I was meeting a friend and that's when it was recommended to me. Great place for coffee at least and maybe work from home type of set up. Didn't try the food but someday. Lots of space inside and out, and staff is friendly. As it's in Cave Creek, you will always meet some friendly locals or visitors but loved the place. I will definitely visit again. read more

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Sunday at The Grotto which can be found in the Red Truck Plaza. I had been thinking about their muffins and decided to stop. As I entered the café, I saw a regular who hangs out there all the time. After I ordered, I joined him. I ordered a blueberry smoothie and a blueberry muffin. I do enjoy the taste of blueberries. Both orders were very good. Their homemade muffins have a strudel top. Yum! They also make a nice moist scone. Very relaxing to sit in there. They have regular tables and chairs or high tops. There is also a couch if you prefer that. Of course they have their outdoor seating and many people were doing that as well. Even for a Sunday it was fairly crowded. Free refills on their regular drinks. Shared parking lot. read more

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Just moved to Arizona on Valentine's Day and already found a little gem I know I'll keep coming back to I've been to Grotto Cafe twice now. The first time I stopped in for a glass of wine just to check it out -- they were about to close, but the staff was so kind and welcoming. I even saw a roadrunner on the patio, which honestly felt like the perfect Arizona welcome moment I went back yesterday after a 4-mile hike at Jewel of Cave Creek and had a turkey, avocado, and bacon sandwich with chips -- simple but absolutely delicious. Fresh, satisfying, and exactly what I needed after being out on the trails. Prices are very reasonable too. The vibe here is what makes it special. It's busy but relaxed, cozy but open, and you order at the counter which keeps everything easy and casual. They offer coffee, wine, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and more -- perfect for a quick bite or a chill afternoon. I especially love the setting surrounded by the little Cave Creek shops. It has such a peaceful, welcoming energy and is a great spot to sit outside, enjoy lunch, and soak in the Arizona sunshine. Whether you're hiking nearby or just exploring the area, this is a wonderful place to stop. I'll definitely be back read more

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Yum! Chicken salad sandwhich and their summer seasonal lemonade was so good!!! The decor on the inside was super fun - patio outside looked nice but too hot this time of year to enjoy. The bathroom could use an update, but everything else was thumbs up. Most of the staff is pretty young, manager/owner looked very stressed out while running every direction and making every single coffee/tea drink behind the bar ... I felt bad for her. Personal opinion tho. Give this place try! Fun vibes and good food for the cute little town of Cave Creek! read more

Happy time hanging out at Grotto Cafe in Cave Creek, Arizona. First time here with friend who has been here many times. Place was packed on a Saturday afternoon. Order at the entrance and they bring it to your table. I had the Southwest Burger with French Fries. Awesome burger with avocado, pepper jack cheese, chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato on brioche bun. Large menu with many dining spaces inside and out.. They also serve breakfast. You can spend hours going through the many shops at this location. Definitely will be back! read more

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This is still a nice place to sit outside and enjoy food and drinks. It's quite popular so sometimes parking and seating can be an issue. This time we stopped by for lunch. We had 2 salads, the Monterey with chicken and the Cobb. Both salads were nicely prepared and reasonably sized. But the chicken on each of them was surprisingly tough considering the pieces were diced. There are many other choices that are excellent, both for lunch and breakfast. The patio is dog friendly. And the service was great. read more

Grotto Cafe - Cobb salad - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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On a day trip to escape Phoenix, we toured around Carefree/Cave Creek & tried this new spot. We didn't realize that it's not "a sit down& be served" restaurant but order-at-the-counter-style. Service was friendly & food was fresh. My salad had a good combo of ingredients, including jicama, which they rarely serve. The focaccia that came w/ our salads was very doughy - I prefer mine more textured w/ more spices on top. The outdoor seating is always a treat when the weather's so nice. Finally, I LOVED the interior design - all concert posters from as early as the 1960s. I missed snapping photos of them but highly recommend taking the time to check them out, while waiting for your food to be delivered. I'm "only" giving a 4 b/c friend & I only had salads & didn't try anything else on the menu. read more

Grotto Cafe - Southwest Salad! - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

We love the Grotto Cafe. It's causal, has nice outdoor seating, and the food is always good! Fast service, friendly staff! Their live music is always great. Patio is pet friendly, so we've had brunch with our dog a few times. The patio has trees and umbrellas so there's plenty of shade. They have great bloody Mary's!!! I love their tuna salad sandwich. My husband loves their Cuban sandwich and of course their award winning chicken salad sandwich. They also have great salads all available in full or half sizes! We love hitting the Grotto after hiking in Cave Creek, it's the perfect spot for a bite to eat. The Grotto is a Cave Creek must! read more

Grotto Cafe - Bloody Mary's & Greek Salad - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

