Venues had become one of our "go to" restaurants, however we are now questioning returning During a recent Tuesday evening we were sitting at the bar. It was apparent the lone bartender was completely overwhelmed by the number of patrons. Usually there are two bartenders on staff during the evening hours. Unfortunately, yet another bartender has left Venues. It appears they have a difficult time retaining quality bartenders. Another bartender was in the restaurant, however was assigned to wait tables for the evening It took the lone bartender 15 minutes to come and get our food order (along with 2 other couples), another 10 minutes for him to have time to enter the order and another 45 minutes before the food arrived. We don't fault the bartender, as it was all he could do to keep on top of drink orders for the bar and entire restaurant Sadly, the manager (and owner) didn't look to shift staff to help the bartender through the rush. In fact, one of the other servers spent most of her time at the bar folding napkins. The manager/owner also didn't come by to apologize for how late food was being delivered We understand how difficult it is to find/retain quality employees these days. Sadly, the owner/manager of Venues don't seem to value their customers read more

Venues cafe is a quaint place, kind of out of the way for me, but it didn't let me down. The decor is warm and inviting and service for the "most part" was good we were seated right away. Our server was a tad bit aloof throughout the visit, it could have been a misunderstanding, he got the job done don't get me wrong, but no one felt overly warm and cozy. Tuna tartare was good. I liked the tuna and avocado portion. It is served with mango and I hate mango (not their fault) the tuna had just the right amount of kick to it. Turkey burger had a good flavor to it. It was moist and cooked perfectly. The side salad had fresh spinach and shaved Parmesan cheese that was very good. Beet salad had a lot of great things going on, beets, greens, champagne vinaigrette and goat cheese. Pretty solid visit with a lot of things on the menu that sounded good, would definitely try it again. read more

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I had been hearing great things about Catherine's famous chicken salad for years. I finally had time for lunch to go a few days ago and it is amazing!....the best I have ever had served perfectly on toasted sour dough. Now I am back to try something else on the menu. Great service, food and Catherine is a great business owner. read more

Made a reservation for Mother's Day. Put on the reservation for inside. We got to the restaurant and the only thing they had inside was high tops. My mother is 91 years old. She can't sit at a high top. The hostess said multiple times you should have put that in the reservation. I told her it was not an option. We were seated outside and were told that there were several items they would not be serving because it was Mother's Day. My daughter's pancakes were dense and dry. My hamburger was well done. I will not be driving all the way to Carefree for that kind of service. One and done! read more

Stayed in carefree for a few days and came here every single day in town. everything on the menu was amazing. the staff were super nice and personable. Love this place. read more

Always delicious food and a wide variety of items to choose from. The seafood enchiladas and tacos are some our favorites.

Great food. Great service. Excellent ambiance. I highly recommend the crab cakes. The Tuna Melt is extremely good as well. The wine list is excellent and reasonable. read more

I've been there several times . ALWAYS good.!!!! I have tried different items each time. I would like to extend an Extra thank you for putting VEGETARIAN dishes on the menu!!!!!!! I'm so happy I don't have to piece together a meal made from sides. Prices are more than fare and the staff is always friendly and helpful. Thank you, it's a challenge to find great food in Carefree/Cave Creek. read more

We have enjoyed Venues several times. Each time we try something new and it never disappoints. Today we shared grilled meatloaf sandwich and side salad. I love how you can sit in the restaurant but it's open to the patio so you are getting the patio vibe. The surrounding area is beautiful for a stroll or some shopping as well. I would visit again and again. read more

So pleased to see Impossible meat items on the menu. The street taco was amazing as was the slider. Hubby's Fish and Chips were a hit as well. Loved the ambiance, the art and our server was great! Also- Definitely try the blackened green bean appetizer!! read more

Second time here during the Arts & Wine festival. Darn if I didn't get the meatloaf sandwich again. It is delicious. Side of onion rings were also the bomb. My spouse got turkey panini, also very good. Great service and wait staff with great senses of humor. read more

I really thought this would be a great experience, but I should have read the reviews first. I brought my parents here because they were visiting from out of town. WHAT A MISTAKE!!! Whoever hired the older guy with a heavy European accent should be the same person to let him go! So rude and pushy! I know it's hard to find good help these days, but he is just going to cost you business. I know I can't be the first and definitely not the last to say this. read more

Food is good, but they are severly unorganized and/or under-staffed. We walked in shortly around 430 on a Saturday. Between the delay/confusion on taking our order (two waitresses tried to service our table), the delay in serving, and the delay in getting our bill...we walked out two hours after walking in. And we just had two sandwiches...nothing else. The food was decent, nothing to write home about but also nothing to spit up. I may give this place a try again if I see a consistent decline in reviews complaining about wait times. read more

