Cartwright’s Sonoran Ranch House

Mothers Day Visit:
Ordered Ribeye and Wife ordered Quiche.
Worse steak I’ve ever paid over $ 12 for. Here I paid $ 38
The steak was full of fat, flat and full of grizzle:
You think of a Steak place to have a thick and tasteful steak but it was on the level of iHop or Denny’s.
My Wife’s Quiche was dry and the crust was over cooked.
Best thing was the cheeseburger my daughter was eating.
Not worth the $ 100 tab and service was above average but not stellar since it was empty at 2pm.
Boy I had high expectations for this place but will never go back. Great atmosphere!

If you are looking for a great steak a short drive from Scottsdale, this is your place. We made a reservation for 5pm on a Friday night and while we were the first to arrive, by 6:15pm the place was packed. After we cut into our steaks, we understood why.
We started with chips and salsa and it was great. There were 3 different salsas/​guacamole and both corn and four chips.
After the chips and salsa the steak arrived. I ordered the 8oz filet and the wife ordered the NY Strip. Mine was cooked a perfect medium and was tender and juicy. While my wife ordered medium, it came out slightly overcooked but was still tender and juicy. I can’t emphasize how amazing the steaks were. In addition to the steak, the sides, which are pre-​selected/​paired with each cut of meat, were tasty and the presentation was cool.
The kids menu was a cut above others. They have the standard chicken strips and fries but they can also get some great cuts of meat and even scallops. Our kids were the only 2 there for the 90 minutes we stayed and like any good restaurant, so long as they behave, I think kids are fine.

We had a group of 6 for dinner. All of our meals were prepared exactly right. Several of us had the Trio of Elk, Bison and Beef… wonderful!

Took some out of town guests to Cartwright’s for dinner. Hubby and I had celebrated New Year’s Eve there and the food was dynamite. Service was a bit impersonal but I wrote it off as probably due to the holiday crowd. So when we returned 6 weeks later with our guests we expected to have a good meal and possibly more attentive service. We were sorely disappointed on both counts. The food actually tasted like hospital food with no seasoning, no flavor. The server took our drink orders and returned a few minutes later to take our meal orders. Little dialogue. A busboy brought our meals to the table and we didn’t see our server again until it was time for the check. Too many other great restaurants in the area to settle for tasteless, mediocre food and robot like servers. Will not go back and will never recommend this restaurant.

We visited this steakhouse with a large group of about 18 adults; the service was very good, they managed us with two servers who did a good job of giving us suggestions on meals and cocktails. All items came out in a timely manner. Our meals were very appetizing; my wife got the 8oz beef tenderloin and I got the 12oz ribeye and both along with the sides were very good. As a starter though I got the bison chili, and wow, it was outstanding! I would definitely go back. I won’t go into everyone’s meal, but I think that everyone was happy. For dessert of the ones I tried: the inside-​out carrot cake was good, the crème brûlée was average, the raspberry sorbet was very good and the banana coconut cream tart was excellent. Definitely worth a visit.

We have enjoyed many dinners at Cartwright’s over the years, including price fixe Christmas Eve dinners. They were always good and did not disappoint. Tonight’s price fixe Valentine’s dinner was a letdown.
Service was slow and lacked the usual attentiveness with 30 minutes between salad and entrée and another delay between entrée and dessert. Clearly, our server had too many tables to cover at once.
The salad and the bisque were both good but the seafood platter missed the mark. Flavors were all OK but the mussels appeared to have been sitting out in a dry environment and the shrimp were a bit overcooked. Even the bread disappointed as it was underdone and doughy in the middle.
The buffalo was ordered medium rare and was served blue. Everything was lukewarm and the dull appearance of the purée indicated it had been sitting out for far too long before serving. The duck breast was overcooked and the skin was not crisp. Even the potatoes served with the duck were underdone. That plate too was lukewarm.
When our server asked how our food was and we told her, she became very scarce. I would have expected her to let the manager know so it could be properly addressed.
Desert was a disappointment too. The fruit and cheese tray consisted of a large amount of wilted greens with a variety of berries haphazardly scattered on them, all with a dry surface, and a two slices of cheese, one of which had developed a dry crust from sitting out too long. The torte was one note and the only flavor was sweetness. There was very little textural or taste difference between the pound cake, gelee, and custard with the pistachios crushed and sprinkled on the plate rather than being incorporated on the torte.
Will I go back? Probably, but never again for a price fixe dinner.

