In 1990, Adelia Simplot — daughter of a first-generation Basque immigrant — purchased a small brick building on South Capitol Boulevard that had housed the Cub Tavern for over 40 years and saved it from demolition. Dan Ansotegui leased the renovated space and opened Bar Gernika on June 19, 1991, naming it after Gernika, Boise’s sister city in Bizkaia, Spain. The bar sits at the heart of what has become the Basque Block — a stretch of Capitol Boulevard anchored by the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, the Basque Center, and several Basque-owned businesses — making it the cultural center of what is considered the largest urban Basque community in the United States. Bar Gernika appeared in Season 6, Episode 3 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “A Little Bit of Everywhere,” which aired April 20, 2009. Guy Fieri raved about the marinated pork and peppers in the Solomo Sandwich and the lamb grinder. The film crew stayed an extra day specifically to highlight the Basque tongue — a Saturday special that Dan’s mother Dorothy prepared for years and that remains one of the most authentic expressions of Basque cooking in Idaho. The restaurant still gets customers who come in specifically because of the DDD episode. Dan Ansotegui sold Bar Gernika to longtime employee Jeff May and his wife Stephanie in 2008, and they have maintained the original recipes and standards.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Bar Gernika
City: Boise, Idaho
Cuisine: Basque / Tapas
DDD Season: 6
DDD Episode: 3
Episode Title: A Little Bit of Everywhere
Original Air Date: April 20, 2009
Address: 202 S. Capitol Blvd., Boise, ID 83702
Phone: 208-344-2175
Website: https://www.bargernika.com/
Status: Open
About Bar Gernika
Bar Gernika is a compact pub with a patio, a long bar, and the kind of lived-in character that comes from 30-plus years of being a community gathering place. The Basque Block it anchors is walkable and worth a full afternoon — the Basque Museum across the street provides the history that makes the food more meaningful. Boise has the largest Basque population of any American city, a legacy of the sheepherding families that arrived from the Basque Country of Spain in the early 20th century and built a community around the Capitol Boulevard corridor. The lamb grinder at Bar Gernika is their most direct expression of that heritage: thin-sliced roasted leg of lamb with onions, peppers, and Swiss on a French roll.
What to Eat at Bar Gernika
The Lamb Grinder Sandwich is the signature: thin-sliced roasted leg of lamb with onions, peppers, and Swiss on a French roll, the most directly Basque item on the menu and the dish Guy highlighted most. The Solomo Sandwich, marinated pork loin grilled with peppers, is the other DDD standout. The Croquetas are the fried appetizer most regulars start with. The Lamb Stew with potatoes, carrots, and green peppers is the bowl worth ordering when the weather turns. The Saturday Basque Tongue Special is the authentic heritage dish worth planning a Saturday visit around.
Planning a Boise trip? Find a hotel on Booking.com and build your day around the Basque Block.
Plan Your Visit
Bar Gernika is open Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM, Friday and Saturday 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM. Closed Sunday and Monday. The Basque Block is walkable from most downtown Boise hotels.
Address: 202 S. Capitol Blvd., Boise, ID 83702
Phone: 208-344-2175
Website: https://www.bargernika.com/
Status: Open
Triple D Essentials
Stream the A Little Bit of Everywhere episode on Amazon and pick up Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip with Recipes to understand the cultural depth behind what Bar Gernika serves.
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Bar Gernika appeared in Season 6, Episode 3 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “A Little Bit of Everywhere,” originally aired April 20, 2009. The bar opened in 1991 and anchors Boise’s Basque Block, the cultural center of the largest urban Basque community in the United States.