My family and I decided to drive up to Mt. Lemmon in hopes to escape the Tucson heat the other day. We didn't know what to expect when arriving to this restaurant, but were pleasantly surprised with both the food and service! My husband got the burger (which he loved), my daughter got a grilled cheese with sweet potato tots, and I got the tri tip beef dip. Best. Beef. Dip. Ever!!! I'm not even kidding, I haven't been able to stop thinking about that beef dip. It was so delicious! I told my husband it'll be worth it to make the 1.5 hour drive up there once a month just for that sandwich. The sweet potato tots were yummy and the fries were amazing! All of the staff were really nice and attentive. The only reason I wouldn't give five stars is because the prices were higher than what they should have been. Overall, this is a great restaurant to eat at when visiting Mt. Lemmon! read more

Sawmill Run Restaurant - Burger and fries. - New American Near Me - Mount Lemmon, Arizona

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Of the eating options in Summerhaven, Sawmill Run is probably the best. Service was friendly and helpful. Portions were a little on the small side ... the pastrami sandwhich was good but not as generous as one from a New York deli. Sweet potato tots were excellent. Coleslaw was good. On the down side, a little pricy for what was served. It's hard to fault the restaurant, though. Summerhaven is remote. Everything must be shipped in and overall traffic probably makes it hard to take advantage of bulk ordering ... so, yeah ... All things considered, worth the stop. Will most likely stop again next time I'm up in the area. (Note: I find myself "grading" this one on the curve based on the options available. In any urban area with competition, 3 stars ... but with so few other options within a half hour drive, this one is at the top of the very short pile.) read more

The husband and I have gone a few times for lunch and it is decent enough food. Sad there is no gluten free options unless you just get a salad or sandwich with no bread. The menu is very limited with just 3 salads and a handful of sandwiches. Today I got the pulled pork with no bread. It was pretty good, got the sweet potato tots on the side which were okay. The one downside to this place is the owner not honoring the 20% off coupon that he has posted to his own Yelp review. After we told the server about our checkin coupon, the owner came out to tell us that Yelp put that up without his permission. He said he has a military discount but nothing to help us or say sorry for our "fake" coupon. He should have at leave given us 10% off for the disappointment. Very discouraged with our service. Not sure if we will return. read more

Sawmill Run Restaurant - New American Near Me - Mount Lemmon, Arizona

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Very middle of the road lunch in a beautiful setting. Had the burger and fries, as did many of my lunch buddies. One brave soul chose the duck thigh with risotto off the chef's special menu. I had the Mount Lemmonade (get it???) which was sweet and not at all alcohol tasting. One lunch buddy had the margarita which was so incredibly sour she swapped it for a bottle of Stella. The burger was fine, cooked as requested. The fries were nicely crispy. I glanced towards my friend's duck thigh, and I had to look away quickly. The duck was red. Not nicely pink. Red. My buddy is much braver than I as I previously stated and ate it after googling how raw is too raw for duck. He said his dish was "meh" overall. This same friend hoped to wash it all down with a draft beer but the taps went wonky while we were there. Overall, it's fine. They kind of have a captive audience with a great patio and alcohol. Stick to the main menu with things that look familiar (burger, fries, BBQ pork) and you'll be fine. read more

I guess they forgot it was a Monday holiday. Had to stop taking orders till they caught up. Oh well.

Don't get discouraged by the overwhelmingly bad reviews. This place is decent. I wouldn't pay these prices for run-of-the-mill (and over cooked) food when there are other options... but last I checked there aren't any other beautiful outdoor seating options In the middle of summerhaven. Of course the owners and managers know this fact. I think the reality is that even in the slow season they are packed from breakfast on through the day. They aren't having any issues filling tables. Therefore they aren't going to go to great lengths to fix a problem they don't have. Details: I ordered chicken which was (as others have stated) overcooked. The plate came out quick and had definitely been sitting under a heat lamp or warmer for some time. I didn't complain - again, this is a high volume place with no concern for getting repeats. The food was edible. If I got the same meal in Tucson it would have got two stars (for reference). read more

Drive up to the Sawmill is worth the price of the food it is a order at the counter and then sit down a waiter will bring you the food to sandwiches and two soft drinks was approximately $45. The sandwiches were good but my hamburger was quite burnt. I asked for mayonnaise and did not get any and there was none at the counters to put on yourself. It's a place to eat at the top of the mountain I wouldn't go out of my way to go there but as long as we were there we thought we would eat I guess you should be the judge if it's worth the money read more

