Great time here last night! Â We went with a large group for dinner followed by drinks upstairs on the rooftop patio. Â Food was great, drinks were delicious and our server, Tara, gave us some of the best service I've had in a long time. Â She went above and beyond and these days that is hard to find! Â I will definitely be back when I return to Boise!
Review Source:We were at the reef for a private event, and still the bar was unwelcoming. Â The bouncers refused several people with valid out of state ID, and were generally self -entitled assholes on a power trip. Â The rooftop patio was ok. Drinks were weak and expensive and the service was lousy.
Review Source:I am parallel parking out front of the restaurant with my pregnant wife and 1 year old and this guy flips us off! Â He jumps out of the vehicle and runs into the Reef. I guess he worked in the kitchen. I. Told the manager, but he cannot do anything because it did not happen in the restaurant. I decide to eat around the corner at Flatbread. I will not be going to the Reef for a long, long time.
Review Source:Went here with some new work friends, and holy balls, was the food good. I got the special, which was some awesome salmon with some awesome rice-ish stuff, and I was extremely surprised at how good it was. For the price, the food was really top shelf. The rooftop patio is great as well, especially on a nice warm evening.
I'm a fan.
Bonus tip: cute waitress that speaks Portuguese. An interesting little bonus to the evening.
After salivating over the various lunch special photos they routinely post on Facebook, I was stoked to get to Reef for the first time today. Sadly, today was taco day and there weren't any specials (nor was I really in the mood for tacos). I went with the bbq sandwich which was ok, nothing special, while my pal got a burger that looked pretty good. Came away unimpressed, but also with the realization that I'd probably particularly enjoy the place if I had a few tiki drinks and one of their fish sandwich lunches. So, I'll be back, and expect better then. But for now, first experience was sorta mediocre.
Review Source:The Reef is the most fun during outdoor dining months when you can sit on the roof top deck and enjoy a nice drink and food. The inside is a little dark for my liking and the music can sometimes be REALLY loud when there's a band playing. Lots of drinks to choose from, prices are keeping within other local downtown bars. I'm torn about the food -- some things I've had are pretty good but other things I feel like they just try too hard to make them more complex than necessary. Service is definitely relaxed to put it nicely but everyone is pretty friendly so it helps make up for it.
Review Source:As a visitor to the area last weekend, I'm probably not as qualified to review this place as a local or a regular, but I have to say I had a blast! Coming from Seattle, where we have a serious lack of roof-top party decks (or any outdoor space at all in bars, really) I enjoyed moving up there after we had a bite to eat and hanging out on the deck.
The atmosphere is fun and, yes, kind of "faux-beachey," but the old building is neat and there was even a Rebelution-esque band setting up while we ate. Overall, I would definitely come back. Even with a group of about eight people we had attentive service throughout the whole night, so no bad experience there as others have mentioned.
If you're visiting the "hip scene" of downtown Boise, check this place out!
Tip: The Long Islands were strong and tasty!
Made reservations for a particular server and the patio, was seated inside and didn't get our server plus told we had the table until only a specific time (didn't start the mood off well). The service was so-so lots of empty glasses and plates sat on our table. Â Food was good, not great. Â I would give this more stars if it wasn't for that first impression.
Review Source:This bar was found through the help of my yelp app while visiting Boise from northern Idaho. The reviews posted by other members with it's mediocre rating is right on par. The bar really is just mediocre. The layout and atmosphere us great and we reall enjoyed the roof top tiki area bar. However, there is not enough seating for it's size and because the bar really is set in the heart of downtown, the cover charge really isn't worth the fee. Once inside with fee paid, the drinks are over priced and under poured and with very little enthusiasm. The waitstaff is equipped with An even less than desirable attitude. Fee paid, but disappointed after a lousy fish bowl served by the multiple encounters of rude staff. If in Boise again , I'd stop in a hot lunch afternoon to enjoy the roof top when no coverage fee is expected
Review Source:I enjoyed this place. Â Most of the items we tried were very good. Â The wait staff seems to be a little untrained. Â I asked for a suggestion for an entree and the waitress told me to order the Veggie Tacos... No thanks... Â I got the fish tacos instead and enjoyed them. Â We got there for happy hour and ordered a bunch of appetizers for half price, but when the bill came they were full price. Â We had her fix it. Â No big deal.
Review Source:I always want this place to be so much better!
The food actually isn't bad--a little overpriced, but not terrible.
