We had a really good meal and a couple drinks on a Wednesday evening. I was skeptical about going to a hotel restaurant but those concerns were unwarranted. Parking was pretty easy and the facility is gourgeous. The patio is massive and its on the East side of the building making it shady and cool in the afternoon heat. The people were all friendly and attentive. Someone is doing a good job picking the staff members. The cocktails are spendy, but they are high quality hooch, solid design, and balanced execution. I had the Rye (Piggyback) smoked old fashioned and it was worth the $18 price tag. The food is elevated pub fare. We had the dry rubbed wings and a stacked burger. The food was executed very well and the ingredients were high quality. We got what we paid for - nothing more - nothing less. My only negative is that the patio chairs were wildly uncomfortable. I would also like to see some more cocktails on the HH menu. All in all, we enjoyed our experience and plan to come back. read more

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We just did happy hour apps and margaritas. They were out of the popcorn so we had chips and salsa duo which was delicious! We sat at the bar and had great service. The view and the ambiance was spectacular. We are staying in a nearby Hilton property, I wish we were at this one. It is beautiful! read more

Desert Pony Tavern - View from the bar. - Bars Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

Had Caroline as our server, great conversation and energy! So helpful with options on what to eat and drink! When I stay here again hopefully Caroline will be serving us again!!! read more

Desert Pony Tavern - Bars Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

I went here cause I was on a business trip and we were having dinner, and i wasnt too hungry. I liked that the menu was simple because i get overwhelmed easily. but luckily, i saw they had chicken tenders. I was honestly expecting some kid style chickn tenders in the sense of it wouldnt make me full, but oh boy, these made me full, and they hit the spot. the best part about it is that it came with sauce, and im not usually a sauce person but the dipping sauces they had for it were great. Plus the service was top tier, definitiely recommend if youre ever in the area read more

Food is great. Excellent breakfast tacos and omelets. Sadly the fruit bowl was mostly under-ripe honeydew and cantaloupe. The women seating folks has a terrible attitude. She was aggravated with folks checking out the buffet before seeing here, and visibly annoyed I asked her where our waiter was after he disappeared for 20 minutes. It turns out he is the one guy serving tables & was horribly overworked (I think he is the only server for the whole place today). read more

Located inside of the Hilton Cavasson hotel is Desert Pony Tavern. We ate here a couple of times to take advantage of an employee rate, so I think it's safe to say I got a good estimation of how most of their food is. Interior: open-air restaurant. The layout is a bit weird: you walk in and the middle is just space, while the bar (with a tv) flanks the left side and tables to the right; there are some outdoor (like by the pool) tables as well. Decor is definitely a Desert Pony, with their 80's stained mirrors, horsey paintings, and use of wood, but with a modern flair. Most of our time here, the service was good. Nothing exceptional and nothing terrible (we had different servers each time we went). As far as food, here are our ratings: Get it: - Buffalo wings. Nicely cooked, crispy skin and fairly juicy interior. Comes with different sauces (Buffalo which tastes like Franks, bbq, and chipotle). Came with celery and huge, awkwardly cut carrots. Always awkward and large. lol. - Poblano hummus: omg. This was amazing. It may be a little too "bright" for some, but I loved it. Sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and served with (sometimes bitter) watermelon radishes, naan, cucumber, celery, and more awkward carrots. It was so good I forgot to take photos, not once, but twice. - fish and chips: these were really large, moist, flaky, and breaded pieces, and done so well! Fries were meh. Comme ci comme ca: - Grilled vegetable board. It is served antipasto. That was not stated in the menu description. It was good though, with some balsamic glaze and fresh cheese (forgot what kind...parm?) - Onion rings. Nicely breaded and most were not oily. Some were a little overcooked, but I like the burnt parts. - Crimson salad: seared salmon was nice (add on). The salad was ok. Too much blue cheese. Lettuce was a little wilty. Don't waste your money: - Enchiladas breakfast casserole (?). Not noteworthy. - Clam chowder. Very basic. On the watery side. All I could taste was thyme and bacon. - Breakfast coffee: think airplane coffee We are not alcohol drinkers, so we cannot comment on that, though they had a nice looking shelf and some mocktails too. Overall, even without the discount, it was a good experience and I would be come back for specific things. A lot of hotel restaurants don't always make the mark, but for the most part, Desert Pony Tavern has. read more

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Didn't realize this restaurant is part of the Hilton hotel. Pleasantly surprised by the food. Fish and chips were cooked to perfection. Fried chicken wrap tasted fresh (lettuce wasn't wilted). Hubby ordered the fish and chips and said the cod was cooked perfectly (not too much breading) served with a smoky remoulde sauce. Fries were seasoned perfectly! Service was good, was very chill, relaxing atmosphere read more

