Diner's Drive in's and Dives

I have watched Food Network pretty much since its inception with Emeril and his "Bam!" saying self.  I have always loved watching cooking shows and I think the Food Network has just gotten better and better.  There are quite a few shows I like on the channel that I wish I could watch on a regular basis but life, priorities and discipline prevents me from spending the time. On occasion I do watch the channel though. It makes me happy! 

 

My favorite person on there is Paula Deen by far.  I also love the show Diner's Drive In's and Dives.  I like it partly because it features Guy Fieri who I watched win The Next Food Network star years ago.  I can't believe how much he is doing now (honestly, it makes me wonder about his family and their well being. How does a Dad and husband do all that he does and still truly be there for his family?)

 

I digress..... I still like DDD because I love to find new restaurants with really good, unique food or just a hole in the wall that all the locals like. It makes me hungry every time I watch it! I end up wanting to go all over the US to visit some of these places.  In fact on numerous vacations Steve and I have made a point to stop at many of the restaurants highlighted on this show. Thankfully my husband loves food just as much as I do!

 

While we were in Boise, I had a list of 9 places that were featured on DDD that I wanted to go to. We were able to visit three of them while we were there. I thought it would be fun to give you a review of what we thought of them.

 

Be careful with Diner's Drive-in's and Dives though because you never know what you're going to get when you actually go to the restaurants.

 

The first place we stopped was the best of the three (should I start with the best? - I guess I will.) 
Westside Drive-In

This was a fun place because it was a drive in.  You could go up and order and eat outside or drive through and park and eat.  We walked up, ordered and then ate in our car because it was 32 degrees outside with snow on the ground.  It was fun to eat in the car though.

 

This is what we all had (there were quite a few people): 

• Jr. Cheeseburger (average)
• Mac & Cheese (really yummy, homemade and VERY cheesy)
• Chicken Strips (OK)
• Rib N' Cheddar Dip (so good, I am craving it as I type this)
• Westside Signature Sub (half size) (excellent and full of flavor)
• Coffee Cooler (rich and decadent)
• Onion Rings (good but nothing spectacular)

One of the things that was really fun was their menu.  Check out the picture below and you will see that they have a discount for being bald, they have young at heart days, and they even have pet treats!

Yes - they serve Prime Rib at this drive in!

 

 

 

 

I wish I had taken pictures of the food but we were so excited to get it and eat that we devoured it.  I would definitely get the Prime Rib sandwich again and I will go back to visit Westside again. Excellent food and a fun atmosphere. Click here for the DDD episode featuring Westside Drive-in.

 

Donnie Mac's Trailer Park Cuisine

This place was a lot of fun.  From the trailer park inspired decorations to the spaghetti o's served in cans, it really was memorable.  We didn't get the spaghetti o's but seriously, some kids would love this idea!  This restaurant is in a renovated Good Year tire building and it truly makes you think of trailer park.  The plastic flamingo's, shower curtain hiding the side bar, old Chevy car with diner seating inside and the rolling bus seats for booths were all a crackup! 

This is what we ate at Donnie Macs:

• Tucker Mac N' Cheese with sweet potato fries, I ordered it this time (the Mac was average but the fries were really yummy with their special dipping sauce.) 
• Southern Fried Chicken, this is a sandwich (it was good but again nothing noteworthy.)
• Kids Chicken fingers (these were really yummy and nicely fried)

I would like to try breakfast here sometime. I bet it is excellent. Even though what we ordered was just good not ohsogoodiamgoingtodieifidontgetthatagain I would visit again and order something else.  Some of their other food that is featured in this video makes me hungry just watching. The atmosphere is so funny it makes me want to go back.

Pizzalchik

This is the last place I want to "highlight." This was the most anticipated place for us to go because they made pizza and we all love pizza. We thought we saved the best for last.  We planned to go here for Steve's birthday celebration.  We were SO disappointed.  This DDD video made this place look so warm and inviting with wonderful oven fired pizza creations.  In the video it looked like they had nice service and a nice atmosphere. What a surprise.  It was in a strip mall and we actually knew that.  You can find a good restaurant in a strip mall though. 

Negatives:

• We walked in and had to seat ourselves in the one booth that was by the bathroom. 
• To order we had to walk around the other side of the restaurant, through the bar and place our order.
• Menu prices were not clear on some items
• The atmosphere was cold, dumpy (should have been called a dive on the show), run down and cheap feeling.
• The WORST part was when I walked into the bathroom and saw Marijuana leaves all over the place as well as the Rasta Colors - Hmmm....
• The food was extremely overpriced for what you got I couldn't believe our tab in the end. Seriously $1.25 for one soggy stuffed jalapeno popper?

Positives

• The people we did encounter were nice 
• The food tasted good. 

I would not go back here again and lesson learned - if you are going to go to a place for a special occasion that you have never been to before then check it out before hand and don't trust the TV show. Sometimes it is not what it seems.

We had quite a few items on the menu:

• Jalapeno poppers (tasted terrible and couldn't tell what they were stuffed with)
• Bubble Bread (pretty good but some burnt pieces)
• C-38 pizza (pretty good tasting)
• Some other pizzas I don't even remember
• Half Original Chicken (tender but Caesar salad was not good)
• Root Beer came out in a bottle - no refills and totally expensive.
• (I could go on but I'll stop)

Here is a photo of my family making the most of the situation:

(It is a good thing I am not in the photo.  I was not happy and felt sad and disappointed that this was Steve's birthday dinner that cost so much and was at a totally cheesy place.  Thankfully we were with family.)

So now you know if you are ever in Boise Idaho where to go and not to go! I bet your day will be so much better because of this.

Blessings