Delicious dinner with friends! What a beautiful atmosphere, we started our visit walking the grounds. They have a nice bar. I tasted my husband's margarita, it was really good, not too sweet. My friend and I had the old fashioned, great flavor! We had dinner reservations, it wasn't too crowded last evening (a Thursday in May) but our friends come here often and always have reservations just in case. We had their sticky buns (cinnamon rolls) to start as it is a tradition that our friends have. They were good! I was so hungry I ate the whole thing before dinner but my husband and friend saved it for dessert. My husband and I split the Caesar Salad, it was great. I was torn between ordering the filet and the Sea Bass that was the special. Our waiter Ryan was excellent (our friends had him on their last visit) and he steered me towards the Sea Bass and I was not disappointed. Loved the risotto and the root vegetables. My husband had the Ribeye and he loved it. We were too full for dessert but I bet they are good! It was a wonderful experience. Our waiter Ryan grew up in Scottsdale and he gave us some recommendations for breakfast today. read more

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Although El Chorro advertises happy hour, I don't think they really want to offer one. Things have changed. Happy hour guests are now confined to one community table , which seats about 10, or the bar. One cannot sit at the numerous tables on the patio, which the whole reason for coming here. One can sit at the bar at any restaurant, so there is no reason to come here to do that. We decided to leave El Chorro and go to The Vig, which has an excellent happy hour. We enjoyed it! read more

service good, food very good, ambience excellent, great location. But way overpriced, basically out of the ball park on their prices. Compared to the very best Scottsdale has to offer this goes well beyond what their competitors charge. The menu is nice, different choices, but it is limited to your choices. Don't get me wrong this is an iconic location with a lot of history, but when a new company takes over it's never the same. read more

I am so very disappointed in El Chorro which used to be one of my favorite restaurants. Dinner was very unpleasant Although half the dining room was empty we were seated so close to another table that I could reach out and touch the gentleman next to me. I was charged a gourmet high price for beef stroganoff which had so little taste I had to ask for pepper. The once delightful happy hour no longer exists Small bite choices are listed at the menu dinner prices. It appears all the changes I am seeing are only done to increase prices. I won't return nor will I recommend El Chorro read more

Max was our server. What a spectacular person and server. We had a completely enjoyable night. Thank you Max

I hadn't been here in at least 30 years. It was excellent back then - and I'm happy to say that it has only gotten better! Excellent food, drinks and service. Definitely on my top - must-go list I'm Phoenix! The traditional eggs Benedict is my favorite - but there really isn't anything on the menu I wouldn't try or enjoy. read more

Group event here in beautiful room in the back. Great service and wonderful setting but the food itself was underwhelming. No one finished the salad, was marketed as Bibb lettuce, but was iceberg with no flavor. Salmon was salty and inconsistent across the table. Some razor thin, chicks was thick. 1 carrot, 2 string beans with no flavor. We are all disappointed. read more

El Chorro - Dessert was good - American Near Me - Paradise Valley, Arizona

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Beautiful patio beautiful ambiance wonderful attentive service. Took my friends here from out of town. Can't wait to go back again.

Note: this is a brunch only review We went for the first time to El Chorro for Sunday Brunch. It is easily the best food and experience for brunch in Phoenix. Why is this place not discussed more for a top brunch spot in town?! We had a wonderful experience. Our waiter was very attentive and went above and beyond to ensure our time was enjoyable. He even brought two people in our group blankets because they were cold (we sat outside). 5-Star Service! We will be back many more times to enjoy the property and amazing food! Just beware that this place is on the expensive side. read more

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Yo went for mother day service excellent food excellent filet was to die for and appetizers great yo don't forget the Bloody Mary excellent and desert and coffee . Kid from Brooklyn and I approve this message read more

This is my second visit to El Chorro. Was excited to take my daughter there because my first experience was amazing. We started off with fried lobster, which was very very good. Three of us each ordered a different entrée. Mine was beef stroganoff which I did not eat, it had zero flavor. My daughter had the short ribs which were good and my girlfriend ordered the Chilean Seabass, which was way undercooked, and the risotto had way too much lemon in it. A very dis-appointing dining experience for such an established restaurant. Our waiter was a nice older man that seemed to be very experienced. However, we were never asked about our meal not once. We were however asked if we wanted to order dessert. read more

