Boise didn’t go as planned for this California chain. Now it’s opened a Star restaurant
When Mountain Mike’s Pizza first announced its Idaho expansion, the California-based chain came across as ambitious, to say the least.
Revealing a plan to debut in Meridian — a restaurant that opened in early 2022 — a media release also promised a Mountain Mike’s in downtown Boise months later, with a total of four new Treasure Valley locations expected by the end of that year.
Didn’t happen.
Mountain Mike’s at 3340 N. Eagle Road settled in as the lone Idaho store, serving pies with “legendary crispy, curly pepperonis, Mountain-sized pizzas, and dough made fresh daily.”
But now — finally — that location has a pepperoni pal.
Idaho’s second Mountain Mike’s opened Jan. 25 at 51 N. Union St. in Star, the growing suburb northwest of Boise.
Like the Meridian restaurant, it’s owned and operated by Idaho franchisee Gem State Pies, which has rights to develop at least three more Treasure Valley locations, according to the latest Mountain Mike’s media release.
Founded in 1978 in Palo Alto, Mountain Mike’s is invested heavily on the West Coast. But the company — headquartered in Newport Beach — has made out-of-state expansion a priority. There are now nearly 300 locations.
Mountain Mike’s strives for a traditional, family-style pizza experience. The Star restaurant offers four big-screen TVs for sports fans, arcade games for kids and — in a 21st century touch — complimentary Wi-Fi, according to the release. And foodwise? “With a menu of signature pizzas, chicken wings, garlic bread, salads, mozzarella sticks, and a selection of beer and wine, there’s something for everyone at Mountain Mike’s,” it proclaims.
At Mountain Mike’s, you build your own pizza or order signature pies. The standard pepperoni variety ranges from $13.99 for a 10-inch, 10-slice small to $21.99 for a 14-inch, 14-slice large. Or climb that hunger peak with a 20-inch, 20-slice “Mountain”-sized pie for $33.99.
You’ll drop a bit more for specialty pizzas. For example, the Garlic Tuscan is $24.99 for a 14-inch, 14-slice large. It includes Louisiana hot sausage, salami, black olives, garlic, green onions and sun dried tomatoes on classic red sauce. The “Mountain” Tuscan is $39.99.
In Meridian, Mountain Mike’s has pulled a 3.8-star out of 5-star rating on Google and 3.2 on Yelp.
Hungry? A solid way to try Mountain Mike’s is the lunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. It includes all-you-can-eat pizza and salad bar, plus a drink, for $10.99.
Along with dine-in and takeout, Mountain Mike’s has its own delivery drivers to go along with typical third-party options.
Mountain Mike’s in Star is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Phone: (208) 325-0500. For additional information and to check out the menu, visit mountainmikespizza.com.
And as for that phantom Boise location?
Gem State Pies still has “plans to open a few Idaho Mountain Mike’s locations with Boise coming soon,” according to a Jan. 31 update from the chain’s media contact.