Update. I am sorry to have to do this because everything I said in my original review below was true, but it's not true now. I seriously don't know what is going on with Sawmill Run. What kind of restaurant has no ketchup? We went and they were out of ketchup and had been all week. We wound up buying some at the store down the road and sharing it with other customers. The next time we went there was ketchup but we were told in the future it would not be on the tables. You'd have to ask for it. Making customers uncomfortable is NOT a way to save money. Running out of basics and not replacing them -- from ketchup to straws! -- does NOT make it seem as if the restaurant is well run or cares about the customers. The wait staff is very nice, very professional. I felt sorry for them because this is clearly a management problem. The tasting menu appears to be gone and the regular menu keeps changing. We don't know what to expect on the menu anymore but unfortunately we expect there to be problems that shouldn't exist. And the food is no longer as tasty. Sawmill Run needs to fix these problems. They can start by having ketchup in stock and on the tables, like every other restaurant of its kind. And they need to find one menu, stick with it, and work to make the food good. I'm leaving my old review below. That is what Sawmill Run used to be capable of. They should try to get back to that. ***************** ORIGINAL REVIEW Sawmill Run restaurant gets 5 stars because of Chef Nick. If I could give it more stars, I would. The talent this young man has is simply extraordinary! The food was always nice -- but since Chef Nick came, it has become truly spectacular. I grew up in NYC and I have traveled all over the world, so when I say that Chef Nick's tasting menu is one of the most delicious things I've ever devoured, it means something. Honestly, if I had the money right now, I would back Chef Nick in his own restaurant. Whoever invests in this young man stands to make a fortune. He's that good. Sawmill Run has always been charming -- it's Mt. Lemmon!! The wait staff is super friendly. We've always liked it. But now.....now it's a place to go specifically for the food that Chef Nick makes. He sources the most fresh local food, works his culinary magic, and suddenly a mountain top restaurant in Tucson has food that rivals, that beats anything I ever ate in Paris or NYC, etc. I am old enough to remember Janos restaurant in Tucson. It was sublime. And Chef Nick -- I have to be honest -- I can't say he is just as good because he is better. Go to Sawmill Run. Get the tasting menu. Be able to say that you were there at the beginning of this young man's career because I am sure he is going to be a star! read more

To the staff at Sawmill - first of all, your food is just amazing. Grilled cheese with apple - I never would have thought! Secondly, you were kind enough to allow my friend and I who were stranded after our car broke down to allow us to stay in the lobby and try to get a tow truck. I apologize if my voice got loud as I was sent to an overseas call center for a tow truck through insurance. Your team was nothing but good to us. Your food is amazing. Your team is amazing. You allowed us to use your WiFi. We loved your place so much that when we were rescued the next day, we bought lunch for our friend who picked us up. I recommend your food, the environment, and the ambiance. And for those who choose to dine on the patio, bundle up. There is a fireplace. Just come in and take care of all of the good people who work to keep this place going. We have genuine gratitude for the kindness and that good food! -- Andrea and Polly, AZ City read more

The food took a long time and everything was overcooked and cold. The prices are high, I don't mind paying if it's worth it, it isn't. Waitress was really friendly and accommodating, hostess was not friendly. Overall feeling, not going back. read more

Pleasantly surprised by this one- the options for food at the top of the mountain are pretty limited so I wasn't expecting much. Party of 6, awesome server, quick service and good food. Appetizer of Nachos made with house made potato chips were gigantic and very good. Others ordered burgers or salad- all great! Great view from outside deck! read more

Sawmill Run Restaurant - New American Near Me - Mount Lemmon, Arizona

We stopped in here for lunch the other day and everything we ordered was delicious!! Three of us each got a different kind of burger and a couple different sides. The burgers were big, cooked to perfection, put together very well and tasted amazing! The side salad was also very good and was a fairly large portion. Also the seasoned fries were fantastic! Next time I'm in the area I'll definitely stop by for another meal! read more

My first time here and what a great experience! Four of us came for lunch after a hike. Very friendly service and pretty fast service. We all loved the patio!! The Humas and sweet potato tots are excellent!! The Caesar salad was just okay, hard to eat because it came in a big stock. The burger was also excellent. The pie was okay. I will definitely be back! I recommend this place!! read more

