Carlsbad Tavern

Carlsbad tavern is a very casual, very comfortable place to go for dinner and drinks. But here's the really strange thing - the food is amazing! You just wouldn't imagine these delicious recipes at a "Tavern." I keep ordering the cowboy meatloaf. I know, meatloaf - no - the flavors and the New Mexico Mexican influence. You'll be shocked at how good it all is. The service is always super friendly and just normal people who enjoy their customers and are proud of their place and food.

Fantastic experience! Service was quick and super friendly, food was good and a nice price. This place was SO cute too! As an aside, I think the public restroom here is the only one I've ever thought actually smelled *good*. I try to make an effort to leave good reviews when I have a good experience somewhere and man was this a good time!

Me and my family went here for dinner. My drink - prickly pear margarita was very good. We ordered blue corn enchiladas, vegetarian enchiladas, and pork stew. My fily member definitely recommends the stew out of all of these. Food was decent, but the atmosphere was very nice. Service was okay, and food took 10-15 minutes.

Great New Mexican in very cool setting. Not sure why I never tried this place. Nothing I like more than a New Mexican enchilada. I guess it was because it’s a bit pricier and close to my nostalgic favorite: Frank & Lupe’s. Well, sadly, they are closed after 30+ years - but as they say, when one door closes… The stacked enchiladas here are amazing. Odd combo of both adovada pork and hatch chile chicken in the same stack, but it works! It’s spicy without burning you face off and just generally well-prepared. The service is friendly and informal. The place fits the name. It’s definitely a tavern feel. Gotta try happy hour here some time! They also have an amazing patio setup. Will be reserving a table when it’s not a bazillion degrees outside. Definitely worth a try!

Very unique restaurant. The food was DIVINE. The shrimp taco appetizer was so delicious. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, and had a nice flavor kick. The prime rib burrito was sooo good!!! Great spot for a date night. Love the unique atmosphere.

The ambiance is better than the food here - the loaded nachos were great, but the crab cakes were disappointing. I would’ve loved to sit outside, and it would have been nice if the food didn’t take over 30 min to arrive… The waiter too was nice but a little clumsy with serving our table, between forgetting to fill our waters and us feeling unattended to throughout our meal. We also got charged with queso and dip while it was almost implied it’d be free with our meal.

Everything there is great! The cave/bat decor, attentive service, great food and tasty cocktails. A definitely must go!

Love this place food is always great as well as service love the patio when weather permits. Long time Frequent diner. Atmosphere inside is cozy and has cave themes. Only thing is i wish they would bring back the appetizer tequila shrimp.. OMG if anyone has experienced that dish then they know what I mean!!!🙌🏽

We love this place. Amazing corn queso and burgers. Casey and Bayne are the best! We have been coming here for years and have never had any food we didn't love.

This was one of the worst meals I've ever had. First we came in on a Saturday at 4:35 pm. It was not busy and the lady/manager was a total jerk to the hostess about where we asked to sit. There were 3 adults and 3 kids (all under 7) and they wanted to seat the 6 of us at a 4 top. It was bizarre as there was no one else outside or really even in the restaurant for that matter. Our waitress was lovely, she was attentive and awesome. Our drinks were refreshed often and she was quick to ask if we wanted anything additional. Our food came out quick and that was the best part about it. I got the veggie enchiladas and they were terrible! The veggies were undercooked and the textures didn't mess well - hard asparagus, cooked spinach, and slimy mushrooms and they were mixed with a clump of jack cheese. The sauce was tasteless. Overall, it was just an awful meal! Between the meal and the experience with the manager at the hostess stand and how she spoke to her employees, I don't think we will be back and we use to come often!

First time there the food and drinks were fine, and the service to start was very friendly - all was okay until out of nowhere some manager type approaches our group and asks us to immediately move tables to accommodate some birthday part - it was super random, and rudely handled, and nothing offered like a drink on the house for the inconvenience. Second time there we got take out and it was awful, just terrible everything and it made us sick. Place is cool though

Big service issue! I've been going to Carlsbad Tavern for 30 years. I just walked in and received the worst treatment I've ever had. The waitress was trying to fleece me with an up charge to add a side salad to my entree (instead of rice and beans). She told me it was $12 when I knew it was only $5. When I challenged her she backpedaled but the damage was already done. Broken trust is hard to recover from. I was so disappointed I just got up and left versus having to deal with her. I'm so sad because it's going to be a struggle for me to ever want to go back and I really have enjoyed this place over the years. Another example of the fleecing of America.

