Leku Ona

This was the best dinner food we had during our week-long stay in Boise! We ordered a filet mignon dinner and a lamb shank dinner—both were delicious! The steak was cooked to perfection and one of the best tasting ones I’ve had in a restaurant in a long time. Add to this a huge salad with homemade dressing and lots of toppings, along with some of the best croquettes I’ve had in this country, and this was a definite win for us. I would highly recommend it to others!

Solid basque and Spanish food with a short (but good) wine and cocktail list. Portions were super generous. We sat upstairs which was quiet and spacious. Loved the Basque cheesecake!

Went twice during Jaialdi season. We had apps and wine the first time, the croquettes were very similar to the ones I’ve had in Spain and the garlic shrimp was very good. The second time we went in for sangria when there was a live band and it was a really festive atmosphere.

This isn't related to the restaurant. I had a traditional red beans dish from the past country and it was absolutely delicious. My husband had a filet mignon And it was delicious also. I would go there to it anytime, food is outstanding. Service is good too. I prefer the upstairs.

I’m leaving this review in the fact that it’s the Basque festival this weekend and it reminded me of the fact that I did some work for Leku Ona in 2020 when they remodeled their kitchen, and Travis the manager, refused to pay me for my materials and the hours of work I put in for their kitchen remodel. I’m not sure if he’s still there or if the staff has changed, but my feelings remain the same for this business. It would be great if they would reach out to me regarding this matter.

Very good food! The Braised lamb shank was fall off the bone tender and the lamb chops had amazing flavor. Best restaurant lamb ever! The Manchego cheese sauce was unexpectedly delightful. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, even during the busy Saturday evening of Jaialdi! I highly recommend you give this Basque favorite a try! Basquo approved for sure!

My brother and I stopped by after hearing the band (Blue Renewal?) from down the street. They were absolutely crushing it so we decided to stop in and get a drink. Cody took care of us at the bar and was super friendly. We asked to talk to the manager to compliment the band and the bartender and Travis ended up being awesome as well. Can't comment on the food, but the drinks, band and staff were all great and we're glad the music brought us over. We will be back.

Went for their prix fixe Valentine's menu and it was perfect! Service was excellent and attentive, food was exceptional (as always). The red wine poached pear was divine and not too sweet, the crab cake was a real treat, salads were generous and delicious. Entrees (lamb shank and lobster paella) were fantastic. I'll always recommend this place for either the fancier upstairs option or the more low key downstairs space (the fries with squid ink aioli are ridiculous, I'm obsessed, husband loves the steak sandwich).

Service was great. We are 2% Basque and wanted to explore some Basque culture and food when we visited Boise a few months ago. The upstairs of the restaurant looks quite lovely, but as we were looking for a more casual dinner, we opted to stay downstairs and eat in the bar/dining area which had nice atmosphere. As an appetizer for the table, we had opted for the paella. The combination of tastes was great, but every one of us at the table were quite floored to see that the rice quantity in the paella was shockingly minimal. Probably less than half an inch at the bottom of the pan. Definitely no more than half an inch. It's been my experience that paella typically has more rice and, considering it's the least expensive part of the paella, it would've been nice to have received more. Such a minimal price to give a bigger impact; eliminate any negative take away from the paella experience. Also, this is not an inexpensive dish. We were treating ourselves at the table then to find ourselves having to skimp on rice so as to ensure that everybody got some was a bit frustrating. The other food was good but am hoping this post will result in a more substantial paella the next time we come to town. Thanks for reading. Take care. -Mario

Always a treat to come here. My dad loves ink fish! You guys never disappoint. Wish my mom was here to visit you guys again and see jaialdi

We were visiting Boise for a week and were looking to try a Basque restaurant for our last night. Hands down, it was the best restaurant we went to all week. We had two dogs, so a shady patio was our top priority. I called the restaurant in advance and they said dogs are welcome. It was a hot day and the patio was comfortable. They brought out 2 water bowls for our dogs without us even having to ask. The service was fantastic, which can be hard on a patio, but not for these folks. We enjoyed the Chorizo appetizer, our cocktails and then a bottle of Rose for dinner. My husband had the beef tongue, my mom had the lamb shank, my dad had a steak sandwich and I had the Paella. All were excellent!! We also had the rice pudding and flan. Both are good, but if you have to choose, go for the rice pudding. It's the perfect texture and has a creme brûlée top.

Ya know what you should do? If you are gonna hire just you g ladies with LONG hair, at least require them to tie it up, braid it, or bun it. I don't want it my plate. Is there a health inspection about that?