Once a year, I have an obligation that (thankfully) drops me in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Summerhaven. Which means that at least once a year, I escape the inferno (Phoenix) and get to visit the Sawmill Run. Sometimes, it's a quick visit for a beer. Other times it's a sit down affair with most of the family. Growing up in Tucson, I've visited this mountain community many, many times. And I remember what Summerhaven was like before the 2003 Aspen Fire. Along with the progress of rebuilding and the vegetation hiding the scars, the Sawmill Run has been quietly establishing itself as a place for the locals and visitors from the valley. It's generally busy when I've dropped in the last few years. Getting a seat at the bar (inside or out) is always easy in the afternoon. And even when the place is packed (last year's visit), the staff did a great job of turning the tables and getting our party seated quickly. I would describe the menu as "fancy comfort food". Yet it still has simple and fun items like a homemade potato chip appetizer. I'm not sure why people think this place is expensive. Maybe that's just the perspective of folks who couldn't be bothered to pack a picnic lunch. While the Mount Lemmon Cafe may be gone, the Sawmill Run deserves to enjoy continued success. Thanks for helping revive a beautiful part of Arizona! read more

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It was good. Nice setting. Food ok. Service decent. Prices for value ok. The guy seating people was a little hyper but i get it.... But my elderly mom walked ahead even though he insisted we wait to be seated So I think he seated us at the crappiest table by door even though many better tables were open as payback. Oh well. read more

Sawmill Run Restaurant - New American Near Me - Mount Lemmon, Arizona

Terrible service. Stood at bar for 15 minutes with literally not even a basic acknowledgement. Common courtesy lacking. Place was full but maybe 25% of people were eating. Everyone else seemed to be waiting for food or service. The Food that was served looked lackluster. We finally just left. Major bummer. read more

Ordered a western burger and when they brought it out it didn't have any of the items the menu said it would have. No bacon onion rings or bbq sauce. When I asked why they said they were out of it. Why would you accept the order then give me something I didn't order? I still tried the burger and It was the worst burger I have ever had. This place sucks!!!! read more

The service was slow, but that was understandable because Mt. lemmon is such a remote place, it's easy to be under staffed. But the food was absolutely disappointing... We ordered two sandwiches and the sausage platter, and it just lacked flavor. Not rewarding after a long hike. I do hope the restaurant improves their food! read more

I'm a Tucson resident and often take spur of the moment trips with my pug. We drove up Mt. Lemmon today to escape the heat, hoping to get a snack at this restaurant. When we arrived we saw several signs saying "no pets." So I headed to their large deck in the back to see if we could get outdoor seating. The gate was locked, and we couldn't get in. A young man who appeared to be a manager/waiter asked me if I had any questions. I said, "what can I do with my dog while I order?' He said, "Don't you have anyone with you?" I replied that if I had I wouldn't be having this problem. He said, "Well, I guess you should've have planned your trip a little better." I gasped and said, "Oh my God that's incredibly rude." He responded, "I was going to help you, but no. We don't allow pets." Then turned on his heel and walked away. He had no reason to be so rude. I was able to get food at the General Store, where they volunteered to watch my pet. And I made sure I told this story to everyone I talked with. I won't be eating there, pet or no pet. read more

Awful food. Went with a friend. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich. Let me start by saying the chicken wasn't grilled. It was fried on a blacktop and it tasted old and very dry. Also was a chicken tender size. Not a chicken breast. I couldn't even eat half. It sucked. My fries were warm not hot. Couldn't finish them. It cost 16 bucks for that garbage. My buddy ordered the Reuben sandwich. Barely ant meat. Mostly sauerkraut. He was disappointed also. Same cost. What a waste of money and it,e. Workers didn't care. Food sucks. Go someplace else. You would be better off at the hotdog truck down the street. read more

Took the wife here. It was our first time here and the ambiance and food was absolutely delightful. If you're on the mountain you should definitely stop in. read more

Was seated outside by the waitress; no problem there. Waited, waited and waited. Three different passes by the wait staff over a 8 to 10 minute period...no acknowledgment, not even a "I'll be right with you." Finally had it with waiting, got up and left. Told the waitress that seated me on the way out that it was horrible service - not even a hello from any of the wait staff. Another waitress, as acerbic and IDGAF as they come, interjected herself into the conversation and said "oh, well, we're a little busy..." A little busy? That's the excuse; no apologies? I asked her who the owner was and all she could say then is "Goodbye." She must have repeated goodbye at least six times. Wasn't interested in making it tight, moreover, not interested in a paying customer. If you're in for good scenery and what appears to be a decent menu (can't opine on that, but it looked good) then I'd recommend. But don't go expecting good service or attention. You'll only get snarky, IDGAF attitude from the waitstaff. "Goodbye", indeed. read more

The food was super yummy! A little pricey, but it's expected because of the location. The portions were filling and the food was very good. I just wish they offered more seating for the dog patio. There is really only 4 tables available for pets on the outside patio. The other section for the patio does not allow pets. I would still come again! read more

