Elmer's has been a go-to breakfast spot for me for the last 7 or so years. I went to BSU, and with it being so close to campus, went fairly often. I was reminded this past weekend with how good Elmer's truly is when a group of us went around 9:30 am. I got the German pancake (we call them "Dutch Babies" in my House). Gosh it was so good!! I'm still thinking about it. My husband got a skillet and said it was one of the best breakfasts he's had. My friend got the hash browns with "the works" - and they did not disappoint. Service was decent, and the wait wasn't long! read more

Elmer's Kitchen - German Pancake with lemon & butter - Diners Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Solid breakfast food. Good service. Fast. Can customize any of the orders. Lots of seating so no long wait.

The food was aight I gave them 3 stars because the coffee, hash browns and our waitress Pat was good. The hash browns were fresh cut potatoes you can tell they weren't out the bag however I wish they would've seasoned their hash browns. The down side to this place is they don't season their food meaning at least salt and pepper and lastly they only serve pork and for someone like myself who don't eat pork was disappointed... I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone... read more

Elmer's reminds me of IHOP or Denny's but the food tends to taste a tad more home made. The decor is like walking in to your grandmas house. All you need is plastic on the chairs and you'd be set. The food is good, but I believe it is priced way too high. If they took a dollar or two off each meal, our family would probably visit more. It is priced more or the same as a local restaurant with better homemade food. If I'm going to pay that much, I'd prefer the local business. read more

I haven't been here since a friend's bachelor breakfast nearly fifteen years ago, and with my brother visiting from out-of-town, we thought it would be a great place to stop for breakfast. Since 2020, I've rarely gone to dine in, opting instead for delivery, but the few times I HAVE eaten in a restaurant, the servers were often frazzled, uncoordinated and would not bring refills to the table. Thankfully, that wasn't the case with our visit to Elmer's. We were seated in a booth by the window with lots of sunshine, and our server Adelle (hi, Adelle! Love the earrings!) was friendly, prompt, chatty and attentive, which was a tremendous breath of fresh air after the last few years. There were no mistakes on our orders, and she checked back in routinely throughout the meal to make sure we had everything we needed. I'd also like to add praise for the cook, as our meals arrived MUCH faster than expected, and were delicious on all counts. Definitely stopping by to dine here again before they move to Meridian! read more

Some of the best service I've ever had, we had an older lady as our waitress, very mannerful and understanding, did everything she could to make sure we enjoyed our lunch, even helped me when I couldn't choose between a strawberry crepe or cinnamon waffle which one she liked best, if your ever being served by fae your in good hands. :) read more

Loved the breakfast food here! Super delicious! This place was recommended to me by some friends and I can see why they come here frequently. I ordered one of the breakfast skillets and would totally recommend it. All of the breakfast food on the menu looked super good. I will most definitely be coming back. Service was good and we were able to be seated right away on a Saturday morning. Food also came out in a decent time. Place was decently clean but you can tell it is a little bit older of a building. Location was good down town, they do have a small private parking lot and some street parking. Place is close to Boise state campus. I do know they did also have a lunch/dinner menu which I have not tried yet. read more

Elmer's Kitchen - Diners Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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Very clean place and friendly staff. Had the potato pancakes, eggs, & bacon. Tastes like grandma used to make with extra goodies. Great breakfast. read more

Outstanding breakfast served by friendly staff. The German pancake is delicious and light. read more

I love breakfast in the afternoon. So, when I'm craving pancakes after 3pm and all the other shops have stopped serving breakfast, there is only one place to go. Elmers. I get the buttermilk pancakes every time. read more

Elmer's Kitchen - Original Buttermilk Pancakes. Delicious! - Diners Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Wow Tina our server was so amazing. Gosh can't say enough about her. Thank you for making is feel special. Also Mary came over to tell us places to visit, super nice- Thank you Mary. Now the food was great too. The cinnamon roll pancakes wow amazing. Veggie scrabble awesome. All of our food was great. Would definitely come back. Thanks again for making our experience great. read more

Been coming here for awhile, and have nothing but praise... EXCEPT! The General Manager Candace. She is the absolute worst thing about this place, and b/c of her, I will not be coming back as often. Completely rude to me (5x war veteran) with my service dog Noah. Soon as I came in, she walks right into my dog saying "excuse me, excuse me" yea, that's going work.. just from her body languages can tell she is either disgusted with dogs or veterans. Hard to say. Once she takes me to a table, I asked for a booth; she then dropped full attitude and after coming up with some LAME excuse "I'm holding this booth" I simply asked "Is there another available?" With a sharp attitude, she almost yells "JUST TAKE IT" Really? Fire this monstrosity already! She's absolutely horrible at customer service for vets or vets with service. I was just contacted by a representative from Elmer's. I am very pleased with her concern about my experience. I really appreciated that, and will be continuing my breakfast meals there. Thank you read more

I waited an hour and a half for the most bland food I've ever had in my entire life. Not sure what the deal is in the kitchen.

