Carlsbad Tavern

Our group sat outside in the shade it was perfect, the waiter was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. At first I couldn't understand why there were less than five tables of customers and then on my way to Bloody Mary bar smile at the ""Manager"" who was rude and turned to walk out of the room. Next our food came and most was good, for some reason every slice of the french toast was COLD and BURNT on one side...how does a restaurant screw up french toast?? And with a Manager who has attitude with the few customers that acutally show up then doesn't bother to make sure their food is cook properly? No wonder there were no customers. Pros: friendly waitstaff Cons: rude management, incompetant cooks more

This place has excellent food and actually a great happy hour deal. I got a ribeye quesadilla (HUGE!) for only $8 at happy hour. And they're drink specials are great at happy hour too. Pros: Great Happy Hour deals Cons: Happy hour ends at 6 more

I was just there last night and it was amazing. They just finished remodeling the patio and adding better lighting and water fountains. The food was incredible. I had the Carlsbad Ribeye with a peppercorn sauce and my girlfriend had the Lobster Enchiladas. The pricing was good considering it?s located in Scottsdale. I would highly recommend the patio. With the waterfall the fireplaces it?s the best site in the place. I will be going back soon. Pros: The GREAT patio and the FOOD Cons: none that I saw more

In it's original location on Scottsdale Road, this WAS the great, unfound gem of a restaurant in town. The new location was almost as good for a couple of years.....Currently, the food quality has fallen. Only an unknowing tourist or neophyte would accept the fare as ""New Mexican"" The owners skimp on ingredient quality too......so sad. This was a very authentic, imaginative restaurant once,no longer more

This is a great out of the way place that offers great food at great prices. The outdoor patio area is awesome- a cool waterfall/stream that adds to the experience. Very themed around caves and caverns. The food is plentiful- prices are tiny, and it's totally worth it! I recommend the green chile burrito- yum-o! Pros: Great outdoor patio, great service, great prices and great food. more

It is very easy to avoid traffic on Scottsdale road by using Hayden to go from Tempe to Scottsdale and vice versa. It is even easier to ignore the non-descript buildings, strip malls, and construction that lines the street almost the entire way. However, if you get the opportunity to notice anything, make sure that it is Carlsbad Tavern located on Scottsdale Rd. just south of Osborn. Pros: The wait is never horrible and the food is wonderful Cons: It is always better to go when the weather is nice and you can sit outside more

Mom was in town for the holidays and I had the day off so we went to Carlsbad Tavern. I had heard it was a good place and served good New Mexican food. We were greeted at the entrance by a pretty fountain and stream and then ate a wonderful lunch on the outdoor patio. I often judge a restaurant for future visits by the quality of the Reuben sandwich ... seriously ... a good Reuben takes a good chef, good quality meat, bread, and special sauce. Awesome Tortilla soup followed by a delicious salad served with an out of this world Reuben. I'll be back! Pros: New Mexican theme was fun. Great Tortilla soup and Roswell Reuben was out of this world! Cons: It was my first visit and had no problems more

Great restaurant. Menu is printed like a newspaper. I had the Chicken chimichanga w/n jalepeno sour cream sauce. I'm not a big Mexican food fan, but this was wonderful,a 5. My husband had short rib w/red chile sauce and said pork was overcooked, but flavorful. The salsa and tomatillo was fresh and VERY good. We have a lot of Mexican restaurants in TX and this was on par with the only one I like at home. The service was friendly and prompt. We had a late lunch so there was not a crowd. We ate outside on the patio which was larger than the inside. The inside is dark and reminds me more of a bar than a restaurant. The patio is decorated in a SW style which was VERY cute. Loved it! I would definitely recommend this restaurant and the dish I ordered. Pros: patio, food, family-friendly Cons: dark interior more

I am surprised by the negative feedback. We fly in to Phoenix from Chicago three times a year and we stop there straight from the airport every trip. The food is fun, spicy and we found it delicious. I look forward to the Prickly Pear Margaritas. Our service is always good, but we usually fly in around 1 pm so we miss the rush. We also love it because it is not the usual fare that is available at all the Chi Chi's, etc. You must sit outside for the atmosphere, so keep the weather in mind. Pros: Fun patio atmosphere, great, spicy food, misting machine Cons: , too spicy for kids more

I am surprised to read some of the negative feedback about Carlsbad. I guess I have been fortunate in my near dozen visits. I always bring my out-of-town guests there. I have found their Southwestern menu to be fantastic and the service to have a neighborhood-like feel to it. Its far from the usual cookie cutter restaurant-in-a-box. Their burgers are cooked on a high heat grill which gives them that charbroiled shell while respecting the tender medium rare pink that I prefer. If you have guts you should try their Habanero Cheeseburger which is like a culinary amusement park ride (it comes with a glass of milk to help mend the pallet). I highly recommend Carlsbad for those looking for a unique menu, fair prices, and great tastes. Pros: Food, atmosphere, price more

For the most part, Carlsbad Tavern is a good value with pretty good food. Once in a while, in the 6 times that I have eaten there, I will hit something of a dud. But the use of the chile makes this a good place to eat. Not authentic New Mexican food (I know I am from southern New Mexico), but nonetheless, the creative dishes make this a nice alternative. Patio dining is very nice and a pleasant atmosphere to enjoy a lazy evening. The newspaper menus are a nice, friendly touch. Pros: Creative menu, Relaxed atmosphere, Gotta have chile! Cons: Service is just ok, Not authentic NM food more

We've been here several times. Each time the food was excellent. I like to describe this place as gourmet Mexican at regular prices. I recommend the Enchantment Platter and the margaritas. If you eat inside, the waterfall is nice, b/c it drowns out conversations at other tables. The tables are not too close to each other, and the service is good. It also has a nice outdoor dining area. Pros: great food, great prices, convenient location more

I was stunned by the atmosphere. The dining looked like a cave with a small waterfall in the back. The food was extremely good. I had the Sierra Sirlion, it was a steak stuffed with garlic and several different types of cheeses. I took a look outside and noticed the patio was pretty large. They had a large stream that you had to walk over to get to the patio. Nice touch. I will be going back soon Pros: great food, large patio, cozy dining room Cons: small dining room more

Our first visit to Carlsbad Tavern was definitely worth the not-so-good service. The food was absolutely delicious and had amazing flavors. The artresia chicken was fantastic and the enchantment platter was enough to feed my fiance for 3 meals! Beware-the red chile sauce is HOT & SPICY!! The flan was very tasty. I do plan on going again and trying something different, but hopefully the service will be better. Pros: fantastic food, great patio Cons: a little overpriced, poor service, gets very busy more