Buddy's salad will ruin your breath for 3 days. And it's worth it! Sausage sandwiches are perfect and the beer is cold. I grew up on Buddy's and it's the first place Pocatello natives want to go even they return to Poky. There's a soldier or sailor somewhere that wishes they could eat at Buddy's today. Go have a salad for them. And if you don't like the paper thin cheese and salami on the side I don't even want to know what else you might think of any Italian food anywhere. Good day, Sir. Good day to you.
(5)
Alan H.
Buddy's. This is one of those places that is legendary to the locals, but not all it's cracked up to be for visitors from out of town. I lived here for about a year, and I can say that Pocatello, ID. isn't a big town so there aren't a lot of choices for Italian. Of those few choices, Buddy's is probably the best. That doesn't necessarily make it an amazing restaurant but it does make it the best in this town. I will say with no pause at all that their famous Buddy's Italian dressing is the best I have ever had, anywhere. Five Stars for sure. The salad they bring you, however is kinda silly. It is a bowl FULL of lettuce, so much so that another bowl is on top to keep it all cool and to stop it from spilling. It comes with cheese and salami slices. Hey Buddy's, we don't need an entire head of lettuce. Cut the amount in half and save yourself some money and make more room for salami, cheese and dressing... please and thank you! Their sausage sandwich is also very very good. Their pasta dishes are hit and miss and almost seem to be made differently by different cooks. The sauce is different that most you've had and you either love or hate it. Staff is always rushed but are friendly enough. Decor is the Idaho version of classic Italian eatery. If you are in town and must have Italian food, this is the spot to pick.
(4)
Annelise S.
Love it every time! We have been here 4 times with big parties. The food is always great and the service is wonderful. Great with food allergies.
(4)
Pick C.
Every visit to Pocatello my in laws insist we eat at Buddy's. The food is good, but nothing I can't make at home. The salad as usual was good, crisp and garlicky. My pasta was good although the clams were gritty. The atmosphere is cozy and the staff friendly. Last night our waitress was taking care of the entire room so it was unusually slow. I don't mind going every time we visit, but I think there is a certain emotional attachment the locals have that doesn't translate to others.
(3)
Ressa K.
Buddy's is a Pocatello native's favorite. There are so many things that are totally addicting, but the most favorite is the Buddy's salad with their signature dressing. They must put crack in it.... lol.
(5)
Markki O.
I just love Buddy's. It's the BEST place in Pocatello. Anytime I bring friends from out of town-I always take em here for a delicious , local, Italian feast! I love their combination pizza and the chick's special-open faced sandwich. The salads are killer, the marinara sauce is out of this world, and the atmosphere is fun and cozy. A local gem.
(5)
Asher M.
The salad is the best reason to come here. The pizza is quite good also but it takes quite a while to get it. Service is hit or miss. Restaurant is too small and is always too noisy. Tables are wobbly and never feel clean. I recommend getting your food to go (and by food I mean salad and that's it).
(3)
Kevin H.
I loved, loved, loved the salad. It was just iceberg lettuce and cheesy dressing, but great. The service was excellent. The sausage was very good. The marinara could use more spice for me. I will be back.
(5)
Kassiah W.
I went here on recommendation from some friends, some large friends... I've decided that not all fat kids know food, not after this. I ordered the half spaghetti half ravioli, and the salad. The salad was a disaster, iceburg lettuce piled in a bowl with another bowl covering the first to keep all of it in. That's not salad, guys, c'mon! The ravioli was okay, but just that. The sauce for the spaghetti had a slight smokey flavor, and tasted exactly like my homemade sauce after I'd burned it to the bottom of the pan. I'm sorry, it's not worth paying for pasta if I can make it better at home. Over all, I'd steer away. It's cramped, the service is poor, and their food is awful.
(1)
Rodney R.
Amazing food and service. The sundried tomato pasta was the best I've had. The steamed clams were some of the best as well.
(5)
Isabelle S.
I ordered take out and had garlic bread and a pizza. Both were really good but I stopped by the grocery store and it got cold. I'm sure it would've tasted even better if I just headed home quickly or if I had it fresh in the restaurant. The decor made it a nice local eatery and I can see why locals love that place. Only gave it a 4 though because when I called, it was a bit awkward and I had to ask if it was Buddy's. After picking up my food though, seems like it just happened to be a bad phone call.
(4)
JD P.
Food was mediocre. Service was good and place was clean and quick. Nothing special though.
(3)
A V.
