In ‘bittersweet’ exit, Boise restaurant says ‘goodbye to our home’ after 20 years
It wasn’t a surprise — the announcement came last year.
And there’s at least one reason to celebrate. (More parking!)
Still, change is hard.
Abandoning the original Tango’s Empanadas clearly was an emotional experience for owners Monica and Louis Bremmer.
The mom-and-pop restaurant — a familiar Boise sight in the Morris Hill neighborhood — is moving three blocks south to 295 N. Orchard St.
“After 20 years, tonight at 7 p.m. we say goodbye to our home at 701 N. Orchard,” Monica “Mama” Bremmer wrote on Facebook Wednesday, inviting customers to stop by one last time before the restaurant closed.
“This is bittersweet,” she explained in a heartfelt social-media video filmed outside the original restaurant.
In the kitchen, Mama Bremmer even filmed the restaurant’s longtime general manager — “our adopted daughter that we love so much” — nimbly pressing the dough of the final empanada: “Twenty years ago in Boise, Idaho, a little girl came, and we asked her if she wanted a job. And she said, ‘OK.’ And she began making empanadas.”
Stop it, Mama Bremmer! You’re making dudes feel all sappy.
The relocated restaurant is expected to open within a couple of weeks, Tango’s wrote in a Facebook comment. The Tango’s food truck is already set up in the bigger parking area, continuing to serve “a taste of Argentina in Idaho” during the brief transition period.
The Bremmers made the decision to move from their original spot when the landlord decided to sell the building. David Eisenhauer and Chase Harris, who operate Walkin Takos food trailer, are the buyers. They plan to open a Walkin Takos brick-and-mortar in the space this spring.
In the meantime, Tango’s has a full plate. The popular restaurant isn’t just heading down the street — it’s expanding the brand. There’s already a Meridian location at 46. E. Fairview Ave., which opened in 2022. And the Bremmers plan to launch a third store soon at 1226 S. Broadway Ave. in Boise, not far from Albertsons Stadium. (Bubble tea chain Whale Tea recently closed in the space.)
Tango’s has earned a loyal following. Empanadas are scrumptious pastry turnovers filled with meat, vegetables and cheese. (Unless you order a dessert version, of course.) The Tango’s menu offers a dizzying number of variations.
Tango’s is rated an exceptional 4.8 out of 5 stars on both Google and Yelp — with thousands of reviews.
