I don't get it... massively overpriced average food with overcharging of items. Went here for a birthday dinner. I order a Diet Coke. Here, you get a single tiny glass bottle. -1 star for not having refillable drinks like EVERY other restaurant in the entire state of az. Was this ever mentioned when ordering? Of course not... I'm not going to pay you for 4 more of these micro bottles, on principal alone, so I'm left to drink water. So I'm left thirsty... do you think I'm at least served cold water? Nope! I have to ask for ice, over and over and over, with every refill of every drink at the table. Did you forget this is Arizona? Why can't I get a cold drink here without begging for it or paying for every sip? -1 star, just bring a jug of ice water, my glass was empty for half of this meal... unnacceptable. Next... we got an artichoke appetizer. $18... for a SINGLE artichoke. Yeah I know it's advertised as some rare artichoke breed, but who cares, it tasted the same as the one I bought for $1.50 the next day at the grocery store. Next, the "famous" rotisserie chicken you see cooking over the wood fire at the back, looks and smells amazing. Tasing it however, was massively disappointing, boring, under seasoned, most any grocery store chicken is as good or better, -1 star. Lastly, we clearly stated it was a birthday, and was told that there would be something done. The birthday girl ordered her birthday dessert, and after paying the bill and leaving, realized we were charged in full for the desert.... -3 stars for ripping us off. I will never set foot in this this restaurant again solely based on the lack of refillable drinks when we live in the middle of the desert. But the other overcharging mistakes and overpriced mediocre food are unacceptable. To the management of this place: don't respond here telling me to email you to make this right, there far too much wrong here for me to ever come back... you've lost me as a customer.
Greg K.
I retired a few weeks ago and really had not celebrated with a good meal yet. Our good friends here in Arizona and Mary and I went here for dinner the other night . Not being able to decide between the Carolina Beef Ribs and the Rib Eye Steak I asked our server and she said hands down the Rib Eye Steak . Both Ed and I ordered the steak and both of the ladies ordered the Salmon . We were all very happy with our choices , the Salmon was cooked to perfection an the Cucumber salad and the rice were also prepared very well . I was really happy I had the Rib Eye as it was probably the best steak I have ever had . Better than any I have ever had at Morton's , Mastro's and Ruth's Chris at almost 1/2 the price . It was prepared exactly medium rare and served with a great order of French Fries . We of course had some of their famous Cornbread and had a wonderful evening .
Debra Lentz
Our server Sarah was phenomenal!Very attentive and funny. All the staff we had interaction with were courteous and really wanting us to have a great experience!
Joy J.
This experience was one of our favorites during our weekend stay in Scottsdale! It was the perfect ending to our perfect trip! We accidently entered the back way, kitchen honors and greeted with so much love and excitement. We did not have reservations which I recommend. It was a 30 minute wait for 4 on a Monday evening. We spent time walking the block around Old Town then had a drink at the bar before being seated. The customer service we received by our waitress Hailey, the girl serving our water, the manager who brought our appetizer and hats off to the chef that night!! Chicken and rib plate, prime rib. Highly recommended, great atmosphere and the staff know how to make you feel like comfortable and happy!!!! My apologies. Video of our dinner wouldn't load
Peter Stanton
We celebrated out 21st anniversary here tonight and our experience was phenomenal beginning to end. Great atmosphere.. We felt we made the right choice coming here for our special occasion!
Hector Espinoza
Fantastic. Food was fast, delicious, and amazing. The staff was beyond great. It was my daughter's birthday and they made her feel like a queen. It's fancy though. I had to cover my tank top with a t shirt, and my son had to take his hat off. Best dining experience I've had in my 42 year life.
Neal Ward
Had a great experience here. Great atmosphere and the food was excellent. Must try the French dip and horse radish sauce ? it was amazing.
csatths
Bandera's is known for their Artichokes, when you can get them. In addition their cornbread and chicken is to die for. Better to go during the weekday and I would call ahead if you are interested in the grilled artichokes because they don't have them every day and when they do they do not last long. Casual dress is fine but the acoustics are not that great as it can get loud making it hard to hear conversation at your table.