Unfortunately this ranked in the top 10 worst meals I have had. Buddy's was recommended by a few locals so we decided to try it out. We like exploring hole in the wall restaurants and sadly sometimes the experience is terrible...like this one. I have to start out by saying our waitress was kind and enthusiastic about the menu. She said everything was "the best" and everything was made in house. I trusted her. The salad is supposed to be the best thing on their menu, ours was drenched in salad dressing and too much feta cheese. It was difficult to eat. Vinegar and flavor overload! My garlic cheese bread was stale and rock hard. I thought it was just how their bread was but my husbands was soft. I politely asked for a new one and she immediately had a new one made. The new one came out and while soft, had no flavor. I ordered rigatoni with marinara and a meatball and my sauce tasted like a bad can of Chef Boyardee and the meatball had the consistency and taste of an old mushy meat loaf. My husband asked me to stop eating it because he saw that I gagged on two different occasions. My kids ordered a pizza but wouldn't eat it. The crust was bland and had a weird texture. My husband choked down his lasagna and we walked out with a wasted $40. That was not Italian food!
(1)
Amber H.
I like this place for the salad. Every once on awhile I have a craving for their super sour dressing. Their pasta is weird and overpriced, the pizza is okay but overpriced, the sandwiches are pretty good.
(3)
Ryan O.
This is a Pocatello institution. Great salad, make sure to bring someone to share it with. Excellent italian sausage. Pizza is also very good. Awesome little hole in the wall restaurant and bar.
(5)
Sean H.
My favorite pizza and favorite salad of all time. When I'm in Pocatello, I try to go at least twice.
(5)
Bryan E.
The food was fantastic. As usual. I was driving through on Friday afternoon and stopped as I always do. The waitress found out I was driving 500 miles and wanted to bring a bunch of the OPEN FACE CHICK SAUSAGE sandwiches and of course the salads with me for home. She went out of her way to pack the food in bags of ice, and they made the trip ! Will always be my favorite food spot.
(5)
Todd R.
Dark, dreary and decor that is awful! I didn't care for the pizza much and the alfredo, not very good to say the least.
(3)
Patrick S.
Buddys is always a fun place to go with friends. Inevitably you see someone you know and the staff is good to remember returning guests. Salad is awesome, veggie Chic is my favorite but have tasted others which are good. Service is generally good and be prepared to wait during crunch times any day of the week. Its great to have a solid, relaible local establishment that is generally always good.
(4)
Daryl E.
Food is really good service could use some work.
(3)
Ira A.
Buddy's is great all-around. Pizza is great. Salads are very good. Dressing as said before is wonderful. Has a hole-in-the-wall feeling but it fits perfect. Staff is great, wonderful service, and very nice.
(5)
Richie M.
This is my all time favorite restaurant. Their sale is must have. My parent took me to this restaurant since I was small. Still love this place.
(5)
Joshua H.
As much of a local institution as exists in eastern Idaho, Buddy's has rightly earned a loyal following among Idaho State University students and alumni. The restaurant serves simple Italian fare, most of which is delicious and affordable. Highlights include the rigatoni with meatballs and the ravioli, which doesn't take nearly as long to prepare as the menu will lead you to believe. They offer a small selection of house wines and a few quality beers on tap. The portion sizes are huge if you order a full dinner; my wife and I tend to order one dinner and one a la carte pasta dish so that we can split the large (and somewhat overdressed) dinner salad. Come expecting simple Italian food done right and you won't be disappointed.
(4)
Mungo S.
Maybe 3 1/2 stars. Had the salad with bleu cheese (I think). Very good. Good garlic bread with fresh garlic. Meat ball sandwich was somewhat plain but tasty. Cheap wines are overpriced. Fiesty waitress, good service.
(3)
Vladimir L.
Visiting Pocatello on business, some friends recommended Buddy's for Italian, especially the cheese bread. Might have to reconsider my friendship after this recommendation! For starters, the service was lacking. The waitress was either new, or not very good. I quickly noticed after ordering my "dinner" that everyone seated after me had gotten their salads, but none came to my table, and I had to ask for it when dinner arrived. When it did arrive, it was sloppily piled into a bowl and another bowl was on top. Calling it a salad is a stretch, since it was just shredded lettuce, inundated in their house dressing (the only highlight of the dinner.) The garlic bread was soggy and felt like it was microwaved, then put under a quick broiler to get some color on the cheese. I ordered the half spaghetti/half ravioli. Sorry, the ravioli wasn't worth the 25 minutes it took to make. While the filling was good, the pasta was tough. The spaghetti was cooked well, but the sauce (and they drench your plate in it) tasted burned and one-dimensional. For $20 I expected much better. The quantity of food wasn't an issue, but I've spent $12 back in the Chicago suburbs at local pizza/pasta establishments and gotten just as much food. Quality wise, however, they really struck out with me.
(1)
Claire F.
