My husband and I took a mental health day to go up to Mt. Lemmon with our faithful four-legged companion, Layla. We looked for dog friendly places to have lunch and the first one - Sawmill Run - apparently listed as dog friendly on Yelp no longer is because a dog bit someone. :( We ended up at the Iron Door as I waited in the cat with Layla to see what we'd need to do, since I didn't think they'd let us have her there while we ate. Fortunately, someone told us it would be okay if we had her on the patio, so off we went for what was to become the best lunch I ever had on Mt Lemmon. We also had the best waiter. Ever. (Unfortunately I have forgotten his name, but it'll come to me later.) He brought Layla a little dish of water and a few odd pieces of bratwurst after asking us if it would be okay. Of course, our dog is a spoiled brat and we encourage people to spoil her as well if they see fit. ;) The German bratwurst platter is beyond delicious. I'm not a fan of cabbage, but the red cabbage was glorious. I think I heard classical music in my head as I ate it. The German potato salad was also delicious (one of my all-time favorites) and the cornbread was some of the best, if not the best, that I've ever had. Both Layla and I thoroughly enjoyed the bratwurst, too. :) Save room for the dessert. The apple strudel comes out huge, hot, delicious *and* covered in ice cream and is big enough to share with your sweetie. I can't wait to come back. Entirely worth the drive. read more

Ok so if you've never been to Lemmon Mountain, it's not all that much of a grub hub. I mean, the only considerable civilization if you're going up is on top of the mountain, so your options are limited to a couple of restaurants. If you go all the way up, you'll come across a low-key looking restaurant by the ski slopes known as The Iron Door. If you're like me and didn't eat before making the trek up the mountain, then this is really your only option. So real quick, I gotta say, the scenery is absolutely incredible, so it's got that going for it. And it's not super touristy, which is nice. Inside, the restaurant has a cozy, rustic, log cabin sort of vibe that I totally dug--definitely not the type of thing I'd expect in the middle of Arizona, which made it even sweeter. It has an open fireplace and a good amount of seating. Now, the food options are primarily sandwiches, soups, and pie. As an appetizer, we ordered potato skins, which had two monstrous skins with a decent amount of bacon and cheese. For real, these skins were awesome. I got the half soup and half sandwich($12.99). Their soups of the day were tomato basil/chicken, and I went for the tomato basil. As for the sandwich, I got the george's gorge, which had sauerkraut, turkey, and swiss cheese. Though it was a little pricy, the sandwich was really good. I was surprised! The soup wasn't really tomato basil, it was more like a tomato stew, but it was also pretty great. For desert, we had to try their apple and mixed berry homemade pie. This was the highlight of the meal. It came with a monstrous helping of ice cream, as well. Immediately, I could tell that it was homemade just by tasting it. Guys it was seriously awesome. So pretty much, I had a great dining experience at The Iron Door. Is the food a little bit on the pricier side? Yeah, but I think the taste and quality justifies it. Overpriced? No, I wouldn't say so. That coupled with a cozy atmosphere made this place a pleasant surprise. That's all I've got to say. Hope this was in some way helpful. Cheers! read more

Despite living in Tucson my whole life, not to mention all the times we've driven up to Summerhaven just to have a meal and enjoy cooler weather, I've never managed to make it up to the little restaurant located in Ski Valley. However, on a warm winter day (yay Tucson), we had it on good authority there was still some snow on the mountain. My husband and I decided to take the kiddo up for some play in snow (at least, the little that was left!) and lunch. We started at Ski Valley (note: at the time you could not go onto the run to play in the snow. You could ride the lift up to the top then directly back down--no getting off and walking around. For this once up-and-down we found it to be WAY too pricey to give it a go... I think it was between $15-20 a person. No thanks! We found some snow in the parking lot, mission accomplished.) Across the street is the Iron Door, and we wandered over to check it out. First thought was it was tiny, but cute (quaint). It looks like there's less than two dozen tables around, so definitely not the type of place you'd want to spring on with a large party. There was a cute (quaint) outdoor patio too that my husband and I agreed might make the restaurant good to rent out for a party or reception. They had a decent kids menu, and a good sized regular one too. We decided on just sharing a bunch of appetizers. The spinach artichoke dip was great! I could have lived without the potato skins, they were just ok. We each had a piece of pie afterwards and they were both good-to-great. Not as good a the cranky pie lady who used to be in Summerhaven (God rest her soul), but a suitable replacement. Price was reasonable, service was attentive, and food was good. I reckon we'll definitely be back in those hot summer months! read more

Great service with very friendly and welcoming staff. Sandwiches, chili, corn bread, and pie were all great!

