Matador Boise

We had an exceptional experience with Tilly at the helm tonight! She had phenomenal energy, with great vibes. We all LOVED our food, and the drinks were great. Top Shelf Tuesday is a great day to try the best, without regrets! The fish tacos had a very diverse spectrum of flavors with just the right amount of heat. The chips are thin and crispy! Though the guacamole is not prepared tableside, the crew in the kitchen does a great job with the presentation. Definitely recommend!

I appreciated the awareness of celiac disease and gluten free items. However, due to cross contamination from a single fryer, most items are not actually gluten free. It’s definitely best to ask questions. The AL Pastor tacos were excellent, although the excessive chunky raw white onion might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Matador Boise truly exceeded all expectations! From the moment we walked in, the warm and inviting atmosphere set the tone for an unforgettable dining experience. The food was absolutely outstanding—every dish was packed with bold, vibrant flavors that left us savoring every bite. The presentation was impeccable, and the menu offered something for everyone. The service was equally impressive. Our server was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable, ensuring that we felt well taken care of throughout the meal. The staff clearly takes pride in creating a top-notch experience for their guests. Whether you're a local or just passing through Boise, Matador is a must-visit. We can't wait to return and explore more of their incredible menu!

This place was great. My burrito was hot hot hot with the habanero. It had such good flavor though. I wouldn’t say get it again.

First we went to have a good margarita with our lunch and they did not provide a blended choice here. We did wait a while for the seat. Our waitress was excellent and we sat outside in the shade. Perfect spot and day. Food was good. They brought us chips and salsa, they were good too.

If anything this place is over staffed! But it was great to never have a need there! I was greated by three pretty ladies. I was seated by one lady. I then had another lady as my waitress! Loved the relaxed dress code for the ladies too! Most places make them dress in tight leggings and tops that show everything! Real high class place!

Dinner was good and drinks tasted good but not much tequila. Tasted like a juice so still good.

Really great Mexican food. Good flavors! Margarita drinks were large and not very strong (lots of ice). No wait before 6pm on a Saturday. Good happy hour food options.

Was excited to go to the Funky Taco to grab some vegan Mex food during our recent long weekend in Boise. Sadly, they had to close early due to a plumbing issue so we went with Plan B: Matador. Easy to find a seat inside and we were able to find some Beyond picadillo-based vegan options. Started with some tasty margaritas -- it was happy hour! -- and placed our orders. My wife had nachos -- huge portion and my wife loved them -- and I had the Beyond picadillo tacos. Fast and friendly service and good drinks and food -- turned out to be a solid Plan B!

I'm visiting the area and we needed a place to eat mid shopping spree and stumbled on this spot. The front entry way was intriguing to us immediately. One thing I personally wasn't fond of was how dark the lighting was inside. For a date night it would be perfect. I tried the verde chicken burrito and it was absolutely delicious. We also had the queso con chorizo which was a 5 out of 10, nothing terrible but it wasn't amazing either. I would return and try more of their menu if I'm ever in the area again.

This place is located centrally in the popular 8th restaurant row. We were greeted immediately and led to a table. We were given a happy hour tent card, wine and cocktail list, seasonal specials, and the standard menu. I felt a bit like I was back in school with all this reading in front of me lol. The menu is actually well conceived and offered a spread of the Mexican dishes we typically expect (tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc). The server was quick to supply drinks and take our food order The food was actually very good. The chimichanga was creamy and the fish tacos quite delicious. They served the rice and beans with the chimichanga over a habanero sauce. Be warned, this is spicy. As a lover of spice and Thai food I was caught off guard by the heat in this sauce. You have been warned The downside of this place was the ambiance for me. It is quite loud. I suppose that is to be expected in a bar but I was sort of expecting more of a restaurant than a bar. The chairs were hard and became uncomfortable after about 15 minutes. I suppose that helps to turn the tables. And my final disappointment was that after the food came the waitress was impossible to flag down. She barely even glanced at us. It took a good 10 minutes to flag her down for a box. Then she brought the check and walked away before I could ask if I could tap to pay. Another 5 minutes later I flagged her down again and tapped and paid Overall I give the food very high marks 4 out of 5. But the atmosphere and service and seating eroded my good experience and turned it into an average evening.