The salad here is amazing! It has a really strong garlic flavor, I love it! The rest of the food is below average. The bread is bland, and all the entrees I have tried including pizza, sandwiches, and pasta have all been okay to bad. The place is a bit dirty and the customer service is poor. I would recommend you go here for the super good salad and just not expect a good dining experience.
(2)
Ian T.
You know what. Buddy's is OK! BUDDY'S SALAD = 5 STARS! This is a Pocatello classic restaurant. It does not always smell good, it's usually packed with people (a few of which are wearing cut-offs), and it's as home-grown as it gets. Really, an OK place to go for a salad and sandwich. Its priced fairly and the staff is pretty darn friendly. I would recommend Buddy's to locals, college students, and those not seeking a spiritual dining experience. It's jut an OK place to eat. Check it out, the salad is great.
(3)
Michelle Denise P.
We were told that this was a must eat at restaurant in Pocatello. The first night that we tried to eat here it was a Saturday night and the place was really busy. The restaurant itself is a little small, and we had a really big party and too hungry to wait for an hour for a table, so we went somewhere else. We ended up coming back the next day for lunch. The food here was great! Although for being an Italian restaurant, I expected a bigger menu selection. The service was also really great too! I'll def come back to eat here the next time I'm in Pocatello!
(4)
Bill M.
The Italian sausage sandwich it the bomb. I recommend bringing friends and sharing the salad. Save room for desert it is worth it. If you sit in the bar area and you want a soda make sure you ask for tap otherwise they will bring you a can of soda, and then it cost extra for more soda.
(5)
Rod S.
I get to Pocatello a couple times a year. I often end up here for lunch. This place has been around for ages. It kind of looks like it too. I don't think that it's a bad thing. The edges are a little tattered and rough, but everyone is friendly and the food is old school faux Italian food. I keep that in mind when I order. I can't bear some of the overcooked pasta, so I skip that. Other dishes are pretty good. Sometimes relaxing with a beer and sandwich in the bar area is just what the doctor ordered.
(3)
Seymore B.
If you stop here and did it right, you will leave with "Buddy's Breath". The salad is drenched in homemade dressing, which is nothing less than divine, and comes in two sizes: full and half. The full is one huge ball of lettuce that can satisfy the hunger and taste of even the most prolific carnivores. The half size is, pretty much self explanatory. The garlic bread is awesome, and when paired with a salad can squelch the appetite of your biggest Sasquatch. Any person who proclaims "I'm not a salad guy" will view the world in a entirely new way after a meal here. The pasta is homemade and the sauce is thick, zesty, flavorful, and an all-around grand slam. Definitely a place NOT to miss.
(5)
Dean B.
This place is amazing! It's a little hole in the wall with a bar, but the food is out of this world. I live in another state now, but when even I get a chance to visit Pocatello, I make sure to stop by and get me an Sausage sandwich and the salad.
(5)
Jared C.
Small and concise menu options. The chicken pasta with sun-dried tomatoes is delightful--this is the first time in my life that I enjoyed artichoke hearts. I was surprised to see a waitress have Jack in the Box delivered to her at work; she ate it at the bar while on duty. I'm not sure what that says about her opinion of Buddy's food--perhaps she eats Buddy's every day and simply wanted a change of pace. Had to ask for a refill during a slow lunch hour, but the food was so nice that I didn't mind. I asked the waitress to choose the noodle type for me, but the manager didn't seem to like that and came back to insist that I make a choice. Ah well. Excellent food and small portions--a bit over-priced, but America needs to stop eating so much. The ravioli boasts a 25-minute waiting time, but we didn't wait that long. Get the garlic bread with cheese when given the choice.
(4)
Lynn M.
Stopped going to Buddy's some time ago. I used to go there often when I first moved to town in the late 80s. I still love their salad dressing, but the food has become generally so overpriced for the quality that it isn't worth going just for the salad. The food quality has just taken a back seat to being an institution, I guess. They don't seem to care anymore. The pasta sauce frequently tastes scorched, and the pasta is always overcooked. The pizza is just so so. Makes me sad, used to be a favorite.
(2)
Ryan D.
I had the large salad with artichokes; I assure you nothing on my plate didn't come from a bag or can. Dressing was ok, but rave reviews for salad are people who know nothing about salad but portions and dressing. Ravioli was meh and sauce was thin. Do not go if you are laying off wheat.
(1)
Tim B.
Stayed overnight in Pocatello. Went to Buddies as recommended by the hotel clerk. Not a very good meal at all. Wife and I shared their spaghetti dinner special that includes a HUGE salad and dessert. The spaghetti sauce was on par with cheap canned sauce. The "salad" was mostly a big ball of lettuce that was literally swimming in the house dressing. Way too sogged out and the dressing was not that special to boot ! The waitress and other staff were friendly and they give you a large quantity of food, which is why I gave 2 stars. Sorry for the bad report but this was not a good experience.
