Meridian ‘absolutely needed’ this new restaurant and bar. It ‘screams Idaho’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- South Meridian has a new family-friendly sports bar with hunting‑lodge decor and TVs.
- Menu emphasizes half‑pound burgers, plus sandwiches, salads and elevated pub fare.
- Daily happy hour, weekend brunch, and $1 wings on Tuesdays are among the promotions.
If you scan reviews of the newly opened Sportsman Bar & Grill, 4701 S. Eagle Road, you quickly realize something you might not have grasped.
South Meridian can feel a little boring. OK, lacking — in the dining out and general fun departments.
“We don’t have enough options out here,” a Yelp review explains, “so anything new is gonna bring people in droves.”
“South Meridian absolutely needed this place,” adds a Google review. “... We’ve gone a couple times in their short period of being open (a week), and there has been a line out the door, the neighborhood is so excited. Wait ‘til you see the interior, it screams IDAHO!!!”
Located in Firenze Plaza, near the intersection of Amity and Eagle roads, the Sportsman Bar & Grill was designed to be a neighborhood hangout, co-owner Will Berry told the Idaho Statesman last year. It’s right next to Metztli Sports Bar & Taqueria. But Meridian residents seem to be extra stoked for the family-friendly newcomer.
The atmosphere is “like if Sportsman’s Warehouse opened a restaurant,” another Google review notes. There’s taxidermy on the walls. The look is all wood and hunting lodge vibes. Like, lean your 12-gauge in the corner when you enter.
But there also are lots of TVs showing sports. And $12 and $13 specialty cocktails getting shaken behind the bar.
And when it comes to food? Think gastropub. The Sportsman menu is dominated by 1/2-pound burgers and tempting sandwiches — all served with your choice of side. There also is a formidable variety of other entrees and salads.
The Galena Gaucho burger ($17.99) includes an over-easy egg, chimichurri, pepperjack cheese, onion and tomato. Or pick poultry with the Chimney Rock Chicken ($17.49): chicken thigh, chipotle mayonnaise, poblano chutney, onion and avocado on a brioche bun.
In a sandwich mood? The Sportsman offers everything from a Cuban and a club to a Reuben or pulled pork. What about the Seven Devils Dipper ($16.49)? The pile of roast beef comes with swiss cheese and jalapeno bacon jam, on a deli roll, with au jus on the side.
Gem State Mac N’ Cheese ($14.99) is housemade cheddar sauce and spiral noodles. You can jazz it up with bacon, chicken or jalapenos for $1.99 each. Teton Tenders ($13.99) are crispy fried chicken thigh with steak fries and dipping sauce. At $19.99, Salmon River Risotto is the spendiest item on the menu: pan-seared salmon with creamy mushroom risotto and a honey balsamic glaze, served with asparagus.
Monday is Build Your Own Burger day ($10, including a side). Tuesday is $1 wings. And the daily happy hour (3 to 6 p.m.) is good for half off all cocktails on the menu, half off all spirits $10 and under from the full liquor bar, and a buck off all draft beer, and wine and champagne by the glass.
There’s also a children’s menu. Weekend brunch is coming in April. Add an outdoor patio and cornhole to the Sportsman equation, and you can see why south Meridian is fired up.
Working itself through the opening-days learning curve, the Sportsman Bar & Grill has earned 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google and 3 out of 5 on Yelp. (Not every review has been fawning.)
But in this dying-for-action part of town, it’s hard to imagine the Sportsman not building a steady, enthusiastic community. If that hasn’t already materialized — instantaneously.
“It’s busy,” the Yelp review notes, “and rightfully so.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 4:00 AM.