A good choice. The restaurant has some of the best food I've ever had. The chef changes the menu to give you a fresh choice on what he can do with food. What a treat this place is. Now the decor isn't all that. Rather dark and not what you would expect from an upscale restaurant. Very old, not with antiques, just old. Need a nicer decor. Since you go most of the time for the food this place is great. Service has always been good too. Nice place. read more

This was our second time dining at Tinderbox. Our first experience was excellent, which is why we decided to return. The restaurant was small and intimate. The portobello appetizer was absolutely outstanding and easily the highlight of the meal. It was flavorful, well-executed, and just as memorable as we remembered. The steelhead trout was cooked perfectly, medium and very tender but both my boyfriend and I found it a bit fishier than we prefer. Unfortunately, dessert was a major disappointment. We ordered the Basque cheesecake, and it was nothing like what we expected. Instead of being moist, creamy, and custardy, it was dry and crumbly. I mentioned to our server that the pastry chef might want to reconsider the recipe, but she responded that it had been made this way for many years, suggesting they were confident in it as is. At $16, the cheesecake was especially hard to justify. We've had far better cheesecake elsewhere for less. Would we return? Maybe...but primarily for the portobello appetizer. Overall, we'd probably choose to spend our money at Shift instead. read more

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The food and the service is excellent. The ambience is terrible. I ordered the elk and IFA exceeded my expectation read more

The appetizers were all good and creative. We got the cheese board, fried eggplant, and pork belly. They switch the menu frequently so they may not always have those options. The entrees were alright. I personally liked mine but everyone else wasn't a huge fan. I got the filet which was really good, I liked both the sides it came with. The elk was not very good. It tasted similar to a dish you would get at an Indian restaurant which I just don't think meshes well with a gamey meat. I know they were trying to be creative so I give them credit for that. The pasta was also very nutty which I thought would just be the garnish but it was all throughout. Not the best either. The service was really great and I like that they make the restaurant very noise resistant with the padding on the walls. It makes it a lot quieter and easier to hear your party. Dessert was tasty. We got a coffee cake! I appreciate this place for being creative. I really haven't been to a place like it ever and I give them lots of credit for that! read more

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Overpriced for the quality of food and experience. We had a large group, so I recognize that that can be hard to manage. There was a long lull where we waited a while for the next round of food to come out. The food was good, but some of the portions (like shrimp and grits) were small for the price. The coffee cake is the best dessert, and the chocolate cake is pretty good (like a lava cake). The cheesecake had no flavor, and the lemon curd tasted more like butter with barely any hint of lemon. Overall, I had a good experience, and the employees were great. read more

Tinderbox Kitchen - Coffee cake, chocolate cake, basque cheesecake - New American Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

The food was exquisite cooked to perfection. Outstanding presentation. The portion size was perfect for the price. It was not under portion or over it was perfect. The service was superb. From the hostess to our waiter, it was great. The waiter did follow policy having the lady order first. Sitting add to my table, took me back to a little restaurant in France. read more

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Impeccable service by Raychel- she was very kind and accommodating despite the hiccups, and persisted to provide 5* service. The food execution was variable and combo of ingredients for the dishes was not for me. Mint arugula salad - the individual components didn't flow together well for me. There were odd bites and flavors, with occasional very salty bites from the cured mushrooms. Confit garlic with focaccia - this was pretty tasty with the occasional salt accents on the focaccia. I appreciated that the garlic was a mild flavor and smooth like butter Pork ____ - first batch we got, half the pork were overcooked and very tough. We got a second batch done which was cooked better and the meat was juicier. The combo of the flavors was too heavy for me and I was wishing for more of an acidity to balance out a heavy meat flavor, garlic aioli, and the starch/carb/corn Tagliatelle - loved the pasta, seemed like it was made fresh in house. The mushrooms were underwhelming and would have been better if they were prepped/treated (roasted or seared). I appreciated that the overall flavors weren't too salty or heavy like the pork dish. Scallops - unfortunately a couple of the scallops that I got were sandy and strong ammonia flavor. The corn/potato/ham or bacon mix was tasty. Gelato flight - favorite was the pineapple with real pineapple chunks, the almond one tasted like pecan pralines that was tasty at first and got too sweet for me, and the chai was an interesting flavor that may grow with more exposure. read more