(2)
Kirk H.
Great food service and as always great time
(5)
Sharon F.
My sister and I had dinner at Buddy's while visiting Pocatello. We selected based on previous reviews and wanted try a local favorite. The highly recommended salad was quite disappointing - it was just iceberg lettuce drenched in dressing. The dressing was good there was just way too much of it. The servings were also enormous, which was ok because the price was too. A basic pasta dish was $17 -$20 and it included salad, bread, entree, dessert and coffee. There were ala carte options which were less expensive, but still over $10 for a half serving (which I only was able to eat half of). The entrees were very good. The service left a lot to be desired - really too many problems to list.
(3)
Kate A.
Excellent food! Used to live nearby and eat here when I was a kid. Haven't been back in almost 20 yes but it took me right back to my childhood. I had the spaghetti and my husband had the meatball sandwich. Both were wonderful! The salad and bread were excellent too. Bought some dressing to take back to New Mexico with us.
(5)
Kent P.
Sausage sandwich with everything is great. It was kind of like chicken parmigiana but with sausage instead of chicken. The salad, is some heavy Italian dressing, it's good but easily into the over kill range if you were to try to eat more than part of a half order. This is not a feel good about yourself because you ate something good for you kinda salad. Service is solid and pleasant and looked like good selection of beer and wine.
(4)
Aaron K.
Most overrated place in Pocatello. The salad is as good as the other reviewers stated, love it. It stops there though. I have had perfect pizza there before, just cannot wait an hour and a half for it. I know this is a just have for Pocatellons, but what else but a beer and a salad. Don't even get me talking about the gross towel roll in the filthy ladies room.
(2)
Andy M.
We went to Yellowstone Nat'l Park for a week. By the end of our trip, we drove past this town "Pocatello" and stop by to refill our stomach. At first we didn't know what is good here since we're only passing by, so we visited yelp.com as usual and see what the local say about this place. And they got a 5 stars reviews. We decided to give it a try and MAN, they do desert a 5 stars rating! Not only the food is good and authentic. The customer service is excellent too. Will definitely go back again if we ever pass by again. Don't forget to order coffee after the meal. It is so so good!
(5)
Kyle K.
I wouldn't feed my dog what I was served. The salad was absolutely disgusting drenched with dressing. The Italian bread tasted like they took it out of a bag they bought at wal mart. The pasta was cold with mushy tomatoes and hard sundried tomatoes (and was charged about 5 times as much as it was worth). And to top it all off it took 2 hours to finally get served. Absolutely disgusting, possibly the worst restaurant I've ever been to.
(1)
Doug D.
Had the chance to try Buddy's while in Pocatello. I heard about what a great place it was. It may be one of the best little Italian joints around! Over 50 years in business and it is not hard to see why. The food is to die for...yes it is that good! The salad is incredible and the meat ball open face sandwich is awesome. The homemade sauce is out of this world. I love the old charm of this old building and the sign on top of the building is of a simple place back in time.
(5)
B R.
The best salad anywhere....yeah its overpriced for pasta but getting that salad with it makes me forgive that every time. Can't wait to go again and again and again
(5)
Melissa V.
The best restaurant in the world! I am very worldly and I have to say that hands down this is the best place! The pizza and salad are my favorites! But I think everything there is outstanding! Can't go wrong with anything there. And the service is awesome. They're on top of everything. The owner is so friendly and fun! The best local restaurant ever! Five stars!
(5)
Myron B.
Still our favorite place in Pocatello, best pizza in town, marinara to die for and great sandwiches. The staff is mature and professional not a bunch of high school kids. The flavors are distinct, flavorful and authentic. If you think Olive Garden is good Italian food stay away this place has flavor.
(5)
Frank M.
Food and service were outstanding. Nothing fancy but the food is worth the trip. Highly recommend this place for authentic Italian food.
(4)
Shelly F.
Always like to try the local eats when I visit a new place. This time I wished I'd opted for some place else. Ordered the salad everyone was bragging about...a huge portion of bagged lettuce with one piece of salami, one piece of pepperoni and one piece of cheese. Dressing was ok but lettuce was wilted. Salami sausage and mushroom pizza...very bland. Sauce was plain tomato sauce out of a can. Crust tasted like it was made with bisquick. Waitress was good but that's about the best thing I can say about Buddy's. Sorry Buddy, I won't be back.
(2)
Natalie T.
This place has been spectacular every time I've been there. The pizzas and calzones are great (their salami is delicious). And they have the best salad I've ever eaten. The decor is very nice and the servers are always quick and kind. It can get a little noisy in there though.
(5)
Arn P.
Poor food. Not vegetarian friendly... Salad came with salami stuck inside it. Waiter said, it's only on the side... Not really the answer sorry.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Cody F.
