Sure, there were several Treasure Valley restaurants that we loved and lost in 2017 but the beautiful part of living here is that new things are continuously popping up!

Opening day is just around the corner for some of these projects.  Others, we'll have to wait a few more months for.  Here's a look at some of the new restaurants planned for 2018!

  • 1

    Longhorn Steakhouse

    Franklin Road, Boise

    Normally I'm not one to get super excited about the grand opening of chain restaurants, but I remember having the best chicken tenders in the world at Longhorn when I was younger.  Part of the Darden family of restaurants (along with Olive Garden and Yard House,) the steakhouse chain is opening their first Treasure Valley location on January 23.  The new restaurant is where the Chili's on Franklin Road used to be. If you want to celebrate the grand opening with a free appetizer, the Idaho Statesman dug up a cool hack to grab one of those. Click HERE to find out how to redeem that freebie.

  • 2

    Calle 75 Street Tacos

    110 N. 11th St, Boise

    Can you believe that I never tried a true street taco until the Calle 75 at The Village at Meridian? Street tacos were love at first bite and Calle 75's still one of my favorite places to chow down on them! That's why I was so excited when I saw their second location under construction on 11th Street when I went to buy my wedding dress just down the street.  According to the Idaho Statesman that location will FINALLY open on Friday, January 19. Because it has a bigger kitchen, you can expect more menu options as well as beer, wine and Mexican inspired cocktails.

  • 3

    Donut Daze

    160 N 8th St, Boise

    New Year's dieters, look away.  This unique donut shop is not for you! Inspired by a Philadelphia shop called Federal Donuts, Donut Daze will specialize in both donuts and fried chicken. A preview of the restaurant in the Idaho Statesman shows that you can expect a variety of chicken from standard Southern fried chicken to Nashville hot chicken, which exploded in popularity over the past year.  As for the donuts? Cake, Devil's Food, Buttermilk, Old-Fashioned and French crullers are all on deck. Once the store opens, it'll be open to 3 a.m. 7 days a week. The man behind this, is pretty great at late night grub. He also owns Pie Hole and hopes to be open by late March.

  • 4

    The Funky Taco

    8th & Bannock, Boise

    I've been watching this project closely over the last few months.  The popular food truck has been planning to open its first brick and mortar location in the Treasure Valley where Mongolian Grill and Bar used to be. Construction fences have been up since late summer. but the outside of the building just got a new coat of blue paint similar to the rendering BoiseDev posted last year. Never had a "funky taco" before? The concept is really cool.  They use Asian, Indian, Mexican and Americana food in their constantly changing menu.  Why does the menu evolve so much? They are religious supporters of local farmers and pick the ingredients that are in season here in the Treasure Valley. It's unclear when the new restaurant is supposed to open, but we expect it to be in 2018!

  • 5

    Fish Poke Bar

    Vista, Boise

    Poke bowls are growing in popularity in the Treasure Valley! Pronounced "POH-keh," these bowls are basically the unrolled version of sushi. The bowls contain chunks of raw, marinated fish, rice, veggies and sauce. You'll have a new place to grab a bowl before they year's open.  According to BoiseDev, Fish Poke Bowl will open in the old Right on Time Clock shop on Vista next to Bruneel Tire. There's no official word on what day it'll open.

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