Best Patio in the Valley to enjoy some tasty food and drinks. The waterfall, river and music set a great mood. Steven our server was awesome. The seafood enchiladas were spot on.

Love it but wish you would allow dogs on your patio! We live nearby and walk here way more if you did!

I'll start off by saying this is probably fixable. When I go into a restaurant and I'm looking to spend more than $20 on a meal I expect to be served with respect. I go in there and I'm waiting for someone to come around and take my order which nobody ever did then a couple comes in and they sit them at a table and do nothing for me. Disgraceful. I try to give people respect, but when they give me disrespect that's what they're gonna get from me. I will never be back to this place ever again if they think they can act like that.

I like this place, but wish I could love it! The ambiance is cool, uniquely cave like inside. The service is terrific, friendly and welcoming. The drinks are pretty good, and not outrageously priced. So what's the problem? I find the food to be mediocre at best. Ordered the Enchantment Platter, pork stuffed chile relleno, pork stuffed enchilada, and chicken enchilada in a blue corn tortilla. Included rice, beans, and a small sopapilla. Rice, tasted old, reheated. Slightly crunchy. Beans were okay, but my personal taste prefers pintos over black beans. The chile relleno, supposed to have an egg batter coating, be fried to a nice crunch. This was not that. Lots of pork inside a soggy chile. Enchilada even worse. Tortilla was actually gummy. Again, packed with pork. The chicken enchilada was wrapped in a beautiful blue corn tortilla, but the texture was tough and chewy. Sopapilla was dense and doughy. I don't mean to be cruel, but I've been eating Mexican/ Tex Mex/ New Mexican food for 75 years. This place needs a huge food upgrade, bring it into the 21st century. BTW, charging $4.25 for iced tea that tastes like pond water is an outrage!

Do you have family or friends coming into town? In need of a unique lunch or dinner destination? This is the place. Celebrated my college graduation from ASU here. Had an anniversary dinner with my wife here. Recently had friends in town for Spring Training - yep, took them here. Fantastic atmosphere the second you walk inside. Friendly service and a cool newspaper style menu. It presents itself like a destination and it truly is. Photo opportunities outside by their waterfall and generous outdoor seating. New Mexican cuisine with plenty of spicy hot selections. Each dish is professionally presented and full of flavor. Great menu from the apps to the entrees. On our most recent trip I chose their chimichanga and my wife had a very spicy burger. Our table even split an appetizer and some fried ice cream as dessert. We know and love this place and as soon as you share it with visitors to the area, you'll already have future lunch or dinner dates when your visitors make plans to return to the area.

Hubby and I decided to try this restaurant and were not disappointed. Prices were fair, large menu variety (meat and seafood), and the portions were huge! We were greeted as soon as we arrived and were directed to a table. Inside is "dark and cavern" like mood while the outside the have twinkling lights and a waterfall patio. We didn't bring the kids but they do have a kids menu which served the usual American fare for $9. I ordered the crab stuffed pobanos and it was very good. Lots of crab meat and flavor. Hubby ordered the NY steak and it was cooked perfectly. The sopapillas were a bit doughy. Would definitely come back.

Came by with a group of 15 for a Saturday lunch. They were very accommodating and sat us in a nice shady spot and our server was well organized with getting our food out to us. The food itself feature a lot of southwest flair and was pretty scrummy

No waiting for a table. Lovely atmosphere with water features. Food was spicy, but not overwhelming... absolutely delicious. Waitress was wonderful & very attentive. We truly enjoyed our dining experience.

Food 4/5 - I ordered the Carne Adovada Plate, one of the top menu items. The seasoning on the meat was smoky, deep, and flavorful with a touch of sweetness. The rice, beans, and tortilla helped balance the meal out altho I wish there was a bit of seasoning to the rice and or beans. Or something citrusy to pair with the meat. Service 5/5 - friendly servers, seated right away and given water, asked for our drink and apps orders first then gave us time to think on our main orders. Our waitress was able to recommend good drinks and entrees that we enjoyed! We had a big group but still had good wait time on the food Ambiance 4/5 the decor is very fun and I enjoy the little aliens hidden throughout the 'cave' but I wish it wasn't so dark in the interior restaurant. I saw a table next to us even use their phone flashlight to read the menu

