One of Meridian’s ‘all-time’ top 10 restaurants just closed. It gave no return timeline

A well-known Meridian destination for burgers, pasta, steaks and beers has closed — at least for now.

Kahootz Steak & Alehouse, 1603 N. Main St., unexpectedly shuttered recently. A note on the restaurant’s door addressed to customers says “we will be closed temporarily for retooling” but gives no indication how long the darkness might last.

“As always, sorry for any inconvenience!” it adds. “See you soon.”

Phoning Kahootz sends callers to an automated message indicating the mailbox “is currently full.” So far, the restaurant hasn’t made any reference to the closure on its website or Facebook page.

Opened in 2002, Kahootz has grown into a staple of the Meridian dining scene. Last year, it was ranked No. 7 on a special “all-time list” of the city’s top restaurants from Yelp. However, several recent Yelp reviews have trended in the wrong direction — perhaps signaling that it was, indeed, time for some “retooling”?

“Great food is something that you may not expect from a small, neighborhood ale house,” Kahootz says on its website, “but we use only the finest ingredients; we carve all our own steaks and seafoods (fresh never frozen), we make all our dressing, desserts, and just about everything else!”

This story was originally published September 4, 2024 at 3:08 PM.

Michael Deeds

Idaho Statesman

208-377-6407

Michael Deeds is a long-serving entertainment reporter and opinion columnist at the Idaho Statesman, where he chronicles the Boise good life: restaurants, concerts, culture, cool stuff. He started as a summer intern after graduating from the University of Nebraska with a news-editorial journalism degree. Deeds’ prior Statesman roles have included sportswriter, music critic and features editor. His other writing has ranged from freelancing album reviews for The Washington Post to bragging about Boise in that inflight magazine you left on the plane.