It's the service that kills. Â SLOW! Â Three tables full for lunch and it took 25 minutes for our food to be served. Â I don't think that it was due to the kitchen--the food was lukewarm when it arrived. Â
I won't be going back--even for the voodoo fries--until I hear that they're getting better service.
Seeing as how Reef has become one of our regular hang-outs, I feel obligated to say a few nice words about it.
First off, the food isn't cheap but it's decent for bar food. I ordered the  Quesadilla during happy hour (half priced appetizers) as a cheap snack, but was pleasantly surprised. Aside from the obvious cheese, there were also roasted peppers and perfectly grilled onions inside. The nachos are a great sidekick to your beer / drinks. Other appetizers: The pupu platter was presented well, but a friend disliked the chicken wings. Â
For drinks: Try the fish-bowls, or Peach Press or Key Lime....margarita? The drinks start at around 6.50 (about $4 for a gin & tonic), there are several around $8. Stay away from the mojitos during happy hour--there's maybe 1% alcohol in em.
The music is a little louder than I'd like, but the roof-top bar is really chill. If only there were younger people for us to watch.
However... I agree the service sucks. We got a dirty fork and one less silverware set. The check / boxes took forever, and it was hard to even flag someone down.
I should be living on a tropical island, it is my spirit place. Buuuut...I live in Boise, Idaho. So I REALLY appreciate Reef on a nice summer evening. The roof top bar is fantastic. That is what the two stars are for. Otherwise, they have terrible service and the food is not that great and over-priced. I only come here to sit on the roof surrounded by tiki stuff and drink beer and listen to Bob Marley.
Review Source:The theme is fun and carried out in an entertaining if not classy fashion. Â The food is okay but not great. Â If I recall there was no kids menu, which I get not every restaurant caters to the mini ones, but paying $6+ for a 3yr olds lunch is a little bit of a downer. Â I think an evening of beers (sans children) and food on the side would provide a better experience at this establishment.
Review Source:Boise is not tropical. Â It is, as a matter of fact, far from tropical. Â So with great skepticism and a good deal of internal joking, I agreed to go out to dinner with my buddy on a Thursday evening, because he was getting married and I hadn't seen him in years. Â This wasn't a fancy dinner - it was just a casual get together.
Location: 4 out of 5
Downtown Boise isn't that big. Â I suppose that it's within walking distance from anywhere downtown. Â I drove in from Meridian, popped the car in a lot, and quickly walked over.
Decor: 3 out of 5
I mean, it looks like a huge TGIF. Â It's nothing phenomenal, it looks like casual dining, and there's a bar area. Â Nothing really struck me as obnoxious, and nothing really struck me as "wow, that's cool." Â
Service: 3.5 out of 5
I'm a little perplexed at the general consensus that service is bad here. Â I wouldn't say it's "bad." Â It's "relaxed", and maybe I didn't care that much since I was hanging out with someone I hadn't seen in years. Â Our waitstaff was attentive, but not overbearing. Â There was a delay once in awhile, but I don't think anyone minded. Â Now, this is where I must agree that if you were eating with just 2 total people and you were left waiting for long minutes at a time without scintillating conversation, the wait could become onerous. Â So take what I'm saying with a grain of salt - that with the large group, wait times and service weren't exceedingly terrible.
Quality of food: 3 out of 5
Got a burger with bacon. Â Nothing tremendous, but I appreciate the fact that it wasn't overcooked. Â Unfortunately, also quite forgettable. Â The soup that I had, however (the fish chowder) was quite good. Â
Pricing: 2.5 out of 5
A little odd on this one. Â Nothing really struck me as "cheap" even by Chicago standards. Â I guess I can't complain that much, though - as I was technically on vacation. Â
Overall: 3 out of 5
I may not come here on my own volition ever again, but it wasn't a terrible place. Â There's probably better out there, and there's certainly worse. Â Fun with a large group of people, and they had giant cocktails (40 oz) on the menu for those who like that type of volume.
I have a love/hate relationship with this place.
LOVE: The passionfruit mojitos and peach long islands are strong and GOOD. A little spendy, but it seems like you are paying a little for the atmosphere. The rooftop patio is an awesome place to start out for the night, and they always have some sort of band (sometimes good, sometimes bad) playing on the weekends.