Great food and service. We sat inside because there weren't any tables available outside

Rude service last night from a hot headed lady, who was obviously suffering from some drug induced paranoia. She walked around the restaurant accusing all the patrons inside and out of smoking marijuana, which was funny considering the age range is closer to a senior citizen home than frat party aged kids. As far as I could tell there was zero evidence of anything going on. The food was was good enough I guess, but despite having only a couple of people in the restaurant, the food came out separately. read more

We stopped in here for a late dinner last night. We have been in a couple times but it was our friends first time here. I had the sweet heat burger which was amazing and the onion rings as well were awesome! My only problem is, and I don't usually like to complain, but we sat and ate at the bar and there was a dog there at the bar. I love dogs and all animals but not when I am eating. It kind of turned me off from the rest of my meal as the dog was all over the one part of the bar and it sucks because the food was really good. The place is nice and cozy inside and the waitress/bartender was friendly and helpful with food recommendations, but I don't think I will come back for food very soon as I couldn't get passed the dog being at the bar. Sounds like a heath violation to me but the food is great so if you come here just get a table instead! read more

Since takeout has replaced restaurant experiences, we've branched out to try new places. Venues is become a favorite although it can be hit or miss. I've gotten the eggplant parmigana about four times and twice it's been wonderful and twice it's been not very good at all. The shrimp and polenta had decent flavor but the shrimp were quite small and not terribly good quality. They make a lovely plant-based burger and their chocolate cake is just divine. read more

Came in for dinner and was greeted by the hostess I think her name was Vicki , what a professional she stopped by our table to check on us and thanked us on the way out . Food and service was good but can't wait to go back and see Vicki . read more

Visiting Cave creek and we're hungry, so Barbara and I decided to ask the store keeper we were in where was a good place to get lunch she said most of the places were greasy spoons but we should try. This place called the venue which was 4 miles from the store we were in so we skedaddle down there and my wife had a giant salad which she finished down to the last bite. She said it was delicious and I myself had some black and green beans which were terrific. She scarfed up a bunch of them and mahi-mahi sliders, which were also very good, and the coleslaw was good that came with it. The place was neat and clean. The waitress was very attentive the bathroom was clean, so this is an easy five star. read more

I wanted to stop in for a drink before seeing a performance in the adjacent outdoor promenade. I went in with my guest to see more than half of the outdoor tables available. The hostess immediately said, "Most of the tables are reserved for the play." Perfect, I thought. We're here to see to the play! I inquired, "Which one could we sit at?" She again replied, "No, most of them are reserved." Clearly, we weren't welcome. We left to find something else. After a brief jaunt left and right, we decided to go back and sit at the bar in the back. We were not greeted by the hostess this time, rather she rolled her eyes at us instead. As we sat at the bar, there was no greeting from the bartender, even though we sat right in front of her. We sat there for what seemed to be an eternity, while she continued to 'work'. No eye contact, no 'welcome', no 'be right with you'. Finally, Jenn L. asked us what we wanted. I said I'd like to see the drink menu. My guest doesn't drink so she ordered a club soda. I was handed a wine & beer menu, which was created with the smallest font size ever. I couldn't read it, even with my glasses. After realizing it was a wine and beer menu I asked Jenn L. if there were any drink specials. She said no, only wine and beer. Then, I noticed what appeared to be a full bar behind her and a chalk board with specials on it, one of them being a margarita. Floored, I told my guest I didn't want to stay and didn't need a drink, certainly not from a place that clearly didn't want to serve us. We were promptly met with a bill for my guest's club soda. I was in the service industry for 20 years in my twenties and can say my F&B employers would have been appalled at such service. It's sad that now, employers are just happy when employees simply show up. The truth is, however, that service like I describe here will do more harm to businesses than being short staffed. I don't make a habit of posting negative reviews. I usually only post when I have a great experience. Like most people now days, money is tight and when I do eat out, I want to have a valuable experience. At the very least, I want to feel welcomed. Establishments like this will not make it through the next few years of inflation and product shortages. I have many family members who own their own businesses and it makes me sad to think that all their hard work could be ruined in times like this due to awful customer service from a group of people who just don't care how their behavior affects others. Terrible. read more

Nothing better than a home cooked meal from Venues. Awesome food, always on point. Super friendly & welcoming staff. Coldest drinks in town. Definitely a fave spot to grab a meal and live that Carefree life. read more

One of my favorite local spots. The burgers and salads are amazing. Great selection of local beers too. 10/10 recommend.