Love the Basque feel even prior to walking in. I was in Idaho on business, and it's. Or often I get some downtime so I took the opportunity to check out Leku Ona. I walked over from my hotel and it was during lunch to dinner transition. Perfect time for me. It was quiet but Spanish classical guitar music was playing over head. Walter was the bartender and I sat at the bar top. The entire time he was friendly attentive and knowledgeable about the food. My father is from Galicia in Spain so I was excited to get some food. I opted for four appetizers. The croquettes, the cod stuffed peppers, the chorizo in sidra, and a he garlic shrimp. What can I say other than Solid! Very representative of Spanish and Basque food. Sent my father photos and a promise to bring him to o check it out!

The restaurant was highly recommended by several local friends so we decided to stop in late on a Saturday evening. It was after the dinner rush so we were sat right away despite being a group of 6. The server was very attentive. We opted to have the croquetas for an appetizer. They were really good and the fennel kimchi provided great acid to complement the cheesy rich goodness. We then had small leku ona salads which were exceptional. The dressing was delicious but the toppings nicely complimented one another. We chose the paella for dinner. It didn't have the socarrat on the bottom that we expected and the calamari was diced up small inside the rice so it was a little different but still very good and we highly recommend it.

Had drinks, potato dish and calamari with the ink dip. Both were good but the waitress took away our potatoes before we were even done with them!!! Just because we signed the check did not mean we were done. Good grief. What's the hurry. It wasn't like people were waiting. Wish the basque market had been open.

We scored big time. Just look at the photos and tell me that your mouth is not watering. We went there for the Best of Boise Eats Week food thing. These are normally on the menu, so you can get them any time. The locally raised Idaho steak had a peppercorn sauce. The Idaho Spring Lamb had a brown sauce that was blended with horseradish cream sauce. Support our local restaurant business who also supports Idaho agriculture. If you don't then you belong in a NY subway or a Portland park. Or you could be the loser who didn't know how to read a menu presented to her during the same week and gave this fine establishment a rating of 2 stars along with her no class, childish rant. My photo in this review for the Cod Stuffed Piquillo Peppers clearly refutes her heinous remarks about the same dish. Idahoans have to put up with these West Coast princesses for a few years while their parents send them to BSU.

Many Thanks to the chef staff and especially our waitress Bella. We visited the basque museum and came for dinner . We had the trout which was delicious. The cod stuffed peppers, salmon. Wine and cheesecake. It was a delicious meal. Very pleasant weather on the patio to enjoy our meal . Thanks so much for the great hospitality!

It was the worst restaurant I've ever been in in my nine months in Boise... I was invited to come there with a friend. I wanted to go ahead and review the restaurant which I did at home about an hour before I left and I clicked on their lunch menu per the lunch menu. There were several things I could have so I decided to pick one of the three salads... Little did I know when you go there for lunch, you are actually eating in a bar with a separate limited menu. I showed him The website and asked can I get any of these? He said no... That was the old chef. And I asked well how long is he been gone? He said, four years? Then I asked why aren't you updating your menu online? It's been four years? He just cut a spark laugh and says well I don't know... He was the bartender/waiter in the bar With only two other people in the place... Now I know why! I settled on a burger with no bun, I don't want fries and I ask any substitute for anything. He said they have been soup, I said no thank you... Could I have a side salad maybe extra lettuce he said yes... Instead my burger that was supposed to be medium was well done very hard and I did not get the little salad so I asked for more lettuce and that's all he brought me was just a plate with some lettuce on it? I had to ask for dressing and it was awful... There are so many wonderful restaurants to go to in Boise! Why would anyone go here? I will never ever recommend normal. Will I go to a restaurant like this again! And then after I showed the waiter/bartender my burger was well done it wasn't medium, and they didn't give me any dressing for the lettuce? They still charged us full price for a burger without fries no bun just a piece of well done burger? Don't waste your money. They've got to update their wonderful menu online to just a few items they do sell for lunch.!!! I feel this company owed me an apology for not only the way we were treated, but for the food that they actually tried to feed me!