Very good food. Setup is nice. I vacation there once a year and this is a must stop. I have eaten many things on the menu. With nothing ever disappointing me. read more

What an amazing little almost-invisible-from-Cave Creek-road cafe! My wife and I popped in there today for lunch. It was our first visit, but definitely won't be our last. Let me simply start by saying Wow! The interior is quite roomy; seating is plentiful! There's a fair amount of outdoor seating, as well, but in the summer months that's not an ideal option. We liked the old rock bands theme that covers the walls. Very cool! The men's room was small but clean and tidy--usually a fair indicator of how well the rest of any cafe, especially their kitchens, will hold up under health inspection scrutiny. We both ordered the Southwest burger. You can look at the menus to see for yourself what it consists of, etc. Anyway, once our orders were brought by a sweet and friendly server, we were both extremely impressed by the size and quality of everything delivered. The portions were exceedingly generous; no skimping on these bad boys! Size alone, however, is not what makes a quality burger. It takes more than that in order to impress today's increasingly sophisticated (sometimes overly picky) consumers. What really stood out was the quality of the beautiful buns and the tastiness of the burger meat! Oh yeah!!! I'm old enough to remember the early 60's and my dad taking me to the drive-in burger joints that seemed to be on every street corner. I will never forget how good the buns looked and tasted! The buns served at The Grotto are of that same 1960's era quality, only larger. The beef is advertised as 100% Angus beef. I'm not sure exactly how important that is, but they were moist, savory, and completely delicious! I'm also not sure if the beef is formed in-house or arrive looking like they do when served, but they appear to be hand-formed in the kitchen. Either way, they are hands-down the best tasting burgers I've had in many a year. The avocados, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions were fresh and scrumptious. Oh, and the fries were very, very tasty! I think they would be considered seasoned fries, and they were perfectly tasty and crispy, but not overly crisped as to ruin the texture and taste. Long story finally concluding. The Grotto Cafe is now number one on our go-to list of burger places to frequent. Five stars all the way around! read more

Impressed with this order and sit down place! They have so many gluten free options, I cry happy tears. I had the famous chicken salad sandwich on gluten free bread. As you can see in the picture, they pack in the chicken salad. It was tangy and sweet and chewy and crunchy and just so so yummy. To make it last longer, I put half the chicken salad on each bread slice so it's like an open faced sandwich lol. The mayo added a nice creamy layer but didn't even need it. I also love how they toasted the bread because gluten free needs to be toasted for it to taste good lol. The pickle was a perfect finish. I was too full for the chips! My boyfriend got the Cuban panini and loved it - he gets that every time. Looked divine with the grill marks. We sat outside - it was hot but felt nice in the shade. It's beautiful outside with all the plants and there's good amounts of shade. The inside is very unique and eclectic, very cave creek. Super fast service, friendly staff! read more

Grotto Cafe - Cuban panini (top); Chicken salad sandwich on gluten free bread (bottom) - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

Cute little cafe to get lunch. Salads are always good.. Quirky decor inside & inviting outdoor seating.

Such a fun place to go for a quick day trip from valley. The restaurant offered breakfast and lunch menus plus a partial bar menu. The outdoor garden area was a true hidden gem equipped with free live music show from 2-4 pm. Highly recommended food and atmosphere read more

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Came in for lunch on a Monday and it was pretty busy. They do get the food out fast though so that was good. I got the quesadillas with havarti and pork (carnitas), very generous. I was a little surprised to see green chilis in it and don't remember those on the menu. Besides that I enjoyed them and ordered a small side of chips which was huge. My husband had a salad and added chicken and said he really enjoyed it. But maybe a little light on chicken so he stole some of my quesadilla. Cool place with all types of music concert posters. Really old ones from all over. Order at the counter and they bring it to your table. The pictures make it look like it has fluorescent lights but actually they are skylights so the lighting was good. I would go again but want to try a sandwich. read more

Grotto Cafe - Pork quesadilla very generous and side of chips which - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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Great atmosphere, friendly staff, inside and outside seating, amazing fresh food selection both for breakfast and lunch plus live music in afternoon on weekends! read more

I was hesitant to go here for a couple of reasons but we had a great experience. The chicken salad sandwich was awesome and the Cuban was really great too. Eclectic type of atmosphere. Service was awesome. I forgot to order fries and went back to do so and someone (the manager?) said it was no extra charge and made it happen. We will be back!! read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! It's such an amazing place to bring friends and family for brunch or a morning coffee! We drive over an hour to come here on the weekends because the atmosphere is so peaceful and the food is just amazing! I've been here probably 15+ times and I've NEVER had an issue, everything has always been great. For how busy this place gets, the service is so quick and efficient. Also, the owner is very personable and very friendly! Last time we came he gave me a free entree card for being a customer that supports and recommends this place to EVERYONE! Honestly there's not enough good things to say about the grotto! Just try it out.... You won't be disappointed! One last thing. THE BEST CHAI LATTES IN AZ IVE HAD SO FAR! and if you follow my reviews...you'll know I try a chai at EVERY place I go. There's is BY FAR THE BEST IN THE VALLEY read more

