A New Neighborhood Hangout
by Rachel Holt, photos by Mark Dyrud
My sister and I opened this place together. We grew up in the neighborhood and our parents still live here. We really wanted to create a local neighborhood hangout. It is something the area was just missing,” shared Katie Blackwell, manager of the Local.
Owned by Rebecca Blackwell and Stuart Ford, the Local is a 21 and up restaurant and bar in Boise and opened a year and a half ago. The Local is nestled in a small strip mall, located just off of West State Street at 5616 W State Street in Garden City. Blackwell said, “It’s a quiet place for adults. Not that it’s always quiet here but it’s a place people can talk. We wanted to create a place where people come and discover something new that they like, a non-intimidating, friendly environment.”
With a large dining area, patio, and bar, the Local offers a variety of food and drink options.
“Almost everything is made from scratch. We have really good house-made desserts including a variety of hand-spun ice creams. We thought originally we’d just be a bar but food has become a big thing here.”
The Local’s menu is comprised of a variety of food offerings including small plates, salads, and desserts. With expanded lunch time hours, the Local now offers a lunch menu as well, comprised of soups, salads, and sandwiches with gluten free options available. Alcohol options include a variety of beers, ciders, and wines, many of which are from the Pacific Northwest, such as Boise’s own Meriwether Cider.
Blackwell laughed, “It’s hard to dedicate taps to only local or only Boise stuff when there are so many good options in the area. The “local” in the Local doesn’t mean local beers or wines, it’s meant to be as in the ‘local neighborhood hangout’ not just a focus on the beer or wine we offer.”
Each week the Local has a number of events including live music on Tuesdays and trivia on Thursdays, with more events happening throughout the summer. Additionally much of the art adorning the Local’s walls is from customers.
“We have really great customers. We’ve been able to feature some of their artwork and we’ve seen some really neat pieces. We also have an amazing staff. It’s just a really fun community,” said Blackwell.
Will Cowdry, an awesome bartender at the Local, moved to Idaho from out of state and shared his experience at the Local and in the area.
“I’ve been working here at the Local for 7 months and I moved here from Portland. I’ve really enjoyed working here. It plugged me into the local scene and I love the family feel, even though it’s not a family place. A lot of love goes into what we do here. You walk in here and you feel like you’re a local.”
Open Monday thru Thursday from 11:30-10
Friday & Saturday from 11:30-11
For more information about the Local, check out their
Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or thelocalboise.com
