Scottsdale Restaurant Guide

The culinary and geological highlights of New Mexico are sublimely embodied at Carlsbad Tavern in south Scottsdale, where a colorful, newspaper-style menu promises the zing of unique southwestern face, while rock walls, a flowing waterway, and a plethora of bat-themed decor ensures its engaging cave motif. This is a joint with palpable personality, where locals and tourists alike congregate to get their taste buds torched by the food and their tongues cooled by specialty margaritas.

The people and staff responsible for Carlsbad's long-standing popularity are an accommodating bunch with a tendency for word play (Carlsbad Tavern, Guano Canal, Early Bat Special, etc.) and exquisite, knowledgeable service. Upon entering, guests can choose the formal dining area or the bar and lounge that leads out to the expansive, bi-leveled patio. Inside, copper and tin fixtures and images of the old southwest are subtly illuminated in low red and yellow lighting, while outside the theme is carried out by adobe hearths and a wooden walkway suspended over the canal.

The menu, titled the Carlsbad Daily Guano, is famous for its adherence to the hotness that is demanded by those seeking truly authentic southwestern food. Their expectations are indulged with flare and humor: The Habanero Cheeseburger (lots of freshly ground habanero chile, mixed with lean ground beef, grilled and topped with melted jalapeno jack cheese) is prefaced with the warning, "This burger may cause temporary blindness or loss of hearing;" for those with trivia tendencies, the menu contains a "Chile Heat Scale" that lists the descending rankings of chile 'hotness'... as measured by what unit? "What are Scoville units, Alex?"

Anyone can tell you anything good about a restaurant, but history and reputation are usually more reliable indicators of quality than word of mouth and Carlsbad Tavern has been operating for over 13 years.