Great evening with Philip as our waiter. Food was stellar as usual. Dawn Scottsdale read more

El Chorro - Fabulous night with Philip as our server. - American Near Me - Paradise Valley, Arizona

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Seriously some of the best service I've ever come across since moving from Chicago! Wow! The service is above and beyond fantastic!!! Thank you Robert and Julie for ridiculously awesome service! Will come again and again and bring all my friends!! The food was worth every penny and every bite melted in my mouth! Thanks!!! Highly recommend!! read more

El Chorro - American Near Me - Paradise Valley, Arizona

I was very excited to go here, and the atmosphere did not disappoint. The patio is beautiful and has air-conditioning and heaters so it can be enjoyed year-round. The service was very good. But it was the food that was so disappointing. We thought we would try the $69 flash fried lobster tail appetizer and really expected it to be phenomenal. It wasn't -it was seven or eight tiny pieces of lobster in a batter with a rather tasteless dipping sauce. Also had the tomato and burrata salad, but the tomatoes were bland and didn't have any flavor. Ordered the beef stroganoff for the entrée and that wasn't anything special either. My husband had the ribeye and said he's had better at most other restaurants. The only item that was really delicious was a special they had of New England clam chowder. I'm sorry to say I probably won't be going back, unless it's just for a cocktail and enjoying the beautiful outdoor patio. read more

Great happy hour spot. Expensive. The views here are absolutely gorgeous, it's a wonderful place to stop and get a drink. I've been here twice now, both times for happy hour. The sticky buns ARE all everyone says they are: ewy goey goodness. The margaritas are served in a tall and skinny glass but are decent, not super strong, but good. For 5$ on HH I'm happy. As for other food, I've tried the flatbread, it was very tasty. The sliders were good but nothing to write home about-I feel like the wagu beef might be a bit of an overstatement...not everything should be called wagu-you know? The chips and salsa are decent. The best part about this place by far are the views. Service had always been very good and quick. The place really clears out when happy hour ends though. Tip: there are a lot of family style seating options, so if you hate other people, this place isn't for you! Casual vibes, just don't wear gym clothes and you'll be fine! read more

Generally speaking we really like this place. The food is good, and the dinner service is usually pretty good. Our only complaint was the poor service from the bartender on the patio area. Not only did we receive sub-par service, our other two friends and a random person after us experienced the same. It was as if the bartender was annoyed we were ordering drinks from him. Apparently they no longer work on tips. I watched him give the same attitude to the other couple and this random stranger after us. It seems as though, if you are not sitting in front of the bar (which there is limited seating), they do not want to be bothered with your drink requests. Seems like something they need to change. read more

Food was okay but I expected more for $50 entrees. Service was good and attentive but the kitchen was slow for a Wednesday night. Took over an hour for our meals to arrive. Short rib tasted like dry pot roast. Will not return. read more

Very disappointed in El Chorro for Mothers Day. I seriously cannot recommend them especially when they have a set menu. We had a party of 8, and the bill was well over $1000 for mediocre steaks, one of which was ordered well and came charred like coal. Asked for bearnaise, and they couldn't accommodate as we were the last seating of the day and they were closing the kitchen. The bread they started with were breakfast sweet rolls, not an afternoon or evening appropriate bread. Positives- beautiful outdoor seating, the service was attentive, the salad was good. read more

Christmas Eve, in this crazy year, was highlighted by a pre-packaged feast from El Chorro. Every dish, from the Filet and Salmon to the desert treats to the Au Gratins, was perfectly prepared and delicious. Simple instructions made even a kitchen novice like me look good. Super prompt and professional service on all fronts made the ordering and pickup very simple and easy. Pickup at 2 pm allowed me and my companion the whole evening without worrying about cooking and such. Could not recommend more highly. read more

Great spot! I went recently for an awards dinner for work. Great private space, delicious food in a beautiful setting. Can't wait to go back! read more

