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    Shady Acres Cafe

    3.3 (16 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican
    Open 7:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    SHADY ACRES CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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    Michele R.

    A sparkling clean little greasy spoon (in the endearment sense of the term) located right on the hiway and yet called Shady Acres, this is associated with a gas station and convenience store next door. A small menu of breakfast (think french toast, eggs, bacon, pancakes, hash browns) and lunch (think burgers, 'baskets' like chicken fingers, hot and cold sandwiches) appears over the counter where you order. The food, which is both good and value priced based on our first visit experience, is brought to your table when it is ready. Bus your own when you're done. We liked this little place. We'd go back sometime. THE EATS Shared a BLT on toasted sourdough. Both the bacon and the toast were perfectly done, the tomato was nicely sliced and the lettuce was fresh green leaf, not the woeful iceberg some places want to throw on. The hardworking cook herself delivered it to our table and split it for us in the kitchen so each half arrived in a red plastic basket lined with parchment. The piece de resistance is the homemade milkshakes. We chose huckleberry and it arrived at the table in a paper beverage container with a straw. But we needed to ask for a spoon to eat/drink it and that's a good thing because as all great milkshakes should be it was too thick for a straw. A small was only $2.70 'ish'...a bargain. And my hubby who thinks in the main that shakes are not worth the calories nearly arm wrestled me to be sure he got his half after he took the first taste. Burgers seemed to be the big seller and although I don't eat beef, they did look like good ones coming out of the kitchen in their red plastic baskets to be delivered to the tables around us. THE BILL Sandwiches all lean under five bucks unless you add "the full meal" deal which includes tater tots or fries and a medium soda and then the prices run about $6.50. We did not choose the "full meal". Our shared sandwich and shake, plenty for the two of us, was under $7.00, tax included. THE VIBE Seating is at formica topped tables and chairs or booths. A handful of 'soda fountain' counter stools are at the counter; you know the cool 'takes me back to childhood' kind. At lunch time on a weekday the place was doing a brisk business of people who were clearly regulars and who included insurance salesman from a local office as well as lots of guys from construction trades, some of whom brought in lunchboxes supplemented with ordering from the Shady Acres menu. THIS N THAT: 1) PARKING: A few spaces in their private lot. Now that we've been in we can see why the parking spots are very often full. 2) ACCESSIBILITY: One van accessible spot of parking in the lot. Level in the door and throughout. Almost all seating is standard height. Didn't check the loo for access. 3) MOVIE TRIVIA: I hear a scene from a Clint Eastwood movie was once filmed in this little place.

    Dave L.

    You get what you expect at the Shady Acres Cafe, basic food, decent service and just enough attitude to make it fun. The food here is good but doesn't stand out in any way. This is the food your friend's​ mom made when you came to their house. Bacon and eggs, hamburgers, pancakes and chicken strips. What I love about this place is the people watching. You'll see everyone here. The staff is plucky and a little bit funny in a sarcastic way. They don't go out of their way to make your experience special and they may spend a little too much time talking but somehow you don't really care. If you are between Nampa and Boise and need a quick breakfast or lunch this place is worth the stop for sure. It won't be a regular stop but it will take you back in time a bit and that is fun.

    Finger steaks and tater tots
    Edward S.

    I'd read about this place on Yelp and decided I had to try it. Not much to look at---very simple, a few booths and tables and a big access to the gas station convenience store. order at the counter and they bring it to the table. With that atmosphere, I didn't expect much. However, the finger steaks and tater tots were freshly cooked, with a generous portion; and certainly a reasonable price. I can see me going back again to try some other things there, they have a nice menu.

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    7 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    7 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    2 years ago

    This place is a hidden gem to the locals. Great sandwiches, breakfast burritos and burgers.

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Great food for the price. Love this place for a burger or breakfast, and I hear so did clint Eastwood!!!

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Shady Acres Cafe

    Atmosphere: The atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect when you'd eat from a gas station.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Tavern at Eagle Island - Bbq bacon cheeseburger

    Tavern at Eagle Island

    (231 reviews)

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    Love the bartenders drink recommendations, the food is fabulous and reasonably priced. I'm a big…read morefan of the darker atmosphere and general vibe. I hope to see more locations towards northern Idaho in the future! You can start with Couer d'Alene ;)

