This Boise restaurant thrived where others failed. Now it’s opening a 2nd location. Soon.

When Taqueria la Flama opened in Boise with little fanfare besides a “Now Open” banner outside, it was hard not to wonder, “For how long?”

Located across from Pojo’s Family Fun Center on Fairview Avenue, the building was starting to resemble a restaurant morgue. Arctic Circle opened there in 2014, then shuttered. Local hamburger joint Speedy Burger gave it a go in 2016 before closing the same year.

But after debuting in 2017, the family-owned Mexican restaurant at 1680 N. Westland Drive isn’t just still there. It’s expanding.

Taqueria la Flama has leased a building at 3988 W. Chinden Blvd. in Garden City. The 2,108-square-foot space used to be a Subway.

Co-owner Carlos Lopez says they hope to open the new location by September. The restaurant will offer seated dining and takeout, but because it’s smaller than the Boise space, the menu might be reduced slightly. “Tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas,” he said.

And, of course, 99-cent happy-hour tacos. Those are served from 2 to 5 p.m. weekdays at the original Taqueria la Flama in Boise, and they will be offered in Garden City, too, he said.

Hailed for its authentic food and salsa bar, Taqueria la Flama in Boise is the kind of restaurant where you order at the counter, then wait for a staffer to haul a mouthwatering stack of adobada and carnitas tacos to your table.

The restaurant rates 4 1/2 out of 5 stars on Yelp and 4.3 on Google.

“Hands down, the best Mexican food we’ve had in Boise after more than a decade of searching,” a Yelp reviewer gushed in June.

Best in Boise? That’s a conversation starter. Still, when a restaurant succeeds in a spot where others failed — then expands to a second location?

Garden City residents definitely will want to investigate this new contender come late summer or early fall.