Desert Pony Tavern - Fish and chips - Bars Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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I had high hopes for this place since it had good reviews on Yelp, google, and open table, however I don't know why. This is getting a 1 star... know that it's NOT due to the food.... It's due to the service and incorrect advertisement. To start, the hostess should have called in sick this day. We had a reservation at 11 and she acted like we were just a bunch of drunk colleges spring breakers coming in. The website said they had all day brunch. This was not the case! It ended at 11 am... and we were very disappointed. The waiter sat two parts of our party at separate times, 10 minutes apart. When the second half of the table sat down he immediately asked for a drinks. We hadn't even looked at the menu or drink menu yet! He was just trying to rush us through the service . Also he brought out two of the same appetizers. When we told him we only ordered one he said that they just split one onto two plates. After viewing pics we think he was just trying to charge us for two... I will say the food was good! But overall I would only go here if staying at this hotel as a last resort. I'd recommend going across the street to Pitch! read more

Desert Pony Tavern - Popcorn - Bars Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

Nice atmosphere, good food and service. Would have given 5 stars but the music was super loud. Better to sit outside.

Located in the North Scottsdale Hilton is this hidden gem. I stayed at the hotel for a few days and decided to try the onsite restaurant multiple times. It was not busy at all and one person seemed to host, take the order and serve the food. The food was delicious and I enjoyed everything I tried. The quesadilla with chicken yummy and was the best of all the dishes. The nacho, was huge and should be shared. The wings were also tasty too. The salad was ok but not a top choice. The hummus is a very big portion and can be shared. I visited 2 times. Once for lunch, which was very quiet, and in the evening there was a singer which changed the vibe completely, but not necessarily for the best. This is a great place and I plan to visit when in the area. read more

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The Desert Pony Tavern is located in the North Scottsdale Hilton in Cavasson. This is a Southwest Style Gastropub that also offers breakfast, happy hour and an all day menu but entrees are served after 5pm. We started out by sharing the Four Peaks Beer Fondue. It took a long time to prepare and we found out fast that training is a serious problem for this restaurant. Our fondue plate came out without the pears. That means that nobody is supervising or expediting, it also means that the cook didn't know how the plate should be and it also means that the server wasn't trained properly on the menu or she would have known that the pears were missing.......anyways...The cheese fondue taste mainly like melted processed American cheese so if you are good with that then you will like it. the plate also came with sausage that was over cooked and dry. We mentioned the missing pears and some pear slices were brought out and were very good. My husband tried the Tavern Stack Burger with onion rings. The burger had a few problems. It came out with an orange colored sauce on it that isn't mentioned in its description. Our server thought it might be thousand Island sauce? Other problem was that he asked for a medium-rare burger and got a medium-well dry burger.........The onion rings were heavily battered and the oil tasted very old. On the bright side the native chopped salad was excellent. Everything about it was fresh and delicious. Our server was cheerful and as helpful as possible. She even brought out a second beverage way before one was needed. You probably won't go wrong with a salad here. 2.5 stars rounded up because the server was extra nice and the salad was good. read more

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I was not expecting a lot from a restaurant in a hotel but was pleasantly surprised. We got multiple apps and they were huge! Loves the selection of stuff and drinks. On the higher price point but you do get a lot and everything tasted amazing as well! It's hard to get 5 stars from me but the staff and food definitely deserve it. Just be cautious when charging to your room as I did have someone else's charge on my room as well as my original charge. read more

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Went here after church Sunday morning and had a 10:45 reservation for brunch- their brunch ends at 11 so we almost missed it. That is very early to end a weekend brunch. We had anticipated sitting at the rooftop for the view, but when we got there, they let us know that that was for private party events only. My friend ordered a Mamosa and I told the server I just wanted water. She brought out two mimosas anyways and I corrected her and told her I did not want a Mamosa and just wanted to stick with water. I ordered an omelette, and did they build your own, and I hate mushrooms, but the server or chef took it upon themselves to add mushrooms to my omelette. It did come out in a nice presentation. When the check came, we were still charge for two mimosas. Overall very disappointing experience and I most likely will not be back. Things to fix- have much friendlier staff, extend your brunch on the weekend to 2pm so people can still enjoy brunch after church in Sundays and allow guests to sit on the rooftop for the view- waste of nice space if you don't allow anyone to go up. read more

Desert Pony Tavern - Bars Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Love love love! The breakfast buffet' Great place! Clean and great service I loved everything about this place great 5/5 read more