BAD: Every server we have had has been HORRIBLE. Last weekend my friend asked for a lime for her drink. In turn, the waitress scoffed at her, stomped over to the bar, picked up a lime with her bare hands and basically threw it at my friend. WOW. She also messed up our drink orders about 1/2 the time. Also, try to get there before 9 (like 8:55) so you don't have to pay the ridiculous cover charge, but you won't be able to find a table on the patio, even if there are several open, until 9. Apparently they take reservations and 1/2 of them don't even show up, but at 9 they open up. Also, be ready for a lot of upper class crustys with fake boobs and Tommy Bahama shirts. This is where they tend to congregate when they aren't at their Maui vacation home.
All in all, this place is good every once in a while for a fun drink, but don't expect anything from the service. You won't get any.
Lived here 14 years and hit the night life since 21. Â Reef has great venues and indoor bar is great. WTF is up with the patio servers??? They always seem too good for my business. On a Tuesday evening the server looked at my like I was crazy for asking for a drink. Don't waste your time. Much better service at electro lounge, opa, catacomb.
Review Source:...I agree with Mike H. Â
We go to the Reef rather often because their cocktails are mixed beautifully (try a vanilla or coconut mojito), their spicy Voodoo fries kick proverbial tail and their Argentine Cobb salad is fresh and delicious (I like mine with chicken).  I also recommend the Pacific Fish & Chips which are very tasty and we all love their Street Tacos (light, spicy and fresh).  My fiancé, (who is the world's leading expert on chicken strips or any form of deep fat fried chicken), has pronounced the Coconut Crusted Chicken Strips the best in Boise.  I tend to agree, even though I prefer the Coconut Prawns.  I appreciate that they have healthier selections next to their deep fried offerings so I have a choice to be bad or good when I'm dining there.  Furthermore, I find that their portions are of average to slightly above average size.  I've brought picky friends from SLC here, and they've left drunk, (hooray for the Idaho free pour), stuffed, happy, and singing praises to the Reef. Â
The service? Â I'm a stickler. Â I've had some shoddy service here...not terrible...just shoddy; the brand of shoddy that comes from a new, inexperienced server. Â However, I've had some darn good service here too. Â It balances out in my opinion. Â I've never had an experience in which I felt the server just plain wanted to poke my eyes out with a fork. Â We'll leave that to the joint in Bodo I've complained about on Yelp before. Â My only two sticking points with the Reef have been: Â 1. Â I find their interior to be a little weird - like TGI's goes Hawaiian on LSD and, 2. Â They rarely, RARELY have anyone cool working the door. Â Their host/ess always seems to be one or two quarts low on personality. Â Does this bother me? Â Yeah. Â Does the rest of my experience with the Reef compensate? Â Sure. Â Would I recommend you give this place a shot - especially if you can dine on the fantastic, roof top patio? Â Hell yes. Â After two cocktails, you won't remember the host/ess anyway.
Only reviewing eating here, drinks on the patio are cool so long as you don't mind a cover (which is almost unheard of in Boise). Never understood why you get charged to have the privilege to drink. I'm already going to buy plenty of alcohol, so why hit me up on the front end? Â Anyways, end digression. Food was mediocre, the entree portions were small for what you payed. Kudos to having sweet potato fries, which were the only redeeming factor.
Review Source:I was not impressed with this restaurant at all. The service was poor, our server forgot to place our appetizer order in their system, and the food was not that great. The steak I had was overcooked and they didn't have the potato cakes that was to compliment my steak so I was served mashed potatoes instead. So definitely this is not a restaurant that I would recommend.
Review Source:Don't trust the online reservations. I wanted to make reservations for a Sunday, and according to the online thing they were full. So I called just to make sure, and lo and behold they had space.
We were the only people there, so we had the waiter all to ourselves. The food was amazing. And the drinks were good to. I had the Forbidden Nachos, which were huge but very good. He had Hula Hula Chicken, that he liked.
The Reef is not wheelchair friendly so if you have an elderly grandmother you might have to carry her up the stairs.
This is one of the coolest places to go in Boise. Yes, sometimes it's a bit "douchey" with your typical Affliction shirts and haircut guys, however their drinks are great (and different) and their food....wait, I've only been there to eat once and I don't quite remember that because of those dang drinks. *sigh*
Moving on though, the atmosphere is fun! In the summers their upstairs patio/tiki bar is always hopping, and it's a hoot to watch people down below on 6th, because let's face it... always AMPLE opportunity to see a fight, catfight or female breakdown!
