Giggity! Meridian bar and restaurant closes, new one opens. Is it named after ‘Family Guy’?

If you’re a “Family Guy” fan, a new Meridian restaurant near the corner of Eagle and Overland roads might have caught your eye.

Banners welcome customers to — Giggy D’s? That sure sounds like “giggity.” You know, the pervy, hilarious catchphrase of Glenn Quagmire, a character on the long-running animated TV series.

The truth, though, is that “Family Guy” has nothing to do with Giggy D’s. “But you’re not the first to say that,” acknowledges Jenny Calzaretta, managing partner.

Instead, the name is a nod to the past. But first, let’s talk about the present.

After 10 years, Beef O’Brady’s, 1505 S. Eagle Road, recently closed. Or, more accurately, was sold and replaced by Giggy D’s, a local, independent business. The transition began in December. The Beef O’Brady’s franchise chain no longer has an Idaho presence.

But customers who appreciated the old place should feel at home at Giggy D’s. It’s still a sports bar and family grill. But it’s been freshened up. “We added a nice stone wall in it,” Calzaretta says. “We’ve added some more TVs, some bigger screens. We took out the fireplace that was in the middle of it, made it a lot more open, took out some booths.”

The menu is in the same ballpark, too. Giggy D’s serves pub food such as sandwiches, wings, tacos, wraps and flatbreads. And burgers, of course, which come with fries or choice of side. Have one made Your Way for $12.99. Or get the gargantuan Giggy Extra Biggy ($18.99): two American Wagyu beef patties with double bacon and double cheese. Want a vegetarian option? Giggy D’s has the Impossible Burger for $14.99.

Giggy D’s is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. And, like Beef O’Brady’s, it has a liquor license. In the near future, the goal is to stay open later from Wednesdays through Saturdays. “We’re hoping something like 2 a.m. ,” Calzaretta says. “... a bar after 10 p.m. kind of place.” Giggy D’s also might feature live music some evenings. Or even themed nights with dancing lessons. (Get jiggy at Giggy’s?)

As for the one-of-a-kind restaurant name? Owner Manzo Hodge’s parents ran a catering business decades ago called Giggy D’s, Calzaretta says. “So he just took that name to keep their legacy.”

Still, just to be sure. Peter Griffin hasn’t walked in and ordered a Giggy Extra Biggy? Brian Griffin hasn’t bellied up to the bar and ordered a martini? No sign of anyone from “Family Guy”?

“Not yet,” Calzaretta says good-naturedly.

Online: giggyds.com.

This story was originally published January 12, 2022 at 4:00 AM.