The Horny Toad was better than I expected. Their were four in our party for a Sunday lunch. We all had different sandwiches/burgers and all were quite good. The only thing that didnt impress was the strawberry shortcake, because they used frozen strawberries. The service was friendly and the prices were about what you'd expect at a local tourist watering hole. The weather was beautiful, so we sat outside, which was very pleasant and scenic. The inside also looked nice with Old West touches. I'll definitely go back to the Horny Toad the next time I'm in Cave Creek.
(4)
F Trey O.
Two stars for service. That's it. Famous fried chicken, how? Albertsons has the same tasting fried chicken. Nothing unique about this. Mashed potatoes ruined by institutional brown goo. Way too salty and tasteless. Coleslaw was average at best. Another cave creek tourist trap. Catering to those with no taste. The most original thing was the menu, or I should say the paper it was printed on
(2)
Clam J.
Must get fried chicken! Coleslaw is awesome as well get chicken to go or eat there is def good must try if you want fried chicken
(5)
Gloria E.
Decided to take a drive up to carefree.Looked up a restaurant on yelp we saw The Horny Toad food looked delish.They were famous for there fried chicken Omgoodness it was yummo.A must try if you like fry chicken and also good portions.My boyfriend tried the meatloaf he was in love really good nice old fashion dish.Also gotta try there award winning chili.Was I right a gem in carefree Az....
(5)
Donna M.
I've probably been coming here for over 20 years, first time was with my Dad years ago. The food is always very good. Back in the day before gluten became an issue, I used to enjoy the fried chicken. Boy how I miss that chicken! But alas, sometimes with age comes digestive issues. I still enjoy the BBQ, often get the pork or beef sandwiches, just without the bread, the fries are good and the slaw is just right, not too sweet, not too vinegary (is that a word?) It's always fun to sit outside on the patio on a beautiful day. Sometimes they have musicians play outside and that's always a treat. Service is always good. This place is a definitely must if you have out of town visitors! The whole town of Cave Creek is kind of a throw back, really neat.
(4)
Jenn W.
We've had opportunity to revisit The Horny Toad on several occasions over the last few months, given that it is just a few minutes from our house. While the overall opinion of the quality of the food hasn't really changed, we really enjoy the service and the atmosphere. We always opt to sit outside (because the weather is so gorgeous most of the time) and we are always accommodated (even when a server isn't necessarily assigned to that area). The wait staff is always friendly and efficient. They always take time to talk with us and our two kids. The vibe is relaxed and we enjoy brining out of town visitors to The Horny Toad. This has become one of our go-to spots for dining in Cave Creek!
(4)
Alicia W.
The service was very poor!! Margarita was nothing but mix and a splash of tequila. Being a Southern girl, I might be biased on fried chicken but calling this famous fried chicken made me laugh! Honestly, I wanted to go in the kitchen and show them how to make fried chicken!!! What a joke! KFC would have been better. The cod was just as bad! Avoid if you have taste buds!
(1)
Bonnie S.
Went there with my honey this past weekend only because it's been around so long and had heard of it and thought I'd like to try it to see what it's all about. Well, I'm glad I did. And, no, I wouldn't return. I'm surprised it's still in business what with the lack of quality and presentation of the food. I had the half fried chicken, and he had the deep fried icelandic cod. My chicken had a nice crust on it, but it lacked any sort of imagination or flavor. Very bland and boring. It came with clam chowder, which had so much flour it was hard to find the potatoes and the clams. In fact, if there were three or four pieces of clam in the cup, I'd be surprised. The dish also came with french fries. Again, boring and lack of imagination in taste. UGHHH. My honey had the fish, as I mentioned. It, too, had a nice batter to it, but, again, alas, lack of flavor and/or presentation. Very so so. It came with tartar sauce, which tasted like some nondescript brand out of a jar. It had a tiny plastic side cup of coleslaw, which was falling out of the cup and slopped in. Again, ughhh in flavor and presentation. Other places close by had full and packed parking lots. The Horny Toad was basically empty. There were groups of people so I'm thinking there were families there from out of town. Too bad the food is so nondescript, blah and boring.
(1)
Sara V.
We stop here every time we're in the area... the fried chicken is absolutely, hands down, the BEST I have ever had. We never have a problem with service, always friendly & fast.
(5)
Casey A.
I'm a native, and this is one of my guilty pleasures. I've been going to The Horny Toad with my parents since I can remember. My mom and I stopped in for lunch and it wasn't very busy. Our server came right out and was very pleasant. I don't think I've ever ordered anything here besides the deep fried zucchini and the fried chicken. (Like I said one of my guilty pleasures) The deep fried zucchini are delicious, but be careful, they can be super hot when they hit your plate. The fried chicken on the menu is listed as "Our Famous Fried Chicken" "Plucked & Fresh NOT Frozen". They're not using that term lightly, it's definitely famous in my mind. Carve into that bird and the succulent juices start running down your knife. With your fist bite your whole mouth bursts with flavor. I could almost eat the whole bird... seriously they serve you an entire chicken. You can order the "half" option but you'll be disappointed without the left overs. I don't think they've changed the recipe in 20 years and I'll be back for many more years to come.
(5)
Ric S.
Yea no... not doing that again.... cheese crisps are on corn torts.... so they are yey big.... Salmon ceasar salad.... not impressed.
(1)
J S.
very dark "old" atmosphere and dirty feeling. The food was marginal and over priced. The service was SLOW. Disappointing.
(1)
Dan H.
It is amazing how your memory works. Or how my memory works I should really say. Randomly a restaurant came to my mind. A restaurant that I went to back in 1986 when my family took vacation in Arizona. That restaurant was the Horny Toad. Once it came back into my memory I went online to see if they were still in business. Not only were they still in business, but they were less than 10 miles from where friends of mine lived. I knew that I would be going back for the first time in close to 30 years. I remembered the fried chicken. I sent my dad an e-mail to see if he remembered the place. His response. Yes, he did remember it and it was the best fried chicken he has ever had in his life. Not only would I be going, but I already knew what I was ordering. I didn't remember the actual restaurant. There were things that went through my mind's eye, but turns out that wasn't how things actually were. Didn't really matter. I was there for the fried chicken and that was what I was focused on. We came here after a hike so food was just what the doctor ordered. The fried chicken here is "famous". That is what the menu says. You can get a half order for $11.95 or a whole chicken for $16.95. Both come with fries and coleslaw. I got the half which was plenty big as we had a big drive ahead of us to go down to the southern part of the state and I didn't really have any desire to fall asleep at the wheel. A breast, thigh and leg came out to me with a heaping portion of fries and coleslaw. It was a meal fit for a....well, me actually. I ended up taking one piece home with me as I was pretty well stuffed after the other two and the sides. The fried chicken was how I remember it. Better because it wasn't salty as fried chicken can be. Was it as good as I remember it? It was very good, but I'll be honest in saying that we have a place back home in Oregon that I think these days is better. That shouldn't take anything away from the Horny Toad's fried chicken. That is just my opinion. Very happy to make it back after all these years. I'm sure I will be back again in shorter period of time as my friends don't plan on moving away anytime soon.
(4)
Kerrie Z.
We have been going here since the 90s and its the same. We start with the combo apps, I love the Ranch dressing here. Now its hot when you bite into those lovely zucchini and mushrooms so cut them open first. We then get 2 chickens, so we have some to take home, Love the Coleslaw! The fired chicken is fresh and hot! So good. I love the BBQ sauce as well. Worth the 50 miles trek to this little place.
(5)
Barbara G.
Awesome fried chicken! Great fried mushrooms, ranch dressing was good. Had horseradish for the mushrooms.strawberry short cake would have been better with ice cream.
(5)
Rott G.
Service is friendly and prompt. The salad I had was out of a bag. My hubby had rib and fried chicken special. He loved it and the bbq sauce too. I am not in a hurry to return but my husband would.
I might have set myself up for failure. I got the half chicken fried. Idk the last time I got fried chicken but it was alright. I don't think I'm a big fried chicken guy I guess. The mash potatoes were good. My gf got the ground beef taco salad. The issue was the moisture and oil pooled at the bottom. It was like a soup down there. I had one bite and didn't really like it
(3)
Gerald K.
On our way home from Sedona today, my wife and I were excited to be able to detour to Cave Creek for some of that "delicious" fried chicken at the Horny Toad. We have been going to that restaurant for about 15 years and it almost never disappointed. Today we were served chicken that looked and tasted like it was either re-fried or just days old. It was stringy, saturated with grease and basically inedible. Any chef that serves chicken like that does not deserve to keep his customers. It should have been thrown in the garbage at the end of the day on which it was originally intended to be served. We used to drive 30 minutes from Scottsdale for their great fried chicken. We won't be back.
(1)
E N.
I can't speak for anything other than their fried chicken. Amaaazing! I don't even like fried chicken but friends told us we had to get it it was that good. They were right. Perfectly crispy with the right amount of seasoning while the chicken was plump and moist. 1 chicken fed 4 of us. The prickly pear Margarita was pretty tasty too. Fun casual atmosphere in a cute little old western town.
(4)
Katie A.
Stopped off here late on a Sunday night when my parents and I were driving through town. I saw that the fried chicken was popular so we ordered that. It was pretty juicy, worth trying for sure. It was quite greasy though....Like exploded with grease when I took a bite. Pros: fun atmosphere -Quality napkins -Pretty good service -Chicken was juicy Cons: Dirty bathroom -Coleslaw was like shredded lettuce dumped with mayo -Super uncomfurtable seating
(2)
Joe T.
When I first moved to the Phoenix area I drove past this place a number of times thinking, "tourist trap where people from the Midwest pretend they're cowboys". I suppose that's partially true - hint to the guy from Chicago, black shoes, black over the calf socks, tan shorts, cowboy hat and creamy white legs isn't a good look on you or anyone else. I don't care how horny the toad is. The first time I came here I had the pulled pork sandwich. It was OK but it wasn't great. It was a bit overcooked making it dry and the BBQ sauce tasted store bought. For my most recent visit I went for the BBQ chicken. Ah yes! this is the meal to order. It was very good. Tasty, moist, good flavor. Nice job! The service is odd. It was busy and the wait staff were running around like crazy people. A positive is we were spared the "hi, my name is Suzy and I'll be your server" bit. What you get instead is - "OK, whatcha havin?" I'm OK with that in a place like this. Not the best restaurant in the area, but a nice stop for a good meal and you've got to love the name (they sell tshirts).
(3)
C A.
This place is OK. I was not super impressed though. I had a Porterhouse That was I'd say mediocre. Anyway, not bad but not great.
(3)
K M.
Whenever I crave for fried chicken, I come to this place. For those who want 'healthy' fried chicken, which in my opinion is a contradiction in terms, this is not the place. If on the other hand, you believe that, grease should drip out while you are sinking your teeth into a crisp, crunchy, genuinely deep fried, heart-attack-on-a-platter fried chicken, you will find it here. Other items on the menu, such as steaks and BBQ dishes are authentic and taste wonderful. No, this is NOT a 5-star resort status restaurant, and the prices and service correspond accordingly. The food tastes good and you walk away full.
(4)
John K.
Wish I could leave 0 stars. We came here two years ago. Dinner was OK. Cute place. Decided to stop for dinner. VERY few people there (not a good sign). Again, not busy. Waited 10 mins. Waitress came near us 3 times. Never greeted us. Never welcomed us. 10 minutes. Again not busy. We got up and left. Service is terrible. Very disappointed.
(1)
Melissa A.
Came to this place because 1). It was recommended by a local merchant owner 2). Looked colorful and fun. Food: Half Fried Chicken meal-juicy, tasty, not too much batter, filling and good. Porter House "Special" meal for $22!!! and got a bunk fat marbled steak that was inconsistently cooked. I was so disappointed with this. What a waste of money. Service: Disappointing. What ever happened to quality customer service? A smile, gratitude, being on top of serving their tables???? I had a coke and she never came back and asked if I wanted refills or anything. Nor did she for my husband. When I finally a other server to get our server, (after I constantly saw her chatting it up with other servers), she came and said, "Is there anything else?" Yeah, can I please have a refill and the check? She finally came and left. I waited and waited so I could get change to leave a tip. But still I had to flag someone else down to get her to get me change. Needless to say.....I did not tip well. ****There were NOT a lot of people there at all this Saturday afternoon. Guess I should've gone to Brian's Bbq or the Biker's place. Won't stop again. Don't recommend it. But love the little town vibe. Relaxing, cooler weather, clean and nice people.