The atmosphere was vibrant, the portions generous, and the staff friendly. Such a creative menu! The Short Rib ($25) was large, fork-tender, and surprisingly lean. The mashed potatoes and vegetables on the side were also delicious. BF enjoyed his margaritas (all $12.25) and blue corn enchiladas ($17.50). The chocolate bread pudding with butterscotch sauce ($11) was incredibly rich and decadent. I wish we had gotten our server's name because she was truly so cool. The ambiance inside is inviting, and there is a lovely outdoor patio with a river and fountain running through it. We also loved the festive holiday décor! :)

Went to Carlsbad Tavern in search of happy hour and Carlsbad Tavern delivered! There was a nice variety of appetizers to choose from but the beer menu was a bit limited. We tried out the Skillet Nachos (no jalapeño) and meatloaf sliders (no ghost peppers). Both were good and the nachos still had some kick to them. Happy hour deals were decent and I wasn't able to finish the nachos. Carlsbad Tavern has been here for many years and I can see why. Food was good with generous portions. decor was interesting and a great patio. I should have come here long ago.

I love me some New Mexican cuisine, and this spot delivers! I was pretty sold by the entire bat cave concept, was impressed again by the newspaper windows and delighted once more after viewing the patio (it was far too hot to dine alfresco but maybe later in the season)! I had mixed reviews on the food, but most items were comforting! I'd certainly order the queso again, and while my prickly pear marg was not strong enough for my taste, it was tasty! I'd likely pass on the chilaquiles next time. It may be the batch I received but they were severely underseasoned. Overall, I'd definitely visit again!

Had a recent drink and enjoyed the vibe but the food missed the mark. Felt for the price the food could have been more elevated, very bar food.

Great service and ambiance! Had visitors from NC along! They loved it! Great margaritas and the carne adovada was excellent! Thank you!

I love this place, super cute outside with the water. And cool old bar inside. Happy hour is such a great price for food and drinks. Had the coco margarita love the tropical taste. The Mac and cheese bites were so good and alittle kick to them. The chimayo dinner was absolutely amazing great rice, with grilled veggies and great taste chicken. We sat at the bar and service was fantastic.

Despite my friends not really liking this place I loved it last night when we went for a couples dinner date. I just think we/they ordered the wrong things. I had the HH ribeye quesadillas, had to put in another order because they are incredible... the potstickers are freaking bomb.com too! We split the lobster enchiladas and it was just way too heavy but really good lol. The beans at this place are amazing Drinks are good too we got a couple spicy skinny margs and they were perfect. Next time I'm getting ribeye quesadillas, steak/chicken tacos, and or the chicken wrap dish on the sandwich section on the menu. I would get the enchiladas again but I would get no cheese and ask for the sauce on the side so I could actually taste the lobster! Overall I'm excited to go back lol will probs just go solo.... They have an incredible happy hour menu and that's totally my jam!

Adorable restaurant. I enjoyed all the food. Even in the winter, it wasn't too cold sitting outside since they provide heat lamps. The restaurant is super cute and I prefer sitting outside near the waterfall/water/moat. We asked for champagne glasses to be ready at our table when we made the reservation on the phone. When we showed up, there were two missing glasses. Other than that small misstep I don't have any real complaints. The food in general might be too spicy for small children fyi, so maybe order a basic quesadilla if your kid is sensitive.

My wife and I stopped in there Saturday evening for dinner as we don't go to Scottsdale often. We've been there MANY years ago. We had the prime rib street tacos. They had good flavor but were very greasy. We also had the green chile chimichanga. LUCKILY we split it because our stomachs have been paying for it for 2 days. Let's just say our insides are quite cleared out now. The rice was either old or something because it was dry and crunchy. The server said they were experimenting with rice recipes. The black beans were room temperature. The service was good, we kept seeing the bartender just looking like he wasn't happy to be there. Not sure if I'd try it again if we were up in the area again.

I absolutely recommend this place. Their food is to die for their drinks are delicious and stiff. You definitely feel like you're getting your moneys worth it here.

Food and service were great. Food served late everyday! Our bartenders were attentive and knowledgeable- all drinks were delicious!

It was fine. Server was nice. Has a fun environment. Story of it being haunted which is on their newspaper menu. Good place for a special occasion. I didn't find anything spectacular about the place but it was fine. I will say,,,, good lawd the nachos off the app menu were HUGE. They were fine. I just can't super impressed with anything here.

Service was okay kind of took a while, was expensive and I'm almost positive my bfs chimichanga had canned chicken, we both tasted it and exchanged that note. Service was nice but the food was more bar food than restaurant food. Seemed more like a place people stop to get drinks.

