A ‘best-kept secret’ in Boise since ’97, this restaurant closed? Here’s why
One of Boise’s longest-running local sandwich shops is on the move.
After closing near the end of April, Deli George, 220 S. Broadway Ave., is transitioning to a new location.
“Boise’s only 5-star deli” is taking over the former Woodland Empire Beer Co. building at 1114 W. Front St.
Customers already missing Deli George’s cold Cowabunga or hot Bacon Steakin’ Mushroom won’t have to wait long.
“We’ve just got to get up and running,” General Manager Keith Grimm said, speaking outside Deli George’s new headquarters Tuesday.
The move is occurring because the lease price on Broadway had jumped significantly, Grimm said.
Deli George is one of the last old-school Boise sandwich shops still operating. It debuted in 1997 on Fairview Avenue.
It’s not quite an Idaho household name on the level of, say, Cobby’s. But it’s definitely known for tasty sammies — and rates 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google. “Simply the best kept secret in Boise!” a recent reviewer observed. “Always been the ultimate sandwich shop like a good old (New York) deli.”
Relocating could be a fresh start for the veteran business. Dwarfed by the lunchtime onslaught at Chick-fil-A next door, Deli George on Broadway occasionally felt like an afterthought. Traffic backed up in the parking lot as creeping cars came and went from the ubiquitous chicken chain.
That won’t be an issue anymore.
“It’ll be just us here,” Grimm said, “so that’ll be nice.”
The hope is that Deli George will reopen in its new spot sometime next week, Grimm said. The sandwich shop’s website, deligeorge.com, will be updated when that happens, he added.
This story was originally published May 6, 2025 at 4:16 PM.