Buddy's salad will ruin your breath for 3 days. And it's worth it! Sausage sandwiches are perfect and the beer is cold. I grew up on Buddy's and it's the first place Pocatello natives want to go even they return to Poky. There's a soldier or sailor somewhere that wishes they could eat at Buddy's today. Go have a salad for them. And if you don't like the paper thin cheese and salami on the side I don't even want to know what else you might think of any Italian food anywhere. Good day, Sir. Good day to you.
(5)Alan H.
Buddy's. This is one of those places that is legendary to the locals, but not all it's cracked up to be for visitors from out of town. I lived here for about a year, and I can say that Pocatello, ID. isn't a big town so there aren't a lot of choices for Italian. Of those few choices, Buddy's is probably the best. That doesn't necessarily make it an amazing restaurant but it does make it the best in this town. I will say with no pause at all that their famous Buddy's Italian dressing is the best I have ever had, anywhere. Five Stars for sure. The salad they bring you, however is kinda silly. It is a bowl FULL of lettuce, so much so that another bowl is on top to keep it all cool and to stop it from spilling. It comes with cheese and salami slices. Hey Buddy's, we don't need an entire head of lettuce. Cut the amount in half and save yourself some money and make more room for salami, cheese and dressing... please and thank you! Their sausage sandwich is also very very good. Their pasta dishes are hit and miss and almost seem to be made differently by different cooks. The sauce is different that most you've had and you either love or hate it. Staff is always rushed but are friendly enough. Decor is the Idaho version of classic Italian eatery. If you are in town and must have Italian food, this is the spot to pick.
(4)Annelise S.
Love it every time! We have been here 4 times with big parties. The food is always great and the service is wonderful. Great with food allergies.
(4)Pick C.
Every visit to Pocatello my in laws insist we eat at Buddy's. The food is good, but nothing I can't make at home. The salad as usual was good, crisp and garlicky. My pasta was good although the clams were gritty. The atmosphere is cozy and the staff friendly. Last night our waitress was taking care of the entire room so it was unusually slow. I don't mind going every time we visit, but I think there is a certain emotional attachment the locals have that doesn't translate to others.
(3)Ressa K.
Buddy's is a Pocatello native's favorite. There are so many things that are totally addicting, but the most favorite is the Buddy's salad with their signature dressing. They must put crack in it.... lol.
(5)Markki O.
I just love Buddy's. It's the BEST place in Pocatello. Anytime I bring friends from out of town-I always take em here for a delicious , local, Italian feast! I love their combination pizza and the chick's special-open faced sandwich. The salads are killer, the marinara sauce is out of this world, and the atmosphere is fun and cozy. A local gem.
(5)Asher M.
The salad is the best reason to come here. The pizza is quite good also but it takes quite a while to get it. Service is hit or miss. Restaurant is too small and is always too noisy. Tables are wobbly and never feel clean. I recommend getting your food to go (and by food I mean salad and that's it).
(3)Kevin H.
I loved, loved, loved the salad. It was just iceberg lettuce and cheesy dressing, but great. The service was excellent. The sausage was very good. The marinara could use more spice for me. I will be back.
(5)Kassiah W.
I went here on recommendation from some friends, some large friends... I've decided that not all fat kids know food, not after this. I ordered the half spaghetti half ravioli, and the salad. The salad was a disaster, iceburg lettuce piled in a bowl with another bowl covering the first to keep all of it in. That's not salad, guys, c'mon! The ravioli was okay, but just that. The sauce for the spaghetti had a slight smokey flavor, and tasted exactly like my homemade sauce after I'd burned it to the bottom of the pan. I'm sorry, it's not worth paying for pasta if I can make it better at home. Over all, I'd steer away. It's cramped, the service is poor, and their food is awful.
(1)Rodney R.
Amazing food and service. The sundried tomato pasta was the best I've had. The steamed clams were some of the best as well.
(5)Isabelle S.
I ordered take out and had garlic bread and a pizza. Both were really good but I stopped by the grocery store and it got cold. I'm sure it would've tasted even better if I just headed home quickly or if I had it fresh in the restaurant. The decor made it a nice local eatery and I can see why locals love that place. Only gave it a 4 though because when I called, it was a bit awkward and I had to ask if it was Buddy's. After picking up my food though, seems like it just happened to be a bad phone call.
(4)JD P.
Food was mediocre. Service was good and place was clean and quick. Nothing special though.
(3)A V.
