Thursday 24th of June 2010 08:04:42 PM

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This is more old style brewpub, more rustic and down home. It has Bridge girder type beams overhead with all kinds of coasters tacked all over the place. It has a wood open fire pit right in the middle, rustic wood tables and chairs and several small tvs. No beer samplers available but they will bring you a complementary sample of any beer you want. So I first tried the Lone Pine amber. It had a lite copper color and lite sweet malt aroma. A lite version or session type beer, clean and crisp with a creamy mouthfeel. Then I had a pint of the Fiegwild English style pale ale. Medium copper color with a moderate hop aroma. It had a moderate crystal malt flavor and is a true English pale ale, a very good beer, well balanced for style. I did not try any of their lighter beers. The brewing system looks antique and a ten barrel type system. Servings tanks appear behind glass.
Food: fries are home style thin and tasty like curly fries without the curl. I had a chili verde burritto which was good and came with white rice and black beens. They had breadsticks that are more like "beer bread". Then I ordered a Hippie Shake ale which was a pale ale style, deep copper ale with medium mouthfeel and hop flavor. This was aggod beer as well and a perfect beer to finish the visit.

They had live music a single guy playing guitar and singing songs, he was Jim Fishwilde the original brewer!

This is more interesting brewpub and typical of a college town with a downhome and fun atmosphere. The service was good. Well worth the trip if you are in the area.

Thursday 21st of May 2009 09:08:15 PM

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Yet another joint I visit frequently, when it's not ski season (I'm not a skier and this place packs 'em in in the winter). I have been coming here four about four years.

The beers are all good, but not exceptional - except for two in my opinion: The Ginger Wheat and the Hippie Shake. The ginger wheat has lots of flavor without being heavy or too "froo-froo". The Hippie Shake is like a very hoppy double amber - a very hard beer to classify, but totally worth trying. All styles tend to be hoppier than "normal" for a given style. Oddly enough, I've never seen an IPA there.

Happy hour specials are great with $2.25 pints and they have lunch pint specials as well.

The food is really, really good. The best offerings include the spent-barley breadsticks, steamed garlic clams, the pulled pork sandwich, the "Keg Tosser" chicken sandwich, the cheesesteak and the turkey soba salad. They have the best non-battered fries in town!

The servers there are very helpful and friendly.

If you find yourself skiing at Bogus Basin, you are required by law to stop by here at the end of the day. But don't look for me, I'll be hiding elsewhere until the noise dies down around April. Then you can't keep me away!

Friday 20th of February 2009 11:11:57 AM

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Highland Hollows is located on a small dead-end street. The surrounding foothills make this place look like it is on the edge of town. The location gives it a kind of Wild West feel.

There is a large patio in front as you enter from the parking lot.

You go through the doors and down a longish hall and the bar is straight ahead and it seats about 8. There are booths and tables scattered around a large, open circular fireplace. I like rustic nature that is accentuated by the exposed beams and white plaster.

The bar is decorated with brewery memorabilia and sports stuff. The music was a nice mix of Steve Earl type hard country.

They have 8 or so regular beers and a seasonal which was the porter during my visit. I thought the Fiewild ESB one of the better session beers I've had this year. Unfortunately they were out of their Ginger Wheat. All the beer was reasonably priced pints at $3.75.

The service was accommodating and well informed. I like professional bartenders and they have them here.

Just a nice slightly funky brewpub that I think reflects the friendly and unique nature of Boise.