Stellar food by the chef and service by Amanda. Amanda wax a lot of fun and served our group with a smile. She loves her job and made us feel welcome. The chef created beautiful food. The quesadilla appetizer, chop salad, steak sandwich, burger, and chicken sandwich were fantastic. Good wine choices. Beautiful ambience. Thank you for the great service, Amanda! read more

Happy Hour! Nice selections. Great atmosphere - sat outside on the patio for happy hour. Enjoyed the wings tossed in bourbon bbq sauce. The artichoke dip was good too with the pitas. read more

Desert Pony Tavern - Wings and artichoke dip - Bars Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

I'll start with the positive..... the food was delicious. The decor and ambiance Is very spacious and inviting and the bartender and host were amazing. The negative- why oh why would you not put this bar/restaurant at an upper level to enjoy the view?! Instead you look at a brick wall when a mountain is on the other side!!! Our server needs trained. We had to go to the bar to get service and he had no idea what was happy hour. Which only includes 15% off the bar and no food. Someone coming in at 5, clearly is looking for a happy hour. read more

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$17 omelet - 1) forgot the meat, 2) eggs browned (overcooked), 3) potatoes not crispy but still greasy, 4) veg/cheese were fine. Recommend going out from hotel for breakfast or get $25 buffet instead so you can pick what is best that day. read more

Stopped here twice so far... loved it both times! SO happy it's near my house so I can be a regular! Ordered the Terrace Nachos... piled a mile high and completely delicious, huge enough to share, for sure. Burgers were also served cooked to perfection, delicious, and also really filling. Fries and onion rings also came out piping hot. Cocktails.... Oh my! LOVE the variety of smoking old fashions on the menu and the presentation. Was particularly surprised with the smoothness of the tequila one. Service was very friendly and attentive. Each person working here asked our names and introduced themselves offering a handshake. Have't experienced this level of sincerity at a hotel-type venue anywhere in many years. Made me feel completely welcome, appreciated, and noticed. Who wouldn't love that?! (Devon, Jovan, and Shane...you elevate our experience here!) Also, the live music offered Thur, Fri, and Sat nights is an excellent rotation of talented artists. Another reason we will return weekly. Lastly, with wide open walls (when it is warm enough), outdoor fireplaces, and snuggly blankets for guest to use, this indoor/outdoor ambiance offers premium comfort and ambiance and (before nightfall) a beautiful, relaxing view. What a lovely upscale vibe with an epic staff! read more

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Amazing service!! Great variety. They are truly aware of clients needs!! I would highly recommend visiting!! read more

Excellent Dinner! Excellent service by Cailyn! Great personality - great table touch! Just the right amount of time between each visit! Thanks for the amazing recommendations! Ask for Cailyn! Ordered the hummus and half chicken: (worth the 25 min wait) best dish I've had in awhile. Definitely worth a visit to Desert Pony Tavern! read more

Amazing food and the entertainers are ALL excellent! I highly recommend this Restaurant inside of the Hilton

Great place for Breakfast. Breakfast buffet or ala carte. Buffet includes Omelets to order and Waffles or Pancakes and French Toast. read more

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Nice outdoor area. Very fresh and unusually good crudites plate. Nice smoked old fashioneds.

Had an amazing date night, we love checking out different resorts around the valley and this Hilton is practically brand new!! Great menu with live entertainment, what else can you ask for.... I started off with their 'Empress' cocktail which was gin base and delicious, my partner had one of their signature smoked drinks, I think it was rum, no complaints from him!! We took our waiter Tet's recommendation for some food items and wow they were spectacular!! The burrata and the beer fondue were excellent starters, and I had the fish tacos and he had the chicken. Delicious all around, we shared a cheesecake for dessert. The whole staff at this Hilton was outstanding!! Will definitely be returning and recommending to friends. read more

Desert Pony Tavern - a view of the desert from the dining room - Bars Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

