I truly left this spot with mixed feelings…read more On the one hand, our servers were fabulous! They were dealing with a very large party (with a lot of confusion) behind us, so it was clear both the servers and kitchen staff were stretched thin. I'm not sure if it's a newer addition based on the reviews, but the spot is decorated beautifully. With decor, games, a solid color scheme and a variety of menu options, it's truly an inviting standout in Carefree! Our food was just fine (I think they're aiming for elevated bar food), and our drinks were alright. I'm not sure my smoked old fashioned was prepared correctly but it happens. However, for the experience I left feeling I'd severely overpaid. Additionally, the company was questionable. A gentleman walked around the venue with a dog and a frown, a man came in barefoot to pick up an order, and I witnessed a non employee (or off shift employee?) sneak behind the bar several times. There seems to be a speakeasy medspa behind a painting, but we didn't get the details. This spot has the potential to be a total standout! A mixologist with a solid craft cocktail menu and execution, a menu rethink, and maybe some event programming and this spot could certainly be a home run! If I revisit, I'd be beyond delighted to see they've grown into their potential! Best of luck to these folks!

A Shoutout to Cindy & a New Neighborhood Favorite!…read more We just got back from lunch at Tox Bar/Speedy Burger in Carefree, and what a treat it was! To our delight, Cindy--yes, the Cindy many of us have known and loved for years--was there bartending and serving with the same warm smile and stellar service she's always been known for. This time, though, she's doing it at a place that offers great food, a fun and cozy ambience, and a dog-friendly patio--a rare combo that's hard to beat. Let's face it: dining out isn't as affordable as it once was. But as I told Cindy, I don't mind paying for quality food and excellent service--and that's exactly what you'll get at Tox Bar/Speedy Burger. For years, we were loyal regulars at Brisam's, visiting twice a week. But over time, prices soared, food quality declined, and the atmosphere never improved. The space started to feel tired and neglected. Sadly, the lack of connection from ownership didn't help--unless you were a former mayor or someone "important," you likely didn't get a second glance. Let's be honest: Cindy carried Brisam's for 18 years. Her genuine care for customers was the reason many of us kept going back. Now that she's moved on, it's no surprise to see the shift. So here's my suggestion: support a place that supports its people and customers. Tox Bar/Speedy Burger is that place. Stop by on Sundays or Tuesdays this summer to see Cindy in action. Come fall, I predict it'll be wall-to-wall locals enjoying everything this gem has to offer. Let's spread the word and give our support where it's truly deserved.

I organized a private dinner, in their private dining room, for my husband's birthday. Julia was an…read moreabsolute joy to work with. She responds so quickly and always addressed every question, idea, etc I presented. I loved getting to work with Julia, she is such an asset at Keelers. I cannot say enough good things about her! Overall, we had a good experience. They were very nice to provide a vegan option for one of our guests. The food was hit and miss with some dishes (like the NY Strip) being great and others being not so good (like the Prime Rib (although it was massive in size!) and Salmon). Our server Maria was great! She had a full section on the patio and then us off in the private room and she did a great job providing us with good, quick service and we loved her banter as well. All the staff we interacted with were really nice. We enjoyed being in the private room and not having to worry about disrupting other dinners, but there were some quarks with the private room. Staff often came in to access some kind of storage room within the room, we would have loved the ability to control the music ourselves, which was on when we arrived but stopped part way through out meal. The room is also separate from the rest of the restaurant, I assumed it would have been inside the same building but it is off the patio in it's own building and down a very steep ramp.

Came here on a Friday without a reservation and they were nice enough to seat us right away but…read moreafter that the experience was unpleasant. We didn't feel like eating steak so I ordered the burger and my BF ordered the prime rib dip. My burger was really good but the onion rings and fries were over fried or it just tasted old and dry. Also they take forever bring out drinks and food. We received our bill and my BF noticed that there was something on the receipt that didn't look familiar which was $60. The server charged a bottle of wine table next to ours on our tab. Probably won't be back, not the best experience and the server never really checks on you to see if you need anything, more like trying to get her attention.

This was my first time dining at Pizzicata (Mesa location), and the live music is what initially…read moredrew me in. The patio views are beautiful, and the weather made it such a great spot to sit outside in the evening. The live music was a perfect touch...not too loud, so you could still have a conversation comfortably. The owner even walked around and spoke with guests, and both he and his wife were incredibly friendly. You can tell they really take pride in the entertainment they provide and in making sure customers have a great experience. As for the food, it reminded me a lot of the pizza at A Modo Mio Cucina Italiana, which is just a few streets away. If you've had and enjoyed their pizza, you'll likely enjoy Pizzicata as well. I ordered the Jennifer calzone, and it was okay. I would try a calzone again, but with different toppings. I added a meatball for an extra $3, and honestly, it didn't quite hit the spot compared to homemade meatballs. The calzone had a lot of ricotta and not a lot of other ingredients in it, so if you're not a big ricotta fan, this probably isn't the best choice. That said, the ricotta itself had a different flavor than other ricotta I'm used to. The calzone doesn't come with sauce inside, and the side of sauce is pretty small. I was charged $0.50 for an extra... I probably could've used two or three sides of sauce since the calzone had none. That being said, the sauce itself was excellent... very close to the flavor of sauce that my family makes. This sauce really gave the calzone a good Taste, it just needed more! We also tried the mozzarella sticks, and those were good. Overall, the atmosphere is beautiful, the space is a nice size, and the staff is warm and welcoming. It seems like a good place to bring kids, although when we went (Thursday around 6), I didn't see many. The decor is lovely, and the overall vibe makes it a place I'd come back