My husband wanted to go to another basque restaurant and so I went on a search and found this very cute restaurant. I got a reservation on Goggle. It was so easy to make the reservation on Google. We were running a bit late to our reservation about 6 minutes, and the gals at the front desk texted to make sure we were still coming. Super easy and very pleasant gals at the front desk. I got seated, while I waited for my husband to arrive which if you are coming here make sure is not a night that the steel heads have a hockey game traffic was crazy downtown and parking was the worst. But the food was all worth it. I ordered the godfather while I waited for my husband to arrive, and the drink was strong and so good. If you like bourbon, this is your drink. Once my husband arrived, our server went over the menu and explained about the weekend special menu, which is what I order from. My husband ordered from the day to day menu, and he was happy but not completely satisfied because his meat was not cooked well , so it was more like close to being rear, and it looked like a ball. My steak was more medium cooked than medium well, but I liked it the way it was juicy and delicious with so much good flavor it was a good cut of meat. The sparagus where so good. The cod sweet red pepper was surprisingly delicious into I go to the bottom where I took a bite full of seeds not very good I wish they would of taken the seeds out before stuffing it with the cod. The cheese sauce was so good with the bread. My husband's mashed potatoes were simple but good. But wait, the croquetas were the bomb they were so good with the paprika. Wow! They left me wanting more. Dessert I was not impressed with the cheesecake it reminded me more of a cheese curd with fruit on top. The wine was great. The service was good. Overall, it was nice dinner out with my husband.

What an amazing family owned restaurant. We went on a Saturday afternoon and felt like walking into a family gathering. The owner was friendly, treated our 4 year old like his own. He made sure he was happy, we out of his way to get him milk and put it in a special cup. The restaurant was exceptionally clean. The food, was delicious! The lamb burger was moist topped with goal cheese and peppers. The fries were the best damn fries I've ever had! The steak sandwich is something you can only get from this restaurant. The bread had this perfect crunch, the steak was carved thin, and marinated perfectly! The burners cheesecake was topped with fresh berries, and was so delicious!! If you're in downtown Boise I highly recommend you stop in and give this place a try. I will definitely be back to enjoy the patio, and have a few cocktails!!

The restaurant is very nicely decorated. The upstairs dining has privacy walls which makes it somewhat intimate and probably quieter than it might have been. The food is delicious! I have posted a pic of the lamb shank dish. The clam chowder is fabulous. I recommend giving this a try. But make sure you have loads of money as it is fairly pricey.

Service and food is amazing. Manager is personable and engaging. Drinks and wine list are sub par. Food authentic and served great portions.

Apparently everyone who works there is basque or basque adjacent which is a nice touch. Everything was amazing. The lamb shank fell of the bone with barely a whisper. The cheesecake was out of this world!

Restaurant is located in the historic Basque block of downtown Boise. We stopped in for a late lunch on a Saturday. We were seated quickly and our server was great. Croquettas were delicious, as were our sandwiches and fries. We will definitely try this place again.

So delicious. We got the charcuterie plate and it's served on a wood circular dish. They had an amazing special ( post pandemic) for blue crab on top of filet minion with hollendaise asparagus and French fries. House wine, bread and appetizer ( salad and sheido peppers) and desserts for me and my husband. It was so delicious and such a great price at $40! We also ordered basque cheesecake because we have to. The kids ate the dessert. So yummy.

Wonderful service and great food. Bartender greeted me as I came in and got me a menu and water right away. The steak sandwich was awesome

This former Basque American dive was surely a spot to pass on but since the new owner bought the place and brought in a very talented chef from Spain it has done a complete 360. I grew up eating Basque food prepared by my grandmother and mother and all i can say is WOW. Highly recommend you give them a try. Take a trip to Bilbao or San Sebastián vicariously while dining with them

I had the crispy fish sandwich. The sandwich was mainly crispy, burned batter and not very much fish. Fries were very good. I won't return.

We ordered the croquetas, basque BLT, steak sandwich, and cheesecake for dessert. Our server was a delight, but the food was only so so. The sandwiches were definitely the best part of the meal, but still nothing special that you couldn't get elsewhere. The cheesecake was a complete bust which was such a disappointment since we had an amazing basque cheesecake in San Diego. You'd think we would find another in the country's biggest basque community!

We had another amazing experience here. The family style offering of food on the menu is the way to go, plenty of food for everyone. The food is pretty damn good too, hostess and waitresses were very happy to help

Leuku Ona translates to "good place" and is local gem on the Basque Block! A lot of visitors to Boise are surprised when they learn that Boise has the largest population of Basque outside of Spain. This restaurant really highlights the Basque culture and cuisine so well! I took my family who were visiting Boise for the first time here and they absolutely loved talking with everyone here about Basque history in Boise- everyone was just so nice and informative. We had a big group of 7 and sat in the backroom but they've also got really cute patio and bar seating. The decor inside is a little dated, but it really does add to the charm. We came here to celebrate as a family, so there were a few glasses of sangria ordered and they were large and delicious. I barely finished one glass and was very glad that we were all able to walk back home. We all ordered way too much food, but on the upside: I got to keep all of everyone's leftovers so I can review all the dishes my family ordered. The highlights were the: CROQUETAS- perfectly fried, both crunchy outside and soft airy inside, came with a fennel Kimchi and dipping sauce which complimented it well. CALAMARI- LOVED the ink aioli, it's a really cool black color- I'm obsessed. CLAM CHOWDER- was the soup of the day when we came it, highly recommend it if it's available! LAMB CHOPS- loved the tximitxurri herb sauce! ENTRECOTE- NY steak with this amazing garlic butter sauce. DUCK- was apart of their weekend special and was the best leftovers I tasted! The 3 course weekend special was a really great deal at $35 and had enough food to share!

