Award-Winning Indian Restaurant Takes Over Meridian “Bar Rescue” Space

Back in July, one of the restaurants featured on Paramount’s Bar Rescue joined the list of Boise area restaurants that closed after appearing on national TV. 

Shortly after the episode “Hideaway from Reality” aired, we noticed that The Hideaway Bar and Grill in Meridian was not just listed for sale, but had a pending offer. We’re not sure what the final sale price was, but the bar was listed for $2,725,000. During the episode, Jon Taffer said he thought the way the building was laid out was terrible for a restaurant but it looks like an experienced restauranter is ready to prove him wrong. 

Red Fort Cuisine of India opened at 15100 S Celebration Avenue on Monday, September 18. While the name may be new to Idaho, Red Fort has made quite the name for itself in Utah. The Indian restaurant has won a “Best of Southern Utah” award every year since 2019, including the top award for “all-around restaurant” this year. Far & Wide even named them the #3 best Indian restaurant in the entire country, beating out restaurants in cities known as culinary capitals. 

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They expanded their footprint in Utah by opening a third location in La Verkin, UT this past August. That new location has a perfect 5-star rating on Google Reviews. The St. George (4.8) and Layton (4.9) locations are also highly rated. The restaurant’s menu looks similar to what you’d see at other Indian restaurants around our area with a wide selection of chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian dishes. 

While we weren’t able to make it on opening day, we’re excited to give them a try not just for the food, but to see what they’ve done with the building that Taffer hated so much. We stumbled across two reviews for other Red Fort locations that mentioned the restaurant had taken over defunct restaurant spaces. 

A review of the St. George location, which opened what used to be “Iggy’s Sports Bar” explained: 

The decor inside is significantly lighter, and more airy than either of the northern Utah locations which tend to have a dark and smokey feel to them. Inner walls and a unique series of ceiling fans not only have a feeling of authenticity but also create a sense of sanctuary and comfort which lend themselves to a great intimate but well-lit dining experience.

Utah Stories reviewed the Layton location, which moved into an old Marie Callendar’s and said:

It’s a terrific addition to the independent dining scene in there, in the space that was previously home to Marie Callender’s (good riddance). There’s nary a trace of the former chain eatery, which has been transformed into a relaxed but pleasant restaurant…

It seems like the atmosphere is just as important as quality food at Red Fort, so we’re VERY curious to see what the former Hideaway space looks like now!