(2)
D b.
Long time visitors to the area and first time at the Horny Toad. Read all the reviews before going..but sometimes you just need to see experience for ones self. Overall probably a 3 1/2 The 1/2 chicken was fresh, the coating and fry were top notch. Nothing fancy..just well executed and enough for 2 or the next day. The deep fried cod was in a good batter. Could of been a tad flakier..but this was better than most you might get outside of the coasts. The boneless pork with carrots and mash were all very good. Perfect cook on the pork Carrotts tasted fresh and mash was ok Slaw was very good but fries were disappointing and the weak link But hey..the entrees were all above average to good Coleslaw was very good .Fries were the weak part of the meals across the board.
(3)
Ryanne O.
I had a problem with the service on my last visit a couple months ago, but that was not the case tonight. We arrived as a large group this time, but our server handled it pretty well, even with a few last minute additions and changes. I came with a couple people who don't eat pork, so I didn't get my usual baby back ribs (cutting a streak of over 15yrs!)... Instead, I got the beef ribs. My husband and his parents also got the same. They were enormous! But also good. I still prefer the baby back, but the beef isn't bad at all. My husband and his parents also enjoyed them. My mother enjoyed her fajita, and my dad and brother shared and enjoyed the whole fried chicken. My daughter got chicken nuggets. They were dinosaur shaped, so I doubt they were made there, but she didn't mind.
(4)
Laurie H.
My husband and I had lunch here after reading a review in the AaA magazine. We'd never been to cave creek before, so decided to take a quick trip. There are many restaurants in this vicinity so was a bit surprised as I expected more even though yelp said 3 stars. I had the pulled pork sandwich and my husband had half of a fried chicken. There was nothing wrong with the food, it was good but very ordinary. The French fries weren't crisp at all but they were homemade. Our server did everything we asked, got the food out fast and our check when we asked. It had a great ambience and the food was middle of the road. It wasn't our type of place but can see how many others would really enjoy it.
(3)
Jeff Z.
Love the fried chicken it is the best, fresh made, classic and simple. If you are looking for newer styles with twists it is not for you. Also I fing the other stuff a only ok, but we always just order chicken and the kids dig in! Noisy atmosphere makes good places to take young kids too, friendly staff.
(5)
Ilya K.
I don't understand why this place has only 3 stars. Yes it's not 5 stars place, but it's very southwestern restaurant in old Cave Creek, with appropriate menu. We tasted multiply items and yes I will not comeback there for BBQ, but like chicken fried steak and even liver and onions, But fried chicken it's die for , I can't imagine it's can be done more moist, and that alone make this place 5 stars for me
(5)
Kimberley C.
Nice atmosphere and good service but the food is not so great. Had wings, fries and ribs, all not good.
(2)
Mike W.
Low key - food is ok. The fried chicken is the thing to get. Lots of stuff to look at inside and out. Good for the kids
(4)
Adam P.
I have been here before but not in many years. It was an absolutely beautiful day to be in cave creek and many people were there. We stopped at the toad for lunch and we were seated on the covered patio. We were surprised with an added bonus of live music while we dined. It was fantastic. Country western favorites paired perfectly with the ambiance and the surrounding mountains and desert. The food was adequate but not amazing. I got a salad and it was fine. No real complaint at this time. I will admit if not for the atmosphere and perfect weather I would give this a 3. If I could recreate the day every weekend I would go to the toad for everyone. Sunday love music!!!!
(4)
Angela G.
Best fried chicken I've ever had! Husband had country fried steak which was also amazing!!! He are from both plates!!! Can't wait to come back for a burger!!!
(5)
K S.
This is the place we take company when they visit the area. The menu has great choices. They are famous for the fried chicken-its outstanding. We are always amazed at how fast the service is and the waitstaff is friendly! Its charm, wooden floors, stone fireplace and patio dining make this one of our favorite- comfortable places in Cave Creek.
(4)
Beth F.
Wonderful place to eat after a long long road trip to the Grand Canyon, also a great family restaurant.
(5)
Kristi W.
Was exactly as we expected and the food was delicious. Don't come here to eat healthy, come here to indulge in authentic, finger licking good fried chicken, moist and hardy bbq beef ribs. We wanted to experience Cave Creek and to frequent one of their original establishments. We loved the old west decor, the bottled sarsaparilla was so good and the food did not disappoint. Everyone, (all 7 of us) cleaned our plates. 2 adults, 3 teens and 2 kids. I'm a bit of a fitness nut and haven't eaten fried food for years, my okie roots got the best of me and was interested to see if the fried chicken could rival my grandmothers! If it didn't, it would be a close 2nd! It was a delicious adventure, we will come again!
(5)
Kay C.
I enjoy going to the Horny Toad for a cold drink after a nice hike. Love sitting outside and take in the view. Haven't eaten there but I've heard the food is good. The waitstaff is very friendly and helpful! Will be back again!
(3)
Ryan C.
Came here last Saturday afternoon for a late lunch. We ate here last fall and loved the place but this time it fell flat. The service was painfully slow and the food was not nearly as good. We'll be back to give it another shot but this time it just was not good.
(2)
JD H.
They try very very hard! The food is good and the customer care is really top notch! Cave Creeker's LOVE the Toad and we are grateful for those from the valley that understand how hard it is to run a business year-a-round in the Creek! I love the Fried Chicken and the Burgers!!
(5)
Betsy B.
This is a funky rustic place. It has been here for some time and fits in with the old west style of other parts of Cave Creek. There is outside seating with music in the evenings or inside seating. Friday they have all you can eat fish and chips which were pretty good. Cole slaw was quite good that came with it. They have some interesting and and creative cocktail choices. Service was good. The dessert was very good. The cinnamon swirl ice cream was great and even better on top of the apple cobbler which was huge and delicious though heavy on the cinnamon.
(3)
Amanda R.
I am from Kentucky and a lifelong lover of fried chicken. So for me to say that their fried chicken might well be the best I've ever had is a powerful statement. The fried chicken is delicious. The barbecue sauce is delicious. The ribs are moist and perfect. Will be back!
(5)
Stephanie S.
My boyfriend and I went there for dinner last night. He had the BBQ chicken and I had the steak. Mt boyfriend has been sick since about an hour when we left the restaurant. Unable to leave the bathroom and it's 3 pm the next day. I had a bite of his and don't feel horrible but my stomach is upset. I called to ask the restaurant IF anyone else was sick and Samantha answered the phone. She basically blew me off and said it much have been something maybe we ate for breakfast. She didn't even say I'm sorry we felt that way- nothing. Horrible customer service. Would never go back. I hope Samantha gets some further training on how to treat customers.
(1)
Eric S.
The attitude and service provided by our server was subpar at best. We felt as though we were an inconvenience. Short one word answers and at one point she simply pointed at the menu and walked away. We waited so long for a second beverage I just went to the bar. Food was average at best. 1st and only visit that's for certain.
(1)
Don S.
A unique locals restaurant. The decor is cowboy style. Reasonably priced food. Everyone seems pleasant. For a treat you really have to get their home made strawberry shortcake. It comes heated, and the portion size that you can split 4 ways with everyone getting plenty.
(4)
Marcia R.
Some people think the name is R-rated but it actually stands for a toad with horns. The Fried Chicken alone is worth the treck -- freshly plucked, never frozen and you can taste the difference. You can order a half chicken but for only a few dollars more you can get a whole chicken for about $18 which can feed 3 people. The hamburger was just OK but the Grilled Chicken Salad was huge -- it can easily feed 2-3 people. On a nice day, sit out on the patio and imbibe the Cave Creek ambiance. We've always had good service here and my tourist friends always enjoy this place.
(4)
Richard R.
In addition to a name that makes everyone chuckle, The Horny Toad serves up some quality barbecue that the valley seems to be seriously lacking. All I can say about the beef ribs is that they're out of this world! Good beef ribs are hard to find in this part of desert (apparently a lot more people in arizona are partial to pork), and I enjoyed making a mess of myself devouring the meat off the bones. The sauce is incredible. The Horny Toad serves up a barbecue sauce that could turn almost any meat or poultry from good to amazing. We sat on a picnic table outside. Other than a strong breeze that sent napkins flying all over the place, it was a nice setting to enjoy some cue. The price seems a little high, but the portions are massive. The Food will keep you stuffed for the rest of the day, and then some.
(4)
Kendra S.
My boyfriend and I drove up to Cave Creek, anxious to do something different than your typical weekend night. He got the ribs and I got the friend chicken. I really loved his ribs - the barbecue sauce was perfect. And they even bring you a bottle of it, knowing you'll want more than what it comes with. The fried chicken was good too - but is way too much to eat in one serving. Both were quite good. We also ordered their 'famous' strawberry shortcake. I was a little disappointed in this after reading about how great it was. I wouldn't order it again. All in all, I loved the cowboy vibe and it made for a fun winter evening!
(3)
Jo N.
Super friendly staff, cool vibe, great food. Loved this place. We will be back. Revisited this place last night-what a nightmare. We decided to sit at the bar and have a drink and the drinks were awful. I had a "lemon drop" and my partner had a margarita madness something or other with pineapple juice in it, both served in cloudy dirty glasses and the bartender had wet hands. The glasses were dirty and the bartender was beyond awkward, almost like she was tweaking- and it smelled like a bathroom in a dirty gas station. I have no intention of going again. There was a lady behind us selling t shirts that was sitting there with the most unpleasant look on her face. For my money I would go to the Hideaway or the Taphaus.
(1)
Kerstin H.
Hit or miss on service. Some of the staff is excellent, others are rude and not willing to accommodate even simple requests it substitutions. One child asked for a baked potato instead of fries and they refused. Even though other wait staff had been happy to do so previously.
(3)
Andy H.
The first time I went to The Horny Toad was in 1982. I had the whole fried chicken and French Fries and I loved it. Lived in the Phoenix area for 5 years and used to venture up here periodically for the fried chicken. It's delicious, but it's also all about the fried chicken. It has a cool atmosphere and some great things to see before and after eating. The desserts are good as well. When you go just close your eyes and realize there is nothing for a dieter and embrace that concept.
(3)
Wayne T.
Date night with my wife. Decided to try this restaurant as I have never bee there. Wait time was not bad (15 minutes), and waitress took our drink and food order. While eating, a group of people sat behind us. Very loud and obnoxious to say the least! They were discussing very offensive things, dropping F bombs, and very crude. Tried to tolerate it, but was really getting bad and louder! Complained to the manager, and he offered to relocate us to another table, but by that time, we were ready to leave. Offered boxes for our food to take home, came back with the check, and apologized for the rudeness, while not offering to comp a meal, or anything of the sort. He stated that this was a family establishment. If I had brought my family here, I would have been truly embarrassed to bring them there to listen to a bunch of foul mouths like we had to put up with. Again, the food was great, but this place left a bad taste in my mouth, and will never spend my hard earned money where a manager does not take care of its customers!
(2)
Flippitti N.
Went there last week for lunch. We decided to eat out on the patio. It was a little cool and breezy and the picnic table wasn't comfortable. Our waitress was a little slow to get to us so we had plenty of time of read the menu. The menu is pretty basic and so is the food. Portions are large, the BBQ didn't taste too sweet or tangy to me. The ambiance is very friendly and cowboy casual. The coleslaw tasted freshly made and wasn't too sweet. My husband also had the veggie soup and he declared it to be some of the best soup he's ever had! I've had better bbq sandwiches in other restaurants and I thought this was just ok. Service was slow and when it came time to leave, it took awhile to find our waitress to get the bill. But I'd like come here again and try the burgers next time.
(3)
Greg G.
Is there a cooler place to eat outside? I'll bet you are hard pressed to find one and the food here is certainly worth the trip!
(4)
Norm R.