Super disappointed in our meal last night. My wife and I haven’t been to Cartwright’s in a while… now I know why. First of all, the atmosphere was poor… very bright lighting– had to ask our server (who was very friendly) to turn down the hospital lighting. Then the food — ugh. The tortilla soup was incredibly bland. Thank goodness there was salt/​pepper on the table. My 8 oz filet which I ordered med rare was extremely over-​cooked. I would have returned it, but I was crazy hungry after waiting 45 min for the food to come out. The server never came to check on us so, I would have eaten my shoe at that point — which is what this cut of beef tasted like. The best thing about our meal was my Woodford Reserve Manhattan. Skip this place unless you lose a bet… so many better steak joints in town.

So disappointed. My clients recommend it and finally we tried it. Service was slow. My steak came out over cooked and by the time they fixed it, I was over the whole experience. Bummer, I was hoping for great things.

Great upscale rustic vibe. Table bread among the best we’ve ever had — challenge is not to fill up on it. We played it safe with steaks but they were prepared perfectly to our order and were priced reasonably. The scalloped potatoes are the best side — ask to switch if they’re not suggested with your entrée. Coconut tart and choc/​van/​salty caramel gelato a great way to finish. Wine list decent but much better by the bottle than the glass. Well made martinis and whiskey sours got us started. Julie from England a great waitress and service was outstanding. Go there.

Ok, here we go Cartwright’s.
I’ve been living in Cave Creek for 13 years but have only have been to Cartwright’s a handful of times, including a few happy hours with limited food ordered. In the past couple of months, I’ve visited Cartwright’s 3 times. I’ve noticed that a few recent reviews are complaining about the newly revamped menu. Since I have no opinion on the prior menu, I can only comment on the current menu and service level, which so far has been excelente!
Today, we celebrated our 13^th wedding anniversary with our 9 year old (unexpectedly) in tow. Ha! No problem though, since the kids menu is DIVINE and comes with a nice side of wiki stix. My kids are total food snobs, and I am curious if the «old» menu had this selection of kids food? The new kids menu is perhaps the best «kids menu» I’ve seen anywhere. And I mean ANYWHERE. Scallops and filets on the kids menu? Are you kidding me? OH YES!!!
The service was totally on point. Waitress was great, offered great personalized suggestions and had intimate knowledge of the menu. The busboy constantly coming around filling waters, checking out the situation… the service was on par with a 5 star restaurant. My only super minor complaint is that I wish they would’ve checked on the alcohol situation «just prior» to the entrees being served. This is what elevates a restaurant in my opinion, the timing of the wine/​cocktail to the entrée. Even excellent restaurants miss this. I quickly flagged down my waitress and got my wine in less than 90 seconds, so all was great. Anytime we needed anything, someone was there. These people know good service.
On the food: I had the diver scallops with crab in a Bearnaise sauce, and it was SO SO SO good and so rich. But, man, it was worth every calorie. Think the old Richardson’s in central Phoenix, but better. Hubby had filet with spaghetti squash and potato/​corn ravioli in a smoked gorgonzola sauce. We also shared the beet salad, and that was great as well. All were very happy with our choices.
They have a nice wine selection by the bottle, half bottle, and glass. Not super extensive, 25 page wine menu, but perfectly adequate for every wine taste.
The only issue I can see with the recent bad reviews is either, 1. People were accustomed to the «old» menu and just irritated about change (hey, people hate change), or 2. People don’t like the new «trendy» food (as it was called in two prior reviews), and just want the old Midwestern steak and potatoes scene (which they still have!) This is Cave Creek, after all, you gotta consider the demographic. Perhaps people just want the old-​timey ranch steakhouse back? This is 2016 people, the food is awesome. Deal with the change.
Call me a snob, but «trendy» food combined with good service is a winning combination. This is, by far, one of the best restaurants north of the 101 in the Cave Creek /​North Scottsdale /​Carefree area. I’ve been to them all, and Cartwright’s is here to stay. Keep it up!

