Restaurant News

Bringing ‘LA street food’ to Boise, ‘hella good’ new restaurant to throw a party

Local brand Toros Tacos has oozed east across the Treasure Valley like irresistible nacho cheese.

There was its flagship taco stand in Nampa. And the enticing food trailer that was parked behind The Bruery (near Topgolf) in Meridian. (Now the trailer is in Nampa.) Toros Tacos also opened a takeout location at ghost-kitchen collective West End Food Co in Boise.

Now Toros Tacos has opened an underground restaurant, too.

Nestled in the basement of downtown Boise concert venue Shrine Social Club, 1118 W. Idaho St., Toros Tacos recently began dishing up tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more. The Mexican-food purveyor has replaced The Counter, a cafe that had been operated by nonprofit City of Good.

A grand opening for Toros Tacos is slated for 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday inside Shrine Social Club’s basement. Local Latin- and cumbia-influenced act Lobo Lara will headline a free concert, with multiple DJs opening.

And, of course, Mexican food specials will sizzle.

Burritos are among the specialties served at Toros Tacos locations.
Burritos are among the specialties served at Toros Tacos locations. Randy W. Yelp

Toros Tacos got its start in 2016 in Nampa, according to a press release from Shrine Social Club owner Duck Club Entertainment. But its roots reach further back — and farther west. “Originating from Los Angeles, California,” the release says, “the Toros Tacos family mission is to bring the same great flavors of the amazing LA street food scene to everyone in Idaho.”

Since launching in the Gem State, Toros Tacos has racked up exceptionally high ratings on Yelp (4.8 out of 5 stars) and Google (4.7).

“OMG wow! Crunch wrap is so out of this world delicious,” a recent Google reviewer wrote.

“Absolutely hands down the best tacos in the Treasure Valley,” declared a Yelp reviewer who said he’s from San Diego.

One five-star Google review is four-word simple: “This stuff hella good.”

Toros Tacos’ menu isn’t huge, but some of the options are unusual for a local Mexican restaurant. Yes, that “crunch wrap” is a supercharged version of a certain ubiquitous fast-food chain’s supremely popular menu item. Toros Tacos also serves mulitas, which are sort of a taco-quesadilla hybrid.

Plenty of Boiseans don’t know there’s a full-liquor bar in the basement of Shrine Social Club. Even fewer realize that the bar is open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

Consequently, Toros Tacos is open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. The restaurant also will serve during any concert held at Shrine Social Club on a Monday.

And although Toros Tacos’ official grand-opening festivities end at 10 p.m. Wednesday, the party won’t stop. Late Nite Karaoke in the Basement kicks off at 10 p.m. Heads up: You’ll have to be 21 or older to hang around for that.

This story was originally published January 2, 2026 at 4:06 PM.

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Michael Deeds
Idaho Statesman
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. 
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