Great location and wonderful service. The food is good and the service is excellent. We love our local cafe!

Service was slow and unfriendly. Bathrooms needed attention! Food was good! We've been here before but the service turns us off!

4:30 Friday. We are the only customers. Waitress told us no happy hour menu on festival weekends. We got up and left. Now they have no customers. read more

Staff has absolutely no regard of their customers. They did not acknowledge us when walked in. After 15 minutes of sitting down they still didn't give us menus. We left and they said nothing. Not to mention the 3 staff they had working read more

Bacon stuffed shrimp over risotto was amazing! The atmosphere and staff were also very nice. We will be back on our next trip to Cave Creek. read more

Venues Cafe - Bacon wrapped stuffed shrimp over risotto was amazing!! - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

We love Venues. Truly great cheeseburgers, best in town, excellent fish and chips, esp. all-you-can-eat Fridays, and a Churro desert that is truly amazing. Friendly and very attentive staff and decent prices to top it off. read more

I'm giving the 3 stars because the food was delicious. I don't usually write a bad review baised on service because I was in the service industry for 15 years. And everyone has bad days, but this was beyond a bad day. I go to Carefree every year for a retreat and the Venue is always my first stop and I was excited to share the place with friends who had never been. But that quickly changed from the moment our waitess arrived to take our order she was rude and condescending, one of the guests in our party was afraid to ask for more water because the waitress acted annoyed everytime we asked for something. Its sad because the food is so good but I'll have to find a new restaurant tradition. read more

There was four of us. We each had something different. Everyone liked the meal they chose. Very friendly staff. Would definitely come back.

Absolutely floored how good this was... had their Sweet Heat burger, and asked for extra crispy fries. The meal was 'So Good'. If you haven't tried this place, then you're missing out!!! Service was great; friendly and fast. read more

Venues Cafe - Sweet Heat Burger w Extra crispy fries - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

Great for lunch, happy hour and dinner. Welcoming atmosphere, dog and family friendly, dates or friends get together. New menu has super fun seasonal delights. Deviled eggs with bacon jam!! The bar is really diverse with a true mixologist! Italian digestives and classic cocktails. Very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Anytime is a great time to visit Venues. read more

Venues Cafe - Super fun Sunday night with karaoke ! Great food and super fresh environment. - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

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Great place for a family get together. Plenty of delicious options to choose from. Highly recommend the tuna melt. The portions are big! Plus the churro ice cream dessert was a hit at my table. The atmosphere was excellent. Get there early, the kitchen closes at 8pm weeknights. Also, Eric was the best server! read more

We both chose the cream cheese bacon wrapped shrimp. It was served with risotto and asparagus spears. For dessert we shared carmel filled churros served with vanilla bean ice cream strawberries and blueberries. The food was wonderful! We loved the shrimp and the risotto! If only we lived in AZ, we would eat there regularly! Be sure to save room for the churros! read more

Venues Cafe - They have hammered copper tables! Very cool! - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

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Always great service and the food is delicious make sure to make a reservation if you're here during season it's well worth the time read more

Venues Cafe - Hamber 8 Oz. Prime Beef Burger so good - New American Near Me - Carefree, Arizona

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The food is just ok. Seems like a place where more locals go too than anything else. If your looking for really good food there are better places in Carefree and Cave Creek. read more

From the start we were impressed with Venues Café because when we arrived on a busy night without reservations they still found a table for us. The staff was very friendly and service was fast and attentive. Maybe it has to with the owners being onsite. Erick was our server, and he was fantastic, and earned extra tip from us. The Eggplant Parmigiana eas fabulous as was everything else we all ate. read more

Good food, good service and you can sit at the bar, inside or on the patio. It's best to call for reservations as it is a restaurant that locals and tourists seem to love. read more

We came in for happy hour, which is so hard to find these days, a true happy hour with good food and drinks at a great value. Everything we had was really good! We had the deviled eggs, impossible taco, and my husband had a burger and fries. All the food was fresh and delicious! I also had a cosmo (the special) and it was a nice size drink not a skimpy small drink because it was happy hour. I then had a happy hour glass of wine which was a very generous pour. We sat at the bar and the service was friendly and fast. We will definitely be back! Thanks for providing vegetarian options and a great happy hour! Wished I had taken pics but the food was so good we ate it too fast! read more

Have never had a bad meal here-and those who I have recommended this place to stop by are never disappointed. I don't get the bad reviews? Maybe caught them at a short staffing situation-but I've been here about 10 times and the food is solid. I have had to wait sometimes for the wait staff to come back...but customer service has sucked worse at most places I've been since COVID. read more