Wow, we really enjoyed Carlsbad Tavern. This restaurant has been open for 26yrs. They have a lovely patio area & eclectic decor inside. Our server Nicole was such a kind soul. She was so enthused about the restaurant and she honestly enhanced our experience. Happy hour is from 2-6pm. They have some sneaky meatloaf sliders on the happy hour menu that were incredible. The sliders have a spicy ghost pepper cheese on top, and mannnn do they pack a punch! The frozen blood orange margs were a great idea. They are able to adjust the sweetness level which was a plus. The spicy crab cakes & side salad is also a great recommendation. Definitely going to return to Carlsbad Tavern to check out those lobster enchiladas!

So happy with my food and service. This is one of my gems in Arizona that I share with all of my friends that come from out of town. Only thing I do have to say is that the mosquitoes are ruthless if you are eating outside later in the evening!

Amazing food!! Everything looked so so good. Great service. Super fun atmosphere. I love this place.

Fun, funky bar/restaurant with great Mexican-American cuisine. The hot hot habanero burger is not to be missed. Great enclosed patio in front, inside resembles a giant bat cave, with fake guano. Drinks are good and reasonably priced. Good place for a casual lunch or dinner.

Came here to try their nachos. The flavor and portion was great but they need to put the toppings throughout the dish because you're left with a bunch of chips. I also tried the southwest patty melt. It had the potential for amazing flavor but didn't hit the mark. The thousand island dressing is VERY bland and needs some flavor. The burger was cooked perfectly and very juicy! I really enjoyed the fries. The atmosphere is very relaxing and beautiful

Such a good spot for a late night bite. I loved the Coco Rita. We shared the queso and I had the rib eye quesadilla. Everything was great my wife even enjoyed her Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Wrap. I love the patio with the fountain and fireplace. Our server was excellent!

Casey is an absolute boss! She makes my experience at Carlsbad Tavern amazing every single time... She is a sweetheart, and a very hard worker... This is my neighbor Bar and I enjoy coming here because of her and the vibe in general

Great ambiance and we loved sitting outside near the water feature! The food was just ok, a little too spicy for my liking. Service was a little slow considering it wasn't that busy when we went. Still, if you're looking for a unique dining experience, it's definitely worth a try!

Holy guacamole, Carlsbad Tavern is a total bat-tastic gem! We flew in for a special date night and were not disappointed. The theme? So cute it could give Gotham a run for its money. The food? To die for. Seriously, we're still dreaming about that queso--it might just be the best we've ever had (and we've had a lot!). I surprised my fiancé with bat-themed shirts just for the occasion, and this place delivered on all fronts--vibes, flavor, and fun. Thank you for making our night so memorable. We'll definitely be back for more bites and bat magic! 5 stars across the bat-signal!

It's been a hot minute since I've been back here. Decent sized parking lot and cool vibes upon waking in. Very taverny feels! Great outdoor seating area with a water area that added a nice touch. The menu was interesting with a lot of options. Opted for the tacos, but they came out kind of questionable. Hard (might have been microwaved) Tortilla, a few chucks of beef, cheese with a small cup of tomatoes and guacamole, and 2 small margaritas...$55.00 is way overpriced for just our split bill. Friends also ordered the crabcakes, which the side dish/sauce was really spicy. Great environment, decent service, and meh food.

We got Adovada skillet fries, green chili corn queso, and the potstickers. Everything was great. Wasn't the biggest fan of the potstickers, but they just didn't go well with the other dishes. I will be back.

This was a super cute spot for a perfect afternoon Now that the weather is nice we of course had to sit on the patio. I love the waterfall feature outside and the small river separating the upper and lower patio deck adds a nice touch. Now if you ask of the dish is spicy and they say yes... believe them The crab cakes came with a side of spicy absolutely delicious and absolutely SPICY I love that it came with a side salad as well We also ordered the stacked enchiladas with rice and beans Overall this was a wonderful meal

Casey & Brandon are such fantastic bartenders, thank you! Highly recommend visiting for happy hour and a marg!