Unfortunately this ranked in the top 10 worst meals I have had. Buddy's was recommended by a few locals so we decided to try it out. We like exploring hole in the wall restaurants and sadly sometimes the experience is terrible...like this one. I have to start out by saying our waitress was kind and enthusiastic about the menu. She said everything was "the best" and everything was made in house. I trusted her. The salad is supposed to be the best thing on their menu, ours was drenched in salad dressing and too much feta cheese. It was difficult to eat. Vinegar and flavor overload! My garlic cheese bread was stale and rock hard. I thought it was just how their bread was but my husbands was soft. I politely asked for a new one and she immediately had a new one made. The new one came out and while soft, had no flavor. I ordered rigatoni with marinara and a meatball and my sauce tasted like a bad can of Chef Boyardee and the meatball had the consistency and taste of an old mushy meat loaf. My husband asked me to stop eating it because he saw that I gagged on two different occasions. My kids ordered a pizza but wouldn't eat it. The crust was bland and had a weird texture. My husband choked down his lasagna and we walked out with a wasted $40. That was not Italian food!
(1)Amber H.
I like this place for the salad. Every once on awhile I have a craving for their super sour dressing. Their pasta is weird and overpriced, the pizza is okay but overpriced, the sandwiches are pretty good.
(3)Ryan O.
This is a Pocatello institution. Great salad, make sure to bring someone to share it with. Excellent italian sausage. Pizza is also very good. Awesome little hole in the wall restaurant and bar.
(5)Sean H.
My favorite pizza and favorite salad of all time. When I'm in Pocatello, I try to go at least twice.
(5)Bryan E.
The food was fantastic. As usual. I was driving through on Friday afternoon and stopped as I always do. The waitress found out I was driving 500 miles and wanted to bring a bunch of the OPEN FACE CHICK SAUSAGE sandwiches and of course the salads with me for home. She went out of her way to pack the food in bags of ice, and they made the trip ! Will always be my favorite food spot.
(5)Todd R.
Dark, dreary and decor that is awful! I didn't care for the pizza much and the alfredo, not very good to say the least.
(3)Patrick S.
Buddys is always a fun place to go with friends. Inevitably you see someone you know and the staff is good to remember returning guests. Salad is awesome, veggie Chic is my favorite but have tasted others which are good. Service is generally good and be prepared to wait during crunch times any day of the week. Its great to have a solid, relaible local establishment that is generally always good.
(4)Daryl E.
Food is really good service could use some work.
(3)Ira A.
Buddy's is great all-around. Pizza is great. Salads are very good. Dressing as said before is wonderful. Has a hole-in-the-wall feeling but it fits perfect. Staff is great, wonderful service, and very nice.
(5)Richie M.
This is my all time favorite restaurant. Their sale is must have. My parent took me to this restaurant since I was small. Still love this place.
(5)Joshua H.
As much of a local institution as exists in eastern Idaho, Buddy's has rightly earned a loyal following among Idaho State University students and alumni. The restaurant serves simple Italian fare, most of which is delicious and affordable. Highlights include the rigatoni with meatballs and the ravioli, which doesn't take nearly as long to prepare as the menu will lead you to believe. They offer a small selection of house wines and a few quality beers on tap. The portion sizes are huge if you order a full dinner; my wife and I tend to order one dinner and one a la carte pasta dish so that we can split the large (and somewhat overdressed) dinner salad. Come expecting simple Italian food done right and you won't be disappointed.
(4)Mungo S.
Maybe 3 1/2 stars. Had the salad with bleu cheese (I think). Very good. Good garlic bread with fresh garlic. Meat ball sandwich was somewhat plain but tasty. Cheap wines are overpriced. Fiesty waitress, good service.
(3)Vladimir L.
Visiting Pocatello on business, some friends recommended Buddy's for Italian, especially the cheese bread. Might have to reconsider my friendship after this recommendation! For starters, the service was lacking. The waitress was either new, or not very good. I quickly noticed after ordering my "dinner" that everyone seated after me had gotten their salads, but none came to my table, and I had to ask for it when dinner arrived. When it did arrive, it was sloppily piled into a bowl and another bowl was on top. Calling it a salad is a stretch, since it was just shredded lettuce, inundated in their house dressing (the only highlight of the dinner.) The garlic bread was soggy and felt like it was microwaved, then put under a quick broiler to get some color on the cheese. I ordered the half spaghetti/half ravioli. Sorry, the ravioli wasn't worth the 25 minutes it took to make. While the filling was good, the pasta was tough. The spaghetti was cooked well, but the sauce (and they drench your plate in it) tasted burned and one-dimensional. For $20 I expected much better. The quantity of food wasn't an issue, but I've spent $12 back in the Chicago suburbs at local pizza/pasta establishments and gotten just as much food. Quality wise, however, they really struck out with me.
(1)Claire F.
