I have gone through Payson hundreds of times, but never stopped at some of the local restaurants. That changed today when I had breakfast for lunch at the Pinon Cafe. The restaurant was pretty full just before 12pm, but I got a booth. Service was great and the food was tasty. I got french toast, eggs, and sausage and had no complaints. I would eat there again. read more

The Pinon Cafe - French toast, eggs, and sausage with a side of wheat toast. - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Covid precautious included tasteful plexiglass between booths with sw designs. Waitress hand carried items requested at table or condiments etc. I had the best meatloaf sandwich. Over an inch thick tasty on top of grilled garlic toast along w HOMEMADE mashed potatoes all covered w brown gravy. Side salad also included for $11.00. Wife ordered burger (high quality beef) w frys, $10.00. She's a burger person , loved it and could not finish. This will be our go to place driving through and visiting Payson. read more

Stopped in for late breakfast. Was seated immediately but sat for 10 minutes will all the servers had a conversation at the register. Walked out without eating. No excuse for this. read more

This is a small place more than likely ran by the owners very nice people here. They take credit cards here most places only want cash in this area. They are clean and always wiping down the everything salt and pepper shakers menus all of it.. the food was great had green chili burger cook just the way I asked and the fries here are so good oh they have a spicy mayo this is a must... they even give a to go cup They also have these giant cinnamon rolls but we didn't have any to full. . read more

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The food was really good, the cinnamon roll was the BEST! Honestly I would come again, it's great after a camping trip.

The menu looked good, but the customer service stinks. When we got there, a very unfriendly lady brought us our drinks and said someone would come take our order. We waited for 15 minutes before the woman who I presume was the owner, pointed in our direction and then continued to ignore us and another party that arrived after us. She was clearly irritated that we walked in 45 minutes before closing--45 minutes, NOT 5 minutes. There were at least 4 other staff there. She started toward our table with her orderbook in hand when someone stopped her asking for a cinnamon roll. She stopped to help him and never came back. We finally got up and went to the register to pay for our drinks. The guy at the register apologized for the lack of service. We arrived at 1:15, and they close at 2:00. We would have been gone by 2:00. If they want to close at 1:15, then they need to change the hours you say they close at 1:15. read more

We were both so happy with our meals and the service here! The owner is a sweet woman who looks after each table to make sure everybody is carefully taken care of. The prices are incredibly reasonable and the flavors are outstanding and authentic. I usually make my chili without jalapeños but now I think I'm going to change my recipe and start adding in chunks of jalapeños. I usually just put a green chilies but the jalapeños really gave it a good flavor. I ordered a pinion burrito with chorizo and it was outstanding. My husband and I also shared a bowl of chili. Yum! Come give this place your money! read more

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Payson has a few classic-style local cafes, and this is definitely one of them. We dropped in for breakfast on our way from Phoenix to Durango, Colorado, and I was taken back in time when I walked up to the door and inside, instantly reminded of when my dad would find a place to eat on a road or fishing trip. We sat in a booth with a table covered in local business ads and were provided with very friendly service. My wife and I both ordered classic breakfasts, and while they weren't the kinds of meals you would drop your jaw over, they were exactly what you would expect--a wholesome breakfast right out of the past--the kind of thing a local will eat every week because it's exactly what he or she ate as a kid. And I did. Lots of breakfasts just like these. The food brought back that kind of memory for me, and it was worth the slightly-higher-than-expected price just for that. Besides, the portion size was plentiful, and inflation at the moment is going crazy, so you can't really complain too much about the $30 including tax and tip that we paid for our two meals. If you don't have any experience with a place like this and are used to getting all of your breakfasts at The Phoenician, you might be disappointed. But if you're like me, and grew up eating in local haunts and truck stops--and have fond memories of it all--then you aren't likely to be disappointed at The Pinon Cafe. read more

The Pinon Cafe - Sign out front, as seen from a booth inside. - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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The service was good however, biscuits were undercooked making it slightly mushy, the gravy tasted like Alfredo sauce from a can and was very very thick. The corn beef was extremely salty making it unappetizing, the hash browns were noticeably soggy and not fairly cooked well, the eggs were not bad ( i mean who can go wrong with eggs) just add seasonings on your own, and they mistakenly gave us white toast when we asked for sour dough bread. read more

