The staff! Location was perfect! The food recommendations were spot on. Basic Margaritas was yummy!

This review is for the totality of the experience. I made an advance reservation at Alma Scottsdale for a mid-sized group of 7 to celebrate a special occasion. Our party arrived right on time for our reservation, but we were not seated until 15 min later because our table was not ready. It took about an additional 15 min to get tap water for the table (there was not enough provided anyways), and to place our orders too another ~20 min. The food did not arrive until 30 min later. For context, we eventually learned that the restaurant was short staffed and the bartender was also operating as our waiter. When the food finally arrived, there was a mix-up on what was delivered. We had checked with the staff who delivered one of the dishes: we ordered the "wild mushroom" side, but what we received did not look quite like it. We asked clarifying questions x2, but were assured, "no, it is the wild mushroom." Turned out, it was the mushroom empanada that was delivered to our table, which we originally did not order. The management did rectify the situation upon the conclusion of the event when we were paying the bill, but to us, it felt a bit accusatory as if we intentionally wanted to cause a huge fuss about the final total, which was absolutely not the case. The food in general was delicious. If this was a more standard dining experience, it would have been 4-5 stars just for the food. The service was very subpar, and really colored the entire experience negatively, therefore the two star review. I understand that staffing shortages happen -- fine. My family has worked in food service as wait staff for 25+ YEARS, so I am empathetic. But for management to ring up our bill and then come confront us in an inflammatory manner, making us feel like we were wrong, on an occasion to celebrate something special, was extremely disappointing. read more

First time here at Alma's !! Honestly I'm going to give this a 4/5 only because of the ambiance and beautiful Customer service!! The food on the other hand was a 3/5 for me!! I had chicken tacos and it was just decent. The guac and salsa was good and had flavor. The others from my party agreed as well that the food could have been a lil tastier! However, the atmosphere was bomb!! Very modern and cute inside. The prices were decent as well. Did not try an alcoholic drink but they did look very delicious!! -Marshay D. read more

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Our bartender Angel was AMAZING! I said I wanted spicy and he absolutely delivered. Between the drinks and food, he made our taste buds and tummy's happy. Plus, great customer service. Thank you Angel! read more

Alma Southwest Steakhouse - Blistered hot chilies, reaperita, extra spicy margarita - Steakhouses Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

Decided to meet friends for happy hour. Arrived early giving us choice. Decided outdoor seating. Very nice. Waited a little while but not in a bad way. Ordered a margarita, Alma Grand better half prickly pear. Both were excellent. Reviewed happy hour menu with plenty of choices. Gavamole/chips and Barbacoa tacos (3) and vegetarian tacos. Spent wonderful night talking with our friends. Before we realized the restaurant was very busy by 6:30. Overall our group loved Alma. Definitely recommend. read more

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We continue to come here because we love the vibe of their patio seating. The inside is a bit dark and loud, so we always opt for the tall tables in the bar (partially indoor, partially outdoor) or the outside. They have heat lamps. My favorite are the chips and salsa (three salsas all excellent but some spicy) and the brussel sprouts quesadillas. I can't get enough. EXCELLENT happy hour. They have the very best margaritas as well. You can get a flight of regular, flight of blended, or just a margarita. Spicy is my favorite but something for everyone. I also recommend their desserts! Can't go wrong with this local favorite. read more

I had an incredible experience at Alma! My husband and I made dinner reservations on a Friday night, and I'm glad we did, as it was very busy. There was indoor and outdoor seating available here. This southwestern themed restaurant had a dark, romantic atmosphere with cozy booths to sit in. Our server was really nice and helped make our experience really great, I wish I'd remembered her name. I tried the margarita flight and it was superb! Would definitely recommend it! For food we ordered the Elote Lollipops, jalapeño/bacon wrapped shrimp and the butternut squash tacos. Everything was delicious, but I think my favorite was definitely the Elote lollipops. You have to try these if you come here. I also really enjoyed the butternut squash tacos, so much flavor. I can't recommend this place enough! Definitely check it out! read more

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We don't go often but we really enjoy it every time we end up here. The inside is large, sectioned off into different areas and decorated beautifully. Whether we're inside, outside on the patio or at the bar the servers are always friendly. The food is savory and I was excited to find five vegetarian options other than salad on the menu. I ordered the Cauliflower Tacos because they weren't fried (like at many restaurants). They were absolutely delicious. The Brussels Sprouts quesadilla and the Truffled Mushroom empanadas looked tasty too. Two margarita flights (I wish the frozen were offered in the on-ice flavors) and seasonal specialty cocktails are unique and interesting. They also have desserts that sound amazing ... Banana Nachos (with bananas flambé), Chili Chocolate cake (lava style), Rumchata Tres Leches, BlackBerry Flan and Peach Cobbler. Overall, a well-rounded dining experience. read more