The salad here is amazing! It has a really strong garlic flavor, I love it! The rest of the food is below average. The bread is bland, and all the entrees I have tried including pizza, sandwiches, and pasta have all been okay to bad. The place is a bit dirty and the customer service is poor. I would recommend you go here for the super good salad and just not expect a good dining experience.
(2)Ian T.
You know what. Buddy's is OK! BUDDY'S SALAD = 5 STARS! This is a Pocatello classic restaurant. It does not always smell good, it's usually packed with people (a few of which are wearing cut-offs), and it's as home-grown as it gets. Really, an OK place to go for a salad and sandwich. Its priced fairly and the staff is pretty darn friendly. I would recommend Buddy's to locals, college students, and those not seeking a spiritual dining experience. It's jut an OK place to eat. Check it out, the salad is great.
(3)Michelle Denise P.
We were told that this was a must eat at restaurant in Pocatello. The first night that we tried to eat here it was a Saturday night and the place was really busy. The restaurant itself is a little small, and we had a really big party and too hungry to wait for an hour for a table, so we went somewhere else. We ended up coming back the next day for lunch. The food here was great! Although for being an Italian restaurant, I expected a bigger menu selection. The service was also really great too! I'll def come back to eat here the next time I'm in Pocatello!
(4)Bill M.
The Italian sausage sandwich it the bomb. I recommend bringing friends and sharing the salad. Save room for desert it is worth it. If you sit in the bar area and you want a soda make sure you ask for tap otherwise they will bring you a can of soda, and then it cost extra for more soda.
(5)Rod S.
I get to Pocatello a couple times a year. I often end up here for lunch. This place has been around for ages. It kind of looks like it too. I don't think that it's a bad thing. The edges are a little tattered and rough, but everyone is friendly and the food is old school faux Italian food. I keep that in mind when I order. I can't bear some of the overcooked pasta, so I skip that. Other dishes are pretty good. Sometimes relaxing with a beer and sandwich in the bar area is just what the doctor ordered.
(3)Seymore B.
If you stop here and did it right, you will leave with "Buddy's Breath". The salad is drenched in homemade dressing, which is nothing less than divine, and comes in two sizes: full and half. The full is one huge ball of lettuce that can satisfy the hunger and taste of even the most prolific carnivores. The half size is, pretty much self explanatory. The garlic bread is awesome, and when paired with a salad can squelch the appetite of your biggest Sasquatch. Any person who proclaims "I'm not a salad guy" will view the world in a entirely new way after a meal here. The pasta is homemade and the sauce is thick, zesty, flavorful, and an all-around grand slam. Definitely a place NOT to miss.
(5)Dean B.
This place is amazing! It's a little hole in the wall with a bar, but the food is out of this world. I live in another state now, but when even I get a chance to visit Pocatello, I make sure to stop by and get me an Sausage sandwich and the salad.
(5)Jared C.
Small and concise menu options. The chicken pasta with sun-dried tomatoes is delightful--this is the first time in my life that I enjoyed artichoke hearts. I was surprised to see a waitress have Jack in the Box delivered to her at work; she ate it at the bar while on duty. I'm not sure what that says about her opinion of Buddy's food--perhaps she eats Buddy's every day and simply wanted a change of pace. Had to ask for a refill during a slow lunch hour, but the food was so nice that I didn't mind. I asked the waitress to choose the noodle type for me, but the manager didn't seem to like that and came back to insist that I make a choice. Ah well. Excellent food and small portions--a bit over-priced, but America needs to stop eating so much. The ravioli boasts a 25-minute waiting time, but we didn't wait that long. Get the garlic bread with cheese when given the choice.
(4)Lynn M.
Stopped going to Buddy's some time ago. I used to go there often when I first moved to town in the late 80s. I still love their salad dressing, but the food has become generally so overpriced for the quality that it isn't worth going just for the salad. The food quality has just taken a back seat to being an institution, I guess. They don't seem to care anymore. The pasta sauce frequently tastes scorched, and the pasta is always overcooked. The pizza is just so so. Makes me sad, used to be a favorite.
(2)Ryan D.
I had the large salad with artichokes; I assure you nothing on my plate didn't come from a bag or can. Dressing was ok, but rave reviews for salad are people who know nothing about salad but portions and dressing. Ravioli was meh and sauce was thin. Do not go if you are laying off wheat.
(1)Tim B.
Stayed overnight in Pocatello. Went to Buddies as recommended by the hotel clerk. Not a very good meal at all. Wife and I shared their spaghetti dinner special that includes a HUGE salad and dessert. The spaghetti sauce was on par with cheap canned sauce. The "salad" was mostly a big ball of lettuce that was literally swimming in the house dressing. Way too sogged out and the dressing was not that special to boot ! The waitress and other staff were friendly and they give you a large quantity of food, which is why I gave 2 stars. Sorry for the bad report but this was not a good experience.