My friends and I stopped here for lunch during our day exploring the touristy towns of Cave Creek and Carefree. It was a nice warm day and we chose to be seated outside. We were surrounded by southwestern kitsch - actually kinda fun and fitting for a day spent going around shops which sell lots of southwestern kitsch. The servers were friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was lively (lots of happy retired people and their hyper grandkids). We ordered fried chicken, and fish 'n chips. We all enjoyed our meals, but also ended up taking quite a bit of food home because the portions were quite generous. The fish and the chicken were nice and crunchy outside, moist and tender within; the fries and slaw were OK, not great. And the prices were good, considering the quality and quantity of the portions we got.
(3)
Rondi V.
Went to The Horny Toad when on a friend's suggestion, chicken was good but service wasn't great. Also, we tried the Key Lime Pie and it was a disappointment, tasted like it was from a box and/or defrosted.
A group of us in the Cave Creek area for the National Concierge Association 2013 conference enjoyed a tasty lunch at the Horny Toad. The portions are huge, especially the desserts, the service was exceptional and you can even purchase a shirt to remind you of your experience at the Horny Toad. Horny Toad addressed some of our dietary restrictions without any hassles, which was very appreciative. I recommend the Horny Toad for a casual outing if your in the area.
(4)
Jay M.
Dropped in for a drink during bike week & the "crew" wasn't really impressed so we left to meet others at the hide away so didn't get a chance to really check this place out.
(3)
Mark K.
Great variety - good for families - perfect Fried Chicken!
(5)
Jeff G.
Very cool place! Good food (I had pork chops) really great deserts!
(5)
William C.
Faux old west interior in a tourist trap area. But the food was decent bar food and it would be fun on a nice afternoon.
(3)
Tara D.
Had a burger it was edible. Had strawberry shortcake it was ok....overall a very mediocre dining experience
(2)
Mary M.
Charming tourist trap in a town comprised of tourist traps. The man and I took a couple of out of towners in for a lunch break after touring the Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless neighborhoods in the area and the food and service were both totally A-Ok as Yelp says. I won't knock its food as it doesn't aspire to be gourmet, Horny Toad does its job and does it well with no pretense. The beef ribs were a huge portion, totally staggered my unprepared friend, the BBQ sandwiches com on disappointing buns but neither myself nor the other friend who ordered one (mine beef, hers pork) had any gripes with the meat or sauce. The boyfriend seemed to enjoy his cheeseburger (with bacon extra) and it was cooked within his preference with no hassle. The Horny Toad is charmingly chintzy, and allows non-locals to experience a taste of the sort of charm the entire region had when it was one big barely airconditioned stop on various interstates back in the glory days of family road trips and visits to record breaking twine balls. I like it, I appreciate it, and the restaurant seems to actively seek this kind of image with its musical choice, menu, and environment; it is very Americana and warms my heart because of that. Can't argue with the prices for the quality except on the sandwich buns, and everyone was that strange sort of uncomfortable but satiated stuffed you get after a good ole BBQ meal. It's really a quaint place.
(3)
ElizaTheFurs T.
Best fried chicken in town! its exactly what every true fried chicken lover wants there chicken to be! service, well its exactly what i expected, no frills at all. but if your not needy, snobby or pretentious you'll fit right in. this place is overflowing with small town character and pride, which i think is a good thing. con- beer should have been colder. all in all a pretty neat old restaurant
(3)
Meghan P.
Fried Chicken & Ribs - delicious and out of the ordinary for me to order. Very cool old western bar up in Cave Creek (super easy to get to). Worth the trip.
(4)
Brenda B.
Came here with 3 other people, we ordered the chicken and rib special, if you want to get more bang for your buck, order the white meat. The ribs were fairly good, and so was the chicken , BBQ sauce was good, but over all I have had better, and you are paying for the atmosphere, which is interesting, old west style. The waitress was attentive. I would come back, if some one else is paying. I live here so tourist area theme places don't excite me all that much.
(3)
Pete W.
Came here last Friday night with in-laws for a birthday dinner. Party of 6. I remember coming here when I was a kid and the food was mediocre back then. The decor is supposedly old western style. In reality, it's jam-as-many-oversized-heavy-wood-chairs-and-Âtables-and-uncomfortable-flat booths-into-as-small-of-a-space-as-possible style. Service. We asked if they had gluten-free menu as one of our party has celiac disease. No gluten free menu. How about the chicken salad? "There's no gluten in that at all...it's all lettuce and fruit." What about the chicken...is it seasoned with anything that might contain gluten? "No. Gluten's only bread...and we don't put croutons on that salad" Uhhh yep...such good training. Gluten is in tons of other stuff also...like seasonings, dressings, on the gloves of the kitchen worker who makes this salad after making another salad with croutons. Thank you. Fail. And then multiple tables that came in after us received their entrees before we received our dinner salads...waitress "I forgot to put in your order...it'll be right out." "It'll be right out" because 90% of the food is frozen and just fried to heat it up. Case in point...the all you can eat fish-n-chips. I had one of the pieces of the fish and that was literally all I could eat...or stomach. The fish was ridiculously dry and the breading was as thick as Texas toast...also completely dry and without any. flavor. at. all. The french fries were decent and they don't give you a dainty little bowl of ketchup and my wife said the ribs were really good though and they never let your soda get empty...so it gets 2 stars. Our waitress disappeared towards the end of our meal so I asked another waitress for a to-go box for someone's fried chicken. She looked right at me and walked off and never brought it. Without being macabre, based on the crowd, once the baby boomer generation is gone, this place will be closing its doors. Will I be back? No way.
(2)
D C.
OK... I'm not some elitist snob that only dines out in 5 star establishments and though I do have an educated palate, I'm also a realist when it comes to the type of place where I'm dining. That said... I accept that I'm now going to be known as the "Official Curmudgeon" of yelp... but I can't help but believe in the concept of service and quality in exchange for fair compensation. Unfortunately, it's a totally unknown (or ignored) concept here. Come on! Really? FIVE BUCKS for a Corona?? This is AZ people, not NYC! Combined with the "famous" ribs that seriously would NOT place in my top FIFTY and a sour faced waitress that clearly didn't give a s*#& if we were happy, this has to top our list of dining ripoffs. You could offer me 500 bucks to eat here and I'd pick the cafeteria at my old high school instead! If this place were anywhere but Cave Creek where people obviously have money to piss away, they wouldn't survive. Wish I could rate 0 stars.
(1)
Janet B.
I had an awful experience here on Sunday. Service was bad. Our waitress walked right past us without an acknowledgement at all. When she did come over she said oh I thought you were the last people sitting here. I guess all customers look the same? I wonder how do u ruin Taco Salad and Chili? The Horny Toad sure can!!!
(1)
Benjamin S.
This place is a great source for BBQ pork and fried chicken in the greater Phoenix area. The pork is pulled well with very little gristle or fat, and the friend chicken is crispy and delicious. The BBQ sauce is sweet and tangy, more of a Texas style to me than anything else. Nothing super special about this place but its a good meal and the service is pretty good!
(3)
Aaron I.
Went here for dinner on July 3rd. Great place to hang out for best firework show I have seen in Az (in my opinion). Place was busy so I would to give our server a break but she vanished!!! Their management is too blame in our opinion. We found out she was working tables all over the restaurant. They need to section the restaurant off better for their servers. They have people running all over the place doing their best but not really serving the customers. The Cobb salad was surprisingly good as was the chili. If you like greasy.. Go for the fried chicken.
(2)
Kristin K.
So maybe the customer service isn't all that bubbly but when you step into "The Horny Toad" you are stepping back in time when customer service was mediocre at best, right? So with that said, the food is what we really need to focus on and it's delicious! They have the best cottage cheese that I've ever had and their potato salad is amazing. Also, their tangy and sweet BBQ sauce is perfection. Love the ambiance and the old western feel... definitely worth the drive.
(4)
Rachel W.
When we were passing through town we stopped at The Horny Toad for lunch. I have to say my experience was just "ok". The chicken noodle soup lacked any substance. My girlfriend had the chile and commented that said "shes had better". We sat outside on the picnic tables which is a cute spot but certaily nothing special. I doubt I would make a special trip to town just to go to this place. Server however was expeptional and staff very friendly.
(2)
Nancy G.
Went to the Horny Toad for dinner tonight. The fried chicken was very good. Tried a little of the barbecue sauce and that was good too. Unfortunately too full for the desert. Will have to save that for another time.
(3)
McCools B.
Walked in with a massive hangover, shot of Jameson, a beer, and a patty melt....walked out feeling like a million bucks.....THANKS
(3)
Laura G.
I've vacationed in Arizona for many years and try to make it to the Horny Toad once a trip. Although its a bit of a tourist trap, the barbecue is delicious. I usually stick to the half rack of ribs and they are always fall off the bone good. The sides are good but nothing special. On my last trip out there I tried their famous strawberry shortcake, and it's definitely famous for a reason! This dessert is so big you'll need a small army or one really hungry person to eat it all. The shortcake was hot and fresh and there was plenty of strawberries and whip cream to go around. Our waitress said some people even order it before their meal so they're sure they have room for it. As long as mom's not around, you might as well eat dessert first, right!
(4)
Joe E.
The Horny Toad seems to fit in perfectly with the tourist-trap cowboy image of Cave Creek - from the unfinished parking lot to the souvenir shop to the old-fashioned wooden decor. I stopped in for lunch, and started off with a cheese crisp, which was under two bucks, and contained tomatoes and onions on a corn tortilla - a decent cheap appetizer. I ordered a BBQ pork sandwich with fries ($8.45). The warm wheat bun was a good surprise - a lot of places seem to just use any old cheap cold hamburger bun. The meat was cooked well, with plenty of flavor, and finished with a pretty good barbecue sauce - not particularly sweet, spicy, tangy, or really anything descriptive - just pretty good. For dessert, I went with the strawberry shortcake. This was not a one-portion dessert (and for $6.95, it's not priced as a one-person dessert either). It was very tasty, but just way too big to finish, and not really something that can be taken home and finished later. I enjoyed the food, but it's not something I'd make another special trip to get to.
(3)
Kim S.
Love southern fried chicken so had to give the Horny Toad a shot. Serivce was a bit slow but friendly. Chicken was deep fried and not pan fried the way i love it but was good for what it was. It didn't taste too greasy and the meat was moist but the bottom of the plate had grease pooled on it when the chicken was gone. There were 5 of us eating. The cobb salad 1 star, the taco salad 2 stars, the fish sandwich 1 star, so I'd have to say the chicken was the best of what we had. Will I bookmark this for a return visit? Probably not.
(3)
Andrew F.
Took my brother there for his birthday at the recommendation of someone. We arrived at 6pm on a Saturday and the restaurant was empty and we quickly found out why. Prices are maybe average but the food is below average. Beer selection is poor so I ended up with a Fat Tire that only came in a 12oz pour. The beer tasted like cardboard which means it is either really old or they don't actually clean the beer lines (or both). When I couldn't choke the beer down I took the glass that was mostly left to the bar to let the staff know. Apparently this was unacceptable to do because the bartender had a real attitude about it (you would have thought I was the one charging money for a bad product) We waited quite a while for our dinner, especially considering there was no one in the restaurant. Food was bland. I got the fried chicken and regretted it. I should have ordered a burger to save money. Dessert wasn't that great either. The worst part about this whole experience was we drove almost 30 miles to get there. I won't be going back, especially since you can find better food and beer on every corner in Phoenix.
(1)
Alexander C.
Fried Chicken and Strawberry Shortcake.. don't both with anything else on the menu or you're just asking for heartburn! I still love this place.. my mother would take us here when we were just wee lads.. the place seemed so big and mysterious back then. The HT hasn't changed to much over the past few decades but the fried chicken is still really good.. Now I get to take my mother here on different occasions and it still has the that feeling of comfort and down home goodness.
(3)
Debbie E.
We come here for the one thing .... the fried chicken. It's really "broasted" instead of deep fried which makes it non-greasy and moist. The ribs are okay and the strawberry short cake is worth saving room for. I love fish and chips, but don't care for theirs. We aren't crazy about the cowboy ambiance, but then we're just there for the chicken.
(3)
Kathryn W.
Even if you aren't hungry, this is a great destination! But who could come here and not enjoy the fried chicken? Crunchy on the outside...moist and tender and full of flavor on the inside! You'll need a friend to help eat the strawberry shortcake!