Tinderbox Kitchen - Scallop - New American Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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One of my favorite places to have dinner when in FLG; Great food; Great service; you won't go wrong with Tinderbox - the best food experience read more

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Stopped by here for dinner with the family. My wife and I each had a cocktail. Both of them were top notch. Up there with some of the best cocktails that we have ever had. Food was delicious and amazing. I ended up getting the Elk to try something different. The Elk was cooked perfectly and was so tender. I would go back just for the Elk or even the cocktails. Yes it's a bit pricey but I have no problem spending on high quality food that looks amazing and tastes fantastic. read more

Tinderbox Kitchen - Elk - New American Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

Best dinner I've had in a while. Amazing filet and the elk tenderloin was bomb. Cheeseboard and house salad perfect appetizers. Doesn't look like much from outside but looks are deceiving. Service great too. Must check if in Flag!! read more

We celebrated our wedding anniversary with a dinner at tinderbox and it was such a fantastic experience! The server was so friendly and welcoming! We decided to do the five course chef tasting menu. Yum!! We still talk about the salad we had here, it was phenomenal, a salad! Lol. They made our evening very special! read more

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Amidst the pizza joints and brew pubs that dot the landscape of the Northern Arizona University area, one occasionally finds an adult venue (not that kind...get your mind out of the gutter). Tinderbox Kitchen is one of those places. It's intimate, darkly lit, quiet and comfortable - just like my bedroom. Unlike my bedroom, they have a well stocked bar and a full team of people anxious to serve you. The menu was small but fascinating. They have a handful of entrees (mains for you snooty foodies) and I'd like to come back and try them all. I ended up ordering the elk tenderloin, which was absolutely fabulous. Not gamey at all and but not precisely beef tasting either. Unlike my paycheck, it was ample. The sticky wicket was the accompaniment. Serving it on a bed of quinoa with a jalapeño chimichurri was too clever by half (you know, people used to say stuff like that all the time back in my day). The quinoa was bland and if that texture and different mouth feel were what they wanted to have, then wild rice would have been a more complementary flavor. Otherwise, a purred root vegetable would have been a nice combination. And if they wanted a home run instead of a triple (that's a baseball metaphor, because I'm American and have no idea how scoring works in cricket even though I alluded to it earlier), they would have plated it on a bed of aligot. Also, the jalapeño chimichurri just didn't go well with the delicious steak. Too spicy and not enough flavor. As a matter of fact, it unfortunately obscured the dark cherry glaze, which really did pair nicely with the elk. The appetizer (starter for you snooty foodies) was a simple but delightful focaccia with balsamic and roasted garlic. A delicious surprise was the arugula salad. A hint of mint, high quality produce, and perfectly dressed like Wifey on date night. I wasn't sure what to expect, but having said that, my experience was that it was unexpectedly complex but definitely yummy, also like Wifey on date night. Another nice surprise was a very respectable wine list. I twisted my own arm and ordered a bottle against my better judgement, which I conveniently left at home (my better judgement, not the bottle). Dessert was good not great and that really is the one miss. My dessert tasted fine but it was apparently either that or pour a sugar packet down my gullet. A restaurant with that vibe and that quality really warrants a proper dessert menu. I'm not talking about Cheesecake Factory here, but give me something to work with for a grand finale! In spite of wanting some more dessert options, it was a great experience. The food was great, ambiance great, and the service was exceptional which is really rare in a college town (no offense kids, but you know it and I know it and I know you know it and I'm pretty sure that you know that I know it as much as you know it, you know?) Highly recommended. Will go back. read more

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This place was amazing during our visit! We had Josie as our server and she was fabulous. I had elk for the first time on the first night we went. It was the best meal I ever had so we decided to go back the second night. Again, it was amazing! The only "sad" part was I could not finish my meal because we had a big lunch earlier in the day, so we took our leftovers to go (my boyfriend's steak, my elk and our sides). Later that evening I couldn't wait to dig into the elk but when I opened our bag of to-go leftovers, everything was in there except for my elk That was a disappointment. Only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars. read more

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Great place my first time here and I am so glad I came.. the food was so good and the drinks was on point read more

Tinderbox Kitchen - seasonally challenged - New American Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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Cute place. Nice atmosphere. Service was wonderful - thank you Ben. Scallops were perfectly prepared. However, I did not love the risotto that it came with. Mussels appetizer was delicious. Winter salad and cheese board were good. read more

