I don't have a lot to say about this establishment except that their wings are the best that I've had in a long time they are smoky slightly sweet and super delicious. We got to go order so we never had the opportunity to eat inside and experience the service, but it looks like a nice place to enjoy a meal with family. If you like wings I definitely recommend trying theirs. They are a little pricey, but well worth it. read more

Great efficient service, delicious burger, crispy, perfect fries. Amazing lunch spot!

Loved each of the dishes we had. Cute spot to walk in. No wait. Good flavor. Amazing ranch! read more

Venues Cafe - Punished these Charred Honey Garlic Wings 10/10 - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

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My husband had wonderful stuffed pork chops this evening and thoroughly enjoyed them. Me? I chose seafood enchiladas! What a disaster!! The menu described them as stuffed with shrimp , crab and mushroom and served with green enchilada sauce. Hmmmmmmm ! I was served something, stuffed with gritty spinach and a few tiny pieces of shrimp with a couple of pieces of mushroom. The entire thing was covered in melted cheese. No green enchilada sauce in sight! Along with it came risotto. Yes RISOTTO. ( usually delicious with their shrimp plate) but tonight crunchy uncooked rice and hardly the thing to serve with enchiladas. Next to that pico de gillo and a slice of avocado. What a strange and unlikely mixture. So hardly any shrimp,no crab, unwashed spinach and no green enchilada sauce. Definitely an extremely poor offering for $26.00 I have no idea what all that spinach was stuffed inside. So sad because we have had some really good food in this restaurant. Their French onion soup is the very best in town and I have enjoyed the bacon wrapped shrimp more than once. So this disappointing meal will have to be written off to a one time bad experience. You might want to avoid ordering the seafood enchiladas though! read more

Venues Cafe - Seafood enchiladas. Look great but NOT SO GOOD! - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

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Truly enjoyed this quaint find. The food was great, had the chicken tortilla soup, the short rib & shrimp tacos. Also the salad was impeccable. The server was really nice and gave great recommendations. It's near a lot of cute shops, so afterwards we had a chance to look around. It was even live music across the street. Overall if you ever find yourself in Carefree, stop by and check out Venues it's a great place read more

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Great food, friendly servers and warm atmosphere!! This is our go to restaurant in Care Free!!!

We were hangry and needed a late lunch. There was also the Carefree Art and Wine Festival happening so we weren't sure if we would have to wait for a table. Luckily we went to lunch late enough where most diners had left. The guys had cheeseburgers and fries and we gals ordered the turkey panini with green salad. The burgers looked amazingly huge. The guys were happy and ate every last bite. The paninis were grilled, buttery and good. The salad was fresh and crisp. A good meal! Lots of patrons so a bit loud in here. There is also outdoor seating. Free street parking and WiFi. read more

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I frequent this place often and always have a good time. The owner Kathrine, the bartenders, an older British waiter/bartender, they are all awesome. The food is amazing, always consistent service too. After my experience with Dan, (Bartender/waiter) today I won't be back, hopefully he quits or gets fired because me and my family really like Venues. This could be a 5 star review if Dan wasn't so unpleasant, a real jerk! Thanks for reading. read more

Tasty food and drinks in a cozy environment sitting in a comfy booth! We had the seafood enchiladas and a prime rib, both great choices! The creamy risotto side with the enchiladas was so yummy! We luckily were able to order the last cut of prime rib on a Saturday at 630pm so next time we'll go earlier. Excellent friendly customer service from our server Donna! The word "Cafe" in the name is a misnomer; this is a "Restaurant". Looking at the menu, it sounds like a good place for brunch, too. Venues is just a short walk from the famous sundial and the Hampton Inn in Carefree. read more

Delicious apps, entrees were on point and the service was excellent! It was our first time in so we will surely be back.

Full disclaimer: my food was ordered to go and by the time I sat down and ate, my food was not that hot. I follow a more plant based diet. As I am visiting from DC, I wanted to try Mexican food so I was excited that they had a plant based option. I ordered the Impossible enchiladas. While they were not bad, they were not great either. I do wish they used a vegan cheese for this dish as I had to order it with no cheese. That probably would have made it taste better. While my order was to go, the service was good. I'm willing to give them another try. read more

Not recommended. I had the street tacos and got food poisoning from them. I asked for the server for them without the special sauce and the server initially brought them with the sauce. The kitchen made me another order of the street tacos, which were the ones I ate and got sick from. The other person with me had no issues with a sandwich. Service was average and not friendly. Edit: Thank you Catherine for the response. I was there about 2:30 pm today. I called the restaurant about 4:45 pm and asked for the manager, but was told she was unavailable. Your employee took my contact information and said the manager would call me back. I have yet received a call back. Update: I never received a call back from Venues Cafe about the food poisoning from its food. It's very disappointing that the owner posts her concern in response to my review but she never follows up for more information. read more

Great service. Shrimp tacos were awesome!! I would recommend Happy hour, as it is a bit cheaper and the food on the menu is great!