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Chicken mole, knockout. The half chicken was rotated to perfection, stayed crispy, and was fall apart tender but not sloppy. The mole was among the best I had in the my trip. The corn bread pudding was the sleeper hero of the dish, lord if was unbelievable The al pastor tacos were OK. Not really traditional. The pork was pulled instead of diced off a spit. The guacamole and chips were weak. Guacamole had little flavor. Thankfully we had some limes and we added about 1 limes-worth of juice. Small amount of guac for the amount of chips. Service was also OK. Not very attentive and very slow. Especially to initially get water and then take orders. It eventually picked up but wasn't the best experience. read more

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every time i come here, i enjoy it. i typically get the lobster tacos even tho the portion size is small. However, i came for arizona restaurant week this time for the 3 course menu. Loved the elote salads. The wild mushroom enchiladas were alright (i was trying to be vegetarian with my sister). Dessert was well worth it. The waitress offered to give them to us at the beginning which I liked. Food is all around pretty tasty here! Got really loud at times because of all the birthdays and bachelorette parties read more

Alma Southwest Steakhouse - chocolate espresso martinis - Steakhouses Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

Looking for Happy Hour in Scottsdale? You've come to the right place! Alma Scottsdale offers Happy Hour from 3 to 6 pm in the bar DAILY and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 pm to midnight. They have a good selection of alcoholic drinks and food to tickle anyone's fancy. I found this place from my trusty Yelp app, and met up with 2 friends visiting from CA. We were celebrating my birthday since I celebrate pretty much every single day in June (because June babies & Geminis rule)!! Alma hit the spot with their cocktails which were nice and strong, and the food was so full of flavor! I forgot what drink my friend ordered, but I got the Prickly Pear Margarita and we both agreed they are strong on the alchi here!! No complaints though, lol. They were really good but I needed a Sprite afterwards, lol. I had eaten earlier in the day, so the only thing I ate here was the Queso Flameado. It came with flour tortillas, which I have never seen before. I asked for chips later and our server was super nice and brought some for all of us to share. My friends both ordered the Barbacoa Tacos and they ate every last bit. They looked perfect and full of flavor. The service was great, and the restroom is really nice. Pricing is pretty average but also a bit above average since this is a nicer, upscale kind of place. There's an abundance of parking around the restaurant which is always good. I did deduct 1 star only because they don't do anything special for birthday celebrations. Other than that, Alma is an awesome place to enJOY with friends and family for any special occasion, or just because. I'll be coming back to try more of their cocktails for sure! read more

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So glad we stopped here during our trip to Scottsdale. The service was great, and the atmosphere was a major vibe with a DJ playing. The drinks were excellent, and the food was good. I would definitely come back again. read more

Alma Southwest Steakhouse - Steakhouses Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

My friend and I wanted to try someplace new for dinner tonight and settled on Alma! The restaurant is pretty cute with a nice ambiance. Service was lackluster. The food was mostly good! Alma's Guacamole was really good and we loved the plantain chips that it came with although the regular corn chips were just okay. My friend got the Mexican Garlic Shrimp and loved it though she said it was definitely spicy (but good spicy). I got the Blackened Mahi Mahi with the Cilantro Rice. The fish was good, the rice was okay. We ended with the Chili Chocolate Lava Cake for dessert which was probably the highlight of our visit. Overall, not the best Mexican food we've ever had but we'd come back to give it another shot. read more

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I visited on a Sunday, raining evening. I was impressed with the outdoor seating. The coveted patio is ideal in cooler weather. The inside is spacious with two bars areas. The staff were friendly and accommodations. For my entree, I selected the pork chops with whipped potatoes instead of sweet potatoes. After presentation, I realized it wasn't a bad choice. The meal was hearty, I look forward to returning to try other options. Accessible parking and entrance. read more

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Absolutely such a vibe with a cute and clean aesthetic inside. The waiter was so patient and attentive. The drinks were stronggg and the birria was so good. read more

Alma Southwest Steakhouse - Steakhouses Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Requests for your new menu! Please please please include your amazing mole chicken on the new menu! It's divine! Best in the valley. And your tacos de papa! read more