Our party of four ate here last evening. We were seated outside, in one of the most beautiful outdoor restaurant settings in Phoenix. The setting, however, was the high-point of the evening. Having eaten at El Chorro several times over the past few years, I was shocked to see the significant price increases on their menu! Prices are among the highest for any of the high-end restaurants in Phoenix/Scottsdale. However, the food does not warrant these astronomical prices. I ordered the beef stroganoff, which has been a specialty there for years, and which I had loved before. It was perhaps the worst stroganoff I have ever had! the sauce lacked flavor, there were very few mushrooms, and not much beef. At a price of $41.00, it was woefully over-priced. Other members of my group were more pleased with their dinners, but all agreed that the prices have gotten way too high for the quality of the food. There are several much better choices in Phoenix to spend $100/head+ for a great dinner. read more

In town for a wedding, we came to this Arizona institution on Thanksgiving and had a great experience. The weather was perfect for outdoor dining and we enjoyed the great mountain views. The turkey was PHENOMENAL... I wish they would have infused some Southwestern flourishes, but it was all straightforward: (excellent) cranberries, tasty stuffing, etc. Service was on top of things and it was BUSY... clearly, many of Paradise Valley's denizens like to have someone else do the holiday cooking (and so do I!) read more

Maybe my expectations were super high since El Chorro Lodge is like an Arizona institution, but after experiencing a meal at this restaurant, I can't bring myself to give more than three stars. Don't get me wrong, it was "A-OK," it just didn't blow me away. The history of this place dates back to the 1930's and is pretty amazing. You can read about it on their website. The outdoor dining area is huge and has great views of Camelback Mountain. The live music provides for a nice ambiance as well... at least live music when we were there on a Saturday night. And our meal got off to a nice start with the relish tray and sticky buns - yum! But the service was really slow and the food was nothing to write home about. We found it to be overpriced as well. I'd consider returning to El Chorro for brunch or lunch or drinks or just picking up sticky buns "to go" sometime, but I wouldn't recommend it for dinner. read more

I love this restaurant for it's charm, impeccable food, service and location. I love bringing my out of town guests here. The cocktails and food are always spot on and the attentiveness of the staff are much appreciated. They brought a lovely little dessert for my guest's birthday. Perfect for special occasions if any kind. Luckily I live 10 minutes away so I can visit this lovely oasis often read more

El Chorro - Pan Seared Salmon - American Near Me - Paradise Valley, Arizona

Great dining experience at El Chorro. The patio is spectacular with amazing views all around. The service is great and the food was fantastic. We both tried the pigs in the blanket for an app and they were spot on. I had the short rib and I am a short rib fanatic and I have to say this was one of the best short ribs I ever had. Hubs had the broaster chicken and he said it was fantastic. Dessert was amazing. All around a wonderful time. read more

My hubby and I came here by mistake on a Friday evening. For some reason, I thought that this El Chorro was the same Mexican food restaurant that we used to go to in Tucson, but this restaurant was entirely different. The chicken enchilada dish was only one dish on the entire menu that was Mexican. Oops, my bad! I guess I should've checked with Yelp first to determine what type of restaurant it was, How cool is it that a restaurant reused what was once a girls' school and converted it to one of the most renowned destination restaurants?! The ambiance was much different as well. It was more refined, polished, and provided a beautiful backdrop of Camelback Mountain. It felt warm and cozy as well, as though we were entering a nestled mission in the middle of the desert. The patio was very inviting and filled with people enjoying good conversation and food under trees covered in warm lighting. Had I researched first, I might've worn something nicer, instead of our extra casual attire. DId that matter to them? No, they treated us very well! Our waiter James was very attentive and made sure that we had no shortage of their famous sticky buns. The sticky buns are so good that they even take orders "To Go" if you so desire. We started off with the Pepper Pot Shrimp Appetizer. It was served with rich, flavorful shrimp bathed in a pepper stew that could've been an entree in itself. The toasted homemade bread reached a state of nirvana in taste once it was dipped in the pepper pot stew mixture. We splurged and tried the Chateaubriand meal for two. It came with the most tender, meaty goodness of filet served medium rare (as requested) roasted in the oven and served with sides of a cabernet type red sauce made from the filet's own juices and also a decadent, creamy Bernaise sauce. Roasted asparagus, carrots, and red seasoned potatoes surrounded this platter of perfection. The chateaubriand meal also came with a dessert. We chose a butter cake with Dolce de Leche ice cream. Forget your typical Sara Lee pound cake. This butter cake puts that Sara Lee pound cake to shame! The cake was neither dense nor too light and flaky. The cake's texture was that of a thicker sponge, but the fork cut easily though the cake like butter. The sweet Dolce de Leche ice cream with the cream cheese, and thicker spongy cake complimented each other quite well. We were so tired by the end of all this eating that we woke ourselves up with some espresso there and called it a night. After the appetizer, wine, the magnificent Chateaubriand, and dessert with espresso, let's just say our bill was not cheap. In fact, I would definitely call the night done "on a whim" one of those crazy splurges. That won't stop us from coming back for more though! Bravo El Chorro for giving us a wonderful night to remember! read more

