Roaring Fork
Scottsdale, AZ 85251-7615
Phone: (480) 947-0795
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Chaparral Road
- Hours:
- Daily 4pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Roaring Fork – by Barbara Rothschild
In Short
The Arizona ranch house-meets-Colorado fly-fishing lodge has rugged appeal with a rowdy saloon that hits its stride during happy hour. Comfort foods get a Southwestern spin, shown best by signature appetizers. New Mexico pepperjack cheese fondue comes with rosemary-garlic lamb chops, pistachio bread and butternut squash for dipping, but it's the green-chili macaroni and cheese that really steals the show.
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Insider Tips
Know Before You GoThe 12-ounce piled-high-with-toppings "Big-Ass Burger" (served only in the Saloon) consistently earns best burger kudos from the local press and the restaurant's regulars.
The ExtrasThe General Store offers milk shakes, desserts, logo merchandise and McGrath's "American Western Cooking" cookbook.
When to GoThe bar opens Mon-Fri at 4pm, an hour earlier than the restaurant kicks into gear, so head over early for a pre-dining cocktail or beer.
User Reviews for Roaring Fork
02/25/2008 Posted by tflucht
Wow! What a great recommendation! A colleague and I visited Roaring Fork on a concierge's recommendation. It was a fantastic meal. We arrived at the time of our reservation, and we were seated promptly. Service was friendly, professional, and efficient. The food was excellent. We are both food buffs, and good cooks, so we judge restaurants very critically. We started with soups - black bean, and chicken tortilla. Both were presented well, and tasted great. While the black bean could use a bit more heat, that was easily rectified with a bit of Tabasco Chipotle. The chicken tortilla was near perfect. We then ordered two braises: beef short ribs, and lamb shank. Both of these are difficult to do well, as many restaurants will overcook them, resulting in meat that falls into mush. However, both dishes were cooked to perfection - tender, fall from the bone meat, but still with enough chew to hold together. They were both incredibly flavorful. The sauces were excellent accompaniments, perfectly enhancing the taste of the meats. For sides, we ordered the sauteed spinach, and the green chile macaroni & cheese. The spinach was prepared well, although there was a bit too much liquid in the bottom of the container. The mac & cheese was very good, with a nice bite to it. Dessert was an apple pie (tart). Wonderful, flaky crust, and the only off note of the evening, apples slightly underdone (a matter of taste, I know, but I prefer my apple pie to have apples that are cooked through). 9 out of 10, from a couple of tough foodies. We'll be back, and thanks for a great meal.
Pros: Food, service, atmosphere
Cons: None we saw
10/02/2007 Posted by charaz
This was our 2nd trip to Roaring Fork. The ambiance, the service and food are all wonderful. Our waiter, Dan, was most attentive without being pesty. Two of the diners chose selections from the appetizer menu for their meals, while the other 2 had entrees. My tortilla soup with roasted chicken was the best I have ever had - a rich, dark broth engulfs the chicken and crispy tortilla strips. My 3 large seared scallops were cooked to perfection, melted in your mouth and were accompanied by creamy, tasty cheesy grits with, topped with an increbile mushroom/bacon ragu. If it'd been proper to drool at the table, I would have. The green pork chile was so tender and flavorful...A++. The diner's only comment was...skip the flour tortillas that are served with it and ask for more of the oh-so-delicious mini corn muffins. (The assorted bread basket has something for everyone from freshly baked yeast rolls, to scones and the aforementioned corn muffins) The duck breast preparation was beautiful - medium rare duck served over spiced cabbages. The sashimi grade Ahi tuna (typically seared and served rare) was still moist and delicious when cooked to medium-rare. It sat atop roasted beets and was drizzled with a mouth-watering olive and cilantro vinaigrette. My lemon drop martini (Absolut Citron)was like sipping a very high quality lemonade. Delicious! We love the Klinker Brick Zinfandel - it went perfectly with everything we had. We highly recommend this restaurant for an special occasion or your typical "we want to go out for dinner" spot. LOVE IT!
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