Wayyy too many good choices to pick from, Casey made it so easy and everything she picked out was awesome! Will be back

I've been here a lot of times and only had a good experience. Liam and Vince have only ever been wonderful to us and given a great experience. I think we met a bartender named Wes tonight but I'm not sure. After pouring my beer he had to clarify 3x what beer it was? It was already in front of me. I think he was hammered. We ordered food to go and he asked some clarifying questions. We asked for boneLESS wings, a ribeye quesadilla and a fried chicken sandwich. As he was ringing in our food, he clarified if it was the wrap or the wings. I said boneless chicken wings, that's not what we got. "Wes" disappeared for a REALLY long time. The girl server on staff was doing everything she could to keep things afloat. The food we received nearly 50 minutes later was stone cold, but was bone in wings, a boneless wing wrap, and a quesadilla. The lone server working found it sitting on a table in the room they weren't seating people in, I'm assuming it was sitting there for 30+ minutes after ordering Togo food there multiple times and it NEVER taking that long. They did take the wrap off and we weren't willing to wait for a remake because I had zero confidence in anything being correct and had already waited nearly an hour for food and was too hungry to keep waiting. Besides how unfortunate the experience was, I'm really concerned for how this bartender gets home. I hope to god he lives within walking distance, or Carlsbad is willingly putting innocent people at risk after letting their staff drink so heavily while on the clock. We also received what I would assume to be nearly the 300ml of Worcestershire sauce with our food in a styrofoam container. Not sure if the drunk bartender rang it in or what meal this is supposed to be included with? The girl working was amazing though, she was doing everything she could to fix MANY situations that were not her fault. After the bartender disappeared, she was making drink tickets, running food and checking on all the bar guests. After the first time "Wes" disappeared for 20+ minutes, every 10min or so he would walk into the building and then disappear again. She carried more than 100% of the weight and the only reason anyone in the building would ever come back is because of her. Photo is of giant container of Worcestershire sauce??? Don't know why we got that, but I do like it when I'm drunk so maybe he rang it in in self interest?

Kristen was great. We went in 5 minutes before and still got great service. Loved the atmosphere

Responding to the owner who is spreading misinformation of my review with his lazy copy and pasted reply: I would give the place negative stars at this point. The owner just responded to my previous review (copy and pasted to everyone involved) clearly misguided by his terrible server Kyle and clueless manager. Not once were police mentioned-- your manager had the Home Screen of his phone up to try and threaten us which is laughable. We did not leave money under a napkin-- we left a $100 bill and 5 $20 bills in the black sleeve that your rude straight faced server Kyle left on the table. Check and see if Kyle or the manager put something in his pocket before you say we did not pay what I mentioned above. We left $200 and paid a majority 38$ requested tip -- your poor people-skills manager even said he would take the gratuity off and didn't. Your server came out clueless as if he did a great job. We said our peace with him gave him the remainder of the underserved tip and walked away. NO POLICE WERE MENTIONED. Everyone in the restaurant was visibly annoyed, the lady behind us instantly sent her sandwich back because it was left to get cold on the counter by the server for at least 20 minutes. As an owner you should look into what actually happened before commenting back misinformation. As mentioned before DO NOT COME HERE!!

Life has been crazy good! I came in and was graciously greeted by manny, (I asked about my car, leaving it overnight). He stated what I should do. Amanda was kind and said it should be ok. I preceded to the bar and was greeted by a wonderful soul, Kyle. I tried cranberry vodka last Sunday for the first time. Kyle made them perfect. He is a great wonderful conversationalist. As I went to leave Amanda reminded me about the car. Your team is incredible. They care about the safety of the patrons. I appreciate your establishment. Thank you Manny, Amanda, and Kyle for your service.

Legit spot for New Mexico cuisine - Great Margaritas , food options are yummy and unique. Outdoor tables and waterfalls, fun times -

The enchiladas were tasty but my friend's fish and chips were fried with old oil. What irked me was this: I was asked by the waiter if I would like some sour cream and I said I would. He brought me a tiny 1 oz. container of sour cream. What irritated me was when I got the bill, I was charged §1.50! He didn't tell me there would be a charge. You don't ask someone if they would like a condiment, bring it (microscopic as it was) and then charge them. The way he asked gave me the impression it was something to complement the meal. Left a bad taste in my mouth. _

Our server Amanda was absolutely amazing. It was our first time here for my friend's birthday and they really took care of us. The patio is amazing with the running water and beautiful lighting. Really nice ambiance! The green chile blue corn chicken enchiladas were INSANELY good. So was everything else but those stood out the most to me. Picture of our dessert (chocolate banana pudding, *drool*, with butterscotch syrup). Amazing experience and will definitely be returning. Really cool bar inside and they're also open late!

The ambiance is fantastic and the menu has a lot of interesting items. But I wasn't super impressed by the quality of the food.

Such a cute place, ok I was hoping for real bats lol. They have a spicy menu, but there are a few options for those who don't like the heat! Portions are very filling. We took some home. I forgot to take a pic of the fried ice cream the 5 of us shared and it was just the right amount. Food is rich in flavor lots of combinations of flavors for your taste buds to enjoy.