Came up to Mt. Lemmon for a relaxing little family vacation. Had never been to this place before but, let me tell ya...this is exactly what the mountain needed. Friendly service, cozy atmosphere and amazing food. I chose the BBQ chicken mac 'n cheese sandwich with fries. All I can say is...OMG. Every bite was heaven. Prices are a little high but the portions are enough for two meals. We will definitely be back. Anyone who gives this place a bad rating has their panties in a wad. read more

Sawmill Run Restaurant - Hamburger and fries. - New American Near Me - Mount Lemmon, Arizona

I was hoping for good food and it was just a total waste of money. I am allergic to onions and we requested our food without onions and they made sure that tons of onions were included in my burger. Besides that, food was cold, fries were horrible. Our burger was tasteless and cold. I asked for soda water and even the water taste weird, perhaps a bit flat. Tons of flies everywhere. If you want horrible food and pay top dollar for it so this is the right place for you to go to. Disgusting :( read more

Although the burgers were ok, the wait and service left a lot to be desired! It was extremely disorganized and obviously the kitchen was not well staffed! We waited 30 minutes for a table and then were directed to self order. It took another hour to get our food, since we were two couples, we ordered separately so our food was delivered about 15 minutes apart. We did speak to management but they didn't seem very eager to offer any resolution. It was disappointing to see that people that walked up and ordered at the bar were served right away and even before people that had waited in the restaurant read more

What a gem! We took the 4x backside to Mt Lemmon from Oro Valley to check our trails for our side by sides and we're hungry hungry hippos. We had the southwest and blue burger. Wow I'm not a burger person but thought why not. Nice cold beer in a bottle and the Bloody Mary mix they mix was yummy for my mechilada. read more

If you are looking to escape to Mt. Lemmon, I would highly recommend planning to stop in for a bite and coffee. The staff is absolutely wonderful, polite, and you can tell they love what they do. The chef takes a lot of time and consideration into each dish. We used Sawmill to cater our wedding in June of this year and that was the best decision. They worked closely with us to tailor a menu for the wedding to suit our preferences, prepared a delicious tasting, and were so professional. On the day of the wedding, they were prompt, polite, and even brought their own table to serve the food on. In addition, they brought to go containers for those that wanted to take food home. We had requested food for 70 people and we probably could have fed over a 100 :) Our guests traveled to Arizona for the wedding and were pleasantly surprised with Sawmill. We can't thank them enough! read more

Sawmill Run Restaurant - Sawmill catering our wedding, delish. We opted for southern food and asked for burnt ends, salad, mashed potatoes, cornbread and the fixings - New American Near Me - Mount Lemmon, Arizona

Incredible dining experience for new visitors. I had the meatloaf with cole slaw side. Found the cole slaw uniquely different and enjoyable. (and meat loaf). The outside dining was very comfortable on a 50 degree day. The service, Sarah, was Texas friendly. So, grab your backpacks and your 300 dollar sunglasses and put on your 400 dollar hiking boots and don't forget the water, then drive up to Sawmill Run and enjoy a dining experience with a lot of people with inflated opinions of themselves. read more

Sawmill Run Restaurant - 12/23/17 - New American Near Me - Mount Lemmon, Arizona

Been here before and the food was much better. I ordered the Buffalo Burger with onion rings. The burger tasted like it was pre-cooked, Luke warm,and overall just nasty. The onion rings tasted old and stale. We definitely won't be going back. read more

Have been a couple of times. food is fairly good, prices can vary depending on what items you get, mostly paying for the views and your beautiful mountains, nice to try though especially if you are here visitng. read more

We have been here in the fall and had a lovely meal. Today we had a 30 minute wait which we expected on a Sunday in summer. My grandson and I ordered $17 burgers that sounded amazing on the menu. Both were over cooked, dry and no longer hot. My son, who is immune compromised, ordered the smoked chicken. It came out undercooked. They offered to cook it longer but he was Leary by this time. They took it off the check. Overall, it was a disappointing meal read more

The location is fantastic but the food left a lot to be desired! We ordered burgers and then we waited...and waited....and waited. Finally a server brought them out and I noticed the cheese looked burnt where it melted over the burger and onto the cooking surface. I was starving so I decided to eat it. The whole burger patty was burnt, seriously burnt and so was my husband's. We debated on sending tgem back especially considering the price but we were hungry and had already waited a long time for our food so we peeled off as much of the burnt stuff as we could. It wasn't horrible but it was definitely not worth the money and it wasn't very good. Next time we'll skip the expensive restaurant and just take a picnic! read more