DO NOT GO HERE. My family and I came here for lunch yesterday around noon and we haven't stopped puking since we've gotten home. My three year old and 6 year old are ridiculously sick. Thank god my 1 year old didn't get food poisoning. We all ate the rice so pretty sure it was old. We have never had food poisoning g before this was a $140 experience. Super expensive for old food.

I tried this 8th Street location and it seems much better than the one in Meridian. It was late after the BSU football evening game and happy hour (food only) had just started. They close at 1:00 AM in this vibrant section of downtown Boise, which is a huge positive for the area. I was astounded at the tequila menu; there were probably 200 different labels offered so if you are an aficionado this is your place! But I'm not so we just settled for some food. The nachos are a great value during happy hour but you will be charged more for anything other than ground beef. They are still a good value and they were delicious! I ordered the Roasted Squash & Black Bean Soup, a fall special and wow was it delicious as well; a very hearty soup with some shredded beef in it as well and it really hit the spot on a chilly night. The wait staff was fairly attentive although the waiter seemed like he did not want to be working that shift. I felt sorry for him; who knows what was going on in his personal life. But check them out sometime. Its a little loud but that was expected during happy hour. And some will not like the hard bench seating. We enjoyed our experience here, however.

Our first time here and we enjoyed it. I had the surf and turf and it was really good. The habanero shrimp made me sweat, it a good way. The atmosphere and vibe was cool. The service was good, our waiter was very friendly.

Excellent food, great service, and fabulous ambience! We love this restaurant! Sitting around the open fire in the middle of the restaurant/bar is fantastic on a cold night!!!

This is my favorite place for a weekend evening. Great staff and food! Not sure what the negative reviews are all about, we've always had a great experience

This place is beautiful. Great service. Beautiful restaurant. Service is great. And surprisingly probably some of the best Mexican food that I have found at least. I would definitely give it a five star rating. The bartender she was amazing. She was also our server Drinks are amazing.

I was checking out the Boise State campus with my son, and after a long day of walking around, he was craving some Mexican food. We wanted to check out Boise's downtown since it was close to campus and stumbled upon the Matador. He had the habanero steak burrito, and I had the shrimp tacos. Both were amazing! Our waitress, Katie, was also awesome! Great place and dining experience! If he decides on Boise State, we have a new go-to restaurant!!

Best Happy Hour in town! Good food, great prices. Our waitress, Taylor was fantastic!

This place really surprised me, everything I tried was really good. I had the ribeye fajitas, chicken flautas, and street tacos. The fajitas were really tasty just wished I had some rice with it. The chicken flautas were filled with shredded chicken and cheese and omg these things were delicious. The street taco were also really good but they were on the smaller side. The complimentary chips and salsa were good as well. The mango lemonade was really good not too overpowering on the mango flavor and it also wasn't too sour. The service was also fast and we were check on a couple times. The environment gave me a chill cool vibe. Give this place a try the also have seasonal specials!

Service by Jacob F was the best. He was attentive, friendly and he took all orders without writing anything down. The ambiance was very pleasant on the inside with patio seating outside as well. Food: Great! Guacamole was chunky with the right seasoning. Street tacos - tried all five selections - were perfect. Soft flour tortillas with plenty of filling. Quesadilla with carne asada was wonderful. Fire roasted corn esquites was delicious. The red salsa and the two green sauces are great. Only complaint was the first round of chips were crushed and too small to dip but Jacob brought out new larger chips. A will come back.

My husband and I popped in here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon! The weather was perfect out so the patio area was full but they sat us right next to the door/window so we were still able to enjoy the weather. My husband had the ribeye tacos and I had the agave chicken wrap - both were A+ and plates were cleaned! Our server Katie was a doll and took great care of us. We definitely will be back!