(2)Kirk H.
Great food service and as always great time
(5)Sharon F.
My sister and I had dinner at Buddy's while visiting Pocatello. We selected based on previous reviews and wanted try a local favorite. The highly recommended salad was quite disappointing - it was just iceberg lettuce drenched in dressing. The dressing was good there was just way too much of it. The servings were also enormous, which was ok because the price was too. A basic pasta dish was $17 -$20 and it included salad, bread, entree, dessert and coffee. There were ala carte options which were less expensive, but still over $10 for a half serving (which I only was able to eat half of). The entrees were very good. The service left a lot to be desired - really too many problems to list.
(3)Kate A.
Excellent food! Used to live nearby and eat here when I was a kid. Haven't been back in almost 20 yes but it took me right back to my childhood. I had the spaghetti and my husband had the meatball sandwich. Both were wonderful! The salad and bread were excellent too. Bought some dressing to take back to New Mexico with us.
(5)Kent P.
Sausage sandwich with everything is great. It was kind of like chicken parmigiana but with sausage instead of chicken. The salad, is some heavy Italian dressing, it's good but easily into the over kill range if you were to try to eat more than part of a half order. This is not a feel good about yourself because you ate something good for you kinda salad. Service is solid and pleasant and looked like good selection of beer and wine.
(4)Aaron K.
Most overrated place in Pocatello. The salad is as good as the other reviewers stated, love it. It stops there though. I have had perfect pizza there before, just cannot wait an hour and a half for it. I know this is a just have for Pocatellons, but what else but a beer and a salad. Don't even get me talking about the gross towel roll in the filthy ladies room.
(2)Andy M.
We went to Yellowstone Nat'l Park for a week. By the end of our trip, we drove past this town "Pocatello" and stop by to refill our stomach. At first we didn't know what is good here since we're only passing by, so we visited yelp.com as usual and see what the local say about this place. And they got a 5 stars reviews. We decided to give it a try and MAN, they do desert a 5 stars rating! Not only the food is good and authentic. The customer service is excellent too. Will definitely go back again if we ever pass by again. Don't forget to order coffee after the meal. It is so so good!
(5)Kyle K.
I wouldn't feed my dog what I was served. The salad was absolutely disgusting drenched with dressing. The Italian bread tasted like they took it out of a bag they bought at wal mart. The pasta was cold with mushy tomatoes and hard sundried tomatoes (and was charged about 5 times as much as it was worth). And to top it all off it took 2 hours to finally get served. Absolutely disgusting, possibly the worst restaurant I've ever been to.
(1)Doug D.
Had the chance to try Buddy's while in Pocatello. I heard about what a great place it was. It may be one of the best little Italian joints around! Over 50 years in business and it is not hard to see why. The food is to die for...yes it is that good! The salad is incredible and the meat ball open face sandwich is awesome. The homemade sauce is out of this world. I love the old charm of this old building and the sign on top of the building is of a simple place back in time.
(5)B R.
The best salad anywhere....yeah its overpriced for pasta but getting that salad with it makes me forgive that every time. Can't wait to go again and again and again
(5)Melissa V.
The best restaurant in the world! I am very worldly and I have to say that hands down this is the best place! The pizza and salad are my favorites! But I think everything there is outstanding! Can't go wrong with anything there. And the service is awesome. They're on top of everything. The owner is so friendly and fun! The best local restaurant ever! Five stars!
(5)Myron B.
Still our favorite place in Pocatello, best pizza in town, marinara to die for and great sandwiches. The staff is mature and professional not a bunch of high school kids. The flavors are distinct, flavorful and authentic. If you think Olive Garden is good Italian food stay away this place has flavor.
(5)Frank M.
Food and service were outstanding. Nothing fancy but the food is worth the trip. Highly recommend this place for authentic Italian food.
(4)Shelly F.
Always like to try the local eats when I visit a new place. This time I wished I'd opted for some place else. Ordered the salad everyone was bragging about...a huge portion of bagged lettuce with one piece of salami, one piece of pepperoni and one piece of cheese. Dressing was ok but lettuce was wilted. Salami sausage and mushroom pizza...very bland. Sauce was plain tomato sauce out of a can. Crust tasted like it was made with bisquick. Waitress was good but that's about the best thing I can say about Buddy's. Sorry Buddy, I won't be back.
(2)Natalie T.
This place has been spectacular every time I've been there. The pizzas and calzones are great (their salami is delicious). And they have the best salad I've ever eaten. The decor is very nice and the servers are always quick and kind. It can get a little noisy in there though.
(5)Arn P.
Poor food. Not vegetarian friendly... Salad came with salami stuck inside it. Waiter said, it's only on the side... Not really the answer sorry.
(2)