Great small town hangout , great atmosphere and service and old time prices. Food is limited but good

We happened to pass by Punkin Center while working one day, made a note of it, and later drove over an hour to come back and check it out. As huge Halloween fans, we were excited to visit. Unfortunately, our experience didn't match that excitement. While we understand and appreciate being carded, the interaction felt unusually uncomfortable. Our IDs were examined for several minutes, and throughout our visit we felt judged based on our appearance rather than welcomed as customers. What should have been a fun stop quickly became awkward enough that we decided to leave after just one drink instead of staying for food and additional drinks as we had planned. The property itself is large and has a lot of potential, especially for a small-town destination. We enjoy exploring Arizona's small towns and supporting local businesses, which is why this experience was so disappointing. A welcoming atmosphere goes a long way, and unfortunately that was missing during our visit. That said, Jake's Corner down the road was fantastic and ended up being the highlight of our trip. (For clarification, the bartender that made this experience not great said she was the owners daughter - this was around 2 on Father's Day) read more

Nestled in the scenic Punkin Center near Roosevelt Lake, Punkin Center Bar is a charming hidden gem with its giant orange pumpkin out front and rustic Arizona vibe. The iconic Punkin Center Bar with its giant pumpkin sign. We made the drive from Phoenix and it was absolutely worth it! The green chili pork burro (their famous pulled pork green chili burrito) is hands-down awesome--tender, flavorful pork smothered in spicy green chili, wrapped in a massive tortilla. Pure comfort food perfection. The chicken wings were crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and perfectly seasoned--some of the best bar wings I've had. What made the visit even better was our bartender Becky--she was super friendly, attentive, and made us feel right at home with great recommendations. If you're craving authentic roadside eats and hospitality, detour here--you won't regret the trip! read more

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Everything about this place is amazing. We are hoping to retire in tonto basin and I can't wait to be a regular here. The food, amazing, the beer omg so many choices and ice cold, the staff even more amazing! And they are dog friendly! I love this place! read more

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genuinely makes me so mad , called and asked what time the restaurant opened. They said 10 o'clock so I called again at 10 o'clock to make my order and they said it doesn't open till 11 like make up your mind. and plus I only want their food because the Mexican place is closed not even worth the money overly priced for not good food read more

The Good: Inviting place with excellent customer service. Stopped in for a cold drink after seeing the Tonto Monument and this place did not disappoint. Had no plans to eat BUT decided on the nachos - oh my goodness - I have never had nachos with more toppings than chips! What a treat! Chips are made to order and really added to the gooey fresh toppings. Chowed down before I got a good pic! This place has a great atmosphere and is definitely worth a stop if you are traveling. read more

Punkin Center Bar - Loaded nachos! - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Tonto Basin, Arizona

My guy and I wanted something to eat and a beer. We had previously stopped at the restaurant near Roosevelt Lake, but it was closed due to no water...hmmm...anyway we were going to go to elsewhere when I spotted Punkin Center. He and I decided to go there since it was closer. We park, hop out of our vehicle and another customer hopped out of his vehicle and greeted us. We walk into the place and it's not fancy but it's filled with really cool things that catch your eye. We had noticed a small placard on the table to order food from the bartender. I approached the bar and we were given some menus. The bartender was extremely friendly. I went to the restroom as my guy ordered us some drinks. The restroom had cute little pictures as well as saucy ones. When I came back to the table I looked over the menu. Well most bars/ restaurants do not have a keto option and this one was no different so it limited what I could have. I ordered a burger with no bun, but of course it comes with fries and any substitution would be more. Not like they had anything keto friendly that I could substitute. But I just go with the flow. My guy ordered a burger as well as some chili. He wasn't too thrilled with the chili. He stated it was dry. He let the waitress know and she asked if he wanted more sauce on it which he said yes. He stated with the extra sauce it was good. The food was not too bad. It hit the spot. But I think they should invest in those little holders that hold the numbers and place those on the table. That way the cook doesn't have to search where the plates of food go. There is one pool table inside and a shuffle board table. Out on the patio there is a smoking area, a horseshoe pit and Cornhole boards. read more

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Great place to kick it for the night. Yeah it's old but very clean..the people are great. Very quiet..area for anyone that's chilling out from Roosevelt lake.. read more

