Coming to Cafe Ole back in the 90's in high school was fun. We ordered virgin margaritas. Eat loads of chips and salsa and whatever tickled our teenage self back then. And then life took over and 25 years later, I'm back at Cafe Ole for a friend's birthday. I can't believe I haven't been to this joint for 25 years. I can say it kinda still looks the same. I remember bits and pieces of the venue but I don't even remember what I did last week let alone many many many moons ago. I'm sure they have done some upkeep on the joint but to me, it still looks like my teenage years. Bright, festive and fun! We were sat in the back room in a booth. It was nice and bright. Our server got drinks started for my 2 friends. I showed up last a usual so it took a minute for our server to get to me. Chips and salsa were already started. When our server finally got around to us again, I got myself a virgin mango margarita and some queso. One thing about Cafe Ole is their queso is worth the extra calories! After eating what seemed like a ton of chips, queso, bean dip and salsa, we were stuffed!! The cheese pull on the queso is fantastic! It's hot! It's gooey! It's cheesey! And what every chip in this world needs. The salsa was fresh and hearty. The bean dip was savory and creamy. It was hard not to polish all those chips off with that many dip options. As full as I was, I didn't want to not order something huge. We didn't want to be those guests that share one thing. So, after going over the appetizer menu over and over again for something small, I decided on the beef taquitos. I didn't get a photo of the taquitos. They were actually the perfect size! They were smaller but they held a lot of shredded beef inside! It doesn't come with any extra salsa or sauce so it asked for a side of sour cream. I also used the rest of our salsa as a dip for the taquitos too. You get 5 of them cut in half. I ate a half of one and couldn't eat any more. But that one was good! Especially when the sour cream and salsa was added. The birthday girl finished her dinner with a shot. I polished off my virgin margarita. I probably could have had two of those drinks! It was so good! Blended, tart and sweet. To make it that much better it was also on happy hour prices! Our server did a decent job. He did check up on us but would be gone for long periods of time. Being here brought back so many fond memories of my young adult life. The fun I had here. It was great to come in tonight and celebrate my friend's birthday. I'm going to have to come back soon for another round of happy hour! I can't stay away too long from the nicely blended margarita! read more

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I have been coming here almost 5 yrs. I personally absolutely love their food. I'm not understanding these bad reviews. Maybe some of them are from competition. I've been to Enriques and they charge for salsa and chips. And the prices are higher. Always have great help at Cafe Ole. read more

It's the The ambience is good. The food is terrible. For some of you, that works because you will put just about anything in your mouth. I'll let you conjure up some imagery. Bean dip literally is from a can. It's borderline warm wet dog food in consistency. I ordered chick fajitas. The plate came out fast (as in it was pre-prepared) but was no better. The chicken was an odd color but effectively tasteless. Well done and burnt to the skillet requiring some strength to crowbar the tissue off the hot plate. The onions were also burnt and stuck. On the positive side, it had no taste. Usually a fajita will come with some accoutrements like a lettuce, tomato, sour cream and guacamole side. Nope. It came with what I can describe as ketchup mixed with salsa. I'm not sure what it was supposed to be but it added a nice chemical taste. Finally, I can taste something. I was worried my humanity was lost. Oh it also came with more of that bean dip. MMMMM yummmm. This is a great place if you fancy corporate undigestible food that is friendly to a white trash clientele. You know, folks with no palate that need a safe space. read more

Horrible food, bad service. They brought me wrong meal. They couldn't even answer what kind of fish is in fish tacos!

The food was absolutely amazing. We had the sizzling steak fajitas drizzled in the wonderful bbq sauce. Our waitress was super nice and very helpful. The place was clean and kept up well. The food is my favorite, can't beat it. read more

cafe ole has been a staple in Boise/Meridian and continues to be. Their staff and managers are truly kind, helpful, and just all around top notch people. I frequent the Boise mall location and it's great food, great service, great bartenders and management is always on the floor making sure all guests are happy and their employees are taken care of as well. five stars for sure!!! I can name many that are great but it's the entire team that's amazing and works hard to make this a lasting staple in the valley!!!! I will always make this place my main suggestion!!! read more

I want to start this off by saying shame on me... I have tried to eat here 3 times and each time I have gotten food poisoning or some sort of sickness after eating their food. The service is hit or miss and the ambience is decent but not worth spending the next 24-48 hrs near a toilet. read more