In the cooler Boise months, the patio is still open but it's all zipped up so you can still enjoy the different vibe than the floor below you.
The bands are always sweet there as well! Eleven (neo soul/ new school hip-hop'ish) performed a few weekends ago and the small stage and dance floor is perfect for a chill night out without "clubbing" it up. I would recommend the Reef anytime to just about anyone!
Some don't recommend eating here, but I don't recommend drinking here. Â If they didn't have that darn rooftop patio I might have never wasted my time in the first place.
My case: Â An $18 pitcher of Newcastle. Â Amazing. Â I've lived in all four corners of the country, and I've never seen an $18 pitcher of Newcastle, which barely passes as a semi-decent import. Â You can go to the Fireside Inn and get a $7 pitcher of Pyramid Snowcap when it's in season, and that's what I recommend you do. Â Stay away from the reefs greedy hands.
This bar won't be getting my money again.
I would not recommend eating here. But go for the music. I've seen two great bands there in the last couple of weeks. E.O.E. from NOLA and Pimps of Joytime from Brooklyn. The crowds are small in front of the stage but large enough to attract strange characters who might look like Charo, Howard Cosell or other long lost 70's stars. Have a huckleberry mojito on the rooftop tiki bar and observe the twits tweeting each other at the bar. Since they are a restaurant there is no smoke.
Review Source:After going to 4 different bars in Boise I had the best experience at Reef. Â It had a nice party atmosphere. Everyone there was in the mood to have fun. The staff were fun and friendly, and the drinks were CHEAP for a Saturday night. Bought several rounds of drinks for my group of friends that came out and the bill was ridiculously cheap, not what I was expecting. I'll be back next time I'm in town.
Review Source:For some reason I only have had negative experiences at the  Reef but I have gone back a few times and continue the cycle of disappointment. The food is never that particularly good, especially for the price.  More importantly, the service is horrible. The bar staff, wait staff and bouncers are rude more often than not.  The wait staff doesn't listen and/or is forgetful and unapologetic.  I have even experienced the manager being rude to customers.  I've been in with small or large groups, during busy and non-busy times and its all the same. And a $5+ cover charge on the weekends??  They should pay me to go there ;)
Review Source:I'm giving this place two stars for a few reasons. Â Our server was definitely lacking some brain cells for one. Â We ordered some cocktails off of their specialty drink list that weren't very good at all. Â They were horribly sour. Â I had the mai tai and my husband had the zombie. Â We got the calamari which was the best thing we had all night. Â It was cooked well and had a really good dipping sauce with it. Â Afterwards we decided to order the hot wings because there was a daily specials menu attached to the actual menu that stated that the specials are served all day and the wings were just 50 cents each. Â After ordering them, our waiter comes back after ten minutes saying that the specials menu wasn't valid afterall and that we could still have the wings if we wanted to pay full price for them. Â So it wasn't an issue of them being out of wings. Â I was really upset that they weren't willing to honor the price that we had ordered them at. Â We ordered the riblets instead and weren't impressed at all. Â They were tough and a little dry aside from the load of bbq sauce on them. Â As we were eating our ribs the server comes back and says that he forgot what we ordered so we had to reorder our entrees!! Â I asked for my pad thai to be extra spicy and it turned out to be quite mild. Â I wouldn't have said anything but he asked me if it was spicy enough and when I said I prefer it spicier he acted as if I hurt his feelings and he scampered off! Â He wasn't professional at all and when I'm paying $80 for dinner I expect to have an overall better experience than that.
Review Source:very cool place. a bar/restaurant place. Â looks like they have live music some nights. Â it was very tropically decorated.. the bar is a hut, wicker seats everywhere... maybe a little tacky, but very laid back. they also have roof top dining, which would've been really cool cause the weather was so nice, but someone reserved it for a party.. the food -- pretty good. Â i don't know how to describe the cuisine--asian/caribbean/hawaiian/anything tropical. Â had the mango tango salad with chicken. Â the salad was very nice. chicken grilled to juicy perfection. i only have two complaints one is that the red onion was REALLY hot. Â the onion taste is still in my mouth, and two, the chairs were really uncomfortable... and it doesn't seem to be the right height for the bar table (or it could just be because i'm short). Â tried the fish (mahi) tacos too. Â that was pretty good. Â the fries, however were nothing to be impressed with. Â they have quite an extensive beer and drink menu..
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