Palace Restaurant & Saloon

120 S Montezuma St.
Prescott, AZ
928-541-1996

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1. Appearance 4

Very old (over 100 years) authentic Western saloon.

Dripping in old time frontier character, this iconic restaurant/saloon on Prescott’s historic Whisky Row is a real crowd pleaser. With its massive dark-wood mirrored bar with a life of its own (just ask the bar tenders), wood floors and intricate tin ceilings, The Palace has been featured in several movies including Billy Jack. Although the food is just average, it doesn’t really matter because the atmosphere is why people come here. “Palace Red”, the house beer, is an anemic, forgettable brew—but for 9 bucks, you get to keep the souvenir pilsner glass.

2. Menu 2

Everyone had a different burger. My Southwest burger was bland. The apple pie was warm but not home made. It was presented as a flat cobbler not as a slice of pie. Did not finish the doughy crust. The special amber house beer was warm, flat, and tasteless.

3. Prices 2

Prices were at Phoenix level. $9 for burger and fries.

4. Bathroom 3

Clean

5. Service 4

Server was attentive. Before he gave each of us our checks he verified with us what we had.

Overall comments: This is a place for tourists. The air conditioning was not working and the house beer was terrible.

Would not return

Cafe Ole

119 S. San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-774-8272
date of visit: 06/20/09

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1. Appearance 5

Above photos give you an idea of the interior.

Reminiscent of a beachside Cabo cantina, this Flagstaff eatery is a maze of brightly colored rooms which all lead to an open air patio. Rich south-of-the-border and tropical decorations embellish every nook and cranny including the restrooms--which rate high on our “neat seats” scale. Tip: the “banos” are labeled in Spanish, so it’s a good idea to pull out the tourist phrase book to avoid an embarrassing encounter. Rounding out the college-town, faux-barrio feel is a tiny, neon-drenched bar room with the requisite blaring big screen and rough-hewn stone flooring that spills out into a sunny brick-paved outdoor party space.

2. Menu 5

Not the usual Mexican menu for Arizona. Definitely New Mexico/Mexico. Food is not hot. Make it hot to your taste using their homemade salsa. They have a full bar with many types of Mexican cervaza.

3. Prices 5
My tab was $13 which included a specialty burrito, rice, beans (not refried), and drink.





4. Bathroom 6

This got above a 5 because of the ceramics and the cleanliness. Only thing is a person must have a little understanding of the Spanish language to know the difference between the men (caballeros) and women (damas) bathrooms.

5. Service 5

Prompt and friendly.

We had a person join us for the first time-Joyce. As soon as she saw the menu and the atmosphere she said she will return.

Definitely return

Cowboy Cafe

567 S Main St

Camp Verde, AZ
928-300-1207

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1. Appearance 5

Two thumbs up for this casual, cozy Camp Verde café. From its breezy, walnut tree shaded patio and hyper-friendly servers to the unisex restroom that doubles as a broom closet (you’ll need to pass through the kitchen to get to it) this amusing eatery’s atmosphere buries the needle on the fun scale. Add to that, the fact that an 11-year-old gal named Kayla bakes the exceptionally yummy apple pie deserts, and you’ve got a gin-u-wine down home dining experience.

Over the years, we hikers have learned that the more bikes in an eatery’s parking lot, the better the quality of the food and service. This one earns our coveted 5-Harley rating.

By the way, no clue why it's called Cowboy BBQ. Obviously owned by a Cuban.

2. Menu 3

As you can see from the Cuban BBQ on homemade bread to the homemade apple pie made by the 11 year old Kayla, the food is very good. Steve agreed about the Cuban BBQ and Barb said the same for the regular BBQ.

What brings down the rating is the many typos on the menu. Not a professional image.

3. Prices 4

Sandwich was $5.25, slice of apple pie was 3.25. Marsha raved about the crust as the true test of homemade. Mare couldn't believe the grilled cheese sandwich with a pickle was $3.

4, Bathroom 5

See comment in section 1 about the bathroom. This broom closet/bathroom is unisex and has 1 stool.

5. Service 5

Energetic, friendly. The proof is the picture.

There is no cervaza or wine.

WE WOULD RETURN.

Mickey D's on North I17

The place to stop on the way north to Flagstaff. It is on the east side of I17 past Sedona.
It gets the thumbs up from a satisfied hiker.

Stromboli's

1435 S Milton
Flagstaff, AZ
928-773-1960

Other locations: Cottonwood, Kingman

1. Appearance 3
Very plain but clean. Does not look Italian-except for some colored lights.

2. Menu 5
extensive-pizza, dinners, calzone, appetizers, sandwiches, desserts
large portions
home made bread served with the meals
Can have a meal with the bread, soup, and salad. This is NOT Olive Garden quality.

3. Prices 4
Very reasonable

4. Bathroom 3

One seater with plastic flowers

5. Service 4

Would return

Silver Pony

date of visit:5/23/09

620 W. Dobbins Road

Phoenix

(602) 268-1318

1. Appearance 2

(reviewed by group)

This place is not for everyone-it is a neighborhood bar.