Hadn't been for some time and I discovered I wasn't missing anything. Our waitress went out the "emergency exit" at least 2 or 3 times. Didn't come by our table very often. She NEVER smiled. When we got our food, the beans didn't have much flavor or taste cooked. The rest of the food tasted like it got dumped out of a can read more

Food was great as always. Loved the fish tacos! Our server was a downer. No drink or chips refills offered. Waited forever for the check. read more

My husband and I Love to come for the Birria Tacos here!!! We Highly recommend them. I personally like to add a side of sliced avocado delicious. read more

The manager is racist , rude and has terrible if not any people skills. The food leaves an after taste of pork lard when I didn't order anything with pork or meat.i would rate with zero stars if I could. read more

Well, the chips, salsa and bean dip were ok. It was everything else that was just not cooked right. I ordered a fiesta bowl salad with grilled veggies instead of rice and pork carnitas as the protein. The veggies were by far raw and totally uncooked. Nothing like a strong chunk of onion passed off as a grilled sweet onion. I will be popping antacids for a day or two. But the worst part was the protein...tender pork carnitas was charred and tough, almost bitter in being overcooked., stringy and tough with a burned taste to them. This was no fiesta in a bowl, it was leftover scraps pulled together randomly to make a menu item of questionable origins and way too overcooked. Call it taco salad not a fiesta bowl.there was nothing fiesta in that bowl. read more

The food is the best Mexican food in town by far!! We ate at the Meridian location and had the Carne Asada. The steak was excellent sized and seasoned just right. Whatever you guys are doing, keep it up. We simply love the food!! The service was very fast and friendly also. read more

We haven't at at Cafe Ole for ~30 years. It's went downhill a bit since then, at least the location by the mall. Went to Cinco de Mayo, and got seated in the bar. The drinks weren't badly prices, but they served them in plastic cups, which seemed off, but they said it's because they are so busy. Beer in plastic = not good. Food was only so so, not what we remember. We'll try the other location in the future, but probably won't be back to this one unless they focus on their service and food quality. read more

Terrible! Food and service was awful plus they only give you a fork! I use to love this place and now I won't be going back! Restaurant quality has gone downhill. read more

First time here was last week and it was a super cool atmosphere inside; love the decor. Serenity was our server and she was super helpful with allergies. We came back today and again had Serenity. She recognized us and remembered our daughter's allergies. That meant a lot and just locked us in as soon to be new regulars! read more

Cafe Ole - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Wow wow what an amazing experience!! My mom and I came in for Lunch and sat at the bar. We were instantly greeted and had amazing service. Angie was the bartender and guided us through which burrito we wanted haha and was so sweet! Manny also chatted with us as well and had nothing but positive things to say about the environment he works in. Overall great experience and highly recommend. Food was fire. read more

The food was so so. Everything we ordered was served hot, my fajitas were lacking in onions and peppers. Service was not good. It appeared to be a very slow night as the dining room was mostly empty. We had to ask for drink refills and there was no pre-bussing the table of empty dishes or glasses. The waitress was cold and seemed like she would rather be somewhere else. Tortilla chips were served in red plastic baskets and no offer for additional chips to finish off the salsa and refried beans. The refried beans were nothing to write home about. The ambiance of the dining room was cold (not so much in temp) but the lights were very bright, and it felt more like Golden Corral or a cafeteria. I don't really recall if there was any background music playing. It defiantly isn't what it used to be. There are far better restaurants in town serving Mexican cuisine than this location. Try Casa Mexico or El Mariachi Loco in Star before eating at this restaurant. I would never recommend this place to anyone. read more

I've been a patron for 10 years now and they've always had great service. BUT, their food quality has diminished while prices have risen. Their burrito which was once $12 and full of beef, is now $15 and the beef in the burrito only making up half the burrito. The rest was basically salad inside. I also notice a lot more fat in their shredded feed. I suggest they cut down on the the fat and salad (cilantro tomato etc) and increase the beef. Until then I can't recommend read more

