Despite 5 stars on Yelp, ‘great food and incredible value,’ Boise lunch spot closes

There’s something about the red food stand at Five Mile and Ustick roads that’s created culinary magic in recent years.

Unfortunately, the feasts can be fleeting.

Ono Bento Boise closed Sept. 24 at 10698 W. Ustick Road. The modest but well-reviewed spot — which served Hawaiian plate lunches “with a twist of Asian cuisine” — had earned a perfect 5.0 rating on Yelp. “Great food and incredible value!” a reviewer wrote in August. Entrees, which came with rice and macaroni salad, ranged from $8.49 to $11.49 on a menu posted online by Ono Bento in June.

Perched in front of a Stinker gas station, Ono Bento dished up tasty teriyaki, spicy hibachi, barbecue and miso creations. Not to mention loco moco and Spam musubi. The concept took over in 2021 after Koco Bell Korean street food exited to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Meridian. Koco Bell also had earned a five-star rating on Yelp. But unlike Koco Bell, Ono Bento does not appear to be headed for bigger and better things.

Ono Bento has permanently closed, according to its website, “due to a family matter. There will be a new business taking over the place, and they will keep some of the menu items. Thanks for being loyal customers.”

When will the new place open? How many menu items? Are we sure about any of this?

Good questions.

On Tuesday during lunch, the food stand was dark. But condiments and other signs of potential culinary life remained on shelves inside. Yelp claims that Ono Bento Boise is “temporarily closed” and is “scheduled to reopen on Oct. 16” — possibly referring to the new business?

West Boise can only hope.

“This place is absolutely solid ...” began Ono Bento’s most recent Yelp review on Sept. 20, before concluding, “Simple, delicious and perfectly made. ... This won’t be my last time.”

This story was originally published October 4, 2022 at 3:21 PM.