The Pinon Cafe - x2 corn beef hash x1 biscuits and gravy - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Let me start by saying I've owned a cabin in Payson for the last three years. This restaurant has been our go to for breakfast. The customer service we experienced this morning has to be the worst I've had in 42 years and caused our group of 14 to exit without even ordering. When I first entered the restaurant I could see all the way to the back room which looked open. Since we had a large party I knew seating us would be a challenge. The hostess said the wait would be an hour so I asked about the back room and she said they could accommodate us but only provide 12 chairs. We were seated with two kids, one a teenager in high chairs despite the table next to us having two extra chairs the the women used as "purse" chairs. When we asked the waiter for one extra chair for our teenager they said they could not accommodate us. To make things worse we were at the restaurant for 30 minutes without anyone taking our food order. We had drinks but no straws. The hostess made rounds to ask if anyone needed anything to our neighboring tables but did not ask us if we needed anything. When I went to the front to address the issues I was told I have been rude from the moment I walked into the restaurant. Apparently me mentioning the tables in the back was taken as rude by the hostess. The manager was the owners daughter and she literally offered zero help regarding the situation. So for the first time in my life I walked out of a restaurant never to return. read more

Long overdue review, but my fiancé & I LOVED this place! We found this cafe on Yelp & were excited based on the reviews (especially due to the fact that this was our first meal after a road trip). Amazing food & amazing service. The nicest staff & we got our food so fast! My fiancé ordered a waffle, scrambled eggs & sausage & I had a traditional eggs benedict with hash browns. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place if you're passing through Payson & are looking for an awesome breakfast place. We ate here before we visited Tonto National Forest. read more

The Pinon Cafe - traditional eggs benedict, waffle + scrambled eggs & sausage - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Using the high ratings on Yelp, my mother, daughter, and I stopped by this restaurant for breakfast on our way home from camping. I must say, this place is a gem!! BREAKFAST WAS AMAZING!!! My mom ordered the corn hash and it came with eggs and potatoes. She loved it! She really enjoyed the potatoes because she said it had pieces of onions, which gave the potatoes a good flavor. My daughter ordered the kids French toast with a choice of meat. She truly enjoyed the French toast so much that she had powdered sugar all over her face! She was very glad we stopped at this restaurant! I had the traditional breakfast, which came with eggs, potatoes, choice of meat, and toast. I substituted the toast for biscuits and gravy, which is an option on their menu. Everything was beyond my expectations! The ham was cooked to my perfection, meaning it was not dry and chewy. The potatoes had a great flavor l, mainly because of the pieces of onions cooked with the potatoes. The eggs brought me back to when my grandmother made me eggs at home. She always knew how to make a good scrambled egg! Thanks for the memory! Our waiter Jared and waitress Adelia were both very friendly and "on point!" Any time we needed more drinks, Adelia always refilled them. We never had to ask for a refill because she was already on it! Jared got our orders correct and even kindly fixed our receipt total after deciding last minute, we wanted a cinnamon roll. Thanks for the great service! My mom and I have agreed to make this "our place" to stop for breakfast every time we go up north! read more

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Food was very good and a great selection! Portions were large We definitely will be back again as we travel there often read more

Waited 20 minutes to order. Waitress hostile. Avoid. Waited 20 minutes to order. Waitress hostile. Avoid.