(5)
Steve B.
For anyone who grew up in the south knowing what is good fried chicken, would not feed this fried chicken to their dog!!! Anyone thinking this is good fried chicken, does not have a clue what is real fried chicken!
(1)
Brad T.
Upon first arriving in Arizona, my boss's relatives were insistent upon visiting a BBQ place about 20 minutes from our hotel. I wasn't feeling picky and everyone seemed game after a few hotel lobby drinks, so a huge group of us drove out to check this place out. The Horny Toad has plenty of kitsch value upon arrival, and that aspect is played up heavily. There are wacky signs, funny T-shirts, and gift shops filled with an odd assortment of local art and weird novelty items. The wait was almost 2 hours, so that left us lots of time to look around, but they did have a large side bar where we hung out and listened to some passable country covers from a local band. Once we ate, it lost a bit of its luster. From most of the people sitting around me, word has it that the ribs were stringy and not very good, and disappointment hit a lot of my co-workers. I, however, lucked out, because I was struck by the menu's insistence on the fried chicken. The chicken was outstanding, the breading was top notch and the meat was tender and delicious. The actual barbecue sauce was excellent, and I poured that on my fried chicken (I highly recommend this if you come here!) In the end, I didn't think the wait and the hype were nearly worth it, but I had a very yummy meal at the end of it all and I might have been the only one at our table who enjoyed our late night dinner. It's a big, weird tourist trap, but if you're coming here, take my advice and get the fried chicken.
(3)
Daphne P.
We were trying to make our way to Harold's tonight for the fireworks party and ended up caught in the downpour. We didn't want to turn around and head back to The Phx so we stopped at The Horny Toad as it was the only place I could find a parking spot. Walked in soaking wet and waited about 30 min. Just my luck,,,,,woo hoo, I get the sour faced server from hell! A server can just ruin ruin ruin your meal. Uhh.....She didn't so much as crack a smile the whole time we were there. When taking our order, she asked what my mother wanted and I replied that she was debating between three things. My mother started telling her what she was debating between. Instead of listening and offering suggestions, she cut her off and said, well are you ready? Seriously? She never asked of she wanted something to drink. She dropped off our food and didn't ask if we wanted anything else. We had to flag down the manager and others to get us things we needed. Awful awful. Ohh yes, the food. It was ok. We both ordered the prime rib. It was a little over cooked for med rare. We had to flag down someone else because she forgot the horseradish sauce. I've had much better. The food was not great and not bad, just ok. It might have tasted better with a server who gave a damn about her customers.
(2)
Madeleine E.
This is a good place to stop for some quick uninspiring grub with your family. We have some typical diner type food here. Burgers, fries, sandwiches. Everyone was satisfied, and the price was pretty good. Plenty of parking, great place to bring the kids.
(3)
Clarice W.
I have eaten here twice and both times were OK. The first time was a few years ago when I was with my grandmother and then 12-year-old sister. We all ordered the BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and they were good, not to die for, just good and more expensive than I thought they should be. Today I was with a party of five (LOL yeah I can tell what you're thinking... and no, Jennifer Love Hewitt was not there!) We all ordered burgers. I got the Toledo burger that was 100% ground beef stuffed with mild green chilies and cheddar cheese. I sampled the Horny Toad burger that had bacon and BBQ sauce on it. Everything was decent tasting and the food still has "gourmet prices" (like $10 for a burger and a small side!) It's an interesting place for tourists, screaming children and the crazy middle age couple at the table next to ours that stared at us the whole time.... But not worth driving out of your way for... only if you're driving through.
(3)
Gabrielle P.
Tourist trap! This place is for children and retired people. This is nothing special in regards to good food. It's just a touristy... I don't even know. I think people just want to say that they've dined at the Horny Toad like it's a funny joke or something. In reality, the only thing funny is the fact that you're going to overpay for your experience there... wait... that's not funny.
(2)
C. K.
One of the best places for fried chicken in town! It is served piping hot and very plump and juicy! They serve you the whole chicken, so it is nice to go there with someone who likes to split it with you! It is served with their yummy french fries and their homemade slaw! They have an all American menu with even fried calf's liver! The pork and beef ribs are also great and please save room for their yummy apple cobbler, or strawberry shortcake as this is a meal in itself! It's really nice to sit outside in their courtyard, but also fun to sit inside their rustic decor. They used to serve you fresh hot popcorn while you wait for your table, but the last couple of times I went, it was only cold pretzels.... When there is a long line up, we go next door to The Hideaway for a drink beforehand:-)
(4)
Leah C.
A work team went here for lunch after horse back riding. I guess it would be a good hang out place after that or biking, boating, etc. The appetizers weren't anything to get excited over - typical fried bar food. The fired chicken only comes as a whole chicken. I didn't try it but it got an "ok" rating. I got the tijuana torpedo burger - that's right...2/3 pound of burger, with cheese and green chilies shoved inside and cooked. It was sight to behold sitting there on the plate but my mouth was not so impressed. It was decent. We got the apple and strawberry shortcake deserts. Both were the highlight of lunch I thought. I loved the apples with the cinnamon and sugar topping.
(3)
Chukki S.
This place could be a lot cooler than it actually is. It always feels a bit clasustrophobic in here. Walking from the entrance to the dining room is difficult because of the narrow pathway and all the people walking back and forth. The service is usually pretty decent though. The food is okay. Nothing special.
(3)
Susan S.
Food was very good but "the Perfect Matgarita" which was recommended by our waitress was the smallest, weakest and the most ice filled Margarita that i have EVER had and they charged $8.50. Next time i will drink a beer.
(3)
Orpha C.
I'm hooked on the fried chicken at this restaurant! I have it every time I go and, looking at my friend's choices, I'm glad I stick to the same thing. My friend ordered the beef ribs and they were not appealing whatsoever and had a gray tinge to them. He said they were alright and I was surprised they were even "alright". Back to the chicken. So good and juicy. They really have got that mastered, in my opinion, and I'll continue to head there when I have a fried chicken craving. The portion is big enough that I usually have enough left over to take home, except this past visit. I had a drumstick, wing, breast and back and the back didn't really have any meat on it at all and the wing was minuscule so I pretty much had to rely on the breast and drumstick to feel full and, really, the drum didn't have a lot to it either. I have to say that in the past, the chicken is usually much meatier and I usually bring one or two pieces home. My biggest problem with the dish is that they serve these horrible soggy french fries that must be cooked from the frozen state because they certainly weren't cut fresh and were flavorless. They really were terrible. I would love mashed potatoes with fried chicken but they don't serve those until after 4 p.m. Kind of a bummer but I'm there for the chicken anyways.
(3)
Scott L.
Went back and had the Reuben, really liked it. Lightly cooked and crispy,not oily or soggy, lots of meat, sauer, and cheese. $8.45 with a side was right on. Service was quick.
(4)
Mark S.
We were told about the neat shops in Cave Creek and that we had to go. We decided to spend an afternoon in the 104 heat walking from shop to shop to look at seriously over priced western furniture. It seemed like a good idea at the time. We drove through most of the shops and restaurants to see what was available and after stopping at one that was closed for lunch, we picked the Horny toad. The rustic atmosphere is the first thing you notice. It is kind of like an old mine shaft thing, except it had windows. Different at least. They had three kinds of nonalcoholic beer on the menu so I was happy right away. My wife had some trendy sarsaparilla. I ordered a cheese crisp which was a corn tortilla baked with cheese, onions and tomatoes. It came with a side of salsa and for $1.25 I think this may be the best appetizer I have ever had. What a simple idea. It was a taco shell broke in half with lots of melted cheese and a few onions and tomatoes. Dump a little salsa on it and wow, its great. We also had an order of hot wings. They were OK but I would try many things on the menu before I ordered them again. They smelt great, hot and vinegary but the taste was a little bland. The more I ate, the better they got though. Kind of a buttery, spicy vinegar taste. Like I said though, just OK. The home made blue cheese was a nice dip and it was too bad we only got two pieces of celery. I ordered the half rack of BBQ pork ribs. When I asked if I could switch the fries for onion rings I got a flat out no. I thought for a small charge this may be possible. I did get the pound of ribs I was promised so I can't complain about that. The ribs were average. They were BBQ'd at least, not boiled like some places. I'm not sure what this place is "known" for but non of the things I tried will bring me back. My wife had the Broiled Icelandic cod which she ate about four bites. Seriously, there was so much left on the plate that when the waiter came and picked up the plates I couldn't believe he never asked if it was OK. It was broiled with some onions and some kind of powdered cheese or something. Anyway, skip it. While we were there, another table proclaimed loudly that the service and the meal were absolutely excellent. We had the same waiter and he was certainly friendly but good at best. Not sure what they ate but I can be sure it wasn't what we had. I'll miss this one next time I'm in town.
(2)
Wes N.
Meh, I stopped in at Horny Toad with my lady to have a drink. It was mid-day on a Sunday & the bar area was empty except for us. We didn't eat, but we had a couple of draft beers. The beers were over $4 each & they were served in small glasses. We didn't even get a full pint! Lameness, Horny Toad.
(2)
Jenna W.
I'd read so many good reviews so I was expecting much better than I experienced. We ordered,Fried Mushrooms Zucchini and Onions, BBQ Pork Ribs, Liver & Onions, Fried Chicken, a burger, Strawberry Shortcake and a Brownie Sundae. The Fried Zucchini and Onions were good, but the mushrooms were cold and some of the batter was raw. The ribs were dry. The Liver and Onions was surprisingly tasty, but the mashed potatoes were "fake". They tasted like they came from a box. The burger was good, but so is In and Out. The Strawberry Shortcake was supposedly award winning, but the strawberries were from a can/jar, they were soaked, not fresh and a weird tinge of purple. The cake alone was delicious and hot. This dessert should have been served with ice cream. The Brownie Sundae was the most delicious part of the whole meal. The brown was hot, and soft and served with ice cream and whipped cream. The fried chicken was tasty, but not hot enough. I can't say I will ever go back, other than to have the Brown Sundae again. The server forgot about us and we went thirsty most of the meal. This seems like a tourist trap, so no matter how many bad reviews they get, I think they will continue to be busy.
(2)
Al W.
Good burgers. Casual dining. Nice place to grab lunch at a local restaurant..
(3)
Dave G.
Went to Cave Creek and decided to try The Horny Toad! Was fun looking at the gift shop and the restaurant was tasty. Enjoyed chatting with other customers that were in the outdoor section, We all seemed to enjoy the place! Service was excellent ! Seems to me the prices were high for what they were! Overall I did enjoy it and had to buy the HORNY TOAD TEE SHIRTS.
(3)
James R.
Went back when my parents flew into town and wanted to check it out. After reading some reviews on their Fried Chicken I had to give it a try and I am glad I did. The meat was moist and the skin was crispy and tasty. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that goes up to Cave "tourist trap" Creek. Enjoy!
(4)
Ethan L.
The best fried chicken anywhere. Period.
(5)
Chris S.
My husband and I enjoyed our dinner here. The burger was ok. They fried chicken was really good. Great BBQ sauce too. Our waitress was really friendly. We enjoyed eating outside, before the sun went down and it got too cool.
(4)
Kelley p.
So after venturing up to cave creek in hopes of going to the spotted donkey (which we never found.. Thx to the wrong map on yelp!) We were starving and just wanted to eat so we found this joint. And eat I got. It was worse then those restaurants that were names "eat" that I would see along the roadside as a kid(which I never ate at). Nothing for vegetarins here other than fried fish. I had green chile soup, a cheese crisp(that was more a pile of greasey cheese than anything) and a ceaser salad. My friend had a steak that resembled the steaks in a commerical for Coco's. After eating this food I felt absoultly sick. I won't be back. I rather eat at EAT.
(1)
Kathy Y.
Home style cooking with huge portions. Love the fried chicken and strawberry shortcake. Lots of fun.
(4)
Kristin C.