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The place is surrounded by beautiful mountains Piestewa Peaks. I only heard about this place because my fiancé wanted to get married here because she thought the food would be great here because it's an actual restaurant. I am so glad we came here to try the food out. I think she is now convinced the food here isn't worth spending 40k for a wedding here. I guess I came in here with High expectations for the food. I was looking forward to trying the famous sticky buns. Let me tell you it's basically a cinnamon roll but the ones that we had was not fresh and hard. I was expecting it to come out fresh and soft especially since we showed up when they just opened for Happy Hour at 4pm. Sticky Buns here was a failure. I'd pick Cinnabon any day over this. The shrimp pepper pot looked amazing in the pictures I had to try it. Reality is it was really salty. Ok other thing we tried was the short ribs with mash potatoes and French beans and Carrots. That was probably the best dish of all but it was short ribs how could you really mess that up. I've had similar elsewhere and Beckett's Table has one that's pretty awesome. So is there a dish here that I have tried that would make me want to come back? Not really. Maybe the scenery for sure above the food. 2 stars for the scenery and service. read more

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This was fine dining at its best. The service and food was amazing. We sat outside on the beautifully heated and lit patio. Do not miss out on the Filet Mignon and Sticky Buns. I would recommend this place for a special dinner. Favorite restaurant in Phoenix. read more

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Beautiful outdoor patio overlooking Camelback Mountain. Beautiful location, excellent service and exceptional food. The Shrimp Pepper Pot and Beef Stronganoff were delicious! We will be sure to come again when in Scottsdale! read more

Restaurant week menu was excellent, great food for a great price! We ordered the Shrimp Pepper Pot as an additional appetizer since it's so popular and it was SO GOOD. You'll be grateful they bring you so much bread with it, you'll want to eat all the broth possible. French onion soup was a lighter take, no baked cheese covering the soaked bread. I liked this lighter spin, the soup was very flavorful and slightly salty (which I like). The flavors were there even though some of the calories weren't. The Brussel sprout kale salad was fresh with tons of different textures. It was lightly dressed so all the different ingredients really came through. The grouper was perfectly cooked, great crunch coating on the outside. It was light, flakey and not fishy at all. Steak was very well cooked, the mashed potatoes with the sauce were what made this steak/potatoes dish sing. The desserts were fun, perfect portion size after all the courses. The ginger carrot cake packed a big ginger punch, if you don't like ginger don't order this dish. The salted Carmel ice cream helped ton the ginger down but if you need a break from the ginger avoid the sauce they put on top. The passion fruit chocolate cake was very good, the passion fruit provides a different spin to what typically feels heavy. The bourbon ice cream wasn't over powering, very creamy. Drinks were delicious. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is relaxing, if the weather is good definitely sit outside. read more

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Great food lace for a celebration lunch. Our service on the patio was great. Service inside does not seem quite as nice. Views are great. read more

They changed their menu mid season and took of our favorite dish at brunch (The best of both) an Eggs Benedict, where one had crab and the other had steak. They also raised their mimosa price three dollars. We loved this place and frequently come here every week or every other week. It also took forever for us to get our food this time. read more

