Tonto Bar and Grill

Tonto Bar and Grill sits at the historic Rancho Manana in Cave Creek and is one of the restaurants people most often name when they want a nicer meal north of Tatum Ranch. Phoenix Magazine's Cave Creek and Carefree dining guide describes it for its old dude-ranch setting and Southwestern-leaning American menu.

Dishes the local guides have highlighted include a mesquite-grilled ribeye, a coffee and Port-braised short rib, starters such as fried calamari, and prickly pear desserts. It is a single-location, independently run restaurant, not a chain. Menus and hours change by season, so check the current offerings and reserve ahead for dinner.

Reviewers keep coming back to the patio overlooking the golf course's par 3, calling it a cozy, reliably pleasant spot for a group dinner. The schnitzel and the flat iron steak special get named most often, and the green chili pozole and corn chowder turn up as favorites when the weather cools, especially paired with one of the Arizona beers on tap, Tower Station or Dragoon.

Often mentioned for

• Historic Rancho Manana setting
• Mesquite-grilled ribeye
• Coffee and Port-braised short rib
• Prickly pear desserts