I was expecting a great meal from Cartwright’s because I love the food from Tonto, which is the sister restaurant. Unfortunately it was overall disappointing which is too bad, because the atmosphere is cozy and nice and the service was good. The (relatively) new vegetarian-​friendly menu is what drew me in but it wasn’t anything too exciting — salads from the main menu, a few unexciting appetizers, and two entrée choices (an assortment of vegetable sides or vegetarian chili).
I ordered the $ 15 vegetarian chili and was so disappointed in what was served — beans and vegetables in a thin broth and the whole thing had a sour taste to it. I want my chili to be thick and comforting, and this dish had none of those qualities. My husband ordered the pork shoulder/​chorizo and liked the meat portion of his dish but didn’t care for any of the sides.
I’ll be sticking with Tonto when looking for a good upscale meal in Cave Creek.

Wow… we use to frequent this upscale steakhouse often… don’t know what possessed the owner to change from a great steakhouse to a mid-​price Ranchhouse comfort food establishment… not a good decision!!! The service is always good (especially Jules), but the food is all baked… even my steak!!! All the entrees are covered in an overpowering sauce or gravy… I couldn’t identify my side dishes due to excessive sauce. And whoever heard of a Caesar salad w/​peppers & no Parmesan or anchovies!!!
This was our last trip here… thank goodness the sister restaurant, TONTO’S, hasn’t changed… for now!!!

Phenomenal Service! We went there for my husbands birthday. Though it was a Friday night and we did not have reservations, we were seated in a cozy quiet seat. Beautiful décor, Very warm. I ordered from the new vegetarian menu. The beet salad is delicious. My entrée, the Sopes, was rich with flavor and texture. The corn masa part was a little heavy and slightly greasy. I prefer the veggie nosh at Tonto. My husband had the shrimp cocktail, he LOVED it and the NY strip, that came w a LOT of Brussels sprouts (that could have a bit more charred/​roasted) and au gratin potatoes that were delicious. The strip was very good. Kara, the server, was friendly and conscientious. We did not order dessert. The manager, Chris, picked up our credit card to assist Kara as he had done all evening w all tables. He asked for ID for the c/​c. Unbeknownst to us he had glanced at the birthdate and realized it was my husbands birthday. He quickly returned to our table w a candlelit raspberry and two housemade truffles. We were so surprised and touched as we hadn’t mentioned the birthday. Nicely done Cartwrights. Above and beyond!!! We shall be back.

Beautiful restaurant. Fantastic food. My steak had great flavor and was cooked perfectly. The horseradish in the mashed potatoes was a delicious touch. The Thanksgiving appetizer trio and dessert trio were so yummy. Great service from Nicole for our party of seven. I highly recommend Cartwright’s!

A friend was visiting and we wondered into Cartwright’s during happy hour. We sat at the bar and enjoyed oysters, sliders, and a really nice $ 5.00 merlot. The bartender was excellent, she kept an eye on us as the place filled up. I really like the western interior, its comfortable and the lighting makes it cozy.

Upscale, cowboy southwest style restaurant. They serve some interesting steaks from elk, buffalo, and other game. It seems popular with the older, cave creek population. The elk steak was delicious, and everything else was good. Unfortunately they were out of multiple dishes, and their tap water tasted really minerally.

Cartwright’s is a nice up scale cowboy themed restaurant located in Cave Creek. They offer a few game dishes including elk and wild boar. Some fish and of course, steaks. It was getting a little pricey, but the new menu is a little more wallet friendly.

I have eaten here on numerous occasions, from a regular week night to New Years Eve and it is always incredible. The meat is top-​notch and the sides and sauces make it a little different from the typical steak house. The staff is very friendly and professional, making it feel like a very fancy restaurant but in a slightly more casual environment. Cave Creek is pretty laid back so you will see everything from suits to shorts. In the winter, sit near the fireplace.

Mary was our server. She really helped us sort out the menu items. We enjoyed the elk and the buffalo medallions a lot. The risotto was heavenly! Four of us, and we shared… we were all happy! The s’mores dessert? Rich! Share it!