Everything was so good! Not busy on a Sunday night which was perfect for us. Tons of options, drink menu was sufficient for our needs. The overall decor was amazing. Check out the video! read more

Alma Southwest Steakhouse - Steakhouses Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

Alma is one of my favorites in Scottsdale! They have a great outdoor patio and the inside is also well-decorated. The servers are always attentive and every time we've been there a manager has walked around checking on tables. The food is what I would call upscale Mexican. Lots of unique options and great flavors. Ine thing we always get is the watermelon salad which is so flavorful and delicious we ate it before taking a picture! The chips, salsa and guac are always good. We've tried a variety of items on the menu. This time we had the mushroom enchiladas and roasted corn salad. I've liked everything I've tried there. The birria quesadillas are probably my favorite. They also have good margaritas with fresh lime juice and a decent variety of wine offerings as well. Absolutely recommend! read more

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Restaurant week success. My friends and I came here for restaurant week and wow! Great experience. For $44 we got 3 amazing courses! (Drink not included) To start I got a frozen margarita. I got strawberry flavored and it was super tasty. For the first course I got the addictive strawberry salad. I get why they call it addictive salad because I could have eaten more and more. The second course was a chicken mole with cornbread and WOW, was it filling. I am so glad I just got the salad for my starter because I was very full from the chicken. But not too full for dessert (can always make room for dessert), which was the blueberry flan! Perfect texture and taste. The vibes were great, super friendly ambiance, very romantic. And the service was spectacular. I really appreciated our servers recommendations. Truly great experience will be back. read more

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I thought Alma was so cute! Love the vibe. Came here for lunch/HH on a Saturday, 3pm - 6pm everyday. I had the prickly pear margarita which was great, barbacoa tacos were so good with the dipping sauce, I loved the potato tacos were so crunchy! The side of elote corn was also really good. Oooh and the guacamole. HH prices were awesome! read more

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I loved the vibe of this restaurant. It was a busy Saturday with all the Galentine girlies celebrating, our service was a little slow but our server was very sweet and offered us complimentary chips & salsa for the wait. I ordered the birria tacos and a mimosa flight, they were both great. We also got the tres leches pancakes which took awhile to come out. The manager later brought out the pancakes and said she'll take care of them for us super nice of her they were definitely worth the wait soooo good! read more

Alma Southwest Steakhouse - Birria tacos - Steakhouses Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Bookmarked this place for a while. Finally made it here and did not disappoint! Love the cute decor and vibe! From the tables, the settings and the plates, everything was so beautiful! We had a party of 10 angry human but our server was very friendly and efficient. The Happy Hour menu was great! We tried everything on the menu. Loved the empanadas, elote lollipops, brussel sprouts, blueberry cornbread etc. Everything was good! Margaritas were so good! I cant wait to go back! read more

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Cute restaurant located in a plaza with other stores and restaurants. Our server was super friendly and even offered to move us to a different spot where the ac wasn't blowing on us without even asking! Not super busy for a Saturday night but our service was still great. Good variety of food offerings that was pretty good! Margarita flights were fun and they had a good margarita mocktail. read more

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Came for a birthday/bachelorette dinner and had a great time! The blueberry cornbread, mussels, and Brussels were fire! Christine was an amazing host for our table so glad we had her she was so sweet, patient, and accommodating for a table of 15 women! We were able to split up to 4 different payment so we were able to pay in groups that was helpful. Drinks were good and strong and they even had a signature birthday shot which we did a round of and cheers'd with the other Bach table behind us. Great experience! read more

Alma Southwest Steakhouse - Steakhouses Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

The staff are always great, the happy hour is awesome. The ambiance of the place is super chill. Love the food- chicken tinga tacos are one of my favorites read more

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I met a friend here this evening for Happy Hour (which they have all day on Monday) and it was really good! I had the strawberry pineapple sangria and it was sweet and came topped with a leaf and strawberries. My friend had the marg flight and she said the spicy marg had a good jalalpeno flavor. I had the mushroom and con pollo empanadas were both super flavorful. I loved the sauce each came on top of. If I had to pick, my favorite was the con pollo. I loved the decor of this restaurant. There is plenty of outdoor heaters by the table too if you want to dine outside, but we opted for inside to take in all the Southwest decor. Our sever was very friendly and gave us recommendations of the menu, but took a while to bring our check at the end. The prices were decent, especially off the hour menu. I would definitely recommend for a classy evening. read more

Alma Southwest Steakhouse - Pineapple strawberry sangria - Steakhouses Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Service was poor, drinks were good but expensive. Beautiful restaurant but I don't think I will be back.

