Colorful, cocktail-driven — and polite! — new ‘neighborhood bar in downtown Boise’ opens
A new Idaho Street alcohol purveyor is hoping to lure curious customers inside by asking nicely.
Or demanding politely?
Bar Please! (stylized with an exclamation point) opened recently at 620 W. Idaho St. It took over the former Alchemist coffee shop and cafe — in the same building as Thick as Thieves, a modern-day speakeasy with the same owners as Bar Please.
With a clean, inviting interior splashed with bright colors and stained glass, Bar Please describes itself as “a neighborhood bar in downtown Boise.
“Our vibe is fun, laid-back and full of color,” the website explains. “We open early seven days a week, no reservations. Our cocktail program has a strong emphasis on highballs, spritzes and fresh seasonal cocktails. Our menu also features beer, wine and lip-smacking snacks!”
Cocktails on the menu average around $15. On the low end is the Over Ripe (clarified banana, tonka bean, blended whiskey) for $13. A nonalcoholic version is sold for the same price. (And, hey, aren’t tonka beans banned?) On the high end, you’ll find the Red Theory (raspberry, tomato, gin, absinthe) for $18.
The wine and beer selection is modest yet curated. A Miller High Life is $3. A can of Prairie Rainbow Sherbet Sour costs $8.
Bar Please’s three “snacks” include a grilled cheese kimchi sandwich for $12, chips and dip for $9 and Castelvetrano olives for $5.
The bar opens at 3 p.m. daily. In the evenings, it has the potential to relieve a bit of pressure from Thick as Thieves, where the wait list can be daunting on weekends.
“I hope that we’ll share customers, for sure …” co-owner Adam Hanby explained in a May interview, “where people can go over there and wait for their table at Thick as Thieves, or just experience a whole different environment completely.”
This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 4:11 PM.