I had a terrible experience here. I've never been treated so poorly by a server. She certainly has a lot of sass and nerve that's for sure. I came in for an early lunch. I ordered the crab blt salad with Italian dressing on the side. Waitress came by when I had only eaten a few bites and asked how it was. I said "pretty good" because it wasn't that good but I thought I could eat it anyway. I didn't want to send back a $22 salad (btw it's really NOT worth it). The crab meat was very flavorless and chewy. I had hoped for something like you'd find when eating crab legs - melt in your mouth, sweet, nutty flavor. This crab was far removed from that. A quarter of the salad was sliced black olives. That was way too many. A half avocado sliced is in there, a small chopped egg and a pretty good amount of bacon, all in different piles. The dressing was not ok. It was salty and tasted artificial. I tried to give the crab some flavor by pouring drops of it on top with a spoon but nothing was going to save the crab. After eating some of it, because at this point I knew I wasn't going to take it home since it sucked, I saw that the lettuce underneath was course and many pieces had brown on the edges. It was dense, not crisp and didn't look fresh. At some point shortly after starting the salad I decided I was too unhappy to say nothing so I waited for the waitress. She never checked on me again so I had to flag her down. I told her I couldn't enjoy the salad and was there anything, some kind of discount they could give? She rudely said "I came by and asked you how it was and you said it was fine". That was when I had first started, hello? And didn't realize all the yucky lettuce underneath? So rude. Then she asked if I wanted something else instead. I said yes I would appreciate that. She brings me a menu. A few minutes later the manager comes out and puts a $10 off your next visit coupon. She didn't ask questions or say sorry so I felt like the bad guy again. Later the waitress returns to take my order. I had assumed the new meal would be comped but after the manager brought the coupon out, I assumed that was the comp. I said to the waitress I have this coupon now. She said "that's for the next time you come in". I said ok, well then I'll take an omelet to go. She brings the bill a short time after and I'm charged almost $40 for the salad AND the omelet. I said "I thought this was going to comped?" She said "no, you ate about half the crab off that salad". She said this loudly within earshot of several tables. I've never been rudely treated and disrespected in any establishment. I said I didn't want in then, so she canceled it. Came back a short time later and said manager said not to worry about the bill for the salad. I left feeling humiliated and having wasted an hour of my life I can't get back. This place is a joke. Food is very mediocre at best and prices high. I don't understand the high ratings at all. I'll never be back here again. I'll give the coupon to a friend. Terrible. read more

I've been to a couple of other Elmer's in OR. They are consistent in terms of friendly service and overall food quality. Today our server Jarek was entertaining and attentive. Not only did he resemble Chris Kattan from SNL but he was funny as well. I reccomend eating here over a Denny's, IHop, or Perkins any day. Ask for their military discount if applicable. read more

Long wait, Not enough people working plenty of tables. Good food but took forever to eat.