Right from the get go - do yourself a favor, get in your car, start driving, and go straight to Desert Pony Tavern. Hands down the best food from front to back we've had in Scottsdale! I'll go through each menu item we had one by one, but goodness gracious, this was fantastic! From the moment you walk into this place, the ambiance screams excellence. The many sparkly twinkly lights, the music that was highly motivational, emotive, and just at the right level. You could hear it, made you wanna move a little bit, but you could easily hear those people in your party, but not those a few tables away. Really welcoming vibes with stellar views out the porch. They married all the feels and nailed it. Before we get to the food, let's talk about service. Desert Pony is definitely bucking the recent trend of passable food with the fewest unobservant wait staff they can afford. Caleb was our server tonight. He could not have been more welcoming, more down to earth and funny, and excellent at making you salivate over the food he was about to deliver. You could tell he was proud of the food, actually ate it , and was eager for us to enjoy what he knew was superb cooking. The supervisor, Devon, came around more than several times to check on us, share some personal relevance, and show he actually cared about his wait staff, the cooks, the hostess, and the bartenders. I haven't seen a restaurant run like this since pre-COVID. It was like coming home. Caleb kept the drinks coming, we never had to ask for refills. He was very attentive, not in a frantic way, but instead like he cared that we were there and was not going to let us want for anything. Everyone that stopped to talk to us was kind, endearing, authentic, and treated us like family. It wasn't Nelly Olson suck up kind of treatment, this was genuine smiles and good natured humans that love what they do and clearly love people. We could not have felt more welcome and relaxed. Now for the food. Okay, so the service was top notch, so now the food's gotta be bad then right? Wrong! The food was the reason all these folks have huge smiles on their faces. They know for certain that their food is gonna knock your socks off. We started with the drink - the Peach Bliss. It was their signature cocktail for the night. When their sign says crafted food and drinks, they are not lying. This drink wasn't just a slap together martini you can have anywhere - it was a work of art both in taste and in presentation. We also were given our first appetizer - Bacon Carmel Corn. Good Lord Almighty, are you kidding me? Carmel corn popped in bacon fat, dripped lavishly in Carmel, salted, and then little bits of bacon to kick it over the edge. Just take my money already! So good, you could eat pounds of it. Every single kernel covered with Carmel and bacon goodness. Yum, just freaking yum! Next up was the Beer Cheese Queso Fondue. This just isn't fair. The pretzels are perfect. Salty, soft, puffy, and you dip in that warm, spicy beer cheese and all you life's worries just disappear. I almost forgot I have kids, a job, and bills to pay. And, then, why not add some spicy sausage to dip in this delectable cheese. You're killing me smalls! After that, we had Clam Chowder and Caesar Salad brought out. Now, as a native of the Pacific Northwest, I was expecting this clam chowder served in freaking Scottsdale Arizona to blow. But, I was desperately wrong. C'mon - you mean they nailed that too? Yep! Smokey bacon, clams, potatoes, herbs, spices, and it's thick and creamy - not watery. Most places try to pass off crappy potato soup as clam chowder, but not these folks. Someone who loves food made this. It was perfect, every bite. And the Caesar Salad, was bright and light like a salad should be. Plenty of parmesan, lemon, garlic, pepper, and fresh salad. It was served with these thin bread slices with a little olive oil and garlic on them. They were crisp with very good flavor and a wonderful light addition to the vibrant salad. So lastly, but definitely not leastly, the main courses. My wife ordered the Marinated Half Chicken with chimichurri sauce. Oh Mylanta - you are my woman! This was divine. The chicken cooked perfectly, every bite replete with herbs and juices. The chicken was glistening, not over cooked, not rubbery, it was pure goodness. The potatoes were well seasoned and lightly salted just as they should be. The vegetables popped and were fresh. And, I ordered the Beer Battered Fish and Chips. Again, my expectations were not high as I am not on the ocean front here. But, once again Mr. Brightside side was wrong. This fish was fresh, cooked perfectly as it was flakey, silky, and light. The beer battered outside was so good. They serve it with fries that are covered with Parmesan, herbs, and salt. I got two sauces ketchup and a spicy aioli sauce that really elevate the fish. read more

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Have enjoyed a busy Saturday evening here recently for dinner, drinks, & live music. As a newly opened hotel with a restaurant/bar, I found the entire operation to be spot-on with a friendly, efficient staff who are eager to please, tasty & varied eats priced for the experience, and ambiance that will bring me & friends back for more. Kudos especially to Devon, Shane, and Javon for exceeding expectations time and again! read more

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Great service from Eric for dinner this week. Super friendly & fun. The food was great and we all had a wonderful evening. Live music was an added bonus! read more