Great mountain eatery to escape to, from the desert heat. One could sit outside and stair amongst the forest while enjoying a perfect personal pie. The ruhbarb was amazing. Also recommend the German potato salad. Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. read more

I love this place! The homemade apple cider is amazing, the place is truly charming, and the food is really good. True, it's a bit pricey, but it's kind of a tourist place, so that's to be expected. Plus, I think the old man server is fun. Try the chili, the potato pancakes, or the bratwurst plate - all the sandwiches are good, too! Bonus points for the fireplace - it's so nice! read more

We didn't actually get as far as the food, we arrived early and the employees let us in to hide from the cold and snow. About 20 minutes later a man with short dark hair commaned us to leave in a loud, harsh tone. We had already been quietly staying out of the way and he could've politely explained and asked us to wait outside but he actually marched us out the door. He probably yelled at his employees after for being kind. There's a lovely cafe to the right, up on the left called Sawmill Run Restaurant at 12976 N. Sabino Canyon Parkway in Summerhaven with good food, nice ambiance, and polite staff. read more

This restaurant doesn't even deserve 1 star, if I could I would give it 0. I was beyond disappointed in our recent visit to Iron Door. The service was terrible and after waiting 1 hour for our food and watching the other tables who came after us receive their food we decided to leave the restaurant. We went to the manager to pay for our drinks and he charged us $22+ for 2 ice teas, a coffee, and a kids milk. I don't know about you but that's averaging $5.00+ for a drink which is not the price that is listed on the menu. Save your money and spend it at Sawmill. read more

We went Saturday morning for breakfast. My fiancé, who has a service dog and I were all there. We walked in, and the hostess (semi tall, Caucasian girl with short hair and glasses, in case management is reading) asked us if we wanted to sit outside or inside. We chose outside due to Tucson being 100 degrees and Mt. Lemmon being around 75. We were told that our service dog (a corgi) might scare some people, so instead of being offered one of the two open tables we were told we had to sit at either the bar or the "lounge area" which was 4 lounge couches and a table in the center. While we were not denied service, we were not treated according to ADA and felt discriminated against. We choose the bar, which was the wooded deck. No bugs and a view of the humming birds. So that was a plus. Order was taken right away, but 15 minutes later our waitress tells us the pancakes my fiancé ordered, they were out of pancake mix. She had to order French toast. This took an additional 20 minutes before we got food. We ate, check and our credit card were taken in a good amount of time, but then we waited. And waited...and waited. it took them over 10 minutes to run my credit card, with no apology for the delay. The waitress who said she would "make it up" to us for not having pancakes, did nothing to make it up for us. read more

Nicest people EVER!!!! Food was very good (I had French dip) but the pie was worth the trip alone (I had mixed berry crumble)!!! Ask for Mark to be your server.....I will not go into detail of everything he did but he went ABOVE AND BEYOND any service I have ever received. Our entire group was VERY impressed. We sat outside and it couldn't have been more beautiful! You know its impressive when your teenager tweets about the experience!! We cannot wait to go back! Note: Be sure to fill your gas tank before starting the trip up the mountain as there is NO gas station!! read more

This place is not even worth writing a review for, somehow Yelp puts all the bad reviews in a blind spot at the bottom and they are not judged for all of their reviews. The food was awful. The chicken salad had canned chicken, the french dip had par baked bread that wasn't baked. The $10.95 sandwich was grilled Wonderbread and cold cuts. The soup was from a can. I won't even start on how bad the service was. They couldn't even figure how to seat 8. We were told that our table would be an hour wait and if we missed our name we would be to the bottom of the list, we came back in 20 minutes and were told that they called our name. Then the hostess told others that we were waiting for an hour and a half for our table. They even had a sign on the table to not Yelp bad reviews and to speak to the manager. Sorry, Iron Door I cannot train you on how to cook food instead of opening cans or how to read the package on a bread bag. I can alert others to bring a pick-nick lunch or to look past the Iron Door. read more