Jason T
Nice place and food was good. Was not aware there is a dress code and was asked to remove my hat. Not a big deal but only a few feet away several people sitting at the bar were wearing hats. Strange rule. Paid cash for our meal and was told they are not currently accepting cash... Something about not making bank deposits? Again - some strange rules and policies at this place. The burger was good but I think I'll go somewhere else next time.
Romy G.
So the evening could have gone two ways: good or bad. I had a 7:45pm reservation and when we arrived, the hostess let us know they were running a bit behind. It looked packed, so I wasn't confident we would be seated anytime soon. We waited for almost 30 mins, and to be honest I was a little annoyed; but the hostess came right over and apologized and led us to our table. A man greeted us right away and let us know he'd be taking care of our appetizers. So awesome. This is why I love the Hilstone Restaurant Group. They have consistently great service and truly do care about their patrons. We started with the highly recommended corn bread. So decadent, like savory cake. And then we had the dip duo. The chips were great along with fresh guacamole and some unique queso dip. Very tasty, especially If you like sharp cheese. Additionally, I love that they serve all their sodas in the traditional glass bottles. So cool. I also ordered the seasonal grilled artichokes which I love from Houston's. Always live up to the hype. Buttery and satisfying. I ordered the cheeseburger and my family ordered the beef dips. The meat for both were outstanding and amazing quality. Overall would recommend any of the Hilstone Group restaurants and glad I finally got to try Bandera! So cool they rectified the reservation situation!! Thank you :)
Don't ever order or eat chicken here... $25 dollars for a half of chicken...the chicken size is like a f....bird flying around your house...the chicken tastes like s******** You can get the whole chicken, better size and better flavor outside food city under 15 dollars. F.....Banderas...
Sharon V.
We love coming to Bandera when we are visiting the area. Especially after spending a few hours cruising the old downtown surrounding area. It's been a fun place to bring my little one because she's a little cowgirl at heart and just loves the old town shops and western charm. This was actually our 4th visit and our latest one was just as wonderful as the previous. We came a few days before Easter and after the COVID restrictions were lifted for the state of Arizona, so dining was at full capacity. Most would have a problem with this but because of the layout and booth seating, we felt like we were still well protected and in our own little cocoon. For the table, we ordered ** Grilled Artichokes - $18 This was the first time they actually had them to order. It's always on the menu but only served when available so when my Uncle heard they had them, he wanted us to try this. These are grilled so the char from them is a bit messy but the work and mess is well worth it. We got 3 artichokes and not everyone's were meaty but thankfully, I got one of the meatier ones and enjoyed it. Hubby and Uncle were not so lucky. **Chips and dip - $12 Comes with a two dips. A cheesy jalapeno and guacamole. This is my husbands favorite and I'm pretty sure we've gotten this all every time we've been here. The chips are thin and if not mistaken, made in house. Love them. **Cornbread - $7 must have. We order this EVERY TIME. This appetizer is light, crispy and so flavorful. They give you a side of butter but there is plenty in the recipe already, it's still delicious without adding more. BUT if you want to indulge (which my hubby did), by all means... it will only make it even more yummy. Other than the cast iron pan this is served on, this isn't any evidence of this must-have appetizer. **Kids grilled cheese - this is not on the menu, we had to ask if they had anything for the kiddo but honestly, I'd order this kids grilled cheese any day. Not only is the presentation lovely, it's made to perfection. You can tell the cheese is a higher quality and the bread seemed like a soft brioche. It was cut in half and was much larger than your typical grilled cheese wedge. My little one was only able to finish half of her sammy. This was served with a side of broccoli which my daughter loved just as much. **Emerald Kale and Chicken Salad - $18 Hubby ordered this and said it was one of the best salads he had. It was tossed in a peanut vinaigrette which he said made it very light. It was a rather large salad so was filling enough for him. Especially considering all the apps we ordered. **Carolina Beef Ribs served with coleslaw and fries - $34 I ordered this the last two times I've been here and just like times past, I thoroughly enjoyed these. I grew up on beef ribs (which are harder to find on restaurant menus) so these slow cooked, fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth beef ribs just bring me back to my childhood. My Dad used to buy whole cows and store in the freezer to feed our large family so this just brings me back. I'm not a fan of coleslaw so the hubby took that home and had with lunch the following day. Fries were great, so great, I had to share with others on the table. Hmmmrpphhh.... **Prime Rib - $45 Uncle ordered this one rare and he said it was the best one he ever ordered here. I didn't try it but I loved the fat to meat ratio. My Dad would've ordered the same and sometimes these come with more fat than meat. Visually, I approved of this slab of meat, that I could swear was still "moo-ving". **Gin and Vodka Tonics were flowing all night. I prefer vodka tonics and my uncle prefers gin. Each made to perfection. **Dessert - ha. like we needed it but we went off menu and each ordered vanilla ice cream with a side of chocolate sauce. **3 Cappuccino's - yummy but not my favorite - had a very bitter taste. I ended up putting my ice cream once I got half way through. Made my own Affogato dessert. lol. Every single time we dined here, service was very attentive
Jeff M.