I remember thinking it was so funny that the Satisfied Frog was right down the road basically from the Horny Toad. I mean, was the Frog totally getting all the action? The Toad was left so totally unsatisfied? (Yes, I know what a horny toad is. I am a native, remember? But as a kid these things are hilarious.) Strangely enough, that's kinda how it looks. The Satisfied Frog will have tons of people being brought in by the bus load. The Horny Toad was always fairly easy to get into. I feel like the Satisfied Frog actually takes some of the heat off of the Horny Toad so that it could be a better place, but sometimes I think it's trying too hard to just be like the Frog. Yea, it's kinda touristy, but it's also really close to some other cool spots. Do the big Cave Creek loop and, if you're not going for high cuisine, stop here first. Grab some casual - but not super high quality - grub at the Toad, hang out and watch the tourists while you eat. Then go over to the Town Dump right down the street. You've just experienced Cave Creek. You can now finish the loop and end up in Scottsdale for the rest of your tourist shopping. One more city checked off your guest's list and you didn't have to fight through bus loads of people.
(3)
Josh D.
To some this is a real AZ hangout. To others it's nothing but an overpriced tourist trap with bad food. There's a little bit of truth to both of those statements. Bottom line... it's a decent place to take out-of-town guests to experience an old West atmosphere and eat fried chicken. Order any other food at your own discretion! Oh yeah, the beer is OK to drink as well.
(2)
Michael T.
I went to the Horny Toad with a party of five. Sadly there are few redeeming qualities to this place, all of which are in no way associated the actual restaurant. The decor makes the place look like an abandon mine shaft. The food was horrible. The salads consisted of shredded iceberg lettuce and a few uninspiring toppings. The restaurant did provide a bucket of salad dressing to allow the diner to drown the insipid salad in. The grade of the ribs was sub-standard and permanently marked from the jockey whip. During dinner we had several uninvited guests visit us (beetles/roaches). We found one on our menu, one in the basket of fries, and several more littered around the establishment. Since I did not see any outside the restaurant, I can only conclude that they lived in the kitchen. Cave Creek is a beautiful setting. I highly recommend taking the time to drive up there, but give the Horny Toad a pass, unless you are a gourmand in entomophagy. (I wish yelp allowed zero star ratings)
(1)
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Address :6738 E Cave Creek Rd
Cave Creek, AZ, 85331
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Tracy F.
The Horny Toad was better than I expected. Their were four in our party for a Sunday lunch. We all had different sandwiches/burgers and all were quite good. The only thing that didnt impress was the strawberry shortcake, because they used frozen strawberries. The service was friendly and the prices were about what you'd expect at a local tourist watering hole. The weather was beautiful, so we sat outside, which was very pleasant and scenic. The inside also looked nice with Old West touches. I'll definitely go back to the Horny Toad the next time I'm in Cave Creek.
(4)F Trey O.
Two stars for service. That's it. Famous fried chicken, how? Albertsons has the same tasting fried chicken. Nothing unique about this. Mashed potatoes ruined by institutional brown goo. Way too salty and tasteless. Coleslaw was average at best. Another cave creek tourist trap. Catering to those with no taste. The most original thing was the menu, or I should say the paper it was printed on
(2)Clam J.
Must get fried chicken! Coleslaw is awesome as well get chicken to go or eat there is def good must try if you want fried chicken
(5)Gloria E.
Decided to take a drive up to carefree.Looked up a restaurant on yelp we saw The Horny Toad food looked delish.They were famous for there fried chicken Omgoodness it was yummo.A must try if you like fry chicken and also good portions.My boyfriend tried the meatloaf he was in love really good nice old fashion dish.Also gotta try there award winning chili.Was I right a gem in carefree Az....
(5)Donna M.
I've probably been coming here for over 20 years, first time was with my Dad years ago. The food is always very good. Back in the day before gluten became an issue, I used to enjoy the fried chicken. Boy how I miss that chicken! But alas, sometimes with age comes digestive issues. I still enjoy the BBQ, often get the pork or beef sandwiches, just without the bread, the fries are good and the slaw is just right, not too sweet, not too vinegary (is that a word?) It's always fun to sit outside on the patio on a beautiful day. Sometimes they have musicians play outside and that's always a treat. Service is always good. This place is a definitely must if you have out of town visitors! The whole town of Cave Creek is kind of a throw back, really neat.
(4)Jenn W.
We've had opportunity to revisit The Horny Toad on several occasions over the last few months, given that it is just a few minutes from our house. While the overall opinion of the quality of the food hasn't really changed, we really enjoy the service and the atmosphere. We always opt to sit outside (because the weather is so gorgeous most of the time) and we are always accommodated (even when a server isn't necessarily assigned to that area). The wait staff is always friendly and efficient. They always take time to talk with us and our two kids. The vibe is relaxed and we enjoy brining out of town visitors to The Horny Toad. This has become one of our go-to spots for dining in Cave Creek!
(4)Alicia W.
The service was very poor!! Margarita was nothing but mix and a splash of tequila. Being a Southern girl, I might be biased on fried chicken but calling this famous fried chicken made me laugh! Honestly, I wanted to go in the kitchen and show them how to make fried chicken!!! What a joke! KFC would have been better. The cod was just as bad! Avoid if you have taste buds!
(1)Bonnie S.
Went there with my honey this past weekend only because it's been around so long and had heard of it and thought I'd like to try it to see what it's all about. Well, I'm glad I did. And, no, I wouldn't return. I'm surprised it's still in business what with the lack of quality and presentation of the food. I had the half fried chicken, and he had the deep fried icelandic cod. My chicken had a nice crust on it, but it lacked any sort of imagination or flavor. Very bland and boring. It came with clam chowder, which had so much flour it was hard to find the potatoes and the clams. In fact, if there were three or four pieces of clam in the cup, I'd be surprised. The dish also came with french fries. Again, boring and lack of imagination in taste. UGHHH. My honey had the fish, as I mentioned. It, too, had a nice batter to it, but, again, alas, lack of flavor and/or presentation. Very so so. It came with tartar sauce, which tasted like some nondescript brand out of a jar. It had a tiny plastic side cup of coleslaw, which was falling out of the cup and slopped in. Again, ughhh in flavor and presentation. Other places close by had full and packed parking lots. The Horny Toad was basically empty. There were groups of people so I'm thinking there were families there from out of town. Too bad the food is so nondescript, blah and boring.
(1)Sara V.
We stop here every time we're in the area... the fried chicken is absolutely, hands down, the BEST I have ever had. We never have a problem with service, always friendly & fast.
(5)Casey A.
I'm a native, and this is one of my guilty pleasures. I've been going to The Horny Toad with my parents since I can remember. My mom and I stopped in for lunch and it wasn't very busy. Our server came right out and was very pleasant. I don't think I've ever ordered anything here besides the deep fried zucchini and the fried chicken. (Like I said one of my guilty pleasures) The deep fried zucchini are delicious, but be careful, they can be super hot when they hit your plate. The fried chicken on the menu is listed as "Our Famous Fried Chicken" "Plucked & Fresh NOT Frozen". They're not using that term lightly, it's definitely famous in my mind. Carve into that bird and the succulent juices start running down your knife. With your fist bite your whole mouth bursts with flavor. I could almost eat the whole bird... seriously they serve you an entire chicken. You can order the "half" option but you'll be disappointed without the left overs. I don't think they've changed the recipe in 20 years and I'll be back for many more years to come.
(5)Ric S.
Yea no... not doing that again.... cheese crisps are on corn torts.... so they are yey big.... Salmon ceasar salad.... not impressed.
(1)J S.
very dark "old" atmosphere and dirty feeling. The food was marginal and over priced. The service was SLOW. Disappointing.
(1)Dan H.
It is amazing how your memory works. Or how my memory works I should really say. Randomly a restaurant came to my mind. A restaurant that I went to back in 1986 when my family took vacation in Arizona. That restaurant was the Horny Toad. Once it came back into my memory I went online to see if they were still in business. Not only were they still in business, but they were less than 10 miles from where friends of mine lived. I knew that I would be going back for the first time in close to 30 years. I remembered the fried chicken. I sent my dad an e-mail to see if he remembered the place. His response. Yes, he did remember it and it was the best fried chicken he has ever had in his life. Not only would I be going, but I already knew what I was ordering. I didn't remember the actual restaurant. There were things that went through my mind's eye, but turns out that wasn't how things actually were. Didn't really matter. I was there for the fried chicken and that was what I was focused on. We came here after a hike so food was just what the doctor ordered. The fried chicken here is "famous". That is what the menu says. You can get a half order for $11.95 or a whole chicken for $16.95. Both come with fries and coleslaw. I got the half which was plenty big as we had a big drive ahead of us to go down to the southern part of the state and I didn't really have any desire to fall asleep at the wheel. A breast, thigh and leg came out to me with a heaping portion of fries and coleslaw. It was a meal fit for a....well, me actually. I ended up taking one piece home with me as I was pretty well stuffed after the other two and the sides. The fried chicken was how I remember it. Better because it wasn't salty as fried chicken can be. Was it as good as I remember it? It was very good, but I'll be honest in saying that we have a place back home in Oregon that I think these days is better. That shouldn't take anything away from the Horny Toad's fried chicken. That is just my opinion. Very happy to make it back after all these years. I'm sure I will be back again in shorter period of time as my friends don't plan on moving away anytime soon.
(4)Kerrie Z.
We have been going here since the 90s and its the same. We start with the combo apps, I love the Ranch dressing here. Now its hot when you bite into those lovely zucchini and mushrooms so cut them open first. We then get 2 chickens, so we have some to take home, Love the Coleslaw! The fired chicken is fresh and hot! So good. I love the BBQ sauce as well. Worth the 50 miles trek to this little place.
(5)Barbara G.
Awesome fried chicken! Great fried mushrooms, ranch dressing was good. Had horseradish for the mushrooms.strawberry short cake would have been better with ice cream.
(5)Rott G.
Service is friendly and prompt. The salad I had was out of a bag. My hubby had rib and fried chicken special. He loved it and the bbq sauce too. I am not in a hurry to return but my husband would.
(3)Lauren J.
I absolutely love Cave Creek and when I get the chance to drive up there, I love to explore it's unique places. I love all the places to shop and eat and the Horny Toad is no exception there. The name captured my attention and we pulled into the dirt lot and parked. 2 adorable stores are also on property next to the restaurant. Prepare to step back into the Wild West days with the wood panels, floors and funky décor. A friend and I came for lunch and the patio was crowded so we sat inside. Service here was very good and quick! You can smell BBQ throughout the entire restaurant so the pulled pork sandwich was calling my name! We got our food within 10 minutes. Here's where things went south...the BBQ was very average. Coleslaw was OK. I didn't finish my plate. I do hear the fried chicken is what's popular but of course didn't know that until after I had already eaten. Bummer. If you're looking for a unique experience in a great little town, go here. If you're looking for amazing food, go somewhere else.
(3)Hunter P.
I might have set myself up for failure. I got the half chicken fried. Idk the last time I got fried chicken but it was alright. I don't think I'm a big fried chicken guy I guess. The mash potatoes were good. My gf got the ground beef taco salad. The issue was the moisture and oil pooled at the bottom. It was like a soup down there. I had one bite and didn't really like it
(3)Gerald K.
On our way home from Sedona today, my wife and I were excited to be able to detour to Cave Creek for some of that "delicious" fried chicken at the Horny Toad. We have been going to that restaurant for about 15 years and it almost never disappointed. Today we were served chicken that looked and tasted like it was either re-fried or just days old. It was stringy, saturated with grease and basically inedible. Any chef that serves chicken like that does not deserve to keep his customers. It should have been thrown in the garbage at the end of the day on which it was originally intended to be served. We used to drive 30 minutes from Scottsdale for their great fried chicken. We won't be back.
(1)E N.
I can't speak for anything other than their fried chicken. Amaaazing! I don't even like fried chicken but friends told us we had to get it it was that good. They were right. Perfectly crispy with the right amount of seasoning while the chicken was plump and moist. 1 chicken fed 4 of us. The prickly pear Margarita was pretty tasty too. Fun casual atmosphere in a cute little old western town.
(4)Katie A.
Stopped off here late on a Sunday night when my parents and I were driving through town. I saw that the fried chicken was popular so we ordered that. It was pretty juicy, worth trying for sure. It was quite greasy though....Like exploded with grease when I took a bite. Pros: fun atmosphere -Quality napkins -Pretty good service -Chicken was juicy Cons: Dirty bathroom -Coleslaw was like shredded lettuce dumped with mayo -Super uncomfurtable seating
(2)Joe T.