Ever heard of Basque food? Boise is secretly well known for their large Basque population and their tasty cuisines! The cuisine seems to be kind of a cross between Spanish and French food, which meant everything had to be delicious. We had croquetas filled with Romesco sauce, piment d'ezpelette and fennel Kimchi. We also had the red bean stew which had txorizo, fibs, pancetta and cabbage. It was deceivingly very filling! The chorizo had Basque Cider and Ansot's Txorizo Everything was delicately made with lots of savory flavors. The ingredients were good quality but portion sizes were pretty small. The cocktail drink was savory with a pretty orange peel, not my type of drink but it was nice to look at! Overall worth a try for this exotic cuisine

Such great service. The host and wait staff were super friendly. The lamb burger was fantastic. Try the Txakolina wine!

I started going to Leku Ona when they first opened and always loved it. Upon moving back to Boise, I met up with friends for dinner and it's still the same wonderful place! The staff were extremely warm and friendly and gave excellent recommendations. The food was delicious (I highly recommend the lamb chops) and my whiskey sour was very well made. They also have a fantastic Happy Hour! Can't wait to visit again !

Good food, great service, best experience!! Shoutout Abby!! Would definitely recommend to anyone in the area!!

Came here for a quick late lunch with friends. We got the crab croquettes to start and I had the seafood stew. The crab croquettes were good but you couldn't taste the crab. The seafood stew was delicious and had great flavor! My friend ordered the lamb burger which was a hefty portion and the fries were super garlicky. Our waiter was good and we sat outside properly socially distant from other diners. It was a good experience

Boise is a regular stop during my winter travels and, for some reason, I'd never visited one of the many Basque restaurants in the area. Leku Ona wasn't the top recommendation I got from a local, but I had a terrific evening here at the bar. I was very happy with my meal, but it was the conversation with other patrons (one of whom was Basque) that made this stop a memorable experience.

First time in Boise and we walk into this cultural street... learned so much about Basque!! Leku Ona means 'good place,'...... this is a great place! Read all the way to the bottom, best for last! Cute patio and nice weather, so we planned on dining outside, but the staff inside was so friendly when we checked-in, that we stayed for dinner at the bar! Say hello to lady bartender EJ aka Erica Jane, Mgr Travis, Sous Chef Jesse, and Executive Chef Marquis! Sweetest folks-- we learned so much about Boise, Basque culture, the food, history, and we were far friends-- wish we could all hang out more together! Okay, to the food: - Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice for a refreshing greyhound. The local vodka Crater ___ was smooth! - The seafood was raved on being fresh and we love octopus, so Chef shared a taste of octopus with potato cakes -- tender, nice char, great red pepper sauce. - Calamari delicious! - Crab croquettes, pockets of delicious creamy flavorful, perfectly panko crusted - Salmon deviled egg, so creative, love the salmon and egg yolk blended, topped with crispy salmon skin, yum! - **Seafood Paella! We saw the sidewalk sign and that's what lured us in.... AWESOME!! The rice cooked perfectly with sweet chopped onions, great garlic, chorizo, perfect amount of seafood broth... then loaded on top with seafood! Mussels, many clams and the shrimp flown from Argentina were so plump and juicy, tasted like lobster. Just what we wanted and one of the best paellas we've had in a very long time/ years.... where can I find this near home?? (Phoenix?)

What a great meal! Cute restaurant with a patio, bar, and upstairs dining area, service was attentive and friendly. Four of us all ordered different things and all were excellent, cocktails were delicious!

We went here for dine out Boise Week since we had never tried it. 1st I want to say that positives: excellent service, nice atmosphere, great salad and dessert. We were disappointed by the fatiness on the lamb and the trout was good, not great. Bread was also delicious! The bar area seemed like a nice place to have a drink.