I ordered the street tacos and they were delicious. The short rib taco was juicy, tender and personally my favorite. The carne asada was also tasty with its unique salsa. Great location in the middle of downtown. Local flutist was performing in the park across from the restaurant as we sat on the patio. I will go back again. read more

Venues Cafe - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

This place is special to us as it is where I proposed to my now wife in 2013. So for Valentine's Day brunch we decided to drive 30 miles to Venues for brunch. Worth the drive up here. If you are staying in the are get over to this place. If you are down in Phoenix, the drive up will take you through some beautiful areas before you arrive here. read more

Venues Cafe - Dining area looking to the front door - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

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Highly recommend this restaurant after our experience the other night. We made a reservation for 16 people for Happy Hour, but 3 more were added at the last minute. Donna was great to work with and Bronco rolled with the punches and was a great server!! They have a great Happy Hour menu and everyone loved their food. Was a beautiful night and their adorable patio was filled with people. Make this place your next dining experience and you'll be coming back. read more

It was Easter, the restaurant was buzzing with people, and the service was slow, Everyone decided the food was tasty and worth the wait! Drinks were good too. We had two young kids at our table and we brought a few card games but it would have been nice for Venues to also have a few crayons and paper to help keep them occupied while we waited! read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants! The food is consistently good. The service is friendly and they are genuinely nice. They do not make you feel rushed, but allow you to eat and enjoy your time there. The ambiance is what drew us to come back and then we just fell in love with the food and the service. We bring friends and family here often. read more

Food was tasty and service was reasonable but overall this place is over priced. We would not eat here again.

We were seated next to a cozy fireplace inside on a cold windy day. They were out of turkey burgers and onion rings, so we settled for turkey panini with sweet potato fries. The mayo sauce in the panini made this sandwich absolutely delicious. It was perfect with warm toasted bread. The sweet potato fries were very satisfying too. Our waitress was very friendly. Highly recommend. read more

Venues Cafe - Turkey Panini with sweet potato fries - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

Wonderful meal there. Ate outside. Tuna melt and the so cal burrito. Two meals out of the burrito. Attentive staff. Highly recommended

Delicious food and fast service! It came recommended and it did not disappoint. I went early for a quick bite and was a party of one. Great experience. read more

My husband and I were here for lunch on Sunday for the Porsche show. Restaurant was full so we had lunch at the bar. The bartender was not friendly and seemed irritated by us. Yes, it was busy, but don't take it out on the customers. Lunch was simple. A cheeseburger and turkey panini. I ordered the turkey panini and it came out before my husbands cheeseburger. I waited for him to get his food as we were told it'll be right out. NOT! My fries and panini sat getting cold while we waited for my husband's food to arrive however, about 5 minutes later, he said you better eat. I said share it with me since yours is not out yet. So we both ate my lunch and another 5 minutes went by before he got his lunch. Mine was now more than 1/2 gone. No apologies or comment. The food was average, nothing special. My panini was made with regular processed deli turkey. The restroom needs serious attention. While there is one stall with a door, the other toilet is in the middle of the floor with a foldable non-attached room divider that was made out of wicker. Completely unacceptable and was falling over. No privacy at all. Not a place I'd ever go back to. read more

Served quick. Meat was tasty, with a bit of extra salt detected. Cheese could have been the superior shredded Mexican cheese versus the easy out nacho pre-fab cheese. Portion size was appropriate. read more

Venues Cafe - Nachos! - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

This place is very unique in style and atmosphere. The dining area was a little dark and menu selection limited. However, the staff was friendly and very attentive to our refills. read more

This reveiw is for the wonderful service we received while at dinner on December 24th. My husband, son and I started out in the restaurant with Branko as our server. He was attentive and had a great personality. His service skills really shined, though, when my son started getting lightheaded right before our food arrived and we asked if we could move outside. Branko was so gracious and helped us move to an outside table. He continued to give us the best service (even though that probably wasn't even his section anymore.) His compassion and grace are really appreciated. Venues is lucky to have Branko on their staff. read more

Excellent food, service was exceptional. I will return! I ordered the chicken wings with their special sauce...yummy. read more

We had excellent service and the ambiance was fantastic! We sampled many of the items on the happy hour menu and also some entrees. Everything was delicious! They were very accommodating, and when we had one issue with the freshness of the Brie on the charcuterie.. they promptly & kindly, remedied the problem! Looking forward to my next visit! read more

Venues Cafe - My neighbor and I had a nice time exploring the shops after dinner - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

It's got a great meatloaf sandwich and the ambience and location is fairly nice. The prices can be outrageous if you're not careful.