Definitely NOT the best first impression of Boise's dining scene. AT. ALL. Elmer's was the first eatery I tried when I finally survived the 15 hour journey from Los Angeles, CA to the university. The first "real" food since leaving SoCal at 3am. And, the first time encountering a 9PM sunset. The restaurant is located at the entrance of a hotel cul-de-sac, like Residence Inn and Townplace Marriott. It's like any other American diner serving breakfast fare all day, sandwiches and burgers, and hot food plates with a mild touch of fancehh. There's an older woman running the show, she's very friendly, but she didn't talk much and a group of young'uns serving the folks. The servers are interesting, one of them, Justin looks like he could be a GQ model or something, not an apron wearing type guy. Heck, he's not very good serving, he forgot straws three times (there were only 2 tables, us included). Though, servers are friendly and very glad they kept a smile on their faces till the end. The place is rundown and old, it's outdated, dusty, sticky, and ughh. The booths are the worst, your thigh skin/calf skin will stick to the seat and don't touch the window sill or anything by the booths, they don't wipe it down or remove the dead flies. The carpet is like late 70s flower pattern and it's nasty, nasty enough I don't even want it to touch my shoes, heh. The wall decorations are nice, they add that cozy factor along with their dustmiteous wall drapes. Other than whatever is going on in there, it's a pleasant restaurant with semi-decent edible food. My group ordered: Pot Roast w/ Broccolini and Mash Potatoes - SALTY. VERY SALTY. Mashed potatoes were wonderful, but the Pot Roast ruined it with so much salt. I felt like a cow licking a salt block. The broccolini was served as the "seasonal vegetables," and I find this to be somewhat fancehh for a place like this, but nonetheless, it was fresh and tender. Hazelnut-Crusted Alaskan Cod w/ Pilaf and Broccolini - Probably the smallest portion of fish and pilaf I've ever seen on a big empty plate. It was tasty enough though, and Granny somewhat enjoyed it so it's A-Okay. Farmer's Omelet w/ Hash Browns and Biscuit - Thee best value out of all. The omelet wasn't cooked very well, it's like they ran out of eggs so the omelet itself was mostly a flat egg tortilla, but it was loaded! The country gravy isn't my thing, so I just took it off. Overall, this was a good choice and it lasted for 2 meals!! Oh, and ask for hash browns well done, it will taste better. Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs - My brother is obsessed with Chicken Fried Steak and will order it just about anywhere. He said this was just ok, he said IHOP had better... I don't know what that says about Elmer's but, I think it's weird he compares it to IHOP LOL. Anyway, funny story. The older woman came around to check on us and refill drinks, she tried to do the "pour over someone's meal" serving technique and it FAILED miserably. The water pooled all over my bro's meal and on the table and his shorts. Yup. She came and got him a new, dry plate, but not a new meal... Saturday Market Skillet - My bf's dad ordered this and was slightly disappointed because it didn't come in a skillet. The picture showed a cast iron skillet that would perhaps keep his food warm for awhile, it didn't happen. Breakfast Sandwich - typical sandwich. Bf enjoyed it, he took out the bacon because he thought there was too many slices (only 2 slices) LOL. Oh well, more for me! Short Stack - PANCAKES! JUST COME HERE FOR PANCAKES!! Pretty much the best edible thing here. Hot, fluffy, buttery pancakes with warm maple syrup. Made me happy for sure. GOOD JOB ON PANCAKES!! So, our server Justin gives us the bill, we split the check, give him money, and only to find out that the bill didn't include the pancakes and he awkwardly hands us the new bill with the correct total. Really?! Overall, for semi-decent, semi-warm food, a solid 3.2 stars. Menu pictures look way better than in real life. Menu pictures also taste a bit better than in real life too, haha jk. Not that wonderful but for the convenience (it's across from Boise U and by Residence Inn) it's ok. No one got potty problems, so that was wonderful. Happy eating Boise! read more

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This place is meticulously clean and well cared for and my Cobb salad was super fresh and huge! But I arrived at 8:30 ( they close at 9) and my wife texted me at 8:45 asking me to bring home a BLT. When the server put my order in I could hear the cook complaining he had just put bacon on my salad and now he'd have to make more. And on it went. I shouldn't have to hear that. Then a couple came in explaining they just got in from Arizona and they were exhausted ( there are two adjacent Marriott hotels so I'm guessing that's why they came to Elmers) the waitress made sure to point out they were closing in five minutes. The customers pleaded to get food to go.... Seems to me if you determine your business closes at 9, it should close at 9. They are free to change their hours to 8:30. I get being a cook or server are on-your-feet hard jobs with long hours. But the guests that keep the lights on shouldn't feel unwelcome. read more

Elmer's Kitchen - Diners Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Well Elmer's is a slam dunk for me. It's never super packed, the service is excellent, and the menu is big! Food: What puts Elmer's on the map and over the top for me is their triple berry crepe plate. OH MY GOSH! The crepes are always made perfectly, their filled to perfection with triple berry bliss, and topped with whipped cream. I go big or go home with these babies, always getting the biggest portion possible. No singles for this girl! Their oatmeal is also always really good, a nice big portion... the Harvest flavor is the best! Drinks: Bottomless & hot coffee refills. Love it. Atmosphere: It's a great little old fashioned breakfast spot. It's like a step up from a Denny's, similar to a Marie Callendar's. I love the fire place and always ask to sit by it! It's cozy and like taking a trip to Grandma's house. Service: Always fast and friendly. They have super nice servers. Happy Hour Offerings: n/a Healthy Hack: Classic oats & egg whites! Easy! Tips: TRY THE TRIPLE BERRY CREPES!! read more