The craving was increasing with each passing city block. Hard to say how long we had been traveling as the hunger masked any perception of time. Each step was met with a stomach churning cry for those Mexican inspired culinary surprises. Would they be filled with traditional juicy morsels? Or maybe a Mexican-American fusion? The reality of it all seemed surreal...would we even make it? I couldn't lose hope now, only a couple more blocks to go, nestled in between some of the tastiest little joints in town. And then, there it was. As busy as one would want to see such an establishment while still providing enough seating for no wait at lunch hour. How could we wait much longer with the hunger gaining momentum like a steam powered locomotive with but one destination...taco flavor town? (Enter screeching record player here).....nope, this train took a detour to disappointment manor. Long wait. Cold tacos. Horrible beans. Mediocre rice. Diet Coke was sub par at best. I'm stretching for something good here folks. I was full. Yes, I got full. On three shrimp tacos for $21.50.... Wait say what? I'm gunna be real. There are dozens....dozens of places better to go. Search tacos, pick any other establishment and its likely an improvement. I may have had it on an off day? Everyone at the table expressed disappointment so I know it wasn't my menu selection. Hard to say really but the craving remains. It feels as if I'll die of starvation, and yet my belly is full. How much longer must this weary traveler go to find Mexican culinary bliss that will satisfy the want, no, the need for.....tacos

I don't usually write reviews. I grew up in California with a lot of good Mexican food; I mean it when I say the Habanero Steak Burrito I had here was the best steak burrito I've ever had in my entire life. I have been dreaming about it. The service and ambiance were fantastic, but the food across the board is what made me write this review. Everything we ordered was absolutely phenomenal. Highly recommend if you are a foodie. Do yourself a favor and order the steak burrito.

I'm only visiting for a few days and I loved the flavors and quality of the food here so much I convinced my group of 9 to come back for lunch for a second time! The habanero steak burrito was extremely well done I ordered it both times I came here! Both times is was amazing! Cali style is good, but it was definitely bigger than the original in a good way! All my friends enjoyed their food and the flavors as well! A couple of us liked the Divorciados as well! The portions are also good enough for even the most hungry people! The service was nice and frequent both times we came. Highly recommend to anybody coming to DT Boise for lunch or dinner!

Haba Shrimp... Inwoukd rendezvous with you any time any place. As much as it would hurt, I want to bathe in your sauce and enjoy every painful moment. Bottle that and sell it please, bht be sure to offer nationwide shipping so I can have it wherever I may be. Yes. This app and happy hour special is 100% worth it. Cocktails were also solid, but maybe a bit on the sweeter side for me. I tried a Smokey pineapple margarita (I think that was the name) and enjoyed it with my meal. The mezcal and pineapple were a good combo and it was perfect to quench the heat of the Haba shrimp. It was a larger drink, which made it feel a bit less boozy to me. We opted for the scallop and bacon taco. In theory it sounded good, but execution left us wanting a lot more. The scallops are small bay scallops, which have the sweetness but lack the tenderness of larger scallops. The Smokey bacon wasn't strong enough to stand up to the sauces and other garnishes. The thing that saved this taco was the addition of the... HABA sauce! If I could, I'd rate this a solid 3.5. I want to give it four because we had great service and good drinks, plus a standout dish, but the other food really left me wanting more.

This place is pretty cool. It has a cool bar top with plenty of tequila and mescal. Some decent bourbon was visible as well. I had a jalapeño and cucumber margarita which was pretty decent. The chips and salsa were really good. For dinner I had the habanero steak burrito. It had really good flavor with a decent kick to it. There was some kind of cilantro sour cream that was kinda weird. The guacamole was great and the slaw had pretty good flavor. The bartender was friendly, but he spent most of his time on the opposite side of the bar talking with friends. I sat with an empty drink for about a half hour. I would have bought another had he come my way and asked. He did not really give me an opportunity to ask him for one until he brought the check.

This place was amazing! The non-alcoholic menu was superb as well as the food. If you're ever at the location downtown, ask for Ivana who's a waitress with the best personality hands down. Chris, who's the manager was so accommodating to us. I highly recommend this location especially if you're visiting like we were.