This was our last visit, we were seated, water served the no one came to take our order. This is the second time this has happened to us, we thought we would give them a second chance but they failed again. read more

We stopped in to Venues last week, while in town for a brief visit. Our waitress was prompt and professional, and the food was very good. We will visit Venues again in the near future. read more

If you're looking for an unforgettable dining experience, this restaurant is a gem. From the moment you walk in, the warm ambiance and attentive service set the stage for a great meal. The menu is creative yet comforting, with each dish bursting with fresh flavors and artfully presented. Whether it's a special occasion or just a treat-yourself night, this place is worth every penny. Highly recommend! I want to point out that Ryan was especially nice and had a great attitude! read more

Ordered the Taco Salad it consisted of a side salad in a Taco Shell bowl with some unseasoned grilled chicken that was so over cooked and dry, I had to ask for a steak knife to cut it. Absolutely NO TACO SEASONING NOTHING MEXICAN SPICY ZILCH!!! So bottom line I paid $17 for a side salad. Bartender gave good service. read more

Good ambience as you have no choice because the amount you have to wait for your food, ridiculous. Witnessed 2 different tables receive the incorrect orders wait, make that 3 tables as they messed up mine. Ordered the combo fajitas and was served chicken fajitas, I asked about the wrong dish and our server said, "there was a mixed up, 2 tables ordered fajitas, your order went to that tables and you received there's." My thought, if you knew this before you delivered me the wrong dish then why not just correct it by making me another combo, rather than just tell me you sorry. WTF! BTW - appetizers took almost 50 mins (Bang Bang Shrimp, Deviled eggs), was told at 30 mins that the kitchen was backed up. Received our order almost 80 minutes after sitting down. Not a fan therefore I cannot recommend. read more

Stopped by for the first time with a girlfriend after looking at some consignment stores in carefree. I was impressed that they setup an outdoor dining area for additional safety during Covid-19. We just had drinks and shared a cheeseboard. I was pleased with the presentation of the board- it was lovely. Lots of fresh cheeses, meats and fruit. Our server was very attentive and friendly. All in all a wonderful time- and I will return for another meal when in carefree! Thanks guys well done!! read more

Venues Cafe - Assorted European Cheeses - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

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I recently celebrated a milestone birthday with family at Venues. It was a big noisy, but not too noisy that we couldn't catch up on things with each other. The food was delicious as it had been on my previous visit. . when I had the chicken schnitzel. This time I ordered the rack of lamb, eight meaty rib chops that left me with some to take home. Again I had the risotto as one of my sides and it was excellent. We plan on trying them for lunch next time. read more

Brother-in-Law pulled me into this place, as our wives were shopping. Great bar. Bartenders were great and very attentive. Could tell a lot of the people at the bar were locals (at 3pm). The location is a little hidden but definitely worth looking for and trying. read more

Soooo cute!!! We sat on the outside patio and enjoyed the last of the sun. We ordered apps and impossible burgers and regular burgers. Everything was delicious! And the service was amazing! We had a younger boy can't rememb who was adorable and helpful. read more

Venues Cafe - Vegan Impossible Burger - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

Venues had become one of our "go to" restaurants, however we are now questioning returning During a recent Tuesday evening we were sitting at the bar. It was apparent the lone bartender was completely overwhelmed by the number of patrons. Usually there are two bartenders on staff during the evening hours. Unfortunately, yet another bartender has left Venues. It appears they have a difficult time retaining quality bartenders. Another bartender was in the restaurant, however was assigned to wait tables for the evening It took the lone bartender 15 minutes to come and get our food order (along with 2 other couples), another 10 minutes for him to have time to enter the order and another 45 minutes before the food arrived. We don't fault the bartender, as it was all he could do to keep on top of drink orders for the bar and entire restaurant Sadly, the manager (and owner) didn't look to shift staff to help the bartender through the rush. In fact, one of the other servers spent most of her time at the bar folding napkins. The manager/owner also didn't come by to apologize for how late food was being delivered We understand how difficult it is to find/retain quality employees these days. Sadly, the owner/manager of Venues don't seem to value their customers read more

Out shopping with friends and dropped by for lunch. The menu is very eclectic with so many options. My friend and I decided to try the tacos so we each got a couple. Good size and very tasty. For me 2 was enough! Indoor and outdoor seating. We sat outside which is on the sidewalk so the people watching as well as deciding what store to try next is excellent from that location! When in Carefree go and eat at Venue's! read more