Decided to try this place because of a post on Cave Creek Infamous Bulletin Board. Shout out for…read moreposting about it! Our first time in there JC was our server. She was awesome and encouraged us to try the pizza. The pizza was awesome. JC was so nice and so welcoming. The food did not disappoint. It was delicious and the pizza crust was the best we've had in the USA! JC told us that their flour is shipped in from Italy so it's much more healthier and TASTIER than the flour out here. Since it was so good we couldn't wait to bring our kids there. We were greeted immediately by Randy and sat immediately. Randy was an awesome server and our food came out very quickly. She checked on us enough to make sure our food was good and our drinks were always filled. She was very friendly and welcoming as well. Before leaving, we decided to get some gelato and Noah helped us. He was very patient with our chaotic family and gave us good recommendations on the gelato. This place is so cute, very clean, has awesome food, but most especially wonderful customer service. Good representation of Carefree and Cave Creek!!! I can't wait to bring out of towners here.

I was staying at the resort and ended ip eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner here. The restaurant…read morehad a good variety of healthy and tasty options at each meal and overall I think it deserves a good rating! For breakfast, I had the chocolate buckwheat porridge and a cappuccino. I wanted to try something new since I had never had buckwheat porridge before. I wouldn't recommend the porridge because it had a strong flavor from the buckwheat. I ended up asking for some extra coconut cream to put on it to enhance the flavor. My husband ordered the smoked salmon toast, which was excellent. I felt like the porridge and the cappuccino were both overpriced and could have been better. For lunch, I had the Buddha bowl, which was tasty, well balanced, and super healthy. For dinner, I had the salmon, which was well seasoned and perfectly cooked. I also appreciated the variety of non-alcoholic drink options. The service was excellent at each meal - the servers were knowledgeable and friendly. The ambiance was nice too. I ended up eating outside at each meal to enjoy the view of the mountains in the distance. The inside of the restaurant looks nice, but seemed a little dark.

Honestly, the food was probably the part I disliked the most from the Civana resort for me. Terras…read morewas very underwhelming. It's mostly more on the healthy side which is understandable, but I think it should be more of a variety of different foods. I enjoyed the smashed avocado, salmon tacos, golden beet miso soup, and the grass fed filet mignon. I wasn't a fan of the charred octopus, roasted artichoke and the chicken tacos. The drinks were good I can at least say that! but If you're looking for something more fulfilling as far as food with more taste I would look outside the resort. The Pros were all the employees were very friendly and accommodating. The ambience was nice, and the restaurant itself was always clean.

Janey's Coffee Co & Bodega is truly a treasure. Set back from the main road (Cave Creek), I was…read moremildly surprised at how busy it was on a late Sunday Afternoon. I say "mildly suprised" because once we walked up to the actual coffee house we heard the live music on the large back patio. One of our absolutely favorite local artist, Aaron Howard was performing, and he definitely brings in a crowd. It was busy, as I mentioned, but not too crowded, and we found a good table towards the back. As it was the begging of the hot weather this spring, we were very grateful for the generous-sized table umbrellas. But first, we went inside the Bodega to order a Beer and a snack. They have a great selection of Beer and wine! And since we were still 2 hours or so away from dinner, we decided to grab a veggie & cheese board, which had a nice variety of cruditè and humas. It was very satisfying for 2 adults. We spent.a total of about 2 hours there and left there knowing we would be coming back to Janey's. Side note: For those of you who need accessibility, I myself am on an electric scooter for ambulating. The parking lot is dirt and only has a couple of handicap parking spots. But no space is more than approximately 150 ft from the entrance to Janey's. Once you get to the building, it is very easy to get in and out of the main bodega, with wide, level doorways. The doors were propped open when we visited. I did not utilize the restroom on this visit.

Janey's can be found at the Saguaro Ridge plaza. Being in the mood for a hot chocolate I stopped…read moreinto Janey's for a beverage. It had been years since I had this drink. It tasted just perfect. Small sips are the best. Yummy. Free parking on the dirt road in back.

Great little pub with a view. Service was good, atmosphere was good. Would come back!read more

The service was kinda of slow. The food not great. But I. I gave it 4.0 stars for the vibe. Very…read morechill pls e to grab a drink and enjoy the amazing scenery. All about the ambiance

Predictable food, nice environment and pretty good service…read more Would recommend for a nice, relaxed evening.

