Is Westside Drive-In Still Open? Update (Boise, ID)
Current status
As of September 2026, Westside Drive-In is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
Last verified
What the source shows: A Yelp listing for the 1929 W. State St. location, updated September 2026, shows current reviews and posted hours; the diner's own website lists the same address as an active location.
- Season / episode Season 6, Episode 6
- Original air date
- Address 1929 W State St, Boise, ID 83702
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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network) featured Chef Lou's Westside Drive-In in the episode "Who'Da Thunk It," aired 2009-05-11, highlighting the drive-in's scratch-made soups, roasted meats, and Chef Lou Aaron's signature Idaho Ice Cream Potato dessert. The State Street drive-in has operated since 1957 and was purchased by Aaron and his father-in-law, Ron Isaacs, in 1994, who rebuilt the menu around house-made recipes. According to westsidedrivein.com, the business opened a second Boise location on Park Center Boulevard in 2012, now run by Aaron's son Josh, while the original State Street drive-in continues to operate under the Westside Drive In name. The site's history page recounts Aaron's decades of Boise kitchen work, including an apprenticeship at the Owyhee Hotel's Gamekeeper Restaurant and a stint with Hilton Corporation in San Antonio, and notes he was later ordained a Catholic deacon. This appearance is matched to the business already tracked in this database as Westside Drive-In, based on the same State Street address and ownership history.
The episode featured Westside Drive-In's "Ice Cream Potato," a dessert built to resemble a loaded baked potato, at the same Boise stop covered by 107.9 LITE FM (Michelle Heart, October 9, 2018). Westside Drive-In is a 1950s-style diner that has operated in Boise since 1957 and was purchased by chef Lou in 1994, according to Food Network's restaurant listing, which also notes his background as a classically trained chef. The diner was previously featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2009. A Yelp listing for the location, updated September 2026, shows continuing customer reviews and posted hours for the address featured in the Man v. Food episode. Westside Drive-In has since added a second Boise location on Parkcenter Boulevard, according to Yelp listings for both addresses.
Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
- Original air date
- Episode title
- Who'Da Thunk It
- What was featured
- Idaho Ice Cream Potato dessert and scratch-made comfort food at the original drive-in
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Westside Drive-In
- Show
- Man v. Food
- Season / episode
- Season 6, Episode 11
- Original air date
- Episode title
- —
- What was featured
- 'Ice Cream Potato' dessert built to look like a baked potato
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Westside Drive-In
Frequently asked questions
Is Westside Drive-In still open in 2026?
As of September 2026, Westside Drive-In is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
What happened to Westside Drive-In after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network) featured Chef Lou's Westside Drive-In in the episode "Who'Da Thunk It," aired 2009-05-11, highlighting the drive-in's scratch-made soups, roasted meats, and Chef Lou Aaron's signature Idaho Ice Cream Potato dessert. As of September 2026, Westside Drive-In is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
Where is Westside Drive-In located?
1929 W State St, Boise, ID 83702. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.
What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Westside Drive-In?
Season 6, Episode 6 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired May 11, 2009. The episode is titled “Who'Da Thunk It”.
Is Westside Drive-In still using the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives menu or branding?
The State Street drive-in has operated since 1957 and was purchased by Aaron and his father-in-law, Ron Isaacs, in 1994, who rebuilt the menu around house-made recipes. Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.
Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.
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Visit info
- Address
- 1929 W State St, Boise, ID 83702
- Venue type
- diner
- Official website
- westsidedrivein.com
- State hub
- TV restaurants in Idaho
Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources
- westsidedrivein.com — https://www.westsidedrivein.com/about
- toastykettle.com — https://toastykettle.com/2020/06/18/westside-drive-in-with-chef-lou-aaron-food-for-the-soul/
- dinersdriveinsdiveslocations.com — https://www.dinersdriveinsdiveslocations.com/chef-lous-westside-drive-in-idaho.html
- liteonline.com — https://liteonline.com/boise-restaurant-featured-on-travel-channel-calls-it-quits/
- westsidedrivein.com — https://www.westsidedrivein.com/
- Yelp — https://www.yelp.com/biz/westside-drive-in-boise-2
- foodnetwork.com — https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/id/boise/chef-lous-westside-drive-in-restaurant
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Record mvf-351 · last verified .