Great location right at Mt Lemon. We stopped on a Thursday afternoon for lunch. They had a labor shortage so they could only serve about 30% of normal business which resulted in a 30 to 40 minute wait for our group of 5. The food was worth the wait and the portions are good sized. My wife and I split a sandwich because we knew we also wanted the pie. Both pie and sandwich were delicious. Be sure to order the pie at the time you order the food as they tend to run out of some flavors. read more

Rode up on motorcycles for lunch / it was my first time there (a return trip for everyone else). It was a real treat!! Indoor and outdoor seating - we chose outdoor. The food and service was great - large portions (should've shared the meal - lesson learned). The cornbread was different than the cornbread I am familiar with - it was really good (almost like a desert). If I ever return to Tucson, this will be on our list of things to do (again). Loved it!! read more

After a lovely drive up the mountain, we stopped at the Iron Door Restaurant. Although the lunches that went by our socially-distanced table, looked yummy, we opted for our ala mode for lunch. Emily was our lovely wait staff. I had peach/berry crumb and hubby had mountain berry (a melange of several berries) crumb. They were both delicious! They had 13 pie flavors available! Only one thing would make it better...TWO scoops of ice cream! We ran out before our pie was finished! read more

I'm not sure how this place has 4 stars, the food was horrible. I had a sandwich similar to a French dip, the bread was stale, the au jus tasted like salt water, and i couldn't even taste the beef because of the small amount on my sandwich. The coleslaw was decent. I also tried the chili which was spicy but pretty good. The cornbread that came with it was some of the worst I've ever had. Jiffy in a box tastes much better. The service was good and the sweet tea was delicious. We were seated by an open window and the breeze felt great! Based on the prices of the food I expected it to be much better. read more

Very nice drive to this location. We were greeted by a friendly but overwhelmed staff. The patio has gorgeous views of the mountains, but nobody was able to sit outside for more than five minutes due to the swarms of bees. The interior was welcoming with a nice fire. The pace of the Restaraunt is slow, and the food was average. Bottom Line: If you are looking for a slow paced nice meal eat here. If you are looking for high quality, or are in a hurry don't waste your time. Be warned, beer is $6.00 a bottle. read more

I was so happy to find that Iron Door actually has legit German plates on the menu. I got a plate of bratwurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad, and this huge delicious corn bread that was really almost like a honey corn cake. The meal was very well-received. A note of caution - the restaurant essentially caters to the Mt. Lemmon ski crowd, so expect them to only be open for lunch and expect shakier hours during the warmer months. This is probably not a place to plan to go to on a drive up the mountain. By all means stop by to see if they're open, but don't plan your day around it. read more

Pleasant views from atop Mt. Lemmon. Was told it would be a 30 minute wait, but it was only 10 minutes before we were seated. Immediately greeted by our waiter and our appetizer was ordered and quickly served along with our drinks. Warm cornbread is a must have served with honey and butter. So nice to have a good experience when basically it's your only choice. read more

Iron Door - Salad Near Me - Mount Lemmon, Arizona

First time here and it was an hour before closing. They had such a busy day that they were all out of food.my wife and I happened to be the last ones in the door before they closed down for the evening and I'm so glad they got us in. A woman, who I believe to be the owner of the establishment, made sure we were well taken care of and gave us the best food and services they had to offer. It was my birthday and she made sure to make us extra welcome. I have never felt so at home at a restaurant before. Since they ran out of most of their food, we chose between soup and chili, sided by corn bread and drinks. My wife got apple cider and it was a great start to a fabulous meal. The chili is hearty and filling. I was still full hours later, even after a mild hike and some goofing around in the snow. The pot roast stew was delightful, and my wife all but inhaled it. ( I only managed to snag a few bites before she finished it off.) But needless to say, it was savory and satisfying. The best part of the meal ( other than the cornbread which tasted great paired with the chili or the butter and warm honey provided) was the pie. I chose the mountain berry apple and I was spouting compliments about it as I chowed down. Sharing it was rather difficult because it was just so darn delicious. After leaving a gracious tip, I left a thank you because she helped to make my birthday spectacular. Not only was my experience there positive but it was a wonderful example of good-natured people running a great business. Bottom line-- MAGNIFICENT OWNER, polite and charming staff, FABULOUS food, great home-like, endearing atmosphere, and a definite MUST for anyone who heads up Mount Lemmon. read more