Great service!! Loved the kindness and fast service here- perfect brunch spot for after hiking in the area! read more

The Pinon Cafe - Cute place! Huge servings! And great service! - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Great breakfast and lunch! The eggs Benedict was fantastic. The biscuits and gravy had a great consistency and texture. The patty melt was cooked to perfection. The star of the show is the cinnamon roll. Great local and family friendly place. read more

Best cafe in Payson in my opinion. Dont miss their fresh cinnamon rolls the size of your head, probably a good idea to split it. Also the biscuits and gravy are out of this world. Super friendly staff is quick with the coffee refill and relatively easy to get a table when needed. Highly recommend his place, Paysons oldest cafe I believe. read more

Stopped in on my way to California and service was great food was amazing the pancakes were one of the best I've had if I ever pass through here again I'm stopping. Really recommend. read more

Got the chili and other items to go on the way back home. Will sample the pie and giant cinnamon bun tonight. Chili was great. Lots of meat and some kick to it. Just checked my sandwich we got and specified no ranch dressing. There is ranch:(. Changing from 5 stars to two. It's so important they get these things right on to go orders. read more

What could improve is the tables and chairs there very outdated and the service was okay but when the other lady came by to take our order she rushed us to get our order and when she was walking away I don't know if I miss heard her but she kept saying dumbass, the food was ok but they put everything on my burger when I told the lady only bacon and cheese and they burnt my grandpas potatoes. read more

An awesome little joint We were on our way to Heber and saw good reviews and it looked so adorable Very old timer feel and a huge menu of yummy comfort food as well as all the standards They have about 5 patty melts to choose from and we each ordered one They have funny names for the different recipes of melts: mine was some guys name -it was not on rye bread- rye is not my favorite It was good -cooked just right But the most most yummy were the sweet potatoes fries OMG The best I've ever had We both thought that Do not miss them! We wished we could have stopped off again before leaving town The breakfast looked good too. Give it a try For small town cafe food-it rocks read more

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Birthday celebration-special Cinnamon loaf complimentary. Boys from Phoenix, Arizona, sang Happy Birthday to me. read more

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Several of my high school chums had a mini reunion and finished our weekend here eating breakfast. Place was clean and busy of course. Kind of country place. Full of local art for sale. There was 6 of us. The service was less than desirable. Which the place was packed i understand. Short waiting period. We had to summon a waiter to take our order. Once our order was taken the waitress immediately asked if we wanted separate checks. Very convenient. We had Swiss Mushroom Burger the only thing the waitress never asked how I wanted my burger rare. It came to me done. Oh well next time. I ordered my meal to skip the fries add cottage cheese. Alls was well. My friends are heavy coffee drinkers and the coffee supply was lacking. When there was service (at the end of our meal) coffee came around. All was ok considering timing, people, employees, and everything. read more

I have been here a few times over the years and revisited this last Saturday for breakfast. It's definitely the local hangout as most patrons did not appear to be the Phoenix crowd and this is a good thing in my book. The restaurant itself is dated but very clean. It's a vacation lodge theme with some "art" for sale on the walls. The service is attentive and the menu is basic diner food. I had the chicken fried steak (CFS) and eggs that comes with a "small" biscuit & gravy side. The CFS was hot, tender, and tasty. The biscuit was a bit cake-like for my taste and the gravy is pasty. The portion is actually very large. My home fries were a bit over seasoned, but had lots of onion which I like. My wife had a green chili omelet but the green chills had no flavor even though there were a lot of them. I am betting these were canned but cannot verify that. They have fruit if you want a substitute for potatoes. The English muffins are pretty good too. In summary, the food comes out hot and the portions are large. If that's all you need for breakfast, this is your place. read more

The food was really good. The staff is really friendly. The energy is just wonderful.

Nice little breakfast and lunch diner. Food was really good and the service excellent. The owner even came out and talked to us for awhile. Really friendly place. Way better than eating at some chain restaurant. Look out for the sasquatch though. He's right around the corner. read more

The Pinon Cafe - Stopped for some lunch and a huge sasquatch attacked my little woman. Fortunately I was able to fight him off. - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Stopped in for breakfast to go & it was delicious. The breakfast sandwich was huge! Service was great. They got the potatoes wrong on our other order but it was all good. Highly recommend. read more

The Pinon Cafe - Breakfast Sandwich & Hashbrowns - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

The cafe was cute and they have tons of sweet trinkets for sale up on the walls. The food was good, nothing to rave about. My husband and I wanted to try something local opposed to the traditional Denny's or IHOP so we chose this cafe. The service was good, it took about 20-25 minutes for our food to come out granted the cafe was full. Overall good place and I would visit again. read more