    Update: Even before we actually moved to the Treasure Valley, we have been coming to The Tavern. We…read morehave been here now for nearly two years, and we came here today, Friday, for an early dinner. It was not crowded, and we were seated right away. For some reason, we were seated in a corner booth near the bathrooms, while other customers were seated elsewhere in the restaurant. We didn't mind, however, because it was nice and quiet. And, for me, convenient. My wife had the Sirloin Salad, and I had the Ahi Poke Salad. My wife said that her meat was cooked the way she likes it, and the rest of the ingredients were delicious. For me, the ahi, sesame vinaigrette dressing, wonton strips, onions, and greens were very good. The food is always good at The Tavern. And, the prices are reasonable. Unlike our past experiences, the service this time around was not up to our usual. Our server, Hannah C., seemed in a rush and impatient. Though she told us to ask her if we had questions, I didn't find her responses to be pleasant. The first dish my wife was interested in had Boursin cheese. My wife had not heard of it, and she cannot eat a lot of cheese. She preferred something milder, like mozarella. When she inquired of Hannah, the reply was terse. "We don't have mozarella." "Do you have another milder cheese?" "Like what?" Not in a nice way, and not professional, in my opinion. And, she was loud. We waited longer than usual for our food, and when Hannah brought it, she just dropped the plates and split. To her credit, she did check in on us once during our meal. Now I don't know what kind of day Hannah was having. Maybe not so good. I don't know what kind of person she is, and I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that she is a nice woman. Hopefully she is not like how she was with us to all of her customers. I'm a 20% tipper. For her, it was 18%. I wasn't given a choice, but I would have gone down to 15%.

    The Potholder Cafe Eagle

    The Potholder Cafe Eagle

    (49 reviews)

    We stopped in for breakfast and had a really enjoyable experience! The restaurant is spacious,…read moreclean, and the staff are friendly and attentive. First visit: We ordered an omelet and pancakes--both were delicious and hit the spot. Since we liked it so much, we came back a second time. I got the breakfast burrito, which was delicious. My husband tried the Mr. Potato Head potato/omelet and loved every bite--he said it was hearty, well-seasoned. The only minor nitpick: The salsa that came with the burrito tasted a lot like store-bought Pace Picante. It was fine, but in a place with such great food overall, homemade authentic salsa would take it to the next level. All in all, a solid spot with good portions, welcoming vibes, and tasty breakfast options. We'll definitely be back--highly recommend! P.S. It was a bit too cold and we left our jackets on.

    With the closure of Alien Cafe and the fact that The Griddle can easily turn into a 90-minute…read morecommitment on weekends, I figured it was finally time to try Potholder since I'm in this area all the time anyway. They really lean into the whole "bringing California brunch culture to Idaho" thing, so maybe my expectations were too high going in. But honestly... this was a pretty rough experience for me. I ordered the huevos rancheros because what feels more California brunch than that? When my plate came out, it looked weirdly plain and honestly kind of sad. Then my friend's huevos rancheros arrived and hers had all the toppings, sauces, avocado, etc. So apparently mine was missing half the dish. When I politely asked about it, I got a surprisingly snarky response that immediately made the whole thing uncomfortable. I really don't think I was rude about it at all. But the part that genuinely grossed me out was the mimosa tower situation. Two of the four glasses at our table literally had lipstick stains on them, and the others were cloudy/smudgy enough that we noticed immediately. That's the kind of thing you can't unsee once it's sitting at your table. I honestly don't really understand the hype because this place is constantly packed. Maybe we just caught them on an off day, but between the mediocre food, awkward service interaction, and dirty glassware, I don't think I'll be back. I'd personally rather wait for a table at The Griddle or have a calmer breakfast at Rembrandt's instead.

    Crave Kitchen & Bar - Hot meat plate. Great for carnivore diet

    Crave Kitchen & Bar

    (662 reviews)

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    Enjoyed Crave for brunch/lunch. It was wonderful! Brandi was our waitperson, and she was very…read morehelpful with great menu suggestions. Shrimp & Grits were fantastic, and Roasted Chicken Cobb was another great pick! The desserts were outstanding! Tiramisu Donuts....WOW! Carrot Cake that was HUGE! Awesome atmosphere to share a meal with friends, we will definitely return.

    Was super hungry one day while driving around the area and found this place on the old Yelp…read moreMachine. The thing that jumped out at me was the photo of the burger, now call me crazy but I think at this point I can look at a menu, photos of food and then the reviews to guide me. Yelp hasn't failed me yet! The first thing was walking in the door there were two hostess who smiled and greeted me. We were seated at the bar since there were just two of us. I ordered the Crave burger with bacon and my guest ordered the house salad with tortilla soup. Everything was excellent! The burger was juicy, flavorful, the bacon was perfectly crispy, Smokey and the white cheddar cheese was the perfect compliment! Now let's talk about the bun, I typically don't eat burger buns but this one was the exception to the rule. It was homemade obviously, buttery, light, and toasted to perfection. I ate both of them! Hahahaha! I felt so dirty typing that the French fries were crispy, just the right amount of salty and fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside. My guest agrees with everything in this review. The house salad was fresh, the vinaigrette was homemade and delicious and the tortilla soup was even great! The ambience was a place you could have a business meeting or take your significant other on a date night. There is literally something for everyone on their crave-able menu ( see what I did there?) Our server who was the bartender kept our glasses full and made sure he checked on us often. I found my new burger spot in Eagle, Idaho?!?! Five stars.

    Shady Acres Cafe - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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