Note: I reached out to the restaurant directly but when I didn't receive a reply, I decided to leave this review. We have frequented this beautiful restaurant a few times and it's always been amazing. May 24th however, was not good. The waiter described the special Sea Bass dish as having risotto. 2 of us ordered it. What came with it, was not risotto but some other hard chewy grain. The waiter offered to have them remake but it was the same. The Manager came over and told us that it wasn't Risotto at all but something else. It was unedible. She did not offer anything to us to try and make the situation better. On top of that, much to our surprise, this dish was $68.00! My husband ordered the beef stroganoff which he has had many times. There was no cream sauce. The noodles were in a broth. Thinking maybe they had changed the recipe, I looked at the menu and it says "Cream Sauce". There was nothing creamy about it and it did not taste the same as previously had. All in all, this restaurant is way too expensive to have a subpar food experience. There are so many other great restaurants in Scottsdale. The lack of response to our complaint is disappointing. Don't think we'll be back any time soon. read more

A wonderful neighbor destination that serves the most delicious sticky buns!! Really anything you choose will be a treat.

El Chorro is a Phoenix institution, the place to go for a white tablecloth upscale celebration mostly with the gray hair set as it is not loud and raucous and conversation may be had. The restaurant is beautiful inside and outside and the service is good, not anything off the hook but just good solid service. I wish I could like this place more but for the prices, I find the food pretty uninspired. My party last night had the duck - salty - the stroganoff - huge portion but oddly sweet - the seafood pasta - very heavy for a seafood dish and some of the seafood was rather on the fishy side. The bean soup with duck was good but a cup size, odd compared to the huge stroganoff and pasta portions. And finally, we love love love your complementary cinnamon rolls - AT BRUNCH!!! Why the f do you serve them before dinner? A lovely bread basket would have been better received, and you sold yourself out of dessert cause I had the roll for dessert. For this price point, the food should be more inspiring. Just one woman's opinion. I just got back from a week eating in New Orleans so maybe I'm spoiled right now! read more

Wonderful experience! Food was superb, setting was great and service (shout out to Steve, our server) was perfect! Really cool, historical place (John Wayne frequented) and is a local icon that we'd never visited. So glad we did! And to top it off - they actually CALLED us the next morning to make sure our evening was wonderful. That was a first! read more

Thank you Ryan, Chelsa, Nycolette, and Vicki for continuing to make El Chorro our favorite place Your service is outstanding and the food even better Thanks for making the DeFalco's Anniversary Spectacular We'll be back very soon read more

The ambience is what will put you at ease, as you are wooed by great service. Many places have forgotten the benefit of care and kindness for their guests. El Chorro puts the comfort of their guest first. With sincere pleasantries, and the feeling you are at a favorite relatives home. Familiarity is what many of us look forward to when we want to feel special. The food is good, not as great as the service because they put a little too much sauce on everything, but I guess that is what the unmarried aunt would do to show she cared. Ask for sauces on the side, it is comfort food. A wonderful place to relax, feel welcomed and enjoy great company. read more

I haven't even been there yet, but since they are trying to keep my wedding rehearsal dinner security deposit after the President of the United States just said on national TV that all Americans should avoid gatherings of 10 people or more. Well that gets one star. Keep it you greedy thieves. You are the only vendor on our schedule that's making a money grab. Good luck with the PR. UPDATE 3/17/2020: After ignoring my request to speak to management and then eventually reading my bad review, El Chorro management finally got back to me today. They have now decided to refund *most* of a deposit I gave them three days ago. Three. Days. Ago. It's not like they have been holding this room for six months. But they have informed me they're still keeping 10% of my deposit as an "Admin Fee." So they are keeping almost $300 of our money for what exactly? Writing emails to say they are keeping my money? Those are lawyer rates. FOR COMPARISON: Sanctuary Resort and their Elements Restaurant were in the exact same situation when I called yesterday. They 100% refunded a much bigger reservation with no questions asked (eight rooms for five days, multiple spa reservations, our larger wedding dinner, Sunday brunch, etc). They sympathized with our predicament and said they looked forward to working with us when things calmed down and we were looking to rebook our wedding events in the future. Bravo Sanctuary, we will definitely rebook with you. If it's any consolation, I've been told the food and service is wonderful at El Chorro... but if you're planning an event: Caveat emptor. read more

I came here for a wedding and the food was phenomenal! I also was so impressed with the grounds, the customer service and everything the location had to offer. The wedding was beautiful but I mainly want to point out the staff were the NICEST and most accommodating. It really is noticed and goes a long way so thank you. I've worked in events for years so I know how it is serving tourists but y'all really did the most and were amazing. read more