Was the only place in town that was open selling food one evening so I went. I won't be coming back. Prefer other local businesses like the butcher hook. Food was OK, very busy with only one bartender and I got the feeling I wasn't wanted there unless I was there to drink read more

We were told this place had the coldest beer in Arizona, and they did not disappoint!! The atmosphere was good, and the all around experience was enjoyable. We stopped here mid motorcycle ride with friends and enjoyed the stay. We would come here again. read more

The food here and service is always the best. If your hungry and want some food with an ice cold beer. Then do it here. You won't be disappointed. read more

This bar is great. There are guitars and banjos lining the walls, lots of seating, and food. I as told there are horseshoe pits, but I didn't use them. If you are in this area, you are either going to Lake Roosevelt, or somewhere near it. If you are staying in the area, this is one of a few good bars in the area where you can wet your whistle. An interesting guy named "Bones" is the curator of the guitars and the live music at night. You can't miss it, it has a giant pumpkin on the sign. read more

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Super friendly people, cold beer, tasty simple food. Really enjoyed stopping there for a bite to eat and a game of "Shuffleboard"

I was riding back to Tempe from Roosevelt Dam this afternoon around 2:30pm, and I had skipped lunch. Riding north on 188 there is a lot of scenery but not too many places to eat. I saw a sign for Pumpkin Center and took a right. Just past the town library is the Pumpkin Center Bar. It was pretty quiet and there were only four other patrons. The place was dark and had a bar with a few flat screen TV's, pool tables, and a kitchen. Everything was old, but clean. So I thought I would take a chance and get some food. Well I was in for a pleasant surprise. The bartender greeted me and asked what I wanted. I asked if the kitchen was open, she asked me what I wanted. I thought a burger and fries sounded safe, so that is what I ordered. The bartender asked one of the guys sitting at the bar if he wanted to cook up a burger and some fries. He finished his beer and raised the empty bottle. The bartender smiled and nodded. The guy got up and headed for the kitchen, she opened a beer. Hmmm I thought this could go either way. I noticed that they had mini pitchers of beer for $2. That seemed like a good deal, but I was riding my motorcycle so I stuck with a soda. The other bar patrons were pleasant and one woman was telling a story about her last visit to Phoenix. She took the light rail to her old neighborhood for a visit. The place had changed, she was asked "if she wanted a date" no less than eight times during her walk. She lamented that the neighborhood had changed since she lived there when she was able to go out and play as a child. A few minutes later that same woman got up from the bar and brought out my burger and fries. She said that she wasn't the waitress but she used to work there. I guess old habits are hard to break. She was nice and the burger and fries were smoking hot! It was a great burger. The lettuce was crisp, the tomato slice was red and juicy, the onions were crisp and had a strong onion taste. The pickles, well what can one say about pickles, I'm not a big pickle fan. The fries were fresh out of the fryer, and fried in some sort of non healthy oil that tasted delicious. With a full belly I got ready to ride home, thinking that next time I'm in Tonto Basin, I know where to get a good burger! read more

Jared was the bartender/cook and made us burgers from hell with killer fries and awesome chicken wings. Definitely the hole in the wall but the food rocks. Watch out. Don't drop your cue stick or you will get hell from Harley the owner. We minced words but actually she is a very accommodating owner who takes care of her customers. Will definitely be back to try other things. read more

Quality of food is okay and with normal price. I had the eggs & bacon and the hash brown was greasy Service was also a very slow and there weren't more than 8 people at the whole place. The staff was polite but need help on service, cooking and presentation of the dish they are serving. read more

It's a great place to go after a long day of fishing. The staff is friendly and drinks plentiful! Saturday night is karaoke night and my favorite evening to be there. read more

Quality of food is good and normal price. I personally enjoyed the fried steak breakfast. Pancake was good but a little bit on the hard side. Service was also a little slow and there weren't more than 5 people at the place. read more

We stopped..first attemot off of 188 road close water running over road ..we had rental car so went back took second exit. Food we ordered was very good! Drinks and food were inexpensive. We would stop again! Bloody Marys are home made and are excellent (I usually don't like bloddy marys) Must try! read more

Great food with really nice gals running it. Definitely a place to check-out....don't miss the green chilli or tamales.