When I first moved to the Phoenix area I drove past this place a number of times thinking, "tourist trap where people from the Midwest pretend they're cowboys". I suppose that's partially true - hint to the guy from Chicago, black shoes, black over the calf socks, tan shorts, cowboy hat and creamy white legs isn't a good look on you or anyone else. I don't care how horny the toad is. The first time I came here I had the pulled pork sandwich. It was OK but it wasn't great. It was a bit overcooked making it dry and the BBQ sauce tasted store bought. For my most recent visit I went for the BBQ chicken. Ah yes! this is the meal to order. It was very good. Tasty, moist, good flavor. Nice job! The service is odd. It was busy and the wait staff were running around like crazy people. A positive is we were spared the "hi, my name is Suzy and I'll be your server" bit. What you get instead is - "OK, whatcha havin?" I'm OK with that in a place like this. Not the best restaurant in the area, but a nice stop for a good meal and you've got to love the name (they sell tshirts).
(3)C A.
This place is OK. I was not super impressed though. I had a Porterhouse That was I'd say mediocre. Anyway, not bad but not great.
(3)K M.
Whenever I crave for fried chicken, I come to this place. For those who want 'healthy' fried chicken, which in my opinion is a contradiction in terms, this is not the place. If on the other hand, you believe that, grease should drip out while you are sinking your teeth into a crisp, crunchy, genuinely deep fried, heart-attack-on-a-platter fried chicken, you will find it here. Other items on the menu, such as steaks and BBQ dishes are authentic and taste wonderful. No, this is NOT a 5-star resort status restaurant, and the prices and service correspond accordingly. The food tastes good and you walk away full.
(4)John K.
Wish I could leave 0 stars. We came here two years ago. Dinner was OK. Cute place. Decided to stop for dinner. VERY few people there (not a good sign). Again, not busy. Waited 10 mins. Waitress came near us 3 times. Never greeted us. Never welcomed us. 10 minutes. Again not busy. We got up and left. Service is terrible. Very disappointed.
(1)Melissa A.
Came to this place because 1). It was recommended by a local merchant owner 2). Looked colorful and fun. Food: Half Fried Chicken meal-juicy, tasty, not too much batter, filling and good. Porter House "Special" meal for $22!!! and got a bunk fat marbled steak that was inconsistently cooked. I was so disappointed with this. What a waste of money. Service: Disappointing. What ever happened to quality customer service? A smile, gratitude, being on top of serving their tables???? I had a coke and she never came back and asked if I wanted refills or anything. Nor did she for my husband. When I finally a other server to get our server, (after I constantly saw her chatting it up with other servers), she came and said, "Is there anything else?" Yeah, can I please have a refill and the check? She finally came and left. I waited and waited so I could get change to leave a tip. But still I had to flag someone else down to get her to get me change. Needless to say.....I did not tip well. ****There were NOT a lot of people there at all this Saturday afternoon. Guess I should've gone to Brian's Bbq or the Biker's place. Won't stop again. Don't recommend it. But love the little town vibe. Relaxing, cooler weather, clean and nice people.
(2)D b.
Long time visitors to the area and first time at the Horny Toad. Read all the reviews before going..but sometimes you just need to see experience for ones self. Overall probably a 3 1/2 The 1/2 chicken was fresh, the coating and fry were top notch. Nothing fancy..just well executed and enough for 2 or the next day. The deep fried cod was in a good batter. Could of been a tad flakier..but this was better than most you might get outside of the coasts. The boneless pork with carrots and mash were all very good. Perfect cook on the pork Carrotts tasted fresh and mash was ok Slaw was very good but fries were disappointing and the weak link But hey..the entrees were all above average to good Coleslaw was very good .Fries were the weak part of the meals across the board.
(3)Ryanne O.
I had a problem with the service on my last visit a couple months ago, but that was not the case tonight. We arrived as a large group this time, but our server handled it pretty well, even with a few last minute additions and changes. I came with a couple people who don't eat pork, so I didn't get my usual baby back ribs (cutting a streak of over 15yrs!)... Instead, I got the beef ribs. My husband and his parents also got the same. They were enormous! But also good. I still prefer the baby back, but the beef isn't bad at all. My husband and his parents also enjoyed them. My mother enjoyed her fajita, and my dad and brother shared and enjoyed the whole fried chicken. My daughter got chicken nuggets. They were dinosaur shaped, so I doubt they were made there, but she didn't mind.
(4)Laurie H.
My husband and I had lunch here after reading a review in the AaA magazine. We'd never been to cave creek before, so decided to take a quick trip. There are many restaurants in this vicinity so was a bit surprised as I expected more even though yelp said 3 stars. I had the pulled pork sandwich and my husband had half of a fried chicken. There was nothing wrong with the food, it was good but very ordinary. The French fries weren't crisp at all but they were homemade. Our server did everything we asked, got the food out fast and our check when we asked. It had a great ambience and the food was middle of the road. It wasn't our type of place but can see how many others would really enjoy it.
(3)Jeff Z.
Love the fried chicken it is the best, fresh made, classic and simple. If you are looking for newer styles with twists it is not for you. Also I fing the other stuff a only ok, but we always just order chicken and the kids dig in! Noisy atmosphere makes good places to take young kids too, friendly staff.
(5)Ilya K.
I don't understand why this place has only 3 stars. Yes it's not 5 stars place, but it's very southwestern restaurant in old Cave Creek, with appropriate menu. We tasted multiply items and yes I will not comeback there for BBQ, but like chicken fried steak and even liver and onions, But fried chicken it's die for , I can't imagine it's can be done more moist, and that alone make this place 5 stars for me
(5)Kimberley C.
Nice atmosphere and good service but the food is not so great. Had wings, fries and ribs, all not good.
(2)Mike W.
Low key - food is ok. The fried chicken is the thing to get. Lots of stuff to look at inside and out. Good for the kids
(4)Adam P.
I have been here before but not in many years. It was an absolutely beautiful day to be in cave creek and many people were there. We stopped at the toad for lunch and we were seated on the covered patio. We were surprised with an added bonus of live music while we dined. It was fantastic. Country western favorites paired perfectly with the ambiance and the surrounding mountains and desert. The food was adequate but not amazing. I got a salad and it was fine. No real complaint at this time. I will admit if not for the atmosphere and perfect weather I would give this a 3. If I could recreate the day every weekend I would go to the toad for everyone. Sunday love music!!!!
(4)Angela G.
Best fried chicken I've ever had! Husband had country fried steak which was also amazing!!! He are from both plates!!! Can't wait to come back for a burger!!!
(5)K S.
This is the place we take company when they visit the area. The menu has great choices. They are famous for the fried chicken-its outstanding. We are always amazed at how fast the service is and the waitstaff is friendly! Its charm, wooden floors, stone fireplace and patio dining make this one of our favorite- comfortable places in Cave Creek.
(4)Beth F.
Wonderful place to eat after a long long road trip to the Grand Canyon, also a great family restaurant.
(5)Kristi W.
Was exactly as we expected and the food was delicious. Don't come here to eat healthy, come here to indulge in authentic, finger licking good fried chicken, moist and hardy bbq beef ribs. We wanted to experience Cave Creek and to frequent one of their original establishments. We loved the old west decor, the bottled sarsaparilla was so good and the food did not disappoint. Everyone, (all 7 of us) cleaned our plates. 2 adults, 3 teens and 2 kids. I'm a bit of a fitness nut and haven't eaten fried food for years, my okie roots got the best of me and was interested to see if the fried chicken could rival my grandmothers! If it didn't, it would be a close 2nd! It was a delicious adventure, we will come again!
(5)Kay C.
I enjoy going to the Horny Toad for a cold drink after a nice hike. Love sitting outside and take in the view. Haven't eaten there but I've heard the food is good. The waitstaff is very friendly and helpful! Will be back again!
(3)Ryan C.
Came here last Saturday afternoon for a late lunch. We ate here last fall and loved the place but this time it fell flat. The service was painfully slow and the food was not nearly as good. We'll be back to give it another shot but this time it just was not good.
(2)JD H.
They try very very hard! The food is good and the customer care is really top notch! Cave Creeker's LOVE the Toad and we are grateful for those from the valley that understand how hard it is to run a business year-a-round in the Creek! I love the Fried Chicken and the Burgers!!
(5)Betsy B.
This is a funky rustic place. It has been here for some time and fits in with the old west style of other parts of Cave Creek. There is outside seating with music in the evenings or inside seating. Friday they have all you can eat fish and chips which were pretty good. Cole slaw was quite good that came with it. They have some interesting and and creative cocktail choices. Service was good. The dessert was very good. The cinnamon swirl ice cream was great and even better on top of the apple cobbler which was huge and delicious though heavy on the cinnamon.
(3)Amanda R.
I am from Kentucky and a lifelong lover of fried chicken. So for me to say that their fried chicken might well be the best I've ever had is a powerful statement. The fried chicken is delicious. The barbecue sauce is delicious. The ribs are moist and perfect. Will be back!
(5)Stephanie S.
My boyfriend and I went there for dinner last night. He had the BBQ chicken and I had the steak. Mt boyfriend has been sick since about an hour when we left the restaurant. Unable to leave the bathroom and it's 3 pm the next day. I had a bite of his and don't feel horrible but my stomach is upset. I called to ask the restaurant IF anyone else was sick and Samantha answered the phone. She basically blew me off and said it much have been something maybe we ate for breakfast. She didn't even say I'm sorry we felt that way- nothing. Horrible customer service. Would never go back. I hope Samantha gets some further training on how to treat customers.
(1)Eric S.
The attitude and service provided by our server was subpar at best. We felt as though we were an inconvenience. Short one word answers and at one point she simply pointed at the menu and walked away. We waited so long for a second beverage I just went to the bar. Food was average at best. 1st and only visit that's for certain.
(1)Don S.
A unique locals restaurant. The decor is cowboy style. Reasonably priced food. Everyone seems pleasant. For a treat you really have to get their home made strawberry shortcake. It comes heated, and the portion size that you can split 4 ways with everyone getting plenty.
(4)Marcia R.
Some people think the name is R-rated but it actually stands for a toad with horns. The Fried Chicken alone is worth the treck -- freshly plucked, never frozen and you can taste the difference. You can order a half chicken but for only a few dollars more you can get a whole chicken for about $18 which can feed 3 people. The hamburger was just OK but the Grilled Chicken Salad was huge -- it can easily feed 2-3 people. On a nice day, sit out on the patio and imbibe the Cave Creek ambiance. We've always had good service here and my tourist friends always enjoy this place.
(4)Richard R.
In addition to a name that makes everyone chuckle, The Horny Toad serves up some quality barbecue that the valley seems to be seriously lacking. All I can say about the beef ribs is that they're out of this world! Good beef ribs are hard to find in this part of desert (apparently a lot more people in arizona are partial to pork), and I enjoyed making a mess of myself devouring the meat off the bones. The sauce is incredible. The Horny Toad serves up a barbecue sauce that could turn almost any meat or poultry from good to amazing. We sat on a picnic table outside. Other than a strong breeze that sent napkins flying all over the place, it was a nice setting to enjoy some cue. The price seems a little high, but the portions are massive. The Food will keep you stuffed for the rest of the day, and then some.
(4)Kendra S.
My boyfriend and I drove up to Cave Creek, anxious to do something different than your typical weekend night. He got the ribs and I got the friend chicken. I really loved his ribs - the barbecue sauce was perfect. And they even bring you a bottle of it, knowing you'll want more than what it comes with. The fried chicken was good too - but is way too much to eat in one serving. Both were quite good. We also ordered their 'famous' strawberry shortcake. I was a little disappointed in this after reading about how great it was. I wouldn't order it again. All in all, I loved the cowboy vibe and it made for a fun winter evening!
(3)Jo N.
