The story
Founded by veteran restaurateur Rex Chandler — whose fine dining background spans Hawaii to Sun Valley — Chandlers Prime Steaks & Fine Seafood has become the standard-bearer for elevated dining in downtown Boise. Situated inside Hotel 43 on West Grove Street, it holds a distinction no other restaurant in Idaho can claim: Forbes Travel Guide Recommended for ten consecutive years. Add a DiRōNA Distinguished Restaurant Award held since 2014 and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2013, and the picture of consistent, uncompromising quality becomes clear.
The beef program opens where most steakhouses stop. Thirteen custom hand-cut steaks begin with USDA Prime Northwest corn-fed beef from True West Agri Beef — sourced with full ranch-to-table traceability — and ascend through Snake River American Gold Wagyu, Australian Wagyu, and certified A5 Japanese Wagyu, every cut aged a minimum of 30 days. Executive Chef Manny Martinez leads the kitchen, with Luis Flores serving as Founder and Consulting Chef.
The seafood program matches that same standard. Fish and shellfish arrive daily via direct relationships with purveyors across Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest. Hawaiian catches include Ahi Big Eye Tuna, Swordfish, Ono, Mahi Mahi, and Opakapaka; from Alaska come King Crab, Black Cod, Halibut, and King Salmon; the Pacific Northwest supplies Dungeness Crab and Penn Cove Clams. Oysters, clams, and mussels are flown in directly from Taylor Shellfish Farms — no middlemen — and served at their peak, the kind of raw bar quality you'd expect on the coast.
Forbes Travel Guide describes the entrance as "an inviting warmth of dark browns and blues around the low-lit entrance, with live music wafting over the wall from the dining room." That music is live jazz, seven nights a week, curated entirely by Music Director and renowned musician Mike Rosenthal, who handpicks each performer for the intimate downtown stage.
The martini bar and lounge draw their own devoted crowd. Wine Director Devin Zendel oversees a cellar of more than 700 selections spanning rare vintages from around the world — the collection that earned Chandlers its long-running Wine Spectator recognition. The bar's signature Ten Minute Martini has built a reputation of its own, and desserts like butterscotch crème brûlée and fresh fruit cobblers keep locals lingering well past dinner.
Complimentary valet greets every guest at the breezeway off 10th and Grove. Private dining rooms accommodate gatherings from intimate to large, held to the same Forbes-rated culinary standards as the main dining room. Whether the occasion is a landmark anniversary or simply a Tuesday evening with good jazz and a glass of something rare, Chandlers delivers on what it calls its hallmark promise: gracious hospitality, every single night.
Recognition
Ambience
Location