Really just a loud ass bar pretending to be a restaurant. Stood by the hostess stand for awhile without anyone noticing I was there so I decided to sit at the bar which was a mistake. The bartender was great but I could hear the drunk whopping, hollering, cackling table right behind me even over my headphones turned all the way up (I bring them so I don't have to listen to people's stupid conversations). A restaurant can't really control this but it'd sure be nice if someone said "How about a pint of shut the F up?" I picked this place because I was feeling like Mexican but not strip mall or counter service (or both). I opted for rib eye tacos since I've never seen that on a menu. They were pretty darn good even loaded with "chicharrones" (canned frizzled onions). For $10 per taco, you'd hope the person chopping up the rib eye could leave most of the solid fat chunks out but it was cooked medium rare and had some char to it so that was good. The flour tortilla wasn't "charred" as noted on the menu but reminded me of one someone just pulled out of the zip lock bag they come in. How about having some prepared dough and press a couple out then throw them on the flatop or grill? Homeade tortilla's make even dog crap edible. The baffling thing that left me longing for the hot, cheese topped refried beans from the strip mall Mexican places was that the black beans and the rice were slightly undercooked and served at room temperature. I'm no chef but if I need to hold rice and beans for awhile, I keep the beans in a crock pot and the rice in the rice cooker on "warm". One could even just microwave the beans and rice before plating the tacos or do away the the "fancy" black beans and put the cheese covered refried and rice under the broiler like any worthy Americanized Mexican restaurant?

The Choco Tacos we pretty Solid. Suggest saving room for dessert. Our server Ariana was amazing, took care of us.

The food is horrible here. I ordered chicken tacos and the entire plate came out cold. Then o ordered a simple quesadilla figuring that would be well cooked. Nope! So wrong that was cold too. I actually felt bad for the server that I told him I would take the quesadilla home, at least I can warm it up myself. Anyway, there are other place places around the area that are much better eating establishments. Don't waste your money going to this place.

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.

Came in late on a Wednesday night for appetizers and cocktails. Everything was outstanding. The ambiance is really unique and fun and Matador is in a great part of Boise next to some other fun restaurants and bars so you can make a night of it in this area.

The matador is a very cool looking Mexican restaurant in Boise. Their interior is decorated to quite the rustic SW style. We shared a plate of chicken nachos and they were fairly tasty. For the price I would prefer a little more chicken and less black beans. I think they put a whole can of beans on this plate. The service was quite regrettable however. The service was extremely slow and inattentive. We were waiting long periods of time and once we were done we waiting over 20 minutes before our server asked if we wanted our check. Decent late night eats but I hope you want to hangout a while if you visit.

It's hard to find Mexican food that lives up to my Tex Mex standards but Matador was definitely up there! I loved the romantic Spanish ambience and the staff was nice. Lots of tequila choices and fun margaritas! Verde carnitas enchiladas were great! Rich but not too heavy. Pro tip: the guacamole is on happy hour. Only drawback is no reservations but I would still go back, worth the wait! They have an organized waitlist system and will text you when your table is ready.

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.

Service was bad, bad, bad. One waiter dropped our food off and did not give us any napkins or utensils. We asked another waiter for some and he walked off to do an errand and then came back to give us utensils. Meantime, our food was getting cold. He did not say a word and looked visibly annoyed. Food was not great. I got a salad that was literally drowning in dressing and had to ask for more lettuce. Two stars for good drinks.

Love the happy hour! Such a cool atmosphere and a fun place to go hangout with a group. The drinks were great - we got the red sangria and margarita and loved them! The happy hour food was so cheap and pretty decent. Plenty of room for a group and right downtown on 8th, so a cool area. Service was good and quick!

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.

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.

Well, this place is too busy and service and quality of food and menu offerings have gone waaayyyyy down hill. I mean waaaaaaayyyy down hill. Our guacamole order normally came with pico and green sauce. This time we received pico and pork skins. My food was dry and overcooked. I ate very little of it only because I was so hungry. The waitresses were all dressed in very skimpy and tight clothing I would imagine the manager made them wear I've been to other matador's and they are far better and function more professionally.

Mia and Michael were awesome. We sat at the bar on purpose. I've been to several Matadors. (Known Zac and his team for a while) these guys were amazing! M and M were engaging, knowledgeable about Mescal (my hubby's fav) If you are in Boise, don't miss this venue! The margaritas are killer good!

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.

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

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.

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.

The name and general look of this restaurant got my attention, very catchy. The ambiance is nice, good music, dimmed mood lighting, friendly servers. The decor creates the feel of a Mexican hacienda. The food however fell a little short of the expectations created by all that good look, the chorizo and beef street tacos were not that good, and the steak fajitas was bland; it tasted like a steak, albeit a good one, but no fajitas seasoning detected at all. Still overall a pleasant experience.