Elmer's Kitchen - Elmer's oatmeal with classic toppings - Diners Near Me - Boise, Idaho

I have been wanting to try this place for a while and so today was the day. Loved the feeling that you get as soon as you walk in, warm and cozy. I was greeted and taken to my booth which I was asked if i wanted a booth or table which I really appreciate. Food: I ordered the omelette that was called something sun. It was very well prepared and the bacon bites gave it great texture. It came with pancakes which were also pretty good. Overall I will give food 4 stars. The not so good! My server did not bring me the coffee nor did she refill my coffee. I get it, I was alone and the other party's around me were ordering mimosa. But my server did not make me feel welcome or took care of me as she should have. I been server and I was very disappointed on the service. I gave 10% because she did take my order, and gave the other 10% to the other server who kept checking in on me! Ps: the only thing she said was "do you need a box to go" (again no feeling the love) read more

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Great food and fantastic service. Had breakfast on a busy weekend morning. The has browns are excellent.

Great breakfast in downtown Boise. I love that Elmer's uses so many northwest favorites in their menu items, Tillamook cheese, Snoqualmie Falls oatmeal, etc. I hadn't eaten at an Elmer's in years, and happy to see that they are still as good as ever, maybe better! On the recommendation of our server, I went with the potato pancakes this morning, which were amazing! Nothing fancy about this place, but if it's a legit breakfast, good coffee and friendly service you're after, you can't go wrong with Elmer's! read more

Elmer's Kitchen - You're hearing from me - Diners Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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Pros: Very friendly and attentive staff. I enjoyed the old school home-like feel. It's a great place to bring family and catch up with old friends. Cons: The food was mediocre. I had the Eggs Benedict w/ Avocado & Tomato. The English Muffins tasted old. I had my boyfriend taste it too just to make sure I wasn't delusional, and he felt the same way. He had eggs, biscuit and gravy, pork sausage and hash browns and he also thought the meal was bland. I probably will not return again. read more

Elmer's Kitchen - Eggs Benedict w/ avocado & tomato. Beautiful presentation, bland taste. - Diners Near Me - Boise, Idaho

I tried Elmer's for the first time in Oregon and fell in love with their potato pancakes. Imagine my joy when I found one on my visit to Boise. The food and service was awesome, I was only in Boise 5 days and visited this place twice in that time. Took a friend who had never tried the place and now is a big fan! read more

Been a fan since childhood. I don't think I've ever had a bad meal at Elmers! The German Pancake is always a great pick. Love the chicken apple sausage. This place is truly a reliable staple in terms of breakfast foods. Chicken fried steak, all the omelettes you'd ever want...so good! A Northwest institution! read more

First time in Boise and spouse found this place on google. I didn't know we were that hungry but we started drooling over the menu. Then the food arrived. Good sweet lord we nearly ate the plates. If you're passing through the area stop. You won't be disappointed. read more

Elmer's Kitchen - Diners Near Me - Boise, Idaho

How many Weight Watcher points is the French bread? If you are asking this question, you are about to make the best decision of your day because it will be ALL of your points, friend, and you will not regret it in the least, just eat vegetables the rest of the day. Elmer's is a big part of nostalgia for the Pacific Northwest and thank you to the person who decided to put one in Boise because I am truly grateful. It is a family friendly restaurant which will welcome the hooligan toddlers, the empty-nesters, the cowboys who have to loosen that dinner plate belt buckle, the college partiers, the locals, and the lonesome travelers--everyone has a seat at their place. There is something for everyone on the menu, they offer a wide array of breakfast plates: avocado omelet, French toast, crepes, breakfast bowls, cinnamon roll pancakes--if you are still reading this review and not walking in by this point then no one can save you from yourself. read more

Good food and Friendly staff. We'd definitely come back. Really enjoyed the German Pancakes.