Super friendly staff, cool vibe, great food. Loved this place. We will be back. Revisited this place last night-what a nightmare. We decided to sit at the bar and have a drink and the drinks were awful. I had a "lemon drop" and my partner had a margarita madness something or other with pineapple juice in it, both served in cloudy dirty glasses and the bartender had wet hands. The glasses were dirty and the bartender was beyond awkward, almost like she was tweaking- and it smelled like a bathroom in a dirty gas station. I have no intention of going again. There was a lady behind us selling t shirts that was sitting there with the most unpleasant look on her face. For my money I would go to the Hideaway or the Taphaus.
(1)Kerstin H.
Hit or miss on service. Some of the staff is excellent, others are rude and not willing to accommodate even simple requests it substitutions. One child asked for a baked potato instead of fries and they refused. Even though other wait staff had been happy to do so previously.
(3)Andy H.
The first time I went to The Horny Toad was in 1982. I had the whole fried chicken and French Fries and I loved it. Lived in the Phoenix area for 5 years and used to venture up here periodically for the fried chicken. It's delicious, but it's also all about the fried chicken. It has a cool atmosphere and some great things to see before and after eating. The desserts are good as well. When you go just close your eyes and realize there is nothing for a dieter and embrace that concept.
(3)Wayne T.
Date night with my wife. Decided to try this restaurant as I have never bee there. Wait time was not bad (15 minutes), and waitress took our drink and food order. While eating, a group of people sat behind us. Very loud and obnoxious to say the least! They were discussing very offensive things, dropping F bombs, and very crude. Tried to tolerate it, but was really getting bad and louder! Complained to the manager, and he offered to relocate us to another table, but by that time, we were ready to leave. Offered boxes for our food to take home, came back with the check, and apologized for the rudeness, while not offering to comp a meal, or anything of the sort. He stated that this was a family establishment. If I had brought my family here, I would have been truly embarrassed to bring them there to listen to a bunch of foul mouths like we had to put up with. Again, the food was great, but this place left a bad taste in my mouth, and will never spend my hard earned money where a manager does not take care of its customers!
(2)Flippitti N.
Went there last week for lunch. We decided to eat out on the patio. It was a little cool and breezy and the picnic table wasn't comfortable. Our waitress was a little slow to get to us so we had plenty of time of read the menu. The menu is pretty basic and so is the food. Portions are large, the BBQ didn't taste too sweet or tangy to me. The ambiance is very friendly and cowboy casual. The coleslaw tasted freshly made and wasn't too sweet. My husband also had the veggie soup and he declared it to be some of the best soup he's ever had! I've had better bbq sandwiches in other restaurants and I thought this was just ok. Service was slow and when it came time to leave, it took awhile to find our waitress to get the bill. But I'd like come here again and try the burgers next time.
(3)Greg G.
Is there a cooler place to eat outside? I'll bet you are hard pressed to find one and the food here is certainly worth the trip!
(4)Norm R.
My friends and I stopped here for lunch during our day exploring the touristy towns of Cave Creek and Carefree. It was a nice warm day and we chose to be seated outside. We were surrounded by southwestern kitsch - actually kinda fun and fitting for a day spent going around shops which sell lots of southwestern kitsch. The servers were friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was lively (lots of happy retired people and their hyper grandkids). We ordered fried chicken, and fish 'n chips. We all enjoyed our meals, but also ended up taking quite a bit of food home because the portions were quite generous. The fish and the chicken were nice and crunchy outside, moist and tender within; the fries and slaw were OK, not great. And the prices were good, considering the quality and quantity of the portions we got.
(3)Rondi V.
Went to The Horny Toad when on a friend's suggestion, chicken was good but service wasn't great. Also, we tried the Key Lime Pie and it was a disappointment, tasted like it was from a box and/or defrosted.
(3)Mia M.
The fried chicken is the BOMB!!! That's it. Enough said. Oh, and the atmosphere is fun, the décor is fun, and the wait staff is fun. One of my go-to faves :)
(4)Marcella D.
A group of us in the Cave Creek area for the National Concierge Association 2013 conference enjoyed a tasty lunch at the Horny Toad. The portions are huge, especially the desserts, the service was exceptional and you can even purchase a shirt to remind you of your experience at the Horny Toad. Horny Toad addressed some of our dietary restrictions without any hassles, which was very appreciative. I recommend the Horny Toad for a casual outing if your in the area.
(4)Jay M.
Dropped in for a drink during bike week & the "crew" wasn't really impressed so we left to meet others at the hide away so didn't get a chance to really check this place out.
(3)Mark K.
Great variety - good for families - perfect Fried Chicken!
(5)Jeff G.
Very cool place! Good food (I had pork chops) really great deserts!
(5)William C.
Faux old west interior in a tourist trap area. But the food was decent bar food and it would be fun on a nice afternoon.
(3)Tara D.
Had a burger it was edible. Had strawberry shortcake it was ok....overall a very mediocre dining experience
(2)Mary M.
Charming tourist trap in a town comprised of tourist traps. The man and I took a couple of out of towners in for a lunch break after touring the Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless neighborhoods in the area and the food and service were both totally A-Ok as Yelp says. I won't knock its food as it doesn't aspire to be gourmet, Horny Toad does its job and does it well with no pretense. The beef ribs were a huge portion, totally staggered my unprepared friend, the BBQ sandwiches com on disappointing buns but neither myself nor the other friend who ordered one (mine beef, hers pork) had any gripes with the meat or sauce. The boyfriend seemed to enjoy his cheeseburger (with bacon extra) and it was cooked within his preference with no hassle. The Horny Toad is charmingly chintzy, and allows non-locals to experience a taste of the sort of charm the entire region had when it was one big barely airconditioned stop on various interstates back in the glory days of family road trips and visits to record breaking twine balls. I like it, I appreciate it, and the restaurant seems to actively seek this kind of image with its musical choice, menu, and environment; it is very Americana and warms my heart because of that. Can't argue with the prices for the quality except on the sandwich buns, and everyone was that strange sort of uncomfortable but satiated stuffed you get after a good ole BBQ meal. It's really a quaint place.
(3)ElizaTheFurs T.
Best fried chicken in town! its exactly what every true fried chicken lover wants there chicken to be! service, well its exactly what i expected, no frills at all. but if your not needy, snobby or pretentious you'll fit right in. this place is overflowing with small town character and pride, which i think is a good thing. con- beer should have been colder. all in all a pretty neat old restaurant
(3)Meghan P.
Fried Chicken & Ribs - delicious and out of the ordinary for me to order. Very cool old western bar up in Cave Creek (super easy to get to). Worth the trip.
(4)Brenda B.
Came here with 3 other people, we ordered the chicken and rib special, if you want to get more bang for your buck, order the white meat. The ribs were fairly good, and so was the chicken , BBQ sauce was good, but over all I have had better, and you are paying for the atmosphere, which is interesting, old west style. The waitress was attentive. I would come back, if some one else is paying. I live here so tourist area theme places don't excite me all that much.
(3)Pete W.
Came here last Friday night with in-laws for a birthday dinner. Party of 6. I remember coming here when I was a kid and the food was mediocre back then. The decor is supposedly old western style. In reality, it's jam-as-many-oversized-heavy-wood-chairs-and-Âtables-and-uncomfortable-flat booths-into-as-small-of-a-space-as-possible style. Service. We asked if they had gluten-free menu as one of our party has celiac disease. No gluten free menu. How about the chicken salad? "There's no gluten in that at all...it's all lettuce and fruit." What about the chicken...is it seasoned with anything that might contain gluten? "No. Gluten's only bread...and we don't put croutons on that salad" Uhhh yep...such good training. Gluten is in tons of other stuff also...like seasonings, dressings, on the gloves of the kitchen worker who makes this salad after making another salad with croutons. Thank you. Fail. And then multiple tables that came in after us received their entrees before we received our dinner salads...waitress "I forgot to put in your order...it'll be right out." "It'll be right out" because 90% of the food is frozen and just fried to heat it up. Case in point...the all you can eat fish-n-chips. I had one of the pieces of the fish and that was literally all I could eat...or stomach. The fish was ridiculously dry and the breading was as thick as Texas toast...also completely dry and without any. flavor. at. all. The french fries were decent and they don't give you a dainty little bowl of ketchup and my wife said the ribs were really good though and they never let your soda get empty...so it gets 2 stars. Our waitress disappeared towards the end of our meal so I asked another waitress for a to-go box for someone's fried chicken. She looked right at me and walked off and never brought it. Without being macabre, based on the crowd, once the baby boomer generation is gone, this place will be closing its doors. Will I be back? No way.
(2)D C.
OK... I'm not some elitist snob that only dines out in 5 star establishments and though I do have an educated palate, I'm also a realist when it comes to the type of place where I'm dining. That said... I accept that I'm now going to be known as the "Official Curmudgeon" of yelp... but I can't help but believe in the concept of service and quality in exchange for fair compensation. Unfortunately, it's a totally unknown (or ignored) concept here. Come on! Really? FIVE BUCKS for a Corona?? This is AZ people, not NYC! Combined with the "famous" ribs that seriously would NOT place in my top FIFTY and a sour faced waitress that clearly didn't give a s*#& if we were happy, this has to top our list of dining ripoffs. You could offer me 500 bucks to eat here and I'd pick the cafeteria at my old high school instead! If this place were anywhere but Cave Creek where people obviously have money to piss away, they wouldn't survive. Wish I could rate 0 stars.
(1)Janet B.
I had an awful experience here on Sunday. Service was bad. Our waitress walked right past us without an acknowledgement at all. When she did come over she said oh I thought you were the last people sitting here. I guess all customers look the same? I wonder how do u ruin Taco Salad and Chili? The Horny Toad sure can!!!
(1)Benjamin S.
This place is a great source for BBQ pork and fried chicken in the greater Phoenix area. The pork is pulled well with very little gristle or fat, and the friend chicken is crispy and delicious. The BBQ sauce is sweet and tangy, more of a Texas style to me than anything else. Nothing super special about this place but its a good meal and the service is pretty good!
(3)Aaron I.
Went here for dinner on July 3rd. Great place to hang out for best firework show I have seen in Az (in my opinion). Place was busy so I would to give our server a break but she vanished!!! Their management is too blame in our opinion. We found out she was working tables all over the restaurant. They need to section the restaurant off better for their servers. They have people running all over the place doing their best but not really serving the customers. The Cobb salad was surprisingly good as was the chili. If you like greasy.. Go for the fried chicken.
(2)Kristin K.
So maybe the customer service isn't all that bubbly but when you step into "The Horny Toad" you are stepping back in time when customer service was mediocre at best, right? So with that said, the food is what we really need to focus on and it's delicious! They have the best cottage cheese that I've ever had and their potato salad is amazing. Also, their tangy and sweet BBQ sauce is perfection. Love the ambiance and the old western feel... definitely worth the drive.
(4)Rachel W.
When we were passing through town we stopped at The Horny Toad for lunch. I have to say my experience was just "ok". The chicken noodle soup lacked any substance. My girlfriend had the chile and commented that said "shes had better". We sat outside on the picnic tables which is a cute spot but certaily nothing special. I doubt I would make a special trip to town just to go to this place. Server however was expeptional and staff very friendly.
(2)Nancy G.
Went to the Horny Toad for dinner tonight. The fried chicken was very good. Tried a little of the barbecue sauce and that was good too. Unfortunately too full for the desert. Will have to save that for another time.
(3)McCools B.
Walked in with a massive hangover, shot of Jameson, a beer, and a patty melt....walked out feeling like a million bucks.....THANKS
(3)Laura G.
I've vacationed in Arizona for many years and try to make it to the Horny Toad once a trip. Although its a bit of a tourist trap, the barbecue is delicious. I usually stick to the half rack of ribs and they are always fall off the bone good. The sides are good but nothing special. On my last trip out there I tried their famous strawberry shortcake, and it's definitely famous for a reason! This dessert is so big you'll need a small army or one really hungry person to eat it all. The shortcake was hot and fresh and there was plenty of strawberries and whip cream to go around. Our waitress said some people even order it before their meal so they're sure they have room for it. As long as mom's not around, you might as well eat dessert first, right!
(4)Joe E.
