Boise's Best Italian Restaurant Used to Be a Wendy's?

Don't Judge an Italian Restaurant by its Wendy's-Lookin' Windows

It was the height of the Victorian era when George Elliot was thought to have coined the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover." We find this especially fascinating given that George Elliot was the pen name of Mary Anne Evans, an English novelist and poet. Evans chose to adopt the male alias to ensure her work would be taken seriously. Was it ever! Today she remains one of the most celebrated authors of the mid-19th century.

Similar to Evans' school of thought, it was several years ago that we chose to look past one restaurant's out-of-place, Wendy's-style windows. And we're so glad we did. It's possible the most authentic Italian restaurant we've ever been to in Boise might've been a Wendy's. That's right, a Wendy's. You can see where a drive-thru window once was and the windows definitely give Wendy's vibes, don't you think?

If you can confirm this restaurant's heritage, send an email to ryan.valenzuela@townsquaremedia.com!

Google Street View // Google Maps - Before it was Luciano's, it's easy to see the building was once a Wendy's.

Boise's Favorite Hole-in-the-Wall Italian Restaurant

Luciano's Italian Restaurant relishes being "Boise's favorite hole-in-the-wall" eatery. The independently-owned restaurant specializes in classic, made-from-scratch Tuscan cuisine that boasts a 4.5-star review on Boise Yelp. Yelpers Lauren M. from Boise and Frank S. from California explain their 5-stars reviews

Every dish I've tried is delicious! The specials are always amazing. And the desserts are to die for! Cheesecake, fruit crisps, and bread pudding made in house in a variety of rotating flavors. The service is always on par. I love this place. It's our neighborhood go to. –Lauren M.

Google Street View // Google Maps - Luciano's Italian Restaurant

I always get lasagna when I try a new Italian restaurant. It gives me a chance to try a staple dish and decide if it's good Italian food or not. This did not disappoint. The sauce is always a deal breaker for me, and this was terrific. The burrata cheese inside was so smooth. I definitely recommend this place! –Frank S.

More Terrific Italian Restaurants in Boise

Given Idaho's reputation for all things potatoes, morels, and huckleberries, you might be surprised to find out Luciano's shares the spotlight with several highly-reviewed Italian restaurants like the ones below!