Managed to get reservations for Easter Sunday dinner at 7pm on the day of. Had a nice bottle of Caymus for 25% markup from retail which is awesome on its own. Had the Hawaii steak and Enchilada started with the Artichokes and the Pan fried cornbread. Rave reviews for the Artichoke and the cornbread. The Hawaiin steak was adequate not really anything amazing and the enchilada was satisfactory. We closed the place down and the staff was amazing we were still chatting while they were cleaning. Great experience and won't be my last.
Alex Q.
Bandera Scottsdale is always top notch service and food. Great atmosphere and always great spot to take my wife. I am writing this review simply to say that Jason the Manager is a hero for fighting for the Oreo Cookie Dessert! It was gone and now it's back! Thanks Jason!!!
Sarah M.
Best food ever and best server!! Ask for Gabe and make sure to start with the cornbread and end with the Oreo dessert! And the manager Renee is a sweetheart!!
I don't get it... massively overpriced average food with overcharging of items. Went here for a birthday dinner. I order a Diet Coke. Here, you get a single tiny glass bottle. -1 star for not having refillable drinks like EVERY other restaurant in the entire state of az. Was this ever mentioned when ordering? Of course not... I'm not going to pay you for 4 more of these micro bottles, on principal alone, so I'm left to drink water. So I'm left thirsty... do you think I'm at least served cold water? Nope! I have to ask for ice, over and over and over, with every refill of every drink at the table. Did you forget this is Arizona? Why can't I get a cold drink here without begging for it or paying for every sip? -1 star, just bring a jug of ice water, my glass was empty for half of this meal... unnacceptable. Next... we got an artichoke appetizer. $18... for a SINGLE artichoke. Yeah I know it's advertised as some rare artichoke breed, but who cares, it tasted the same as the one I bought for $1.50 the next day at the grocery store. Next, the "famous" rotisserie chicken you see cooking over the wood fire at the back, looks and smells amazing. Tasing it however, was massively disappointing, boring, under seasoned, most any grocery store chicken is as good or better, -1 star. Lastly, we clearly stated it was a birthday, and was told that there would be something done. The birthday girl ordered her birthday dessert, and after paying the bill and leaving, realized we were charged in full for the desert.... -3 stars for ripping us off. I will never set foot in this this restaurant again solely based on the lack of refillable drinks when we live in the middle of the desert. But the other overcharging mistakes and overpriced mediocre food are unacceptable. To the management of this place: don't respond here telling me to email you to make this right, there far too much wrong here for me to ever come back... you've lost me as a customer.
