Tinderbox Kitchen

My boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary here and they made us feel very special!! I loved the ambiance, the music and the food. Our server Ben was incredibly kind and took great care of us. Thank you can’t wait to come back!

We celebrated a special romantic occasion here and it was perfect in every way. The food was outstanding, the duck and elk entrees were absolutely delicious! Our server was very attentive and made us feel like royalty. They even gave us a congratulatory card that the whole team signed! I can’t wait to visit again to try other food on the menu!

Glad we made it back for dinner w friends as we love the cozy environ and enjoyed the very attentive and friendly service… nice upscale vibes without any uppity attitude. Menu is compact with lots of unique touches and quality ingredients. Enjoyed sharing appetizers to mix up the flavors, and found the mussels to be really unique w their flavor profiles, super savory w the right amount of heat. Pasta was fabulous too. Reservations recommended for sure, and u may have to hunt for a place to park, but definitely worth it. Only dish I wouldn’t order again was their take on cheese cake…it was tasty, but a little more like a butter cake and I personally prefer a creamier more traditional style.

Was staying in Flagstaff for a few days and I wanted to enjoy a fine dinning experience while I was in town and Tinderbox kitchen was on multiple lists of must eat restaurants for fine dinning or an intimate date night. The dinning area is small, so highly recommended to make reservations. We had a wonderful table up front and enjoyed some people watching while dinning. First thing I need to mention is the wine list! The selections fir a smaller establishment were phenomenal it was difficult to choose. The sommelier they had on location the night I was there was phenomenal! I would 100% trust any wine selection she would make for me. Wish I could remember her name to give a shout out but she did claim she was a level 1. Definitely knows her stuff!! On to the food! We had a charcuterie and some frog legs to get things started. The bread on the charcuterie board was amazing! A good selection of cheeses and a great spread with it all. The frog legs were interesting, Id only had them once before and do not remember enjoying them as much as I did these. My main dish was the duck breast with potatoes and Brussel sprouts the duck was cooked to perfection and the char grilled sprouts paired nicely with the Duck. My bottle of Pinot Noir was a great addition to every course. Cannot say enough about the selection of wine this restaurant has. Great atmosphere for a date night or a fine dinning experience in Flagstaff!

A great dining experience with fun daily menu and fresh ingredients. The drinks and apps are amazing and the whole ambience makes you go back again. Such a gem in northern AZ.

Excellent spot with a nice vibe, great service, and delicious food. Will return next time I'm in Flagstaff. Pork belly appetizer, filet, and scallops were all perfect. Proper old fashioned also.

Great quiet spot in Flagstaff. We had a group of 8 and they made us feel like we were a small group. Very attentive and caring. Food came out perfectly for all of us. Service, food and atmosphere are top notch. Definitely 10 out of 10. Can't wait to go back and try the duck. Thank you for a great dining experience.

My husband and I were recommended to try this restaurant by a bartender at Rendezvous. From the moment we walked in we felt welcomed. Barb was our waitress and she excellent. Very knowledgeable with the complete menu and cocktails. She was very attentive, friendly, and truly knew options on the menu. AJ was also very professional and made excellent drinks for us. Presentation matched the quality in every bite and sip. We will definitely return here during our next visit to Flagstaff. Thank you Barb, AJ and the talented chefs that prepared our delicious meal.

The ambiance is nice, staff are all welcoming and friendly, the food was amazing! I would highly recommend coming here for dinner.

Food and service was amazing! The acoustic situation is in dire need of help! There are no soft surfaces in the dining room. It was so loud, at times I had my ears plugged. Huge suggestion, replace the plastic faux tufted panels with fabric ones. That would make a huge difference. Also, the two tops are too long, it made it even harder to talk across the table. Our server did a great job and we really enjoyed the food.

