A baked potato is an entirely reasonable thing to order in Idaho. At Westside Drive In, though, the one that gets people talking arrives as a visual prank: It looks like a baked potato, but it is ice cream from end to end.
That dessert gives this Boise drive-in one of its most recognizable calling cards, but it is hardly the only reason to pull in. Westside is built for the full comfort-food sweep—burgers, sandwiches, fries, fried sides, finger steaks, shakes and loaded potatoes substantial enough to stand in for dinner.
The setting keeps the mood easy. Orders go in at the service window, outdoor patio tables offer a place to settle in, and two drive-thru lanes make it possible to take the whole operation on the road. It has the pleasant informality of an old-fashioned stop where a burger basket and a dessert-only detour both make perfect sense.
The Ice Cream Potato Has Its Own Logic
The baked potato ice cream is the item to order when a meal needs a little Boise-specific mischief. The joke works because the dessert is presented to resemble the savory Idaho staple, then turns out to be ice cream instead. It is playful without being merely a gimmick; the point is still to eat dessert, slowly if you like, not simply admire it.
For travelers who have already had lunch or dinner elsewhere, this is an easy stop built around a single memorable treat. For everyone else, it makes a fine finale after something salty and fried. The contrast is especially good: a tray of drive-in food, then a “potato” that belongs in the dessert category.
It also explains why the place can draw a crowd with very different plans. One person may be after a full meal, another may be in pursuit of the ice cream potato, and neither has to negotiate much of a compromise.
A Menu That Does Not Rush You Toward One Choice
Westside’s menu is broad in the best drive-in way. It gives a group plenty of room to go in different directions, from burgers and sandwiches to baskets, loaded spuds and shakes. The Daddy O burger and Monte Carlo sandwich are among the named options that give the board some personality.
Then there are the less predictable old-school choices. A bologna sandwich appears alongside a shaved rye dip sandwich, and a coconut shrimp basket joins the more expected burger-and-fries territory. That range keeps the place from becoming a one-item stop, even with a dessert as attention-grabbing as the ice cream potato.
A Tuesday beef taco offering is another reminder that the menu does not stay strictly inside the burger lane. The food here is hearty and unfussy, but it is not narrowly scripted.
Idaho Potatoes as a Main Course
The savory potato side of Westside deserves its own moment. The Basic Idahoan and the Works Spud put the state’s signature crop in the center of the meal rather than off to one side. These are loaded baked potatoes intended to be taken seriously.
The Works Spud can come with sour cream, cheese, chopped bacon and green onion, turning a baked potato into a generously topped, knife-and-fork affair. With that much going on, it can serve as lunch or dinner on its own.
The potatoes also bring one practical wrinkle: They may take considerably longer to prepare than other items. If a loaded spud is the plan for a later visit, calling ahead can be useful rather than assuming it will move as quickly as a burger or fries.
Finger Steaks and the Fried Side of the Menu
Finger steaks are another house specialty, and they make sense in a place that respects a good dipping sauce. The appeal is straightforward: tender beef inside, a fried exterior, fries alongside, and sauce close at hand. Fry sauce gets special attention here, as it should in a proper basket situation.
Steak fries bring a thicker, more substantial companion to the plate. They are seasoned and flavorful, a good choice when delicate shoestring fries would seem beside the point.
The fried mushroom order is worth a look for anyone who values the classic crisp-outside, juicy-inside contrast. Fried sweet potatoes offer another detour, served with a sauce that gives them more personality than a standard side order.
Some meals even show up with unexpected extras, such as a slice of toast and a fortune cookie. It is a small, slightly quirky touch, and exactly the sort of thing that suits a menu not overly concerned with keeping every plate in a tidy category.
Shakes for a Different Kind of Dessert Stop
The ice cream potato may have the spotlight, but it shares dessert territory with milkshakes and flavored sodas. Banana and s'mores are among the shake flavors that have appeared on the menu, offering a more familiar route for anyone not ready to order a dessert disguised as produce.
The banana shake has a notably fruity character, with banana pulp in the mix rather than just a passing suggestion of flavor. That is a nice detail in a place where indulgence is not treated as a subtle matter.
A shake can also make a complete visit on its own. Pull through, pick a flavor, and save the larger menu for another day—or do the sensible thing and make the return trip for finger steaks and a loaded potato.
How the Drive-In Visit Unfolds
At the State Street location, the experience centers on outdoor seating and window ordering, with a covered area providing some summer shade. The two drive-thru lanes add another option for people who prefer to eat elsewhere. Parking there has been described as plentiful, with free lot and street parking available.
Westside also has a Parkcenter location, where indoor seating has been noted. Seating arrangements and other details can vary between locations, so the particular stop shapes the visit a bit.
Still, the basic rhythm remains happily simple: order something that sounds good, claim an outdoor table if that is where you are, and do not be surprised if the menu makes a single visit feel insufficient. A bologna sandwich one day, a Works Spud the next, and that ice cream potato waiting whenever the occasion calls for it.