Second time here, I really like this place. They seemed a bit overwhelmed/understaffed (it was a BUSY day on the mountain) but service was great and food was great! I had quiche with curried lentil soup and it was delicious. Dining companion had three pieces of pie...yep. I had a bite of each. Peach cobbler was my favorite but his was blueberry streudel. They have my second favorite pies I've ever had. It's slightly expensive but when you factor in that they have to get everything from Tucson, and probably aren't nearly as busy during the week, plus everything is home made...well, yeah, it's going to have to be a bit expensive to stay in business. And we want them to stay in business. Nice ambiance. Like a big wood ski lodge. Great view from the patio but we also had a great view from inside today. I want to go sometime when it's colder because they have a huge fireplace. read more

Had breakfast at the Iron Door and it was fantastic. We also got free lift tickets to up the ski lift. How gorgeous it is up there. Everyone in Tucson should go up and enjoy the experience. read more

Iron Door - Beautiful patio has views of the ski lift. - Salad Near Me - Mount Lemmon, Arizona

The chili is famous, according to the menu, but on this sunny Sunday afternoon, the Iron Door was famous for the bees which closed down the back patio. We got a table inside and after a slight delay we were met by the witty older waiter who also doubles as the town water director (supposedly). The mountain water did taste fresh and we were reprimanded in a nice way for asking for lemons. Anyway, the waiter was nice even giving me a free cup of the chili to sample. Personally, I did not care for the namesake dish because it was too spicy and watery and it also lacked meat according to my dining companion. My dish was a basic chicken quesadilla for about 10 bucks, but it had good chunks of white meat and all the dips needed to make it a good main course. The place could use a good dusting and a beekeeper, but it has history, a funny waiter and decent enough food depending on your love of chili to warrant a visit. read more

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we may have hit it on a bad day based in the reviews we read, but, we can't be that off. Great location, rustic decor as expected (required) in a mountain top. Server was so overwhelmed and it was not even half full on a Sunday lunch. That is likely why our food was room temperature, the hot food and the cold foods were both warm. The soup was spiced so weird my wife with the forensic palat could figure out what the heck it was. Maybe we should have tried the chili. The water was great. So there is that. read more

Loved this place. Went there in the spring and had an amazing hike on butterfly and stopped here for late lunch. The view, the weather, the service and the food were all excellent. We were able to sit on outer deck and watch the wildlife wanting to share our food. Our waitress was pleasant and efficient. The chili my daughter had was tasty and plentiful and the corn bread with honey is really like cake! I had the brats plate and was very happy. Same with the wifey and my other kid. One family even had a dog on the deck. Good to know they allowed well-behaved pets. Overall a great time and can't wait to get back. read more

Mediocre food and the worst service ever. My advice: Stay away. Eat before you come. Its service with a snarl. Ouch... Chili is a bowl of beans. Long drive for bad service! read more

Good food... Friendly staff... Would give a 5 but not dog friendly.. We camp up here and must eat at a place that allows dogs read more

Iron Door - We want to join mommy and daddy - Salad Near Me - Mount Lemmon, Arizona

If you're reading this, you need to come here. The wait staff was marvelous. Our server was a brilliant and charming man that was as witty as he was hilarious. He frequently stopped by to make sure that everything was to our liking, and even had a chemistry joke or two to crack when he overheard a conversation about university courses! My family and I enjoyed a combination of the cornbread (sweet and succulent) the chili (the recipe is old for a reason - why change perfection?) and a "the best bratwurst [my girlfriend] has ever had!" If you have to ask "should we?" to coming here, then the answer should only be "Hell yes." read more

Customer service was so horrible that we never even had the chance to try food. The young disrespectful kid that greeted us upon arrival needs a personality adjustment. We asked if we could order a beverage while we sit and wait 40 minutes for a table. Asked about sitting inside and was told that there would not be air conditioning. From the few minute encounter, we were immediately turned off and left. We headed down the hill to the Sawmill Mill Run restaurant and we were greeted by a very friendly welcoming staff that seated us immediately. I have one star, but only so I could continue. read more