Tinderbox Kitchen - Scallops - New American Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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Flagstaff, Az. Looking for dinner in Flagstaff that was not pizza or burgers. Found Tinderbox on Yelp and made a reservation for 5:00. We arrived a bit early but were welcomed. I was a bit surprised about the small dark ambiance with concrete floors that reflect sound. I didn't exactly like the music being played, but the volume was not too loud and it wasn't really that bad. The somewhat divey vibe was in its own way welcoming due to its lack of pretentiousness. I mean really the price range here is up there with white tablecloths, wine glasses already set, and waiters with crumb scrapers. In summary, the ambiance does not correlate with the pricing. Our waiter tried his very best to keep us interested and happy, almost over doing so, but he was likable and efficient. The menu apparently changes every so often, so whatever you read online may not be what is offered. So for us, no halibut nor steelhead. For starters we had the pork belly with some interesting poblano fritters, aioli and a cranberry glaze. Absolutely delicious. I wish there had been just l bit more. I had the filet au poivre, which is just a peppercorn crusted filet. I ordered it out of curiosity. It really was quite good, the temp ranged from medium rare in the center to medium well near the seared crust. The crust encased the entire steak. I thought the flavors were great and the meat tasted of high quality with a good texture. Was it worth $60? To me no, but that seems to be showing up as the going rate these days. My opinion, based on the size, $30, then upgrade for the fancy French culinary crust, maybe$45. To me I would have liked just a typically prepared steak but the peppercorn crust was an interesting thing to try. It came with some tiny cubed potatoes and broccolini that were good. Moving on to the sesame crusted ahi with coconut and pineapple with quinoa and jalapeño. This was a masterpiece, such a great preparation and presentation. Loved this. An expertly crafted mocktail with a rosemary sprig was awesome. The Basque cheesecake was decadent and a nice finish for the dinner. The Lemon curd in the side was an awesome pairing. A nice delicate and airy cheese with a strawberry sauce, it was excellent, The Cafe Americano was perfect, rich, full bodied, not bitter. Paired well will the dessert. read more

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Ate at the bar area on a Tuesday, fabulous meal with some truly creative culinary options. Loved the vibe of the interior, plating was well done and service excellent. We started with the Aubergine Frites followed by a Summer Salad. The only criticism would be that the portion of Frites was rather spare, 5 small eggplant cuts, crispy, delicious sauces, but seemed a little anemic overall. Mussels, about as good as they can be, ask for extra focaccia though as you will want to absorb some of the broth. Seared Sea Scallops were next, perfectly cooked with pancetta and a potato mash (I know, it probably had a name). Lastly the fresh berry coffee cake, to die for and we topped that with glasses of Sauternes. All in all, would return in a heartbeat. read more

Service was great and very intimate. I always respect a restaurant that not only has good food but also focuses on the experience. The filet mignon was a solid steak but wasn't as tender as I imagined for a $60 steak. My date got the elk steak and it was delicious! Would definitely go back for that. read more

Tinderbox Kitchen - Filet mignon and across the table is elk steak - New American Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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Amazing meal for my birthday. Server was very friendly, polite, and attentive. I was there solo and I had a great time. The ambience is cozy and inviting. read more

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The ambiance is nice, staff are all welcoming and friendly, the food was amazing! I would highly recommend coming here for dinner. read more

Tinderbox Kitchen - The 5 course chef tasting was delicious - New American Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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Great front house staff. Fantastic food, unique flavors across the board. You won't be disappointed. read more

OMG, what an incredible experience! Hubs and I visited back in May. We arrived in Flagstaff after 7 pm and were lucky enough to get a last minute reservation at Tinderbox Kitchen. Not sure if TK has a designated parking lot, but we were able to park on the street. We arrived on time and were greeted and seated right away. The space is charming, cozy, and intimate. Our friendly server came up to our table to introduce herself and take our drink order shortly after we were seated. Though I didn't see it on the menu, I inquired if they make espresso martinis and fortunately, they do. She also said they make a really good one. My husband ordered a mocktail, The Spellbinder. Drinks arrived promptly. First sip of the espresso martini and I was in love. I've tried many espresso martinis in the last few years and can honestly say theirs is one of the best I've ever had. The flavor, the foam, everything was on point. My husband also enjoyed his mocktail, but I don't recall what was in it. We also ordered the following: Steamed mussels Spinach tagliatelle Halibut Flourless cake What a ride. We started with the steamed mussels, followed by a complimentary sorbet to cleanse our palates before the main course, and ended with the flourless cake. Both entrees were incredibly flavorful and the cake was a great way to end the meal. We were so impressed, we raved about Tinderbox Kitchen to everyone we met the next day! read more