Impeccable service by Raychel- she was very kind and accommodating despite the hiccups, and persisted to provide 5* service. The food execution was variable and combo of ingredients for the dishes was not for me. Mint arugula salad - the individual components didn't flow together well for me. There were odd bites and flavors, with occasional very salty bites from the cured mushrooms. Confit garlic with focaccia - this was pretty tasty with the occasional salt accents on the focaccia. I appreciated that the garlic was a mild flavor and smooth like butter Pork ____ - first batch we got, half the pork were overcooked and very tough. We got a second batch done which was cooked better and the meat was juicier. The combo of the flavors was too heavy for me and I was wishing for more of an acidity to balance out a heavy meat flavor, garlic aioli, and the starch/carb/corn Tagliatelle - loved the pasta, seemed like it was made fresh in house. The mushrooms were underwhelming and would have been better if they were prepped/treated (roasted or seared). I appreciated that the overall flavors weren't too salty or heavy like the pork dish. Scallops - unfortunately a couple of the scallops that I got were sandy and strong ammonia flavor. The corn/potato/ham or bacon mix was tasty. Gelato flight - favorite was the pineapple with real pineapple chunks, the almond one tasted like pecan pralines that was tasty at first and got too sweet for me, and the chai was an interesting flavor that may grow with more exposure.

This place was amazing during our visit! We had Josie as our server and she was fabulous. I had elk for the first time on the first night we went. It was the best meal I ever had so we decided to go back the second night. Again, it was amazing! The only "sad" part was I could not finish my meal because we had a big lunch earlier in the day, so we took our leftovers to go (my boyfriend's steak, my elk and our sides). Later that evening I couldn't wait to dig into the elk but when I opened our bag of to-go leftovers, everything was in there except for my elk That was a disappointment. Only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary with a dinner at tinderbox and it was such a fantastic experience! The server was so friendly and welcoming! We decided to do the five course chef tasting menu. Yum!! We still talk about the salad we had here, it was phenomenal, a salad! Lol. They made our evening very special!

Amazing meal for my birthday. Server was very friendly, polite, and attentive. I was there solo and I had a great time. The ambience is cozy and inviting.

TinderBox in my opinion is one of the BEST restaurants in all of Flagstaff. The staff are very, very professional, attentive, knowledgeable, kind and so much more. They certainly hired the right people for this place. In terms of the food, well the best word for it is delicious. The charcuterie board in particular caught my attention. Simple but, so good. I really loved the addition of hot honey. In terms of the atmosphere, it's cozy and refined. Love the little blue wall, it really brings everything together. All in all a great place if your looking for good food and great service.

Stopped by here for dinner with the family. My wife and I each had a cocktail. Both of them were top notch. Up there with some of the best cocktails that we have ever had. Food was delicious and amazing. I ended up getting the Elk to try something different. The Elk was cooked perfectly and was so tender. I would go back just for the Elk or even the cocktails. Yes it's a bit pricey but I have no problem spending on high quality food that looks amazing and tastes fantastic.

Amidst the pizza joints and brew pubs that dot the landscape of the Northern Arizona University area, one occasionally finds an adult venue (not that kind...get your mind out of the gutter). Tinderbox Kitchen is one of those places. It's intimate, darkly lit, quiet and comfortable - just like my bedroom. Unlike my bedroom, they have a well stocked bar and a full team of people anxious to serve you. The menu was small but fascinating. They have a handful of entrees (mains for you snooty foodies) and I'd like to come back and try them all. I ended up ordering the elk tenderloin, which was absolutely fabulous. Not gamey at all and but not precisely beef tasting either. Unlike my paycheck, it was ample. The sticky wicket was the accompaniment. Serving it on a bed of quinoa with a jalapeño chimichurri was too clever by half (you know, people used to say stuff like that all the time back in my day). The quinoa was bland and if that texture and different mouth feel were what they wanted to have, then wild rice would have been a more complementary flavor. Otherwise, a purred root vegetable would have been a nice combination. And if they wanted a home run instead of a triple (that's a baseball metaphor, because I'm American and have no idea how scoring works in cricket even though I alluded to it earlier), they would have plated it on a bed of aligot. Also, the jalapeño chimichurri just didn't go well with the delicious steak. Too spicy and not enough flavor. As a matter of fact, it unfortunately obscured the dark cherry glaze, which really did pair nicely with the elk. The appetizer (starter for you snooty foodies) was a simple but delightful focaccia with balsamic and roasted garlic. A delicious surprise was the arugula salad. A hint of mint, high quality produce, and perfectly dressed like Wifey on date night. I wasn't sure what to expect, but having said that, my experience was that it was unexpectedly complex but definitely yummy, also like Wifey on date night. Another nice surprise was a very respectable wine list. I twisted my own arm and ordered a bottle against my better judgement, which I conveniently left at home (my better judgement, not the bottle). Dessert was good not great and that really is the one miss. My dessert tasted fine but it was apparently either that or pour a sugar packet down my gullet. A restaurant with that vibe and that quality really warrants a proper dessert menu. I'm not talking about Cheesecake Factory here, but give me something to work with for a grand finale! In spite of wanting some more dessert options, it was a great experience. The food was great, ambiance great, and the service was exceptional which is really rare in a college town (no offense kids, but you know it and I know it and I know you know it and I'm pretty sure that you know that I know it as much as you know it, you know?) Highly recommended. Will go back.

