Boise restaurateur Rex Chandler, the force behind Chandlers Steakhouse, has been inducted into the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRōNA) Hall of Fame in 2025. The honor celebrates his extraordinary five-decade career in fine dining and cements his place as one of Idaho’s most influential figures in food and hospitality.
Chandler’s path to Boise’s dining spotlight started far from Idaho. A Southern California native who cut his teeth in Hawaii’s restaurant scene, he later brought his vision to Sun Valley in the 1990s before opening Chandlers in downtown Boise in 2007. What began as a bold leap by transforming a former hotel pool into a destination dining room at boutique Hotel 43, has grown into a 9,000-square-foot restaurant staffed by more than 90 employees and known nationwide for its consistency and sophistication.
For Chandler, the recipe for success has always gone beyond what’s on the plate. “The cuisine must be excellent, that’s a given,” he told me in an earlier interview. “But what sets a restaurant apart is the level of hospitality, the warmth and professionalism that makes guests feel truly welcome.” That philosophy has helped Chandlers earn repeat Wine Spectator top honors, several Forbes Recommended distinctions, and now the DiRōNA Hall of Fame recognition…