Called ahead and got reservation for 7 of us - they said normally only allow reservations for 8 or…read moremore but they made an exception. Arrived on a Sunday at 1 pm and were seated in a corner booth. All wood booth, seating is tight for 7 and would be near impossible for 8. Hard straight up back. Glad i brought coat to sit on although it was a bit cool inside too. Old western style decor inside. A little crowded and noisy but since we were huddled in a tight booth, we had good conversations compared to other places. Seating outside with fair number of people but heaters didn't appear to be on - I would have been cold outside. Mostly picnic table seating outside; sitting next to road although fenced in. Some pups with patrons. Service good overall but fairly slow. Lilly had to go verify the special for the day. My burger came several minutes after other entries arrived - weird. I had the horny toad burger with fries - great fries! Burger had brisket with bacon too - it was fairly good. We also had onion rings as appetizer which were fairly good beer battered style. Others had the Cod and taco's, but the bday girl had liver an onions which she said were very good. Everyone liked the taco's and chips that came with them. The creamed corn was just ok, and coleslaw fairly good. No offer of little dessert for bday girl which was surprising given we told the waitress this and made reservation just for the occasion. Drinks were good overall. Beautiful drive to get there, but doubtful we will be back much. Value was ok for what we got but nothing tremendously special.

If you're looking for a classic western restaurant / bar atmosphere, Harold's is a good choice…read more Dark, lots of wood (walls, ceilings, floor). Plenty of seating both indoors and out. We were there for an early dinner on a Friday and you could see they were already setting up for live music and dancing for later in the night. Enjoyed the AYCE fish with us each having the cod and walleye, respectively. We didn't have drinks, but the food prices were reasonable. Clientele was a great mix of old, young, couples and families. Everyone seemed very comfortable and having fun. It is very laid back. Been driving by for years and wish I would have stopped in sooner. Will definitely be back.

Drove almost an hour to meet friends for brunch…read more Coffee was warm but not hot. Breakfast potatoes room temp. Huevos rancheros were ok. I prefer when the tortilla is crispy, but more that the beans are on top, not on the side. Everyone at the table mentioned the potatoes. One got waffles and they weren't hot either.

Although the place was very busy as it was wine Wednesday for half price wine, the hostess put two…read moretables together to be able to see the four of us. Pizza was great as always, drinks came out super quick. All in all a great experience to have dinner with friends there!

Brugo's is our favorite pizza restaurant in the Cave Creek area. We especially enjoy their thin…read morecrust pizzas. Our two favorites are the Franktown and the Finding Nemo. The Franktown has chicken, bacon, roasted garlic, and a variety of cheeses while the finding Nemo is shrimp based with cheese. We typically eat at the bar while chatting with Patrick, a long-term bartender there. He's always good for a few laughs. While it sometimes takes a while to get your food, patience is a virtue. And especially during the snowbird season, the restaurant can be crowded so a reservation is in order.

This place exceeded my expectations in the best way. The cocktails were divine and fresh, the…read moregrilled corn, guacamole, and salsa tasted fantastic, and we loved the Mother's Day cocktail special Thanks to our bartender Brian who made everything just how we like it. Absolutely will be back.

I stopped by The Mission Old Town for brunch on my birthday (on a Sunday). While they don't have a…read moreparking, it's located in the heart of Old Town so parking is free on the street and in most surface lots. I found a spot in the surface lot right across the street from one of the most popular Mexican restaurants in town. Ambiance (4/5): The Mission is a nice restaurant. There's a small patio in front and a large patio out back. Sit at the outdoor patio if you can pull it off. Inside is great too, and there's nice artwork both inside and outside. The only issue? It's a popular restaurant and they try to pack in as many people as possible so space is at a premium. That also means that if you come at a peak hour, like we did, it's going to be pretty loud. Service (4/5): There was a wait when we arrived and the bar was full (first come, first served). Luckily, a group was leaving right when I lingered by the bar and we were able to snag the seats. The bartender did a pretty good job taking care of us. There was room for improvement as far as her efficiency and checking in, but overall, given how busy the restaurant was, pretty good. Drinks (4.5/5): The Mission has an interesting cocktail list. As you'd expect, it's tequila-focused but there's a good variety. You'll find creative cocktails which is always big in my book. Plus margaritas like prickly pear margaritas. I went with the correndo na chuva which has cachaca, passion fruit, lemongrass, sherry, and lime juice. Cachaca is a Brazilian liqueur which you don't see in many places so this was a treat. It was a refreshing cocktail. Lots of spicy cocktails are available, too. Food (4/5): While the brunch menu is pretty extensive, I think there's a clear winner: the all-you can eat whole roasted pig out. For $19, and only on Saturdays and Sundays during brunch, it's a steal of a deal. You get pineapple roasted shoulder and pork belly carnitas tacos served with your choice of one of five sauces. There's a little buffet stand where a member of their staff will make the tacos for you. I had about 10 of them and they hit the spot! Nice variety of sauces so I tried all of them except for one (two spicy for my blood) and you can request flour tortillas if you prefer that over the corn tortillas they have. Between the two proteins, I thought the pork shoulder was more flavorful and tender. It's no surprise that The Mission Old Town has some of the most Yelp reviews in town. It's a popular restaurant. Just make sure to make a reservation or stop by outside of peak hours or there's a good chance you'll have a wait.