Flagstaff, Az. Looking for dinner in Flagstaff that was not pizza or burgers. Found Tinderbox on Yelp and made a reservation for 5:00. We arrived a bit early but were welcomed. I was a bit surprised about the small dark ambiance with concrete floors that reflect sound. I didn't exactly like the music being played, but the volume was not too loud and it wasn't really that bad. The somewhat divey vibe was in its own way welcoming due to its lack of pretentiousness. I mean really the price range here is up there with white tablecloths, wine glasses already set, and waiters with crumb scrapers. In summary, the ambiance does not correlate with the pricing. Our waiter tried his very best to keep us interested and happy, almost over doing so, but he was likable and efficient. The menu apparently changes every so often, so whatever you read online may not be what is offered. So for us, no halibut nor steelhead. For starters we had the pork belly with some interesting poblano fritters, aioli and a cranberry glaze. Absolutely delicious. I wish there had been just l bit more. I had the filet au poivre, which is just a peppercorn crusted filet. I ordered it out of curiosity. It really was quite good, the temp ranged from medium rare in the center to medium well near the seared crust. The crust encased the entire steak. I thought the flavors were great and the meat tasted of high quality with a good texture. Was it worth $60? To me no, but that seems to be showing up as the going rate these days. My opinion, based on the size, $30, then upgrade for the fancy French culinary crust, maybe$45. To me I would have liked just a typically prepared steak but the peppercorn crust was an interesting thing to try. It came with some tiny cubed potatoes and broccolini that were good. Moving on to the sesame crusted ahi with coconut and pineapple with quinoa and jalapeño. This was a masterpiece, such a great preparation and presentation. Loved this. An expertly crafted mocktail with a rosemary sprig was awesome. The Basque cheesecake was decadent and a nice finish for the dinner. The Lemon curd in the side was an awesome pairing. A nice delicate and airy cheese with a strawberry sauce, it was excellent, The Cafe Americano was perfect, rich, full bodied, not bitter. Paired well will the dessert.

We did the 5 course menu and it did not disappoint. The food and service were both amazing!

OMG, what an incredible experience! Hubs and I visited back in May. We arrived in Flagstaff after 7 pm and were lucky enough to get a last minute reservation at Tinderbox Kitchen. Not sure if TK has a designated parking lot, but we were able to park on the street. We arrived on time and were greeted and seated right away. The space is charming, cozy, and intimate. Our friendly server came up to our table to introduce herself and take our drink order shortly after we were seated. Though I didn't see it on the menu, I inquired if they make espresso martinis and fortunately, they do. She also said they make a really good one. My husband ordered a mocktail, The Spellbinder. Drinks arrived promptly. First sip of the espresso martini and I was in love. I've tried many espresso martinis in the last few years and can honestly say theirs is one of the best I've ever had. The flavor, the foam, everything was on point. My husband also enjoyed his mocktail, but I don't recall what was in it. We also ordered the following: Steamed mussels Spinach tagliatelle Halibut Flourless cake What a ride. We started with the steamed mussels, followed by a complimentary sorbet to cleanse our palates before the main course, and ended with the flourless cake. Both entrees were incredibly flavorful and the cake was a great way to end the meal. We were so impressed, we raved about Tinderbox Kitchen to everyone we met the next day!

My husband insisted we try the chefs menu and it did not disappoint. While plating could use a little refinement, the flavors were fantastic. Great experience, calm ambiance and friendly staff.

Great cocktails, great service, and really good food. Overall, an amazing experience. Shoutout to Charlie at the bar.