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Food and service was amazing! The acoustic situation is in dire need of help! There are no soft surfaces in the dining room. It was so loud, at times I had my ears plugged. Huge suggestion, replace the plastic faux tufted panels with fabric ones. That would make a huge difference. Also, the two tops are too long, it made it even harder to talk across the table. Our server did a great job and we really enjoyed the food. read more

TinderBox in my opinion is one of the BEST restaurants in all of Flagstaff. The staff are very, very professional, attentive, knowledgeable, kind and so much more. They certainly hired the right people for this place. In terms of the food, well the best word for it is delicious. The charcuterie board in particular caught my attention. Simple but, so good. I really loved the addition of hot honey. In terms of the atmosphere, it's cozy and refined. Love the little blue wall, it really brings everything together. All in all a great place if your looking for good food and great service. read more

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My husband insisted we try the chefs menu and it did not disappoint. While plating could use a little refinement, the flavors were fantastic. Great experience, calm ambiance and friendly staff. read more

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We came to Tinderbox on our biennial Christmas trip to Flagstaff. We were celebrating a special occasion and were immediately greeted warmly by the hostess and waitress and made to feel welcome. In terms of the meal, we thought the food was great, but priced higher than its quality. We started with the mussels and pork belly, both solid choices. In terms of the entrees, the beef shoulder was nice and tender, but the risotto on the scallops was a bit bland and the added dried cranberries were a bit of a head scratcher. We think that with a few changes Tinderbox could be one of the best restaurants in Flagstaff. We will be back! read more

So good the first time came back for more! A quaint personal space with a very attentive staff and an outstanding menu. This time I had the Duck and it was really well prepared, cooked and presented. A very nice upscale spot in Flag! read more

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We had high hopes given recent mixed reviews as every restaurant has off days. Sadly we were too impressed. Ordered the pork belly appetizer, tagliatelle and duck confit. The pork belly was nice but lacked flavor, requiring us to mopping up every last bit of the cream sauce base... it really could have been a spectacular dish! Tagliatelle listed mushrooms, I expected a strong mushroom flavor which this had none. I hadn't realized that it would be spicy and it was too spicy for me. They were very kind to prepare a second dish without the added heat. Portion was rather small and a bit expensive @ $30 for a meatless pasta dish imo. The duck confit...it was not hot, served warm and the duck was dried out. The flavors were not pleasant to either my husband or I. Instead, he finished my spicy pasta and the dish went unfinished after only one bite. Monet was our hostess/server and she was wonderful, making every effort to deliver a satisfying experience. I'd have to agree with the disappointing recent reviews. read more

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We went for our anniversary. I was on the hunt for duck confit and could not wait for it to come. Unfortunately, this was a shredded duck in a mole sauce. If you love southwestern food, this is a very inventive dish, it just wasn't what I was looking for. I ordered the scallops instead. They were tender but the broccoli was dry. Dinner entree portions were small. We had the charcuterie cheese plate, pork belly and mussels as appetizers. They were all delicious. The mussel's sauce was like a soup. There was a lot of corn in the mussels, confit and scallops, I felt that was a bit too much. Service was impeccable. The ambiance was louder than we would have liked but the waiter moved us to a quieter spot (right by the kitchen). Lol! read more

You should not miss this restaurant experience in Flagstaff. Food, service, and ambiance were all five star!