I retired a few weeks ago and really had not celebrated with a good meal yet. Our good friends here in Arizona and Mary and I went here for dinner the other night . Not being able to decide between the Carolina Beef Ribs and the Rib Eye Steak I asked our server and she said hands down the Rib Eye Steak . Both Ed and I ordered the steak and both of the ladies ordered the Salmon . We were all very happy with our choices , the Salmon was cooked to perfection an the Cucumber salad and the rice were also prepared very well . I was really happy I had the Rib Eye as it was probably the best steak I have ever had . Better than any I have ever had at Morton's , Mastro's and Ruth's Chris at almost 1/2 the price . It was prepared exactly medium rare and served with a great order of French Fries . We of course had some of their famous Cornbread and had a wonderful evening .
Our server Sarah was phenomenal!Very attentive and funny. All the staff we had interaction with were courteous and really wanting us to have a great experience!
This experience was one of our favorites during our weekend stay in Scottsdale! It was the perfect ending to our perfect trip! We accidently entered the back way, kitchen honors and greeted with so much love and excitement. We did not have reservations which I recommend. It was a 30 minute wait for 4 on a Monday evening. We spent time walking the block around Old Town then had a drink at the bar before being seated. The customer service we received by our waitress Hailey, the girl serving our water, the manager who brought our appetizer and hats off to the chef that night!! Chicken and rib plate, prime rib. Highly recommended, great atmosphere and the staff know how to make you feel like comfortable and happy!!!! My apologies. Video of our dinner wouldn't load
We celebrated out 21st anniversary here tonight and our experience was phenomenal beginning to end. Great atmosphere.. We felt we made the right choice coming here for our special occasion!
Fantastic. Food was fast, delicious, and amazing. The staff was beyond great. It was my daughter's birthday and they made her feel like a queen. It's fancy though. I had to cover my tank top with a t shirt, and my son had to take his hat off. Best dining experience I've had in my 42 year life.
Had a great experience here. Great atmosphere and the food was excellent. Must try the French dip and horse radish sauce ? it was amazing.
Bandera's is known for their Artichokes, when you can get them. In addition their cornbread and chicken is to die for. Better to go during the weekday and I would call ahead if you are interested in the grilled artichokes because they don't have them every day and when they do they do not last long. Casual dress is fine but the acoustics are not that great as it can get loud making it hard to hear conversation at your table.
Nice place and food was good. Was not aware there is a dress code and was asked to remove my hat. Not a big deal but only a few feet away several people sitting at the bar were wearing hats. Strange rule. Paid cash for our meal and was told they are not currently accepting cash... Something about not making bank deposits? Again - some strange rules and policies at this place. The burger was good but I think I'll go somewhere else next time.
So the evening could have gone two ways: good or bad. I had a 7:45pm reservation and when we arrived, the hostess let us know they were running a bit behind. It looked packed, so I wasn't confident we would be seated anytime soon. We waited for almost 30 mins, and to be honest I was a little annoyed; but the hostess came right over and apologized and led us to our table. A man greeted us right away and let us know he'd be taking care of our appetizers. So awesome. This is why I love the Hilstone Restaurant Group. They have consistently great service and truly do care about their patrons. We started with the highly recommended corn bread. So decadent, like savory cake. And then we had the dip duo. The chips were great along with fresh guacamole and some unique queso dip. Very tasty, especially If you like sharp cheese. Additionally, I love that they serve all their sodas in the traditional glass bottles. So cool. I also ordered the seasonal grilled artichokes which I love from Houston's. Always live up to the hype. Buttery and satisfying. I ordered the cheeseburger and my family ordered the beef dips. The meat for both were outstanding and amazing quality. Overall would recommend any of the Hilstone Group restaurants and glad I finally got to try Bandera! So cool they rectified the reservation situation!! Thank you :)
Restaurantji Recommends
Don't ever order or eat chicken here... $25 dollars for a half of chicken...the chicken size is like a f....bird flying around your house...the chicken tastes like s******** You can get the whole chicken, better size and better flavor outside food city under 15 dollars. F.....Banderas...