We came to Tinderbox on our biennial Christmas trip to Flagstaff. We were celebrating a special occasion and were immediately greeted warmly by the hostess and waitress and made to feel welcome. In terms of the meal, we thought the food was great, but priced higher than its quality. We started with the mussels and pork belly, both solid choices. In terms of the entrees, the beef shoulder was nice and tender, but the risotto on the scallops was a bit bland and the added dried cranberries were a bit of a head scratcher. We think that with a few changes Tinderbox could be one of the best restaurants in Flagstaff. We will be back!

Cute place. Nice atmosphere. Service was wonderful - thank you Ben. Scallops were perfectly prepared. However, I did not love the risotto that it came with. Mussels appetizer was delicious. Winter salad and cheese board were good.

We had high hopes given recent mixed reviews as every restaurant has off days. Sadly we were too impressed. Ordered the pork belly appetizer, tagliatelle and duck confit. The pork belly was nice but lacked flavor, requiring us to mopping up every last bit of the cream sauce base... it really could have been a spectacular dish! Tagliatelle listed mushrooms, I expected a strong mushroom flavor which this had none. I hadn't realized that it would be spicy and it was too spicy for me. They were very kind to prepare a second dish without the added heat. Portion was rather small and a bit expensive @ $30 for a meatless pasta dish imo. The duck confit...it was not hot, served warm and the duck was dried out. The flavors were not pleasant to either my husband or I. Instead, he finished my spicy pasta and the dish went unfinished after only one bite. Monet was our hostess/server and she was wonderful, making every effort to deliver a satisfying experience. I'd have to agree with the disappointing recent reviews.

We went for our anniversary. I was on the hunt for duck confit and could not wait for it to come. Unfortunately, this was a shredded duck in a mole sauce. If you love southwestern food, this is a very inventive dish, it just wasn't what I was looking for. I ordered the scallops instead. They were tender but the broccoli was dry. Dinner entree portions were small. We had the charcuterie cheese plate, pork belly and mussels as appetizers. They were all delicious. The mussel's sauce was like a soup. There was a lot of corn in the mussels, confit and scallops, I felt that was a bit too much. Service was impeccable. The ambiance was louder than we would have liked but the waiter moved us to a quieter spot (right by the kitchen). Lol!

Gave Tinderbox a try for dinner on 9/25/25. Pros: Filet Mignon was pricey but one of the tastiest and tender restaurant steaks I've ever had, and the small pork belly dish was close behind. Everything cooked to perfection! Cons: Constant breeze from the AC overly cold for the duration of our visit so we found ourselves a bit rushed to leave. Table rocked a bit when leaned on. Service was just ok, especially for being such a small place. Would visit again but would definitely avoid the same table.

We enjoyed a wonderful five course dinner at the Tinderbox. Each course was delicious and well timed. Our sever was excellent and a joy to spend our evening with. The restaurant is in a walkable part of town. I had not stopped in Flagstaff in years, we were pleasantly surprised. BTW the Lowell Observatory is well worth a visit.

We made reservations at The Tinderbox yesterday--our third time dining here--and once again, it was absolutely spectacular. We chose the chef's tasting menu and loved every minute of it. There's something special about letting the kitchen take the lead; it really gives them the chance to showcase their creativity and talent. The five-course meal, paired with wine, was perfectly executed from start to finish. Everything was top notch. Highly recommend giving this place a try!

Service was great and very intimate. I always respect a restaurant that not only has good food but also focuses on the experience. The filet mignon was a solid steak but wasn't as tender as I imagined for a $60 steak. My date got the elk steak and it was delicious! Would definitely go back for that.

My seabass dish was missing the bak choi and sambal and way too much broth. The rest of the dishes were okay. Service waa very good.

What wonderful dinning experience. The staff was attentive and helpful. We each enjoyed duck and scallop entrees. Well prepared and delicious. The warm cake with fruit was a great way to end dinner. Our salad with goat cheese, berries, mint and fruit was amazing. Definitely a go to place

I want to say this was one of the most incredible dining experiences we had in Flagstaff. The restaurant's decorations were not my cup of tea. However, the waiter and bartender carried most of the weight to make this place a 5-star restaurant. Both of them welcomed us with very positive energy, were knowledgeable, and were well-mannered. We had the tasting menu, and the portion was sizeable. They also accommodated some of the dishes to our personal preferences. The bartender even created some interesting mocktails for my son, who enjoyed every sip. The dining experience was excellent.