Unfortunately I am unable to even review this restaurant in full due to the fact that they seem to pull their daily hours out of thin air every day. I called about a week in advance to make sure that they were open for Dine In service. "Yep! We are open and serving dinner for dine in service." - they claimed. Great! We don't have to pack food to make for dinner in our cabin! So Saturday comes around and I called in the morning to inquire about their hours so that we made sure we planned our afternoon accordingly. Spoke to another person who confirmed they were open until 8pm for dinner. Great! 5pm rolls around and we walk down the hill to enjoy a nice beverage and some dinner and we notice a hand written sign in the window that says "We are Closing at 5pm." Ummm what? So we walk in and ask a young lady why they are closing and she claimed that someone called out for their shift and they had to close immediately. Obviously we were very taken off guard and then asked the lady where else we could get food on the mountain and she directed us down to the Cookie Cabin.....which closes on Saturday's at 4:30pm, and it was about 5pm already. Super unhelpful and clearly just wanted to get us out of the restaurant so they could go home early. I have heard from the locals that they just randomly close all the time whenever they feel like it so if you are planning on going up for a weekend DO NOT count on this place to even be an option. In fact! as the young lady said, maybe take your business to one of the other local restaurants, of which there are few. read more

There may not be a lot of variety offered on their menu, but if you are in the mood for hamburgers or sandwiches, don't let the low ratings fool you. I highly recommend checking them out. We were visiting the area took a leisurely drive up Mt Lemmon highway. By the time we got to the top, we were hungry and decided to stop to eat at Sawmill Run. We were so glad we did! Portions were generous, the onion rings were done perfectly (my husband even wanted to go back a couple of days later for another order), and the Buffalo Blue Burger was one of the best I've ever had. If we're in the area again, we'll definitely return. read more

I've been in Tucson for about seven months now and I had yet to make the drive up Mt. Lemmon before today. I knew it was something I wanted to see soon before all of the snow melted away. My partner (a native) told me there was a little village at the top of the mountain with eateries, and I immediately knew what I wanted to do on my next day off. Today was beautiful, with perfect weather and clear blue skies, so we decided to make the trip. I Yelped the eateries that would be open at the top and we decided on Sawmill. The surrounding village is quaint, with snow-covered pine trees cascading down cabin-dappled mountainsides. The vibe is rustic, and made me feel as if I had stepped out of Tucson onto the set of "Twilight." Too bad Robert Pattinson was nowhere to be seen! We arrived at 3:35. I was abruptly stopped right before we entered the restaurant by a bright yellow sign on the door that read "No Yelpers," and we went on to read that they don't accept any Yelp coupons. Although I wasn't expecting a Yelp discount, the sign was a little off-putting. We continued inside. The waitress sat us and took our order a few minutes later. She was efficient but I wouldn't call her friendly. When my partner ordered a juice, she replied with "there's no free refills on that," which seemed a little abrupt, but it makes sense that she wants to avoid complaints. After taking our order, she said "wow, you guys barely made the last seating" and walked away, commenting on the fact that they were closing at 4 pm, despite the fact Yelp listed them as open until 5 pm. I also found this a tad abrupt and wondered if she was trying to hint that she was annoyed with us for coming in during the last half-hour. The food was good--not great, but certainly not bad. My side salad was fresh and my smokehouse salmon BLT was stacked high and flavorful. My partner's pulled pork sandwich was flavorful but could have used more pork and more sauce. The portions were relatively small compared to the price tag. The mashed potatoes were fine, although they left the russet skins in the mash, which we are not fond of, and the gravy tasted like it had been canned or powdered. Overall, it was a mediocre experience. The scenic views and our photos of the area made the day trip worth it, not the food. read more

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always great food and service here. the patio is a delightful eating spot, and the food is perfect for high altitude hunger!!!

Maybe 12 people in this restaurant when my wife and I ordered a smoked turkey leg, Which you have to order from the counter ( no wait staff) where 8 kids 16-20 are hanging out behind a giant menu billboard that for some reason is dangling in the middle of kitchen. The servers can't even see the tables. You just see faces pop out once and awhile from behind this stupid obstruction " wait untill you see it" Food shows up 30 mins later (remember smoked turkey leg) it's fried, covered in blue cheese and Franks red hot. So they gave me the wrong item, no biggie. I try to cut into this thing with the plastic place setting I was given like we're at some picnic. Nope couldn't do it, so I walked behind the hanging monster to get some service and they found me a metal knife and fork. I still couldn't cut this thing as I'm trying to share with my wife. Should've just got a beer..... read more

Avoid this place! The staff is very aggressive and rude to customers, which made it totally uncomfortable for everyone there. My husband got sick after eating one of their hamburgers. Gross. read more

Convenient location, right across the street from where we were staying at the Mt. Lemmon Hotel. Good menu options.