Overall it's your average Mexican (US) restaurant. Theme and decor was good, bar area was actually pretty nice. We came during happy hour (3-6 and 9-close) and it was pretty busy. For being understaffed (like everywhere right now) the service was good. House margarita on the rocks was pretty good, my wife liked her jalapeño margarita on the rocks. Chips were average, Salsa was watery, bean dip was very bland, queso was not the best but I've had worse. My Burrito Ole was pretty good, shredded beef was tasty. My wife's chicken ranchero Chimichanga was good and she liked the spicy sauce they served with it. Again, overall not the best Mexican I've had but not the worst. I would give it a solid average rating. read more

Cafe Ole - House margarita on the rocks, bar area - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

After reading recent negative reviews I was skeptical but at the same time we were from out of town and I was super hungry we were walking around the mall taking in all the transgender people that I didn't know were here and got a little hungry.. we came in and I'll be honest a service was a little slow it took the waitress a while to get us going but after the chips are salsa came we ordered our food and when it came out I was pleasantly surprised.. don't get me wrong this is complete white people Mexican food but sometimes you like that stuff there are some Polo was really good and had a really nice taste to it it's by far not an authentic restaurant but it gets the job done and we left full all in all I would go here again.. read more

We are long-time residents of the area, yet we haven't stopped into Cafe Ole since it was in downtown Boise. We were kindly greeted, seated quickly, and had a very positive experience with our server. The space is BEAUTIFUL and my kids were glued to watching the indoor fountain. Tasty chips and salsa, the food was good but nothing significantly notable, and the cost was very reasonable and ideal for parents with kids (can't beat $4.99 kids meal). Pros: -Cost -Service -Ambiance -Selection -Family Friendly -Portions Cons: -Food is decent, nothing outstanding read more

Well, that disappointing. Cheese sauce really interesting. They described it as creamy, ummm not hardly, more like grainy Cheesey grits but smaller grains. The chimmchangs looked amazing, it was a cold and mushy on the inside. I'm not sure if there was chicken in them at all. I wont be returning back here at all. read more

Cafe 'Ole was a big deal back in the 1980s, but it still seems lost in that decade. Seemingly nothing has changed. And that's not a good thing. They specialize in American-Mexican dishes. Nothing that seems authentic but pleases the people who think that what they're serving is the real deal. I ordered lunchtime fajitas. And while they were fine, they just didn't sizzle with flavor or emotion. Service was fine. I would just hope that after 30 years, Cafe 'Ole would look at the trends in modern (meaning real) Mexican food and change with the times. I won't hold my breath, however. read more

Cafe Ole - Fajitas. Ok, but I crave real Mexican food. - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

My family and I went there thought it would be great because we haven't eat all day and they were the worst service we had EVER had. We seriously ate there for 40plus minutes and still no food and other people got there later then us and had there drinks and chips and we just got our drinks and 5min later our chips and placed our order and other people are done eating at this point and we still didn't have our food.l tried talking to the manager he was not helpful and didnt care just was like ugh well sorry we have a new cook. He was the rudest manager I have ever had to deal with. This is the one by the mall by the way ! Dont waste our time going there. read more

I'm surprised this restaurant isn't rated higher. For 'gringo' Mexican food, this place is on point. Good burritos, enchiladas, chips, salsa, bean dip, brewed iced tea, the cocktails (try the Mexican Old Fashioned!). The portions are generous, the prices are fair and you can save a few bucks if you go for lunch or Happy Hour. This place is a regular in my rotation since I moved to Boise in 2020. The 5 star isn't because it is a life changing experience, it's just delicious food, good service, nice ambiance in the restaurant. read more

Ok. I do have to say that they have great Salsa....HOWEVER, not the bowl that they serve to you at the table in my opinion. The first batch you get with you chips is a very mild salsa, and too sweet for my taste. What one needs to do is to locate the salsa bar and enjoy the more spicier salsas that they have there. THOSE are the ones that we loved the most. My wife and I had the street tacos, and we enjoyed every single bite. Three tacos from here are very filling, and they serve them up with plenty of meat! read more

Cafe Ole - Inside center - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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Awful service Bean dip was cold and ground down Margaritas were watered down. Embarrassed that we took our company there. read more

The food was good the flavor was there and the building and theme is on point. The salsa is okay but a bit watery. If you like it thicker then you might look elsewhere. read more

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Food bland. Margaritas watered down, with an almost fizzy flavor (we ordered the "Cadillac"), queso was ... bad. Looked like broccoli cheese soup, and had little flavor. The arroz con pollo was served warm, not hot, and was covered with a similarly bland crema sauce. Won't be back. Wouldn't recommend. read more