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Everything about this place is so quaint and cute. They had a performer there and the food was pretty affordable and yummy. Not anything super crazy but still good for what it is!! My margarita was good too. I got the tropical burger. read more

Interesting and I daresay therapeutic place. Was a little overwhelmed figuring out what was what due to unique layout and as I was a bit shell shocked from psychotic drivers one has to contend with to get there from Glendale. But really dug the centralized outdoor area that is flanked by two furniture stores in addition to the restaurant interior. Really fantastic place to enjoy live music coupled with a quality menu and respectable bar. Also got to witness the grace the staff exhibited when some nasty behaving women lied about and hijacked my table and drink. Kind people fairly scarce in a lot of Arizona so I'm happy to trek 30-40 minutes to support a place like this. Ed Skibbe and crew were a perfect fit for this spot so I hope they will play there again soon. Overall kudos. Looking forward to returning. read more

Grotto Cafe - Good vibe and excellent vantage point to enjoy live music and quality food. Signage present to ensure clarity re what you are hearing. - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

What a cute restaurant with fun indoor and outdoor seating. You order in line and then grab a seat. But your drinks are ready as you order them. The menu has a lot of options but I went with a basic burger and sweet potato fries. The burger was a hand made patty made with fresh meat and the brioche hun was buttered and grilled to perfection. The fries were delicious too. The table runner was quick and even refilled my drink for me. Very good service. read more

Grotto Cafe - The impressive guy was hoping for cast offs. - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

Another wonderful meal at the Grotto Cafe- they are certainly consistent!! I love that!! These days it can be easy to get marginal food that leaves you feeling bummed- not here!! They have continuously made great experiences for me with every visit! I'm a resident in the Tonto Verde area and we really have few restaurants in the outskirts of Scottsdale that make us want to revisit- either because it's hot or miss sometimes. Here we have Never walked out disappointed in our meal or its flavor!! Well Done Grotto for being the exception to the rule- Consistency is Key!! Kudos on the friendly, prompt staff as well! read more

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Food - Greek salad tasty and large portion Service - Friendly and quick Ambiance - Sat outside, pleasant read more

Grotto Cafe - Small Greek salad - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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Always a good experience and meal. Unique menu and eat item is tasty . . . salads, sandwiches or plates. Service is good and the setting is neat. Both inside and outside dining atmospheres are completely different making for plenty of choices each time you go. read more

Always a cool outdoor patio. Good local coffee by ROC. Service is great. Tasty food. They could toast their bagels and toast a little more. read more

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The biscuits and gravy were so good! Like 9.7 out of 10 good. I would just prefer a smidge more gravy but I'm sure they would if one would ask as they were so kind. The gravy isn't heavy and has flavors of rosemary and other seasonings...heavenly. Got a walnut brownie that I should have saved to bring home with a big glass of cold milk but it was to good to wait! The French toast was perfect portion size! The sausage was light and delicious. We sat outside and enjoyed the weather and good old fashioned people watching and conversation. Would highly recommend if the area! read more

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I was in AZ for my birthday and golf lessons at the Boulder's Golf Club. My Airbnb host recommended the Grotto Cafe for a delicious breakfast. He was right. It was quick ride and easy enough to find parking. I walked in and noticed artwork and posters from various concerts and musicians. The decor is definitely eclectic with a relaxed vibe. Quite the mix of people from different generations with what looked like a lot of locals. There are tables and booths located throughout. Just pick where you want to sit. I ordered a flat white and Grotto bowl which has eggs, sausage, potatoes, cheese and avocado. I was about to pay when I noticed a display with freshly baked goodness on the counter. I ordered a Raspberry white chocolate scone planning on eating it later. The flat white was perfect. A lot of places make a latte and call it a flat white. I can if it's made correctly by the weight. The grotto bowl was outstanding. I added a little ChoLuLa hot sauce and inhaled it. I don't normally eat fast, but it was so good! I decided to "try" a piece of the scone. What a mistake! It was still warm and not what I expected. A scone is usually sort of crispy on the outside and kind of tough like day old bread on the inside. This was light and moist and just luxurious. The combination of white chocolate and the tartness of raspberry was wonderful. I reached into the bag for a second and then a third piece and realized that I didn't have enough to take with me. Nothing left to do except finish it. Grotto Cafe is definitely worth a visit or two if you are in the area. I didn't get to try their lunch menu, but the sandwiches sounded delicious. read more

