To the average Idahoan, small town cafes and diners form the heart of the itty bitty community that surrounds it. And what would a small town “country cafe” be without tables filled with regulars, sipping coffee, making small talk, and digging into immense portions of tasty, diner-style cuisine?
Well, Boise is no small town, but it has more than a few mom and pop gems tucked in its big city limits that still embody Idaho’s rural dining roots. Merritt’s County Cafe is without a doubt one of those fabulous family-run establishments that knows how to put a spin on country classics. And in a restaurant that is known for its World Famous Scones, that means here… bigger is better. And boy, are these scones massive in both size and taste.
State Street in Boise is home to a number of odds and ends when it comes to shops and dining options. But one sign nobody misses? The old-fashioned Merritt's Country Cafe board that towers over the roadside.
This vintage, weathered sign is proof alone that this long-standing business is home to something far more delicious than your average diner.
Fortunately, this family-run cafe advertises its specialty in big, bold letters on the exterior so there's no mistaking the sweet, powdered sugar-dusted wonders that await within.
Scones. Homemade, crafted with a little extra love, and memorable enough that you might just find yourself craving one of the cafe's charming "I Got Sconed" bumper stickers as well.
But truth be told, everything here is larger than life. Even the menu unfolds to nearly a table's width. But it's the scones that take the cake, so to speak. And if thick, 10-inch scones - in dozens of flavor combinations - don't appeal to you, the pancakes are just as huge!
These homemade beasts range from the decadent and tempting Cherries and Sweet Cream to traditional honey-drizzled sugar, to the dessert-like scone "sundae."
Of course, this is a country cafe, after all. Which means mattress-sized portions of hearty breakfast scrambles, crisp chicken fried steaks - a house specialty - and even classic Idaho finger steaks.