Elmer's has the look of a Ski Lodge and is very inviting inside. I was lucky when I got to my hotel in Boise as Elmer's was right across the street. I got in a little late and went in for dinner. I ordered the prime rib sandwich with au jus and fries. It was pretty good and hit the spot. The fries were perfect and very enjoyable. The waitress asked if I had been to Elmer's before when she first took my order. When she bought the check she also handed me an envelope that said welcome to Elmer's. I opened it once back at my hotel and inside was a note from the management team, $10 off my next visit and a menu. How awesome is this! Although only in town a couple of days and getting a free breakfast at my hotel I decided to go to Elmer's for breakfast my last day in town. I ordered the flat iron steak and egg breakfast and wow it was very good. The steak was just as I ordered medium rare and cooked to perfection. It was thicker than I expected and spiced lightly. I devoured the entire breakfast to include the crispy hash browns. They gladly accepted my $10 off coupon and thanked me for coming in. The customer service was top notch and gave me the feel of being a welcome guest in someone's house. I had such a good experience and tasty breakfast I added $10 to the already 20% tip to give back for such a good meal and great service. Hope to eat at an Elmer's again soon!!! read more

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We had the potato pancakes and the German pancakes and both were outstanding! Also the services is really genuine and super fast! Will come here again. read more

Took my family to breakfast for the first time since Father had kidney failure. showed up at 9:00am and was seated right away with smiles and Great energy. Kathleen was are server for the breakfast and was great, even with the amount of tables she had. Kathleen served us quick, and with no mistakes. One of the best things was she kept are coffee full at all times. We were once regulars and will continue to become them again. We appreciate all you do for us in this time of the pandemic. Great job. read more

Just enjoyed a great breakfast with 12 friends. Cinnamon bun pancakes were a huge hit among our group. Server Jarek S was fantastic! Handled our large group with a smile and excellent service! read more

Very good size portions. Food was flavorful. Wait staff was very attentive and on it! Great eclectic crowd, young and old alike. Coffee was always filled. Food wait time was great! Overall a great experience! read more

Looking for a yummy breakfast in the afternoon? !WOW! This places food hit the spot. The service was good too. Highly recommend. I got the monte cristo which I LOVE, but they do not have it in many places. Elmer's had it and it was one of the best I have had. read more

It's my go-to breakfast place in Boise when I want delicious breakfast at a reasonable price and without a long wait. I have not been disappointed with my breakfast here. I usually order eggs, biscuit and gravy, and a hash brown. It's enough for me to share with my significant other if I ask for two biscuits. The hash browns are what impressed me and keeps me coming back. The potato is shredded in thicker slices to make the texture of the hash brown right in between soft and crunchy. I'm new to biscuits and gravy, but so far Elmer's has my favorite biscuits and gravy. The decor and fireplace remind me of winter cabin resorts in Lake Tahoe or Yosemite. Overall, the atmosphere, service, and food make for a pleasant dining experience. read more

Just go here! Best breakfast I've had in Idaho! Everything was cooked beautifully, served quickly, and tasted wonderful! The portions are BIG for the money, so come hungry! Ask for Fae if she's working. She's one of the nicest folks working here and made us feel super welcome as out-of-town-ers. When we come back to Idaho, this will definitely be our first breakfast stop! read more

We have made this a breakfast stop every time we come into Boise to visit our daughter. There are options for everyone - not just the same stuff you get everywhere. I thoroughly enjoyed my loaded hashbrown omelet topped with gravy this last visit! We love hometown atmosphere and the service is always quick and friendly! Adele was our server - she was very friendly and paid attention to every detail. We look forward to our next visit! read more

As I sit here at Elmer's writing this review, I'm trying to hold back the joyous tears of eating these perfectly cooked buttered hash browns, bacon, the Crabacado omelette, and a German pancake. I haven't really eaten butter in the past few years but these hash browns are so good that they literally almost brought me to tears. And the Crabacado omelette has real crab meat with slightly sweet avocado with a delicious hollandaise sauce. It was the best crab omelette I've ever had. The German pancake was also delicious and slightly sweet. One is big enough for one person but be kind and share if someone at the table orders something else. They'll owe you for life. And Audrey was the best waitress ever! She had great suggestions on the food and places to go to experience the best of Idaho. She was super friendly and fast. A real pleasure to meet. Love you Audrey! See you next time! And don't let Edwina catch you on the phone unless you're taking photos of the delicious food. She really wants you to enjoy the deliciousness and you'll thank her in the end for looking out for you. Thanks Edwina! You're such a funny lovely person, mama! There might be a wait for getting a table but it's so worth it! read more

Solid place to get a good breakfast but definitely not my favorite. They have a large menu so there is something for everyone but nothing about the meal was spectacular. I had the crab Benedict and the crab was very dry and it seemed like that burned it on the grill before bringing it out. All together, not s lot of flavor. Now I know this is not a seafood restaurant so I didn't expect much but overall it lacked flavor. Service was fantastic and we didn't have to wait to be seated. read more

Sweet little classic diner feel. Jeffrey was awesome. Food was great. Thank you for a great breakfast.