The 5 Restaurants The Treasure Valley Misses The Most

There's no doubt that the Treasure Valley is quickly becoming a foodie's paradise.  While we're excited for so many new dining options, we'd be thrilled to see some of these old favorites make a comeback!

1) Brick Oven Bistro

Over 28 years, Brick Oven Beanery/Bistro had two different locations in Downtown Boise.  According to the Boise Weekly, it first opened it's doors in 1984 at Fifth and Main in the current Chip location.  As word of mouth about their comfort food spread across the Treasure Valley, they ended up moving into a bigger location on The Grove.  At the time, Brick Oven had about 30 employees who helped carry chairs, tables and more to the new location.  The Grove location closed in November 2012, but Brick Oven's legacy lives on through a cookbook called Two Million Meals Later: House Recipes from Boise's Brick Oven Bistro written by the couple who owned and operated the bistro over it's nearly three decade long run.  The cookbook is available through Amazon for $18.87.  A digital copy is free for Kindle Unlimited users.

2) Manley's

Located on Federal Way, Manley's was everything that a cafe that opened in the 1950s should have been. Portions of everything from pie to ribs were so large that they could barely fit on the plate. According to the Idaho Statesman, the cafe changed hands after the owner died and eventually closed in 1997. The cafe's sign eventually ended up with the Day family, who bought the site once the cafe turned off its fryers for the last time.

3) Red Steer

There were several Red Steer Drive-Ins scattered across the Treasure Valley including locations in Caldwell Blvd in Nampa and Blaine in Caldwell.  The Big Red was a their signature sandwich and was made up of two patties, dressing, lettuce and catsup on a sesame bun.  In Red Steer's hey-day, you got the burger, fries and drink for just $1.69! The chain was founded by the same Hawkins family responsible for the Pac-Out.

4) On the Border

"How are you going out for Cinco De Mayo after you ran a marathon this morning?" My little sister is so sweet, yet so naive. In 2012, nothing was going to keep me from enjoying a margarita and tacos at On the Border. If you look at their Facebook pages, it looks like both the Boise Spectrum and Meridian locations went out of business sometime in 2015 with little explanation.

5) Twin Dragon

I mean, if Aaron Paul's mom was the first person to throw this one in the hat, you know that it was a favorite.  The business closed it's doors in 2016 after taking time to celebrate some of their most tenured employees. According to the Idaho Statesman, the Chinese restaurant closed after 32 years to allow owner, James Lam to enjoy a little relaxation as he gets older.

Honorable Mention: The Torch

Patrick made us crack up with his commend "The Torch....before, well...you know" on our Facebook page last night.  Prior to getting it's reputation for being one of the places to enjoy adult entertainment in the Treasure Valley, The Torch was known as "Milo's Torch Cafe" and was reportedly responsible for the first ever Finger Steak recipe in the country. We hear their onion wings and waffle fries were pretty good too!