What a fun experience! We celebrated my sister's birthday at Alma. Our server Kyle was absolutely amazing! He was attentive and knowledgeable giving us suggestions and answering questions. We ordered several appetizers and entrees and basically shared everything. And it was amazing from the Mahi to the ceviche to the elote to the dessert! It was a wonderful celebration with family and friends! Highly recommended! read more

Yum yum! Alma is located in the center of this shopping area, we had to drive around a little to figure that out lol. It's very vibey, lots of lights outside. Inside there's desert plants and mini trees, almost a cross between desert and oasis. It was nice and cheery and pretty busy the entire time we were there, which was until 9:30pm. I got the naughty winter sangria for my drink and it was so cute, the glass came with two ornaments that had the sangria in it and then you pour it in yourself. So fun! I didn't taste the "warming spices" per se, but it was still a good drink, not too sweet! My boyfriend got his classic church music to drink, he loved it as always. He got the lobster quesadilla and really loved it. Very high remarks. I got the chicken pibil quesadilla, also very good. I liked the crispy quesadillas when they came out and then it did get a little soggy because the chicken was so juicy but no complaints here. I used my boyfriend's lime and I will say it did need that tangy touch. There was a huge portion of chicken in the quesadillas so I loved that. The cheese was melty, loved the cabbage for a nice crunch. The salsa dip thing it came with had a subtle flavor to it, I would have liked a more pronounced salsa or a crema but overall it was a very enjoyable dish. The food did seem to take a little longer to come out but we were enjoying ourselves. Chips do not come for free. read more

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Their service was friendly and place artfully decorated. My daughter said "we should have said it's someone birthday to get free dessert." Waitress gave her dessert anyways - small tres leche cake was good. The 6 of us shared toast platter $45; it was only 10 slices of toast but each was fully loaded. Each of the salmon toast had similar portions equivalent to teriyaki salmon lunch platter. We also shared the fish tacos and pork tacos - just 3 tacos each platter for $18. Again the tacos had lots of filling and was shareable. The most disappointing item was their Bloody Mary which was WAY too salty and not worth it al. read more

Came for some brunch with friends and sat outside, restaurant had the prettiest seating and it wasn't too hot in the morning. We tried some of the brunch cocktails which were pretty good, however the Bloody Mary and bloody-tini tasted light to me. I got the eggs Benedict which was good but nothing crazy. The egg was cooked all the way through and the sauce on top wasn't my fav, but everyone else really enjoyed their food. My boyfriend thought the breakfast burrito was good but quite spicy, so would be careful ordering if you're not a fan of spice. They also loved the Dulce de leche waffles and chicken and waffles. The other brunch cocktails were pretty good too. Service started off decent but once more people came it took quite awhile for our food and drinks. It's a really cute place and the prices and relatively good. read more

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During my first visit to Scottsdale, this was the first restaurant I tried. I searched Yelp for Mexican food, and this spot came up as one of the closest to our hotel with a rating over 4/5, so we decided to check it out. I ordered the steak tacos, which came with three soft corn tortillas (about six inches in diameter). They were served a la carte and felt a bit pricey for the portion size, but the meat was tender, well-marinated, and flavorful. I also tried their Alma Sangria. If you're a sangria fan, it's worth trying--sweet, fruity, and probably one of the best I've had. The chips and salsa were excellent too--the chips were light, and they served three types of salsa: mild, hot, and green. I especially enjoyed the mild salsa for its flavor. The restaurant itself was beautiful and spacious, including a large patio dining area. Unfortunately, the service was disappointing. After serving our drinks, our server didn't return for over 20 minutes to take our order, and once the food was served, he didn't check back to see if we needed anything else. This was surprising since the restaurant wasn't busy at all. Overall, I'd rate the food a 4 and the service a 2. I think it would be helpful if Yelp separated food and service ratings. While bad service can happen, especially if someone is having a rough day, good food can still make a place worth visiting. read more

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I was very impressed by the selection on gluten free and vegan items. The outside patio is gorgeous and going for brunch we received prompt and friendly service. Loved the gluten free blueberry cornbread with honey butter. We went back for dinner, service was a bit slower but still quality. We also thoroughly enjoyed the quirky holiday drink selection. read more