We love coming to Bandera when we are visiting the area. Especially after spending a few hours cruising the old downtown surrounding area. It's been a fun place to bring my little one because she's a little cowgirl at heart and just loves the old town shops and western charm. This was actually our 4th visit and our latest one was just as wonderful as the previous. We came a few days before Easter and after the COVID restrictions were lifted for the state of Arizona, so dining was at full capacity. Most would have a problem with this but because of the layout and booth seating, we felt like we were still well protected and in our own little cocoon. For the table, we ordered ** Grilled Artichokes - $18 This was the first time they actually had them to order. It's always on the menu but only served when available so when my Uncle heard they had them, he wanted us to try this. These are grilled so the char from them is a bit messy but the work and mess is well worth it. We got 3 artichokes and not everyone's were meaty but thankfully, I got one of the meatier ones and enjoyed it. Hubby and Uncle were not so lucky. **Chips and dip - $12 Comes with a two dips. A cheesy jalapeno and guacamole. This is my husbands favorite and I'm pretty sure we've gotten this all every time we've been here. The chips are thin and if not mistaken, made in house. Love them. **Cornbread - $7 must have. We order this EVERY TIME. This appetizer is light, crispy and so flavorful. They give you a side of butter but there is plenty in the recipe already, it's still delicious without adding more. BUT if you want to indulge (which my hubby did), by all means... it will only make it even more yummy. Other than the cast iron pan this is served on, this isn't any evidence of this must-have appetizer. **Kids grilled cheese - this is not on the menu, we had to ask if they had anything for the kiddo but honestly, I'd order this kids grilled cheese any day. Not only is the presentation lovely, it's made to perfection. You can tell the cheese is a higher quality and the bread seemed like a soft brioche. It was cut in half and was much larger than your typical grilled cheese wedge. My little one was only able to finish half of her sammy. This was served with a side of broccoli which my daughter loved just as much. **Emerald Kale and Chicken Salad - $18 Hubby ordered this and said it was one of the best salads he had. It was tossed in a peanut vinaigrette which he said made it very light. It was a rather large salad so was filling enough for him. Especially considering all the apps we ordered. **Carolina Beef Ribs served with coleslaw and fries - $34 I ordered this the last two times I've been here and just like times past, I thoroughly enjoyed these. I grew up on beef ribs (which are harder to find on restaurant menus) so these slow cooked, fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth beef ribs just bring me back to my childhood. My Dad used to buy whole cows and store in the freezer to feed our large family so this just brings me back. I'm not a fan of coleslaw so the hubby took that home and had with lunch the following day. Fries were great, so great, I had to share with others on the table. Hmmmrpphhh.... **Prime Rib - $45 Uncle ordered this one rare and he said it was the best one he ever ordered here. I didn't try it but I loved the fat to meat ratio. My Dad would've ordered the same and sometimes these come with more fat than meat. Visually, I approved of this slab of meat, that I could swear was still "moo-ving". **Gin and Vodka Tonics were flowing all night. I prefer vodka tonics and my uncle prefers gin. Each made to perfection. **Dessert - ha. like we needed it but we went off menu and each ordered vanilla ice cream with a side of chocolate sauce. **3 Cappuccino's - yummy but not my favorite - had a very bitter taste. I ended up putting my ice cream once I got half way through. Made my own Affogato dessert. lol. Every single time we dined here, service was very attentive
Managed to get reservations for Easter Sunday dinner at 7pm on the day of. Had a nice bottle of Caymus for 25% markup from retail which is awesome on its own. Had the Hawaii steak and Enchilada started with the Artichokes and the Pan fried cornbread. Rave reviews for the Artichoke and the cornbread. The Hawaiin steak was adequate not really anything amazing and the enchilada was satisfactory. We closed the place down and the staff was amazing we were still chatting while they were cleaning. Great experience and won't be my last.
Bandera Scottsdale is always top notch service and food. Great atmosphere and always great spot to take my wife. I am writing this review simply to say that Jason the Manager is a hero for fighting for the Oreo Cookie Dessert! It was gone and now it's back! Thanks Jason!!!
Best food ever and best server!! Ask for Gabe and make sure to start with the cornbread and end with the Oreo dessert! And the manager Renee is a sweetheart!!