Comments on: Review: Chandlers Steakhouse Boise

By: Shadra Zane

Shadra Zane — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:01:08 +0000

I have never before felt compelled to write an unfavorable review about a restaurant or service, but I believe in this case it is completely warranted. I visited Chandler’s last Friday night for dinner with my daughters, following the death of my mother. My younger daughter and I arrived promptly for our 6 pm reservation, but the elder was unexpectedly detained (she is a nurse; these things do happen). My daughter and I ordered a bottle of wine, bottled water, and an appetizer to share while waiting. Time passed, and we ordered another appetizer. At 6:30, the sommelier approached our table and pointedly asked when our guest was expected, as they “needed the table.” I was nearly speechless. We had made the restaurant aware both when we made the reservation and later when we arrived that it was a dinner meant to mourn my mother’s death. We had ordered and consumed at that time more than ample “billable product” to justify our “table time” and would eventually end up spending well over $250 for the meal and drinks that evening. It was absolutely inexcusable for a staff member to conduct himself in this manner. If I had been made aware when placing the reservation that the table would be needed for another party and that we were to rush our meal to accommodate a later seating, I would have selected another restaurant. I explained our situation (again) to the sommelier and he eventually left us alone. My other daughter arrived within minutes. As if this weren’t enough, when we later decided to order dessert, we were asked AGAIN to be moved to a “booth” as the “table was needed.” I have been fortunate to have dined at some of the finest restaurants in this world and have NEVER experienced such demeaning and inappropriate behavior. I will not return to this restaurant and believe that others should be made aware of this “time out” seating policy and disrespectful treatment by staff.

By: Alicia

Alicia — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 23:04:51 +0000

Your review of Chandlers is spot on. We took our friends who were visiting us from out of town to eat dinner at Chandlers. The steaks that we ordered were fine, but not worth the price. Two of us ordered the rocket salad. We had better luck than you since the pears included in the salad were warm, but we needed a magnifying glass to find the asiago cheese. Our biggest gripe were the sides that we ordered to accompany our steaks. My husband ordered the asparagus hollandaise and the rest of us had baked potatoes. His asparagus tasted like the canned stuff and the sauce was very very bland. Our potatoes had that flavor taters get when they have been sitting under a lamp for some time. You cannot screw up baked potatoes. The waiter was gracious enough to not charge us for the sides, but for a high scale restaurant such as this one, there is no excuse.

The bar area is beautiful and it would be a great place to have a cocktail or two with friends. Chandlers does serve up some potent martinis, but for steaks, I would rather go to the Cottonwood Grill. Steaks are delicious and cooked to order, the sides are included in the price, plus they are freshly prepared.

By: Juli

Juli — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:46:49 +0000

I’ve been to Chandlers twice, both the original location in Ketchum and the one in Boise, and both times I was very disappointed. The first time, I tried their signature dish of Pot Roast. Frankly, the Brick Oven Bistro does it better and for a whole lot less money. The second time I tried one of their steaks. It was o.k., but in no way remarkable.

For great steak, I’d recommend Castle Ranch Steak House (the executive chef used to work at a Ruth’s Chris Steak House and he knows what he’s doing) or Eighteen One Restaurant at the Eagle Hills Golf Course in Eagle (Chef Aaron Horsewood usually has a dry-aged steak option on the menu and it’s knock-out). I would also recommend the Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Bearnaise Sauce at Brick 29 in Nampa, which is well worth the drive. That steak in particular is one of the very best I’ve ever had, but I wouldn’t recommend all steak options at Brick 29 because I once ordered a dry-aged steak they had as a special, found it lacking and when I inquired, I was told that it had been “dry-aged” by leaving the meat to sit on the counter for a few days, which is not certainly not how you “dry-age” beef, though it’s a good recipe for tummy troubles. Even so, Brick 29 is hands down my and my foodie friends’ favorite restaurant in Idaho. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough.

However, if you’re seeking fine dining options in Boise, consider Berryhill & Co., Cafe Vicino’s and Cottonwood Grill. The best items at Berryhill are not the specials, but just about everything else on the menu. You can order much of the dinner menu at lunch for a whole lot less. The downside to Berryhill is that the specials are not generally the best options and the regular menu almost never changes so after you’ve been there a bunch of times, if you’re an adventurous eater like me, you’ll run out of things to try.

Cafe Vicino’s is owned by members of some of Boise’s best old, but now defunct, restaurants like Richard’s and Amore, so those folks know their way around a kitchen and they offer outstanding service. Like Berryhill, you can enjoy much of Cafe Vicino’s dinner menu at lunch time at a much lower price. I think one of the areas that Cafe Vicino’s is lacking is desserts. Stay away from anything with a crust, including quiche at lunch, because they don’t do it well. Unless dessert just doesn’t matter much to you, I’d consider Cafe Vicino for lunch or dinner and go elsewhere for dessert, like Cottonwood Grill, which has a dedicated pastry chef.

The Cottonwood Grill excels in meat preparation (they have some unusual choices such as Elk Stroganoff and they do everything well except their English-style Fish and Chips, which is truly the worst rendition of that dish I’ve ever had), desserts (very few places in town have a pastry chef), atmosphere (the restaurant is beautiful in itself, but in good weather, you might be lucky enough to score a table on the patio, which is right up against the Boise River) and service. Wherever you choose to go, in my opinion, all of these restaurants far surpass Chandler’s.

By: The Bald Gourmet

The Bald Gourmet — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 03:47:09 +0000

Thanks for the comment Ella. Here’s the deal, Chandlers is a great setting and their service is very professional, exceptional perhaps. I should incorporate that more into my reviews, but I have a hard time getting beyond the pros and cons of the food when I’m doing a review. I do recommend Chandlers for a romantic setting like you’re describing, and I think you may enjoy yourselves from that aspect. I just was blown away at the lacking quality of preparation of the dishes we ordered when I did this review, so I wrote accordingly. I still like Chandlers for ambiance, appetizers, and desserts. However, I believe that Barbacoa does a much better job with their steaks and presentations, and would eat there for dinner any day over Chandlers. However, Barbacoa is noisy and usually pretty crowded, therefore not as romantic (unless you can secure one of their balcony/patio seats overlooking the lake). The Brickyard had great service and a nice setting, but to me, it seemed more playful and fun than “special night out fine dining” if that makes any sense. Their steaks weren’t as good as Barbacoa’s, but their halibut was amazing. You might also want to check out Cottonwood Grill and Berryhill & Co. I’ve only had lunch at Cottonwood, but it was good and I’m guessing their dinners are great. It is beautiful inside and their service was good, but they are on my list to do a dinner review. I’ve heard great things about Berryhill, but unfortunately haven’t eaten there yet. They too are on the list to review.

So I don’t know if this has been much help. I guess I’d recommend Chandlers for the service and atmosphere, just don’t expect mind blowing food; Barbacoa for a great meal, beautiful decor and art, but a loud dining experience; and The Brickyard for a good meal, good service, private dining, but kind of fun and playful experience.

By: Ella

Ella — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:02:14 +0000

Any chance someone was on summer vacation from the kitchen? We were going to go there for the first time in a week or so and now I am reluctant. Plus the salad photos are disturbing for so many reasons. Did you truly prefer the Brickyard or is it just because it was a new experience? What’s the very best recommendation you would make for a serious and sophisticated food preparation, refined dining experience with real linens and tables far enough apart for private conversations? (preferably also not kid-friendly and providing attentive service) That sounds like a joke when I read it back, at least around Boise, but seriously…best recommendation to compete with “those other cities’ finer restaurants.”