The Pinon Cafe - 2x2x2 + country potatoes & Country Fried Steak - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Solid little hole in the wall in Payson. Great breakfast options and the burgers are amazing. Friendly staff who love to chat. I would highly recommend if you are looking for an option instead of a chain restaurant. We will be back when we are in the area. read more

We enjoyed this cozy little spot in Payson! We met some family members here on our way up north and had a tasty lunch! We were greeted with smiles and treated like family, gotta love that kind of service! Their menu is comprised of various comfort food dishes - don't come here if you're on a diet or are Vegetarian (options are slim but they did have a veggie burger and French Toast would always work)! But if neither of those apply to you - you'll absolutely love what you eat. I ordered a cup of their cheddar broccoli soup because it sounded right on a cold winter day and I was a little disappointed - the cheese was more curdled than creamy. The flavor was ok though! For my entree, I ordered the patty melt (takes me back to my Midwest roots) and it was tasty! I do wish the patty would have been a little thinner like it normally is in patty melts but the flavor of the beef and onions was delicious. I also love rye bread! All in all, we enjoyed our lunch here! Their breakfast items also look incredible so I would love to try that on another visit to Payson! read more

Live in Scottsdale came up to stay at a friends cabin. We woke up early and was looking for place to eat breakfast. And we found a awesome spot. Service and food was amazing. And take it from me I'm a chef for 30 years read more

The Pinon Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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This place never disappoints you might have to wait a minute to get in and get seated but trust me it's worth the wait the Staff are always friendly and attentive portions are huge and fresh made to order place is rustic but always very clean so if your ever up near Payson you should drop in you won't be disappointed. read more

The Pinon Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Great little cafe. The biscuits are very good. I have the Redneck Bene so good with the biscuits and gravy. Good solid cafe.

My husband and I went to Payson for an enjoyable day and the first stop was The Pinon Cafe. The hostess was pleasant as she informed us of a short wait. The wait room is a separate area, but very small and cold. Fortunately, the wait was short and my husband and I were quickly sat at a comfy booth. The food was delicious! I had the chocolate chip pancakes with bacon, yum yum. My husband had the 2,2,2 and a side of potatoes. He also thoroughly enjoyed the meal. I can't wait to go up to Payson again and hopefully try their giant cinnamon roll. read more

The Pinon Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Popular breakfast with a sold diner vibe and good breakfast and lunch fare. Biscuits and gravy are well made and tasty

I think it's safe to say that this is the most disgusting breakfast I've ever had. The Redneck Benedict was absolutely drenched in flavorless gravy. The biscuits tasted like raw flour. The potatoes were cold and hard, and I'm pretty sure they were from hours earlier or the day before even. Nothing here tasted fresh at all. Apparently in Payson, if you get giant portions at a cheap price, it doesn't matter if the food is terrible. So people, save your stomachs and don't come here. Just my advice! read more

Ate here two days in a row because it was so good !Great service too. Definitely coming back.

Fantastic experience! My buddies and I are on a road trip and pulled in to get Wendy's. We looked across the alley and saw this place, so we decided to stop somewhere unique while on our trip. Boy I'm glad we did! The inside is really cute and unique, very small town country, perfect for Payson. Waitstaff was patient with myself and my 5 annoying friends (don't worry, we tipped nice). Ordered bacon, eggs, potatoes, and a biscuit, all of which were great and only $12.85. The prize of the meal was a $7.50 cinnamon bun. The thing was massive and perfect for 6 hungry boys. The thing tasted wonderful and I only wish I could get one more without my arteries clogging. Great place, will stop by next time I'm in town. read more

Good simple food, clean and nice service. We eat sure on our way out of town every visit. I especially appreciate that they have gluten-free toast as an option. And they have a good coffee !!! Great family business to support. read more

First time here, they have plexi glass and are enforcing mask, cleaning frequently and condiments not kept on the table. The food was just eh quite honestly I don't even recall what we had because it was not memorable. Not sure we would go back service was just ok. read more