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After an evening out and about, we sought a spot to grab dinner in Scottsdale. With it being our last night in Arizona, I wanted to have a taste of southwestern cuisine. We found Alma through Yelp, and based on their proximity, menu offerings, and reviews, we were down to go. We arrived on a weekend night, and it wasn't too busy. The restaurant itself is huge, with spacious indoor and patio seating. We opted to sit at a booth in the excellent AC. The interior was so stylish--loved the cactus decor--a fun place to dine with friends or a larger group. Our waiter was warm and welcoming throughout our meal and periodically checked on us. Our food and drinks were also brought out within minutes. I'm not going to lie; on our girl's trip, we had Mexican food, but hey, I'll never say no to that. I ordered the Al Pastor Tacos without Fresno Chilies, while my friend had the Cauliflower Tacos. The Al Pastor was well portioned but lacked seasoning (used the salsa from the chips). The flour tortillas also were very soft. We also shared the Chips and Salsa and ended our night with Cinnamon Donas. The chips were light, and the salsa wasn't even spicy (despite getting mild, medium, and pungent). As someone with a low spice tolerance, their spicy salsa tasted mild. The donut holes were so good--not too sweet, fluffy on the inside, crunchy on the out. The sauces that came with it paired beautifully. Scottsdale is the watering hole for restaurants and a good time; Alma delivers that. The restaurant is in the Scottsdale Seville strip mall, and parking can be found throughout. read more

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I was excited to try Alma. They had a pretty big happy hour menu which was nice. The server was super nice and had some helpful recommendations. We ended up not getting one of the things we ordered but they took it off the bill so that was fine. The margarita was tasty but I still can't give this place over 3 stars because I just feel like for the price, it was lacking. The green chili pork didn't have any pork, the shrimp entree had 3 taquitos with nothing else, no sides or beans and rice or anything for over $20 and didn't have any shrimp inside. They were mainly cream cheese. So, I think it's maybe a great happy hour spot if you know what to order, the ambiance was good and the drinks were fine, but I just think for the price, even the happy hour prices, it's a tough sell. read more

Amazing everytime.. Food is always great! We love it that we keep on going back for more if that fish Service is always great and ambiance is cool! read more

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Alma has a beautiful patio with lots of heat lamps and blankets to keep you cozy with the fall weather! It ended up getting busy so I definitely recommend a reservation. While it was busy, when we first arrived at 6, it was not crazy busy. We had a table of 4, and yet our food took well over an hour to come out, and then when it came out, it wasn't even hot! By the time we left it was close to 9! We only got one round of drinks, and I wanted dessert but after how long that took, I was definitely not ordering more food. Our server was super sweet and attentive, and I don't blame her for it, but wow. We got chips and salsa for the table, and then elote to share as well. The elote was good but didn't have any spice or kick to it. I had the butternut squash tacos - also fine. The outer edge of the soft shell tacos were hard - unsure why. I really appreciated that they had fun vegetarian options to choose from! But I think the tacos could have used a little more flavor. Overall beautiful restaurant but very average food, and if you're in a rush, don't come here. read more

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Everything was AMAZING from start to finish. We were greeted right away and sat in a great outside seating location. Our waiter was fantastic, he was attentive and very helpful when it came to food and drink suggestions as this was my first time here. The food was delicious cooked to perfection. Of course the drink menu was great! So many drinks to choose from and a few flights to choose from. The margarita and mimosa flight are a must try. I'm definitely coming back read more

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We had to wait to be seated because the hostess was on the phone even though there was 3 other ladies standing right next to her that could seat us and it was raining that night. I made reservations through open table and put in the notes that it was our anniversary and our first date night since baby so I wanted to do something special if they offered it. Like writing on the desert plate or something! Food was good but nothing mouth watering. Drinks were excellent. But sadly I saw many other tables get sparklers and me and my husband got none. If I knew they didn't see my notes I would have said something but I was very disappointed as it was an hour drive for us so I was really looking forward to this place. read more

The outdoor seating here is lovely- cushioned benches, greenery, a mix of sun & shade...I felt like I was on vacation dining here! The Flaca Oaxaca cocktail was the most delicious mix of mezcal, lime juice, and basil, and the tajin rim was a perfect pairing. The queso flameado was good, and a decent portion size too! As is typical with most queso dishes, there was hardly enough tortilla, but it was tasty enough to finish off by the spoonful. The peppers did give it a slight kick, but not too bad. The truffled empanada mushroom empanadas were to DIE FOR. I could have eaten 6 of those as a meal!! Service was very attentive and used phrases such as "my pleasure" frequently. Inside looked equally as inviting, with lots of fun southwest decor. read more

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