Grotto Cafe - Grotto Bowl. - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

Stopped in for lunch recently. Busy place that is self seating after ordering g at a counter. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich which most of the ingredients sound like it is chicken Waldorf salad. I also ordered the chips and salsa. Lastly ordered the Iced green tea. The chips and salsa come with red and a green salsa. The green was good but the red had absolutely no flavor. The chicken salad sandwich was average but was really heavy with red onion flavor that overpowered the entire sandwich (leave out the red onion!). The iced green tea was not green tea. Maybe that was the base but in tasted more like peach. This was a miss on some level of everything I ordered. read more

Stopped by on a weekend in the afternoon and got lucky enough to find a place to sit quickly. Very cute little find, casual and kid friendly. The food was delicious and the service was great. read more

This spot had been recommended and on our traveling journey we stopped in to try it. It has an ample parking area for the restaurant and surrounding stores. We walked over a small bridge and through the outdoor seating area to get to the entrance so it is a bit hidden, but worth finding. The interior is full of fun memorabilia and signs, and it is a delight to look at everything. The menu is above the ordering counter so I encourage you to take your time perusing as it is large! We got sandwiches but they serve many breakfast type items all day. Our lemonade and tea were refreshing, and the sandwiches were generous. I didn't like the ratio of veggies to cheese on my veggie sandwich, but that could just be preference. I would choose different bread next time which is allowed (even encouraged). A fun and tasty lunch and Sid for sure go back. I didn't see a ton of vegan options but vegetarians can find several things for sure. A fun spot for a stop and the lemon made was delicious! read more

Grotto Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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Delicious! This place is a hidden gem. We got the spicy Bloody Mary and it was amazing staff was friendly too. read more

Grotto Cafe - YUM! Spicy Bloody Mary - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

What a beautiful spot for lunch! Came with my mans got a yummy Bloody Mary and great food! The staff was out of this world, very attentive and I would come back again 100% read more

Grotto Cafe - Bacon grilled cheese - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

The Grotto needs to pay more attention to the freshness of their lettuce!! Also had to send back a bad avacado read more

Grotto Cafe - Lettuce not that fresh at the Grotto during bike week - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

Wonderful food! Everyone enjoyed it and wants to go back. We ate outside and it was such a fun vibe. Highly recommend the sweet potato fries. . read more

I'm not a coffee drinker, so it's rare you'll find me at a cafe first thing in the morning - ha! However, I was craving a toasted bagel and a cup of hot tea and a Yelp search led me to Grotto Cafe. This is definitely a community favorite as the parking lot and tables were packed on Saturday morning. Nevertheless, my wait was short and I easily grabbed a seat at a little inside bartop. Service was friendly (and patient!) while a newcomer like me meandered through the menu before making my selections. I chose a plain bagel with strawberry jam and a mint tea. The ambiance feels very much like the old sitcom Cheers! where everyone knows everyone and coffee (or tea for me!) isn't the only thing brimming; lively chatter is bubbling from every table, too! Note: I noticed the outdoor patio is pup friendly! read more

Unique and great place to eat. Cuban sandwiches are very good. But the Buffalo Bleu Burger is a must. Friendly staff, great outdoor seating with relaxing atmosphere. Tucked away very well off the main Cave Creek Road. Recommend highly! read more

We have enjoyed both inside, reading the artwork, and sitting outside, enjoying the entertainment that has resumed now that the weather has cooled down. We started to bring our young 7mon old Daisy. Today she enjoyed the wonderful tunes playing out in the patio. We have enjoyed Panini's, salads, smoothies and great iced teas. Oh I don't wanna forget their sweet potatoes fried as well. They are delicious. Total pup friendly food options too! read more

Grotto Cafe - Daisy enjoying the great entertainment - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

This place has a nice outdoor patio. We went after a hike in January and enjoyed sitting out on the patio. There are tons of birds that are watching you eat, which is really fun. They don't have a vegan option specifically. We ordered the strawberry spinach salad and omitted the bread and the cheese. It was very delicious. We also got the grilled veggie sandwich without the dairy. It actually was pretty tasty. I wish they had either a vegan cheese or hummus or something on it but all in all really great options. I've also come here before and gotten a drink. It's a nice place to hang out and chill. It can get a little bit busy so you may have to wait for a table to open up. read more

Grotto Cafe - Bird outside - Cafes Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

people are rude, tables are filthy. Thought I would give this place a try. apparently the people who frequent this place tolerat low standards. read more

Love the outdoor setting and ambiance. Food and coffee always consistent and yummy. They even have music on the weekends and cute shops right around them. read more

Breakfast and lunch are both wonderful here! We enjoyed the strawberry chicken salad with a Mimosa and Bloody Mary. We spent time after shopping in the stores nearby. Really enjoy sitting outside at this brunch spot. read more