Absolutely phenomenal food, vibes and service. We arrived on time, were greeted and seated right away. Came with a group of 5 we had reservations. The space is very charming, cozy, and intimate. Our friendly server came up to our table to introduce herself and take our drink order. Very kind and professional. I have a dairy allergy and had a few questions about the menu. She was very helpful, and asked the kitchen about butter, milk in the few things I was looking at. I wasn't able to get the chefs full course meal, which was expected. But I did get the filet mignon and was able to switch out the sides for veggies! they even made mine special with no butter! I really appreciate this kind of service and I will be back !

Tinderbox is always a must to dine at when in Flagstaff. Between the service, food and ambiance 10/10 every time! The cocktails are always unique and amazing as well.

What an excellent experience! The staff was amazing. Nice decor. The food was over-the-top delicious! I had a wonderful espresso martini and the fantastic smoked fillet with risotto and broccolini.

Great ambiance and service. a little to overpriced for where we are. my dish was not as advertised but others looked great. Great bar.

So good the first time came back for more! A quaint personal space with a very attentive staff and an outstanding menu. This time I had the Duck and it was really well prepared, cooked and presented. A very nice upscale spot in Flag!

Very nice setting, intimate upscale dining. The food is excellent and the service is great. One of our local favorites.

The food was delicious. I tried frog legs and STEAMED MUSSELS focaccia crostini, garlic, shallot, butter, white wine. CRISPY BRAISED PORK BELLY caramelized onion polenta, red wine pork gravy. FILET MIGNON manchego duchess potatoes, asparagus, herb demi.............. ........But what really sold us was BARB!!our bartender she is truly amazing. Her old fashion skills are on a whole different level. It was so good we camback 3 times for drinks and dessert. Thank you Indiana (Daniel) you were so friendly and helpful. We will see you guys soon.

The scallops were good but you only get 3 for $56.00 and they were of average size. The filet was good but the sides were just ok. The dessert Cheesecake was not good at all and very very tiny for $16. The wine was good atmosphere just so so.

Went to dinner without reservations and we were sat at the bar. Seemed like there would've been a table available but not a big deal to us. We shared a bottle of Cabernet, an autumn green salad, crispy pork belly, braised beef shoulder, smoked filet mignon and sticky apple cake for dessert. The flavors of everything were amazing. The quality of the food was top notch and prepared and plated perfectly. The staff was very friendly and the bartender Barb gave great recommendations on the menu items and conversation in general. Great atmosphere and would absolutely return if in the area.

As a local, I want to love this place, but the truth is that it has the worst service of any of the upscale options in town. Not to mention the food is mediocre compared to the competition (Atria, Josephine's, Shift, etc). My opinion of this restaurant tanked after I took friends visiting from out of town. To make a long story short, the food came out undercooked and management did nothing to make it right. I was embarrassed and won't return. Don't support this restaurant or any in the group it's owned by (Teatro).

I didn't think they could improve, but they did ! We tried the chef's 5 course meal and it was incredible. The scallops were cooked perfectly. Our filet had a beautiful crust and medium rare center. The potatoes it came with were even great. Very impressed. We had a great anniversary here. The staff is always kind. Thank you!

I'm sorry but we both were very disappointed in this restaurant for the price and the quality. I know there are much better restaurants in Flagstaff. I agree that the staff was friendly and atmosphere is fine but portions are very small (which I normally don't mind but with the quality being just ok I actually left hungry.) I had the duck and unfortunately the fat was not rendered and it made it chewy and not edible for me to eat. The appetizer of pork belly was also tough and lacked flavor. My husband's fish was just ok and the portion was very small. I live fine dining but for the $300 tab I really wish I had said something at the time we ate, but my husband doesn't seem to like me taking umbrage tomour dinner.

I found the resturant overpriced and the food marginal. I ordered the frog legs and they were very tiny and very bad. I will not go there again.

