Here’s why ‘everyone’s gung ho’ about this Boise restaurant and bar opening soon
An approachable but stylish new destination for tacos, cocktails and sports on TV is headed to East Boise.
And the name will sound familiar to fine-dining fans.
Coa Cantina is on track to open New Year’s Day at 3724 S. Eckert Road, local restaurateur Nikolai Castoro says. It will be a sister concept to Coa De Jima in downtown Boise and Coa Del Mar in Eagle.
Coa Cantina won’t serve $60 steaks. Not like those popular upscale restaurants.
Part sports bar, part rugrat-friendly hangout, Coa Cantina will target casual food-and-drink customers in Barber Valley and beyond. Coa Cantina is a partnership with Sushi Shack, which is located in the same building.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of this style restaurant out here,” says Castoro, who lives in the area. “... Everyone’s just excited. Everyone’s gung ho about it.”
With prices averaging in the range of $10 to $20, Coa Cantina’s menu will focus on tacos, burritos, quesadillas and, yes, mouthwatering guacamole with tortilla chips, a popular option at the other two Coa restaurants. A children’s menu will be offered, too.
Also planned? A small joint menu with Sushi Shack featuring about half a dozen Mexican-Asian fusion options — dishes such as poke tacos and Spanish rolls — available at both restaurants.
Liquor, ice cream
Although it’s not widely known, Sushi Shack has a full liquor bar. Consequently, Coa Cantina will have one, too.
Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, Coa Cantina will feature six to eight TVs and an eight-seat bar, Castoro says. This is not a huge space; Coa Cantina is taking over the former home of The STIL ice cream shop, which recently moved across the room to the former Lemon Tree Co. spot. A newly constructed wall will separate Coa Cantina and The STIL, but a door will allow dessert-hungry customers to sneak back and forth.
Coa Cantina’s indoor capacity will be about 50 people, Castoro says. When warmer weather arrives, about 60 to 70 more customers will be able to bask on an outdoor patio shared with Sushi Shack.
Growing East Boise
Coa Cantina is the first sports-style bar for Castoro, whose Torro Restaurant Group also operates both other Coa restaurants, plus Ti Amo in Bown Crossing, Nick’s Italian Ristorante in Meridian, and Boise’s long-running, mega-popular Barbacoa.
Launching a Harris Ranch cantina geared toward “a very fun atmosphere,” Castoro realizes what his target demographic will be. “We’re really trying to get families out,” he says. “That is this area: families.”
But with the number of restaurants in the greater Harris Ranch area steadily growing, Castoro also hopes Coa Cantina will lure more outsiders to his end of the city.
“I live here. My family’s in East Boise. ... This is my home,” he says. “I want to see more restaurants on this side of town. I am biased, because I have restaurants all over. But I would like to see more people come to the East Boise side.
“There’s a ton of good restaurants over here that just don’t get the exposure they need.”