Seriously, what’s not to like about a honky tonk where happy hour starts at 7 a.m.?

With a hitching post out back and the beautiful hills of South Mountain Park in its front yard, this little shack with battered furniture, and a loud, bawdy broad behind the bar is a real deal cowboy bar and makes the perfect place to knock back an icy cold longneck after a hike.

2. Menu n/a

Only had beers

3. Prices 4

beers are 1/2 the price of a restaurant.

4. Bathroom n/a

5. Service 3

WOULD RETURN FOR A BEER

Poncho's Food and Cantina

date of review: 5/23/09

7202 s Central

Phoenix, AZ

602-276-2437

1. Appearance 5

(reviewed by group)

A maze of brightly painted rooms with intricately-executed murals of desert landscapes add to the homey hacienda style and friendly service at this south Phoenix neighborhood favorite. Family owned and operated for over 30 years, Poncho’s features a “presidential suite” commemorating Bill Clinton’s 1999 visit.
With its unique décor and bustling atmosphere, Poncho’s Mexican Food & Cocktails straddles the chasm between dive and diner with comedic finesse—fuchsia-color ceilings and all.

2. Menu 5
large selection of Mexican dinners and ala carte.

3. Prices 4

4. Bathroom 3

5. Service 4

Friendly but at times confused

You can always tell the quality of an ethnic restaurant if that race eats there. For example, do Italians eat at an Italian restaurant? With Poncho, Mexicans eat there.

WOULD RETURN

El Rancho

date of visit: 5/16/09

200 S Beeline Hwy
Payson, AZ
928-474-3111

1. Appearance 3
(reviewed by group)

Serving good ol’ fashioned Mexican grub in no nonsense, down home style, this Payson icon is always busy. The rough-around-the-edges décor and chatty servers perfectly complement the chunky salsa and warm chips that are plopped on the table within seconds of your arrival.

2. Menu 3

3. Prices 3

4. Bathroom 3

2 seater

5. Service 4

While this is an above average Mexican restaurant for Payson it is an average place when compared to those in Phoenix, for example Poncho's.

WOULD RETURN

Gerado's Italian Bistro

512 N Beeline Hwy
Payson, AZ
928-468-6500

1. Appearance 4

(reviewed by group)

As the Rim Country’s lone classy joint, this bright eatery melds tasty, nicely presented food with an upscale but decidedly unstuffy atmosphere. Pressed tablecloths, a full bar and professional servers cater to both formal dinner guests and trail-weary hikers with equal panache.

2. Menu 4

copy of the lunch take out menu is presented at the top of this blog. Varied Italian dishes of Southern Italy.

3. Prices 4

reasonable considering food quality.

4. Bathroom 3

5. Service 4

Named one of Arizona's top 25 restaurants by Arizona Highway Magazine

WOULD RETURN

Strawberry Lodge

Strawberry Lodge
8039 Fossil Creek Rd
Strawberry, AZ
928-476-3333

1. Appearance 4

(reviewed by group)

It’s small. It’s dark. It’s cramped. The plates don’t match. Embroidery hangs on the wood plank walls that surround an inexplicable mix of knotty pine tabletops and 1980s-style hotel lobby chairs. Yet, this friendly “Grandma’s cabin meets biker bar” ambiance keeps the parking lot packed with Harleys and the loose-on-the-hinges screen door entry swinging inward.

2. Menu 3

Mixed bag of quality here:

coleslaw sucked 1

burger cold 2

Cajun fries good 4

dessert-pie excellent 5

3. Service 4

4. Prices 2

Not Phoenix prices but close

5. Bathroom 3

One seater

Comments: pine furniture and paneling

straw is too short for the glass or the glass is too tall

cervaza is served

OVERALL: WOULD RETURN

Chiles

Location: across the street from the Beeline Cafe Payson AZ
1. Appearance 2
(reviewed by group)

Safe choices are rarely memorable, well, they could be memorable, but not in a good way-- as was our recent visit to Chili’s in Payson. The Chili’s menu has something for everyone (except for vegetarians-- but let’s not dwell on the shortcomings of the bean burger and how “just a little meat in the sauce” really doesn’t count) making this an easy choice for carloads of people with divergent culinary preferences.

Although the food in this seen-one-seen-em-all restaurant chain fills the belly, the faux-country décor and crowded dining rooms leaves us cold.

Rounding out our utterly soul-numbing experience was an inept wait staff schooled in reptilian charm and hell bent on delivering a mix of slow, inaccurate service we won’t soon forget.

2 .Menu 2

No vegetarian burger

3. Service 1

waited 20 minutes for water and menu. Salad served same time as the meal.

4. Prices (chain) 2

5. Bathroom n/a

Talked with the manager about the service and menu. His response: "Busier after lunch than usual. Some servers did not come in."

WOULD RETURN: NEVER IN 100,000,000 YEARS