We made reservations at The Tinderbox yesterday--our third time dining here--and once again, it was absolutely spectacular. We chose the chef's tasting menu and loved every minute of it. There's something special about letting the kitchen take the lead; it really gives them the chance to showcase their creativity and talent. The five-course meal, paired with wine, was perfectly executed from start to finish. Everything was top notch. Highly recommend giving this place a try! read more

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This is a tourist trap and we did not realize it. We came here after hiking the Grand Canyon based on Yelp reviews. The food is flavorless or has an off putting flavor. We ordered the eggplant fries and they were tiny, you get like a 10th of an eggplant, and had an off putting after taste. The artichokes were decent but they tasted better without either of the accompanying sauces. We both ordered the elk since our waiter highly recommended. It was flavorless. It came with an earthy southwest sauce and the elk lacked seasoning. It honestly tasted like a vegan meat and had the texture of a vegan meat. There's zero chance it was fresh meat. It didn't even have the texture of meat. It was a heavily processed food product that they heated up. We were both disappointed and it's definitely not sitting well with me. Honestly this place was so gross. Food was horrendous. I cannot believe we spent nearly $200 of this disgusting garbage!! read more

If I could give a 4.5 I would. Consider this review a 4.5 The Tinderbox is only open for dinner. They open promptly at 5. No sooner. If you have a 5pm reservation, expect to get in at 5. The ambiance is that of a former home turned restaurant..very trendy..it has one, one room restroom at the back of the restaurant next to the kitchen. It isn't too loud and has a good volume on music. This was my second visit. The first was for my birthday with my BFF, this time I brought my hubby for his bday. When I came I would have given a 5/5, this visit I was a little disappointed with some of the items. Olive app.. good but not sure it was worth $10. Lobster bruschetta... Oh, my, word... So incredibly good. I could have a whole plate of that. The flavors were spot on, everything blended together to make a delectable appetizer! Quail was also very good. It seemed to have a big more meat this time than last which was nice. In between appetizers and main courses they will bring a pallette cleansing sorbet. Tonight was a cucumber mint... It was okay, but def not something I'd want again. The last time it was a delicious berry one that I could have eaten by the pint! My hubby and I both got the filet mignon. It was ok. I was a little surprised it wasn't more flavorful... Esp. being $50. The broccolini was amazing. I could eat that by itself. The risotto cakes were okay. They lacked flavor and honestly I prefer regular risotto to putting them into a cake with crusted mancheco as the outside. We shared the sticky apple coffee cake. It was delicious! I could have eaten more! I also had a vanilla, oat milk latte. It was probably one of the best lattes I have ever had. The service was also good.. you never had to ask for drink refills and the food came in a timely manner. The first visit we were given a birthday dessert and a birthday drink. It was super nice. They also sign a card and have it at your table. This time we did get a birthday drink but no dessert. There was a card. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant. Some dishes/drinks I would recommend: Lobster bruschetta Oven roasted quail Duck two ways Dessert Latte read more

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Best cocktails in the town of Flagstaff! The menu changes constantly, making the food extra fresh. The service was impeccable, and all servers were very attentive. The ambiance is incredibly quaint, quiet, and romantic. read more

We enjoyed a wonderful five course dinner at the Tinderbox. Each course was delicious and well timed. Our sever was excellent and a joy to spend our evening with. The restaurant is in a walkable part of town. I had not stopped in Flagstaff in years, we were pleasantly surprised. BTW the Lowell Observatory is well worth a visit. read more

My seabass dish was missing the bak choi and sambal and way too much broth. The rest of the dishes were okay. Service waa very good. read more

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We've added Tinderbox Kitchen to a favorite Flagstaff restaurant list. Food was delicious, everyone in our group was sharing tastes, it was hard to decide which meal was best. Great service too! read more

The food was delicious ad beautifully plated. The glasses of tonic seemed to be mostly ice with a small splash of tonic. It was a chilly night and the room with the outside door ws a bit chilly. read more

I want to say this was one of the most incredible dining experiences we had in Flagstaff. The restaurant's decorations were not my cup of tea. However, the waiter and bartender carried most of the weight to make this place a 5-star restaurant. Both of them welcomed us with very positive energy, were knowledgeable, and were well-mannered. We had the tasting menu, and the portion was sizeable. They also accommodated some of the dishes to our personal preferences. The bartender even created some interesting mocktails for my son, who enjoyed every sip. The dining experience was excellent. read more

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Gave Tinderbox a try for dinner on 9/25/25. Pros: Filet Mignon was pricey but one of the tastiest and tender restaurant steaks I've ever had, and the small pork belly dish was close behind. Everything cooked to perfection! Cons: Constant breeze from the AC overly cold for the duration of our visit so we found ourselves a bit rushed to leave. Table rocked a bit when leaned on. Service was just ok, especially for being such a small place. Would visit again but would definitely avoid the same table. read more