I love their blue corn tacos and I thought I would go out on a limb tonight and finally try something new so I went with the shrimp tacos . For some reason they were kind of gross . They were cold and not good . We ordered them to be delivered so that's potentially the main reason why but all in all it wasn't nearly as good in taste or texture or anything as the blue corn ones . The sauce was off or something. Anyway My husband loves the Azteca enchiladas though so he was lucky . read more

I dunno what's going on with the negative reviews here as every time I've been the food and service have been great and tonight was no exception. Got the shrimp fajitas and the shrimp were plump, flavorful and perfectly cooked. The flour tortillas were soft n hot n tasted homemade. And they even gave me chips and salsa even tho I just got takeout and the chips were still warm when I got home! Only complaint was the guacamole n sour cream were missing but I had both so no big deal. Thank you to the chefs on this night for saving me from cooking and for a delicious meal! :) read more

I had the carne asada plate and it was so huge!! Everything was cooked perfectly. The server was attentive and professional. Food was of good quality. Hopefully when we are back in Boise we could stop by again. read more

Cafe Ole - Carne asada plate...very huge, very tasty - Mexican Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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My wife and I had a bad experience at this Town Center location in the past, but, to avoid rush hour traffic after picking up my daughter at the airport, we stopped for dinner. We were seated at Table 8 and the first thing we noticed was the lack of wait staff so service took longer than expected. When we ordered our drinks, they didn't have the beer I wanted on tap so my wife and I ordered bottle beer. The waitress brought the bottles without glasses so we had to request glasses. When my veggie burrito arrived, the server warned us that the plate was hot. The plate was warm but not hot. The burrito was luke warm with some of the veggies actually cold. Wait staff were no where to be found so I began eating anyway while looking for the wait staff. Then I noticed that there are no condiments on table - or any of the tables! I had to get up and look for someone who could bring pepper and hot sauce. After walking around the restaurant, one of wait staff showed up. It still took longer than expected for her to bring the condiments. In comparison, the Cafe Ole in Meridian is managed and run like a real restaurant - condiments on every table, constant attention by the wait staff and hot meals delivered quickly. One bad experience - shame on them. Returning and having another bad experience - shame on us. We will never eat at the TC Cafe Ole again. read more

We went to your Boise Town Center location shortly after 8 this evening, waited for a table, were seated, waited again, and then the server finally appeared to tell us they had just decided to close the restaurant early. It isn't like we were the only people there. So we took our children, who had been waiting for tacos, elsewhere and we don't plan to return. read more

Great place if you travel for business. Best damn Chili Relleno I have had in a long time. Bartender is good, knows what he's doing. Property reminds me of el torito, but the food has authentic flavors. read more

This place used to be amazing that it has slipped over the years not sure why but we still love a few things on the menu but it seems like they're trying to be an Applebee's which we all know only Applebee's can be Applebee's read more

How is this place still in business? While the restaurant is clean but very dated and drab. The portions of food were fair for the price. The quality of the food certainly needs to approved. I have never had chimichangas that were so small and bland not to mention that all food for the table was warm at best. I Was actually very shocked to learn this restaurant serves alcohol. Our sever didn't mention it, we were not given a Alcohol menu. I guess it's my job to ask. As Boise continues to rapidly grow poorly ran businesses will continue to rapidly go out business. Give people an alcohol menu with their regular menus. Invest money in your business remodel improve and remodel, maybe use better ingredients in your food. read more

This place has really gone downhill. I went for dinner last night and am completely disgusted, it's like no one even cares. I ordered fajitas with corn tortillas and a smoky pineapple jalapeño margarita. The rice and beans were cold, the fajitas were flavorless, and my tortillas were so hot, they burned my hand. When they finally cooled enough to handle, they were stuck together and I couldn't even pull them apart. On top of that, as I was trying to get my servers attention, I turned around and the man in the booth behind me had his shoe off, holding it up above his head and shaking it like he was trying to see what might be inside. I was appalled. The drink was the best part of the meal read more

We came in to find 3 items we could eat. The Veggie burrito came out on a hot plate, not hot at all. The burrito was too cold to eat. It looked good so we're taking it home to heat! I won't be back! read more