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

I know I'm not the only one who misses Matador's chips & salsa and their bomb-ass margaritas. And the $5.00 nachos at happy hour, can't forget those. I cannot wait until I can stumble into the bar after drinking one too many vodka shots at Cactus and inhaling an entire platter of nachos. Yes, I've that done several times, and no, I am not ashamed whatsoever (I swear it helps with the hangovers). There's something about the atmosphere that is so warm and inviting. Ugh, I just love it here. The chips are deep fried in oil before served, I'm sure, because they taste so damn amazing with a heaping scoop of fresh salsa. My favorite dish hands down is the Enchiladas Divorciadas (sweet and tangy salsa verde, medium smokey salsa roja, braised chicken thighs, corn tortillas [gf], Monterey Jack, pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro-lime sour cream, achiote-chile rice, Mexican black beans $13.50). It's a huge plate with so much food for such a great price. It tastes soooo good, literal heaven, makes my tastebuds sing, especially after a long night. Again, I miss getting drunk. I miss downtown. I miss the food. I miss eating food downtown drunk. I really freaking miss tequila shots in between food and refreshments at Matador. Like, a lot.

Service is everything in the restaurant business. We visited the Matador on 6/23/23. While the food and drinks were good. The service sucks. Our waitress frowned constantly, and when we tried to warm her up and jokingly ask her if she wanted to sit down and join us, she snapped QUICKLY and loudly: NO! We just went on to try to enjoy the beautiful evening. Then a male waiter brought our dishes, and he was also unhappy. Literally dropped the plates in front of us and scowled. Why are the waIt staff so unhappy here? The food is very good, but man, the waIt staff certainly clouds the evening. Halfway through the meal we flagged down our waitress for two more drinks. She pretty much went on to wait other tables and didn't bring the drinks until we were finished w/ the meal. Ridiculous. A good restaurant can be seriously hurt by terrible staff. I might be looking for a happier Mexican restaurant in the future. Sorry Matador.

My go-to for Date Night Taco Tuesday, no shame. Standard order? A s**t ton of Tacos, Spicy Shrimp, & Brussel sprouts. Tell the bartender to continue to refill on some Jalapeño Margaritas & my friend - your night is made. What I do wish is that the service was a little more standard across all of the locations and didn't start feeling like a chain restaurant. But when in doubt, at least the vibe doesn't change.

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.

Walked in during happy hour and sat at the bar. Sis asked the bartender if he could make a mock tail Moscow mule (something she's ordered in multiple downtown bars) his response was that it would be simple sugar and bitters.... WHAT??? That's not correct ‍ she ordered a soda and I had a blood orange margarita. Very tasty! Ordered chicken nachos and they were awesome. So happy to see a new bartender start his shift. Much better service. When I looked at the bill, first bartender range up nachos at regular price. Pointed it out to new bartender and he fixed the issue. We will go back but will be mindful of the time we go as to not deal with daytime bartender

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

Went for National Margarita Day and we were not disappointed! 30 minute wait for a table so we popped down the street for a beer and someplace warm to wait. Our server was very friendly and gave good recommendations. I had the pork loin Fajita special and was very impressed. Boyfriend enjoyed his habanero steak burrito and we shared the Dip Flight appetizer. Good place to try new tequilas without having to splurge on a whole bottle yourself. Very cozy atmosphere. My only gripe is that they don't do call ahead or reservations. They texted us when our table was ready but there's no place to sit inside the restaurant so dress warmly if there's a chance you'll have to wait to get in.

I love this place. We asked if we could sit by the fireplace because we had been outside in the cold for a while. The obliged us and it made a huge difference in our experience. The atmosphere and vibe are great here. I was excited to see they have Chile Relleno, I have just discovered this dish and theirs was the best I have had yet. The Margaritas are as good as they come.

Gave this place a try last night and besides the chips and salsa very underwhelmed. Sat down outside and were greeted and helped by our waitress who quickly got us some drinks, chips and salsa. For those of you who have read my reviews around Mexican restaurants you would know that you have to nail the chips and salsa because without that this place would be in the 1.5 star range. The margaritas tasted super watered down and way to sweet. The food was mediocre at best. I had the paella and it might've been the worst I have ever had. No flavor, not freshly made, tasted heated up, seafood totally over cooked etc....my wife had the steak tacos and literally the tortilla fell apart before she could even get a bite. The same here no seasonings or flavor and super bland. Very disappointing for sure and not sure if I would rush back into trying this place again.