I tried to make a reservation for 10 for a 70th birthday celebration. I got the voicemail a few times, and left a message. I decided to try again, and I reached a young lady named Kelly. She handled it so professionally, and since it was December and we were still having days in the 80s but evenings were "chilly" for us ladies - she offered to set us up on the patio and still have a table available inside, if we needed to come in from the cold. It was perfect. Servers brought 2 heaters at each end of the table and the Birthday Girl had a great night!! They allowed us to bring balloons in and set up her birthday table. Every staff person was incredible and even offered to take our pictures! But I cannot forget to tell you about our table server....I believe her name was Kassie (or perhaps Kassandra). She was SO on top of it! She kept the bubbles and the appetizers flowing. We had a vegan or two, and some gluten free who preferred veggies to dip instead of breads - and she accommodated all!! The food was terrific! I had been to Desert Pony a year or so prior for a ladies' HH - but the guest of honor had never been, and she chose it. I am so glad that she did - because we had the best time ever - and mostly because of the staff was great!! I HIGHLY recommend Desert Pony and have been telling everyone to schedule their next HH there. read more

I wish I had nice things to say but.... Well, the food was good or I could say average. I would expect more from a Hilton. The service was bad. Simply bad. Even for Scottsdale it was rude. The bar wasn't busy but the two bartenders we so inattentive it was sad. The ambiance was nice. The architect should get props for making a place look warm and inviting. If you have to go here. Make the best of it. If you don't. Just go somewhere else. read more

We heard about this place and decided to stop by on the way home. What a good idea that turned out to be. I thought it was a lobby bar, but it is way beyond that. Great open air classy-casual kind of crowd. Pretty place. Service is top-notch. Drinks are great and the real topper is the food. We got the quesadilla to share and it is so filling it became dinner. Lots of shredded chicken in sauce and more than enough for two people. The server was chatting with us and I mentioned that I had never heard of their bacon caramel corn--so he grabbed us a sample. Very unique combo of the caramel corn you grew up with and good old bacon mixed in. Really good (although I am not normally a caramel corn fan). The topper was the to go order we decided to get for later snacking at home--the chopped salad. Full of flavor and shredded salmon and once again, a huge portion. Do yourself a favor and check it out. Great for a date-night or just a very nice go-to experience. read more

Three off us stopped in this terrific place for lunch because we heard a couple ladies raving about it at the pool. Two of us had the pastrami sandwich recommended by the amazing waitress/bartender Bethany and we both thought it was outstanding, one of the best sandwiches we've had in a long while. The third person in our party ordered the quesadilla type entre which he really liked as well. The beer was cold, drinks were good, food and presentation outstanding. Bethany was warm and friendly, informative and attentive. She made us feel at home and welcome. And I forgot to mention the place had a really nice vibe, casual and not pretentious, even though it's in the really beautiful new Hilton Cavasson hotel. Parking was easy and close. Loved the whole experience, we will definitely be back. read more

The Desert Pony Tavern is a gastropub in the back of the new Hilton property in North Scottsdale. We went for lunch around 1 pm and were easily seated as the restaurant was almost entirely empty. We tried the tropical heat cocktail which had good flavor but lacked any spice. We also split a salad and the wrap. The food was fine, nothing to write home about. The most surprising part of the restaurant was the ambiance. The photos online bill it as a scenic view in a serene setting. In reality the outside is a high walled courtyard sitting next to a major road. If you're in a pinch it's a fine place to stop, but there are much better eats in the valley. read more

Service was poor or non existent Ordered a glass of wine in bar and sat on patio. Asked a server who was walking by for re order. He rudely said I ordered from the bar and could not help me and to go back to bar. Felt like a scolding. I will not return. read more

We squeezed in at the bar for some drinks and ended up staying for their nachos and a good burger. Great smoked old fashioned options for anyone's taste. The nachos were amazing. Cool indoor/outdoor space by the bar. Bartenders were very efficient read more

Great food, good selection of drinks/wine. Service was excellent. Would recommend to anyone.

Terrible experience. We immediately felt unwelcome and all staff were very rude. This was our experience the entire time unfortunately. Food was good but we ended up finding hair in one of our food dishes. Gross. We went for brunch at 10:45 which was supposed to end at noon, they told us that it ended at 10:30 and would not serve us brunch. Overall bad experience and will never recommend or return. read more

Live Music on Saturday was amazing. Great atmosphere, creative drinks, service was friendly and prompt. I have eaten here a few times after work and always is consistent. Great Happy Hour with drink specials. Food is always on point, shout out to Chef Donovan! They also have a Starbucks in the Lobby. Easy to access and free parking on site. read more

Desert Pony Tavern - Paella special for two. Was exceptional. Server paired it with a wine I have never tried before. - Bars Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Food and service is excellent. Live music at night outside in the lobby. Attentive bartenders.

Hidden gem, excellent not overpriced food and attentive service! We had the wings and quesadilla appetizers, both were very flavorful and wings came with 3 sauces, chipotle was our favorite. For main we had carne asada tacos and the harvest burger, both were delicious. Their smoked old fashions are definitely a must. read more