We had a party of 5, including one child and we all left full and happy. The food was delicious and the portion sizes were quite large. I had a duck appetizer and a steak that was well seasoned and cooked as ordered. After all of that I still managed to share the s’mores dessert with my son. He will tell you it is the best dessert he has ever had.
The reservation process was easy, we were seated right away and the service was very good. I look forward to going back again soon.

I had a great experience here. My server, Martin, was excellent and was one of the best I have ever had. He really seemed to care that everyone have a great experience and enjoy their meal. He went above and beyond. The food was very well cooked. It was my birthday and restaurant week. The price for food was great for the amount on the plate. I wish there was a little more variety with their drink menu though. Overall, a great experience. If you go, ask for Martin.

Underwhelming experience. Service was good but the food was poor. Steak was undercooked– that happens — and they fixed it right away. Found a foreign item in the import beer I had. They replaced right away. My wife’s Beet salad (main course) was really terrible. You’d need a magnifying glass to find the beets and the grilled chicken was blah. Waiter was great as was the manager. Lots of choices in Cave Creek, maybe keep looking?

Great upscale restaurant in Cave Creek. They specialize in exotic meats like elk and venison and the whiskey bar is enormous. Very classy and worth every penny.

Don’t know what’s happened to this former high quality restaurant but it isn’t good.
Service was great as usual but food wasn’t even mediocre. Steaks were tasteless, tuff and over cooked; vegetables tough as shoe leather and pasta tasteless as well.
New owner, manager, chief?

We made reservations here for Valentine’s Day dinner to enjoy with friends in town for the occasion. The «prix fix» menu looked good with good options. We were disappointed with all of the entrees. The chicken and mushroom risotto were dry; the salmon was overcooked and dry as was the lobster in the «surf & turf» entrée. The steaks were passable and cooked as ordered. This was after waiting an inordinate amount of time for the entrees to arrive! Makes me wonder how long the entrees sat under the heat lamp drying out! The dessert was to be red velvet cakes layered with ginoche and frosted. Red velvet cake is usually moist, but this was dry and tasteless even though it was pretty.
Valentine’s Day (night) is a very busy night for restaurants, but with a pre-​set, limited menu, meals should be good and presented promptly. This was most certainly NOT the case. It should be noted that our server was pleasant and attentive. I think even she suspected that something was amiss because she kept assuring us that our meals were on their way as we watched other tables receive their entire meals and leave while we kept waiting.
We were prepared to pay a little more for a special meal and were very disappointed that a table of four diners paid nearly $ 300 and had such a bad meal. We will not return for another visit, nor would we ever recommend this over-​priced restaurant. There are too many other good options from which to choose. Dine elsewhere.

We were told by our restate lady to go here before hitting the highway at 5pm.
We started out at the bar with cocktails and carlamari and both were out of this world.
Then we got a table for dinner… the cowboy ribeye was just awsome cooked to perfection med rare my wife ordered the triple 3oz protein plate and it was cooked to perfection.
If you wat a super great meal and great service Carwrights is for you

Tried this place a couple of weeks ago and really liked it. Here’s the quick and dirty…
Parking — free parking in the adjacent lot
Food — very good! I was in a party of 7 and everyone liked what they ordered. We had two kinds of tortilla chips with a fantastic chipotle salsa– we actually bought an extra order to take home; a green salsa — also excellent; and avocado dip similar to guacamole. I ordered a burger which was huge (8 oz) and very good and a side salad which came tossed in their house honey vinagrette which was also very good. It was too much for me to eat but everything was cooked perfectly.
They also have game on their menu like the elk/​buffalo burger and elk meatballs along with traditional steak, chicken, and pasta dishes.
One of the highlights is dessert. We tried their ‘famous’ s’more in a jark which is a jar that’s heated with layers of chocolate, marshmallow and house-​made graham cracker cake. Excellent. Can see why it’s a favorite.
Ambiance– intimate and rustic. The restaurant is huge so there are actually four sections to sit in including the bar area which is right when you walk in. Great for large parties. Décor is what you would expect– Arizona wild west theme but tasteful and not overly exaggerated.
Service — very good. No complaints.
Prices– reasonable. Expect to pay about $ 20 — $ 40 per person for an entrée, more for a drink, salad, appetizer, and dessert.
Holidays– I looked at what they were offering for a Thanksgiving special and it looked good. Prices are comparable with others of that caliber.