Take the drive AND make sure to stop to eat at the Iron Door. STOP and get the PIE LIST before ordering your meal. ALL the food is great as our entire party agreed. But skipping the pie or dessert is a SIN. Any review that says otherwise is from someone who is ignorant of great food. read more

First time visiting Mt. Lemmon and we stopped in for a couple of beers and a light meal before heading back into town. We both ordered the chili (very tasty, but a bit spicy) and we ordered the Mountain Berry strudel for dessert. Woowzer! This place is a hidden gem and we definitely recommend this place to our friends. Not to mention the friendly staff (ask for Nelson) and the awesome views of the mountain! read more

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My wife asked a guy coming out of the restaurant how the food was. As he was running for the ski resort he said; Great food, Great chili! He was right on both accounts. We split a bowl of chili with cornbread, cheese and onions. We also split the Mountain Soul which was brats, german potato salad, stewed apples, sour kraut and brown mustard. I tried one item at a time, thinking as with most restaurants that some would be good some great and some not so good, and to my surprise every bite was better than the last. Rarely eat dessert but had to try the pie. The mountain berry pie was also incredible. Not to tart, not to sweet, just right. The food was amazing and the service was just as good. If we make it back to Tucson we will make the trip to the top of the mountain for a repeat. read more

This place is absolutely amazing. The view is incredible and there's a stone fireplace inside The chili is perfect, just enough kick to it. The corn bread is the best I've ever had. read more

A convenient place to eat after a beautiful drive up mt. Lemmon. Tried their chili and one of their sandwiches. Id give this place a solid 3.5. A lot of the food has a home made quality to it like the cornbread that comes with the chili. We were too full to try their dessert but i almost want to go back for some pie because they looked amazing. Service was very friendly and timely. read more

This place is not too shabby great customer service bathrooms are decent, cooks still look like they came out of Labor Workforce

Great suprise! Cute Bavarian themed restaurant near the top of Mount Lemmon. Tasty lunch menu. I enjoyed a gourmet grilled cheese with bacon and tomato. Everyone enjoyed their sandwiches and salads. Staff were super friendly and attentive. Will definitely return. read more

Most of the food was average to good, but the brats were overcooked and dry. The manager explained they boil them. Simmered brats are juicy and flavorful - they must have boiled all the beer off. They were actually tough and so dry even mustard couldn't save them. I ate a fourth of one, that was it read more

This adorable restaurant has been the highlight of my vacation to Tucson. First of all our server was absolutely perfect. We never wanted for anything. She was always right there ready to help us before we even knew we needed help. I ordered the chili and grilled cheese (both of which were superb.) I also ordered the spiced wine. It is a must for fall days. We then capped off the meal with the best blueberry peach pie. I cannot praise this establishment enough. This will a staple stop for me in all future trips to Tucson. Thank you Iron Door for great service and terrific meal. read more

We came here for the first time and we had high expectations. I ordered 2 eggs hash browns bratwurst, and strudel but, only received the eggs and hash browns. Along with that my friends were missing food from their meals . We asked 2 times for the rest of the food and waited 30 minutes and still did not get most of what we asked for. After asking a third time, I got my strudel, but not the correct type. I asked again for my brat and it never came. read more

One of the highlights of my trip to Tucson this past June was lunch at the Iron Door. Gorgeous setting. Friendly service. Great food. Never had such good cornbread and the pies... Sitting outside on the porch with the hummingbirds and the local raven, Rufus, visiting us on a lazy afternoon was idyllic! Wish I lived closer (I'm in New York City). Will definitely visit again on my next trip to Tucson! read more

Drove up to mt Lemmon today so we could hit up Oktoberfest at ski valley. 5 dollars for parking? Are you kidding me? Last year we happened upon the Oktoberfest by accident and spent our money, ate drank and we were happy and parking was free. Didn't have a 5 spot of cash this year because we weren't expecting to pay for parking so we turned around and ate at sawmill run which was quite good. No bees swarming everywhere either. Stay classy ski valley and iron door. read more