The Tinderbox Kitchen was a very decadent upscale destination. Since it was mid-week, we got in without a wait. Rachael was our delightful and highly professional server, what a score! Charlie was the evening's bartender extraordinaire, I had the best manhattan ever, Charlie even came around to check on our cocktails to be sure they were being enjoyed. They were! We were a party of four, one ordered pork belly, two ordered Chilean Sea Bass, I ordered Elk Tenderloin and it was absolutely divine! We were very impressed with the food, the vibe, our server Rachael, our mixologist Charlie and the steady, unhurried flow of service. This place is top-notch all the way. It is a higher priced destination than many in this area but there is a very good reason for it. I am wondering if driving 6 or 7 hours today would be a good idea to enjoy another meal tomorrow. I think it would be worth it. Perhaps I could kidnap the chef!

Came to tinderbox expecting and exceptional experience. I mean after all they are rated well....however, it was nothing but. While I can safely say the ambiance was nice and the servers were somewhat attentive. This is an experience that I wouldn't want again or even wish on my worst enemy. We arrived at 5pm as the first guest in the restaurant got our appetizers (they were good but nothing special) then soon ordered our entrees. Little did I know it would be over an hour later before we got our food, it was extremely disheartening to see others getting entrees before us as we were literally the first guess in. Finally, after our entrees came out it was to our utmost surprise that both my friends duck entree was cold and my braised beef shoulder was extremely tough. The manger was nice enough to comp my meal but charged 50% still to my friends meals just because they warned them back up. To me it seemed they forgot they can't give back our time. Sad to see a well rated restaurant perform like a low class McDonald's.

WOW!! Wow, wow, wow. How have I not eaten here before on my trips up to flag?! Our server went by G, and he had great recommendations from drink, to apps, main course, and complementary wine. We started with the roasted garlic and balsamic crostini, then moved to the muscles, followed by the pork belly in crispy rice, and finished the evening with the crispy duck. My favorites were the muscles (we were also offered extra bed to soak up the goodness of that white wine butter sauce), the pork, and the garlic crostini. The duck was also delicious but by the time it arrived I was so full so I don't feel like my appetite did it justice. Will be back. Will eat here every time!

Great ambiance and the filet mignon was delicious. The wine was also delightful! The service was also very friendly and attentive.

Go here! Get the filet, don't even play like you might not get it! The food is great, the drinks are strong, the staff is amazing! I've been a number of times and I've yet to be let down.

Ben u are amazing thank you so much for the amazing recommendations the most amazing night n experience my husband and I enjoyed everything. Thank you so much. Are you assholes you follow me you know I am. You must come and try here. Nice cozy romantic great music the best fucking food I've had in a long time and it's not New Mexican. Lmao

We had a large group after a long day of hiking and Tinderbox knocked it out of the park! They accommodated all of us at one table (we had a reservation!!!). The service was impeccable from the moment we stepped in the door and the food was absolutely amazing. I ordered the Elk Tenderloin which was incredibly tender and the succotash with it was so yummy. I highly recommend checking out Tinderbox Kitchen when you're in Flagstaff!

Visiting and wanted to support local and the downtown vibe was good so we did stop in without a reservation but they still had us seated within a few minutes however, we waited well over an hour for our food to come out and there was empty tables so one would assume it wasn't enough to justify the wait. Also waited over 30 minutes for a beer and simple drinks. Menu is very limited and niche tastes. Food tasted good but it was ultimately overpriced and small portions. We also had to cover up the floor vent behind us because it was blasting cold air even though it was 52° outside and we were freezing. Would not return.

Best cocktails in the town of Flagstaff! The menu changes constantly, making the food extra fresh. The service was impeccable, and all servers were very attentive. The ambiance is incredibly quaint, quiet, and romantic.

This place was amazing!! The filet mignon was perfectly cooked. The palate-cleansing raspberry coconut rose sorbet was a delicious and refreshing surprise. My favorite part of the meal was the Burrata & Beet Salad. Beets 3 ways. So good. The service was top notch. The decor and atmosphere was cozy and trendy. The wine was excellent. I had a 2019 Gibbs Cab from Napa. I highly highly highly recommend this place.

The service was phenomenal and so was my fillet! The downside is that their menu is way too limited. You're basically one and done if you can only find one thing you like on the menu like me. There was actually a couple that sat next to us that looked at the menu and got up and left. This restaurant has great potential, but they really need to diversify their menu. I am also not a fan of the metal straws that they use. I am sure they're clean per se, but you can never truly disinfect a metal straw. I'm also not a fan of paper straws because there's no reason not to use plastic straws. We're not by an ocean and it's all ridiculousness! !