Tara Morgan worked in partnership with Visit Idaho to create this Travel Tip.
It’s a sunny Saturday morning in downtown Boise. You’ve just left a local farmers market, and you’re gripping a cashew milk cortado from Form & Function coffee in one hand and a tote bag sagging with fresh produce and free-range eggs in the other. Then the first rumbles of hunger start to echo in your empty stomach. You need food, and you need it now. Fret not, farmers market shopper—there is a bounty of brunch options available near the Boise Farmer’s Market and the Capital City Public Market that are sure to be the cherry on top for your weekend excursion.
Where to Eat After the Capital City Public Market
The Capital City Public Market in Boise features more than 150 rotating vendors, each offering products made in Idaho and produced by Idahoans. After you’ve perused their farm-fresh finds and unique handicrafts, treat yourself to a tantalizing brunch at any of these spots.
Amina’s African Sambusas
Amina’s African Sambusas is a standout booth at the Capital City Public Market, serving up flaky, fried African pastries. Options are simple but spot-on: Choose between the Traditional Sambusa, made with beef, eggs, carrots, onions, cilantro and spices, or the Vegetarian Sambusa, packed with potatoes, onions, carrots, cilantro and spices. These tasty triangular pockets incorporate organically grown veggies from the company’s small farm and are fried fresh on-site so they remain shatteringly crisp.
Calle 75 Street Tacos
Just a short walk from the Capital City Public Market, Calle 75 Street Tacos specializes in an assortment of locally sourced meats and veggies piled up on local tortillas. In addition to slinging classic street tacos filled with tender carne asada and rich pork carnitas, Calle 75 also offers all-day breakfast items, including the breakfast burrito, which comes with your choice of protein, beans, cheese, pico de gallo and scrambled eggs.
Bochi Bochi
If cephalopods aren’t high on your list of brunch-able foods, Bochi Bochi might just change your mind. This food truck serves up Takoyaki, a traditional Japanese dumpling filled with octopus, crowned with a drizzle of mayo, okonomi sauce, shredded nori and a tuft of wispy bonito flakes. Owners Rhett Atagi and Christy Beavers also whip up weekly specials, like Kimchi Curry Tator Tots and gluten-free Karage Fried Chicken Rice Bowls marinated in sake, tamari and mirin, then fried in potato starch. You can find Bochi Bochi at various locations near the Capital City Public Market, such as the Green Acres Food Truck Park and The Boise Flea.
Where to Eat After the Boise Farmers Market
From jams and honey to pastries and produce, the Boise Farmers Market near downtown Boise has plenty of locally sourced goods to elevate your next recipe and make your taste buds sing. Once you’ve stocked up on Idaho goodness, you’ll surely be hungry for more—check out these nearby brunch spots to satisfy your inner foodie.
Funky Taco
For an entirely different taco experience, follow the thumping music to the striking blue building on W. Bannock St. There you’ll find The Funky Taco, which specializes in Asian, Indian, Mexican and American fusion tacos stuffed with farm-to-table ingredients. In addition to offering monster-sized options like the Chicken Thaico Taco—loaded with shredded red curry chicken thigh, cabbage, julienned carrots, toasted ramen and crispy chicken skin—The Funky Taco also has plant-based fare, such as the Vegan Nachos and Flower Power Tacos.
Waffle Me Up
Waffling over whether you want a sweet or savory brunch? Swing by Waffle Me Up! For those who prefer a sugary start to their day, this classic breakfast food comes slathered with everything from bananas and cookie butter to your childhood favorite, PB&J.. If you’ve got a hearty appetite, sink your teeth into the BOB Deluxe, topped with melted Havarti, bacon, a fried egg, basil and organic syrup. It’s all the best parts of breakfast piled onto a crispy waffle.
Tara Morgan is a freelance food and booze writer. She’s an Editor at Edible Idaho Magazine, writes for publications like VIA Magazine and SIP Northwest and runs the website Boise Feed. She loves an epic dinner party, good design, bad puns and pretty much every French rosé ever made.
Updated on August 30, 2024
Published on June 1, 2017
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