Really disappointed from the food to the service. We waited and waited for our server then finally asked if anyone knew we had been seated. We were barely checked on and wanted to order more drinks.$120 meal and the best thing was the bread. The Paella was bland and the salad was drowning. Was there bananas in the banana fosters parfait?! The list goes on :( bill was wrong.....

We were in town for the holiday and ate here the food was delicious the stuffed peppers make want to come back for more great service and felt the ambiance was comforting we had really great service. Highly recommend visiting the basque block and leku if you are in the area!!

Just what I was hoping for. We took a trip to Boise, and, of course, heard about Leku Ona - it's been there forever. Cozy atmosphere, welcoming people, and really good food. We tried two lamb dishes - gotta eat lamb at a Basque place. So good. Leku Ona is one of those must-try local places that is truly worth it.

It had been YEARS since I ate at Leku Ona, but I decided to give the new management/chef a chance and am I sure GLAD I DID!!!! I had the leku burger and my friend had the trout on this one occasion, and a few weeks prior I had the charcuterie board and steak sandwich. The food is great, best french fries in town (seriously) and very friendly and prompt service. I am excited to go for dinner on a weekend to try their menu del dia. Great job Leku!!

Delightful experience. Nice decor and attentive service. We both did the $40 fixed menu. Tasty appetizers, salmon & filet were both cooked to perfection, and unique deserts.

Food is okay, nothing amazing. The downfall is the service - the workers are definitely overworked and we waited 30 minutes for our two burgers. They have a great location, however, and a lovely outdoor seating option.

Very charming restaurant, quiet, and excellent food. We enjoyed quite a few Tapas appetizers, and came back the next night to try the others. Excellent cuisine!

We loved the bread. It was soooo good. The trout was also delicious. The seasoning was quite yummy. Fun to sit outside on the patio. The staff was friendly. I would like to try other dishes.

Fantastic, attentive and knowledgeable waitress brought delicious food. Since entrees are cooked to order, they happily accommodated my low sodium request.

Great food, chill place, and super nice and efficient waitress. Loved my steak medallions and veggies. Hubby loved his calamari and Lamb dip. Thank you.

I was surprised how good the food was. We ordered the seafood bowl and lamb burger and both exceeded all expectation. The seafood was perfectly cooked in an exquisite spicy sauce and the lamb burger was nicely balanced with goat cheese and beets. I'm celiac and the gluten free bread is apparently made in house and of high quality. I don't have to sacrifice any part of the experience to eat here. The chef, marque, was very kind and made the rounds too. Highly recommend.

Basque Country?? In Boise?!!!!?!? I was just as shocked as you. After walking around downtown Boise, a city that I have romanticized for quite some time, I decided that it was just fine. Then, we stopped for a drink at bar gernika and noticed it was a basque place. I had a kalimxho (wine and coke) and was pleasantly delighted although I wouldn't have more than one because I am not that much of a Coca Cola fan. So we left there and noticed a basque cultural center and at this point we were like lol wow this is crazy so much basque in Boise. So we stopped at ANOTHER basque restaurant and decided to eat. I had the rainbow trout which was quite lovely. I know Boise is beef country but it's also trout country. Big fan of the snake river myself. Anywho- great food and red wine and awarded an 11/10 score :) ps shoutout to all the basque holding it down in Boise

Food: New York strip was mostly fat. Vegetables were cold. Service was far away and complaint came when bill was to be paid. Only an apology. Never do this for a comp. We complain when it is really bad. We complained and teenage manager said sorry about that. Cost server 1/2 tip.

Phenomenal food, atmosphere and staff! Truly an amazing dining experience that we will be sure to repeat! Thank you!!

We ate here the last 3 nights. The food was amazing. We had the croquets, salad, lamb, soup, seafood, burgers, cheesecake and so much more. There is nothing I wouldn't recommend. It was amazing. This restaurant is under new management and they have done ana amazing job at revamping the menu and entire atmosphere. We loved the experience so much we couldn't justify going anywhere else during our trip. We can't wait to come back on our next trip. You should absolutely give this place a try. Everything on the menu was loved by all our guests!!!

One of my favorite place to eat local food - The staff is amazing- it's like family- We are new in Boise and they treat their customers like friends - I believe they have the best chef in town- Please try...

Beyond horribly food and service. My dinner took 24 mins to make although it was a very slow night with only 2 other small tables. Once my steak arrived it measured 1 inch by 2 inches. I kid you not but. was insultingly small. The mashed potatoes were ridiculously overly salted. Should have known better since the place was empty during the dinner rush. To top it off the place was not heated even though it was 45 degrees outside. They did have a tv screen with a burning fireplace as if it was going to make us patrons warmer. See the theme here? Don't waste time or money.