5star the chips are homemade big bonus! Salsa was homemade and guacamole good spice and delicious! Elk sliders-OMG delicious! 5 star! Shrimp and chorizo-5 star BLT- Bomb 5 star! Shrimp taquitos OMG if you don't get these you missed out so amazing! Carne Asada taco-5 star! Mahi fish taco-5 star! This area needs a place like this so bad!!! These guys are doing it right and hope more people come try this place!

TLDR: expensive, tiny portions, loud, and slow service (Wednesday at 6:30pm - party of 6) Cool atmosphere and glad to see more Mexican options in Boise. The chips and guac/salsa were good but not free. Ordered our food shortly after sitting and it took quite a while to be brought out. Two members of our party ordered the nacho appetizer as their main course. We saw them start to bring it out but then retreat back to the kitchen waiting to bring it out till the rest of the food was ready. At least 10 minutes, by that point though the nachos were cold. One member of the party ordered three tacos and they only brought out two initially. He had to wait another 10/15 mins for his third taco. Myself and two other members of the party ordered three tacos. All either $4, $5 or $6 a piece. The tacos were the size of street tacos, and you could easily finish it in two or three bites. They are way too expensive for what you get. If they were half the price I would have enjoyed them more but they weren't anything special.

Great ambiance, service, and food! Our server, Sophia, was wonderful and made our first experience great.

This place is one of the greatest dining additions to Old Town Meridian. Book a table with confidence. The entire menu is !!!!

Slow rude service-cold food when it did arrive-too bad because decor location chips and house margarita are on point! With health violation now posted-will not be back. Pic attached is from Yelp's health section on this place's page

We went later in the evening and there was live music. We decided to sit outside and it was a nice evening. We got guacamole, nachos, and carne asada. I would come back, but probably only for happy hour. There wasn't a ton of dinner options - just dip, tacos, small bites really. But the flavor is great and food is great. Want to come back from happy hour for cheaper prices and when I'm not too hungry haha.

Been there once. My Flautas was served on a wooden plate that was designed for what looked like a beer sampler wood "thing" had three circles, I was confused a bit. When the server presented a payment request she asked for it prior to me seeing the bill. After receiving the bill I noticed thats my rice and beans sides were a dollar more each. Note...I was just over by 2 bucks but I notice these small things. A Manager came back, apologized and gave me back my two bucks for the discrepancies. The tequila shot and beer combo was a great deal hands down. But unfortunately I probably won't be back.

Good food Slow service. Maybe because it was Memorial Day, but things took a long time, even a simple can of Pacifico Will try again because the food was good

What a great experience and even better food! Everyone here is so nice and service is amazing. Sofia was our waitress tonight and she was an absolute pleasure to have. She was so helpful with meal decisions and even got some fun things for our kids to keep them occupied. We will definitely be back! Taco Tuesday was also a great deal. We are so happy we found this place.