The Horny Toad seems to fit in perfectly with the tourist-trap cowboy image of Cave Creek - from the unfinished parking lot to the souvenir shop to the old-fashioned wooden decor. I stopped in for lunch, and started off with a cheese crisp, which was under two bucks, and contained tomatoes and onions on a corn tortilla - a decent cheap appetizer. I ordered a BBQ pork sandwich with fries ($8.45). The warm wheat bun was a good surprise - a lot of places seem to just use any old cheap cold hamburger bun. The meat was cooked well, with plenty of flavor, and finished with a pretty good barbecue sauce - not particularly sweet, spicy, tangy, or really anything descriptive - just pretty good. For dessert, I went with the strawberry shortcake. This was not a one-portion dessert (and for $6.95, it's not priced as a one-person dessert either). It was very tasty, but just way too big to finish, and not really something that can be taken home and finished later. I enjoyed the food, but it's not something I'd make another special trip to get to.
(3)Kim S.
Love southern fried chicken so had to give the Horny Toad a shot. Serivce was a bit slow but friendly. Chicken was deep fried and not pan fried the way i love it but was good for what it was. It didn't taste too greasy and the meat was moist but the bottom of the plate had grease pooled on it when the chicken was gone. There were 5 of us eating. The cobb salad 1 star, the taco salad 2 stars, the fish sandwich 1 star, so I'd have to say the chicken was the best of what we had. Will I bookmark this for a return visit? Probably not.
(3)Andrew F.
Took my brother there for his birthday at the recommendation of someone. We arrived at 6pm on a Saturday and the restaurant was empty and we quickly found out why. Prices are maybe average but the food is below average. Beer selection is poor so I ended up with a Fat Tire that only came in a 12oz pour. The beer tasted like cardboard which means it is either really old or they don't actually clean the beer lines (or both). When I couldn't choke the beer down I took the glass that was mostly left to the bar to let the staff know. Apparently this was unacceptable to do because the bartender had a real attitude about it (you would have thought I was the one charging money for a bad product) We waited quite a while for our dinner, especially considering there was no one in the restaurant. Food was bland. I got the fried chicken and regretted it. I should have ordered a burger to save money. Dessert wasn't that great either. The worst part about this whole experience was we drove almost 30 miles to get there. I won't be going back, especially since you can find better food and beer on every corner in Phoenix.
(1)Alexander C.
Fried Chicken and Strawberry Shortcake.. don't both with anything else on the menu or you're just asking for heartburn! I still love this place.. my mother would take us here when we were just wee lads.. the place seemed so big and mysterious back then. The HT hasn't changed to much over the past few decades but the fried chicken is still really good.. Now I get to take my mother here on different occasions and it still has the that feeling of comfort and down home goodness.
(3)Debbie E.
We come here for the one thing .... the fried chicken. It's really "broasted" instead of deep fried which makes it non-greasy and moist. The ribs are okay and the strawberry short cake is worth saving room for. I love fish and chips, but don't care for theirs. We aren't crazy about the cowboy ambiance, but then we're just there for the chicken.
(3)Kathryn W.
Even if you aren't hungry, this is a great destination! But who could come here and not enjoy the fried chicken? Crunchy on the outside...moist and tender and full of flavor on the inside! You'll need a friend to help eat the strawberry shortcake!
(5)Steve B.
For anyone who grew up in the south knowing what is good fried chicken, would not feed this fried chicken to their dog!!! Anyone thinking this is good fried chicken, does not have a clue what is real fried chicken!
(1)Brad T.
Upon first arriving in Arizona, my boss's relatives were insistent upon visiting a BBQ place about 20 minutes from our hotel. I wasn't feeling picky and everyone seemed game after a few hotel lobby drinks, so a huge group of us drove out to check this place out. The Horny Toad has plenty of kitsch value upon arrival, and that aspect is played up heavily. There are wacky signs, funny T-shirts, and gift shops filled with an odd assortment of local art and weird novelty items. The wait was almost 2 hours, so that left us lots of time to look around, but they did have a large side bar where we hung out and listened to some passable country covers from a local band. Once we ate, it lost a bit of its luster. From most of the people sitting around me, word has it that the ribs were stringy and not very good, and disappointment hit a lot of my co-workers. I, however, lucked out, because I was struck by the menu's insistence on the fried chicken. The chicken was outstanding, the breading was top notch and the meat was tender and delicious. The actual barbecue sauce was excellent, and I poured that on my fried chicken (I highly recommend this if you come here!) In the end, I didn't think the wait and the hype were nearly worth it, but I had a very yummy meal at the end of it all and I might have been the only one at our table who enjoyed our late night dinner. It's a big, weird tourist trap, but if you're coming here, take my advice and get the fried chicken.
(3)Daphne P.
We were trying to make our way to Harold's tonight for the fireworks party and ended up caught in the downpour. We didn't want to turn around and head back to The Phx so we stopped at The Horny Toad as it was the only place I could find a parking spot. Walked in soaking wet and waited about 30 min. Just my luck,,,,,woo hoo, I get the sour faced server from hell! A server can just ruin ruin ruin your meal. Uhh.....She didn't so much as crack a smile the whole time we were there. When taking our order, she asked what my mother wanted and I replied that she was debating between three things. My mother started telling her what she was debating between. Instead of listening and offering suggestions, she cut her off and said, well are you ready? Seriously? She never asked of she wanted something to drink. She dropped off our food and didn't ask if we wanted anything else. We had to flag down the manager and others to get us things we needed. Awful awful. Ohh yes, the food. It was ok. We both ordered the prime rib. It was a little over cooked for med rare. We had to flag down someone else because she forgot the horseradish sauce. I've had much better. The food was not great and not bad, just ok. It might have tasted better with a server who gave a damn about her customers.
(2)Madeleine E.
This is a good place to stop for some quick uninspiring grub with your family. We have some typical diner type food here. Burgers, fries, sandwiches. Everyone was satisfied, and the price was pretty good. Plenty of parking, great place to bring the kids.
(3)Clarice W.
I have eaten here twice and both times were OK. The first time was a few years ago when I was with my grandmother and then 12-year-old sister. We all ordered the BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and they were good, not to die for, just good and more expensive than I thought they should be. Today I was with a party of five (LOL yeah I can tell what you're thinking... and no, Jennifer Love Hewitt was not there!) We all ordered burgers. I got the Toledo burger that was 100% ground beef stuffed with mild green chilies and cheddar cheese. I sampled the Horny Toad burger that had bacon and BBQ sauce on it. Everything was decent tasting and the food still has "gourmet prices" (like $10 for a burger and a small side!) It's an interesting place for tourists, screaming children and the crazy middle age couple at the table next to ours that stared at us the whole time.... But not worth driving out of your way for... only if you're driving through.
(3)Gabrielle P.
Tourist trap! This place is for children and retired people. This is nothing special in regards to good food. It's just a touristy... I don't even know. I think people just want to say that they've dined at the Horny Toad like it's a funny joke or something. In reality, the only thing funny is the fact that you're going to overpay for your experience there... wait... that's not funny.
(2)C. K.
One of the best places for fried chicken in town! It is served piping hot and very plump and juicy! They serve you the whole chicken, so it is nice to go there with someone who likes to split it with you! It is served with their yummy french fries and their homemade slaw! They have an all American menu with even fried calf's liver! The pork and beef ribs are also great and please save room for their yummy apple cobbler, or strawberry shortcake as this is a meal in itself! It's really nice to sit outside in their courtyard, but also fun to sit inside their rustic decor. They used to serve you fresh hot popcorn while you wait for your table, but the last couple of times I went, it was only cold pretzels.... When there is a long line up, we go next door to The Hideaway for a drink beforehand:-)
(4)Leah C.
A work team went here for lunch after horse back riding. I guess it would be a good hang out place after that or biking, boating, etc. The appetizers weren't anything to get excited over - typical fried bar food. The fired chicken only comes as a whole chicken. I didn't try it but it got an "ok" rating. I got the tijuana torpedo burger - that's right...2/3 pound of burger, with cheese and green chilies shoved inside and cooked. It was sight to behold sitting there on the plate but my mouth was not so impressed. It was decent. We got the apple and strawberry shortcake deserts. Both were the highlight of lunch I thought. I loved the apples with the cinnamon and sugar topping.
(3)Chukki S.
This place could be a lot cooler than it actually is. It always feels a bit clasustrophobic in here. Walking from the entrance to the dining room is difficult because of the narrow pathway and all the people walking back and forth. The service is usually pretty decent though. The food is okay. Nothing special.
(3)Susan S.
Food was very good but "the Perfect Matgarita" which was recommended by our waitress was the smallest, weakest and the most ice filled Margarita that i have EVER had and they charged $8.50. Next time i will drink a beer.
(3)Orpha C.
I'm hooked on the fried chicken at this restaurant! I have it every time I go and, looking at my friend's choices, I'm glad I stick to the same thing. My friend ordered the beef ribs and they were not appealing whatsoever and had a gray tinge to them. He said they were alright and I was surprised they were even "alright". Back to the chicken. So good and juicy. They really have got that mastered, in my opinion, and I'll continue to head there when I have a fried chicken craving. The portion is big enough that I usually have enough left over to take home, except this past visit. I had a drumstick, wing, breast and back and the back didn't really have any meat on it at all and the wing was minuscule so I pretty much had to rely on the breast and drumstick to feel full and, really, the drum didn't have a lot to it either. I have to say that in the past, the chicken is usually much meatier and I usually bring one or two pieces home. My biggest problem with the dish is that they serve these horrible soggy french fries that must be cooked from the frozen state because they certainly weren't cut fresh and were flavorless. They really were terrible. I would love mashed potatoes with fried chicken but they don't serve those until after 4 p.m. Kind of a bummer but I'm there for the chicken anyways.
(3)Scott L.
Went back and had the Reuben, really liked it. Lightly cooked and crispy,not oily or soggy, lots of meat, sauer, and cheese. $8.45 with a side was right on. Service was quick.
(4)Mark S.
We were told about the neat shops in Cave Creek and that we had to go. We decided to spend an afternoon in the 104 heat walking from shop to shop to look at seriously over priced western furniture. It seemed like a good idea at the time. We drove through most of the shops and restaurants to see what was available and after stopping at one that was closed for lunch, we picked the Horny toad. The rustic atmosphere is the first thing you notice. It is kind of like an old mine shaft thing, except it had windows. Different at least. They had three kinds of nonalcoholic beer on the menu so I was happy right away. My wife had some trendy sarsaparilla. I ordered a cheese crisp which was a corn tortilla baked with cheese, onions and tomatoes. It came with a side of salsa and for $1.25 I think this may be the best appetizer I have ever had. What a simple idea. It was a taco shell broke in half with lots of melted cheese and a few onions and tomatoes. Dump a little salsa on it and wow, its great. We also had an order of hot wings. They were OK but I would try many things on the menu before I ordered them again. They smelt great, hot and vinegary but the taste was a little bland. The more I ate, the better they got though. Kind of a buttery, spicy vinegar taste. Like I said though, just OK. The home made blue cheese was a nice dip and it was too bad we only got two pieces of celery. I ordered the half rack of BBQ pork ribs. When I asked if I could switch the fries for onion rings I got a flat out no. I thought for a small charge this may be possible. I did get the pound of ribs I was promised so I can't complain about that. The ribs were average. They were BBQ'd at least, not boiled like some places. I'm not sure what this place is "known" for but non of the things I tried will bring me back. My wife had the Broiled Icelandic cod which she ate about four bites. Seriously, there was so much left on the plate that when the waiter came and picked up the plates I couldn't believe he never asked if it was OK. It was broiled with some onions and some kind of powdered cheese or something. Anyway, skip it. While we were there, another table proclaimed loudly that the service and the meal were absolutely excellent. We had the same waiter and he was certainly friendly but good at best. Not sure what they ate but I can be sure it wasn't what we had. I'll miss this one next time I'm in town.
(2)Wes N.
Meh, I stopped in at Horny Toad with my lady to have a drink. It was mid-day on a Sunday & the bar area was empty except for us. We didn't eat, but we had a couple of draft beers. The beers were over $4 each & they were served in small glasses. We didn't even get a full pint! Lameness, Horny Toad.
(2)Jenna W.
I'd read so many good reviews so I was expecting much better than I experienced. We ordered,Fried Mushrooms Zucchini and Onions, BBQ Pork Ribs, Liver & Onions, Fried Chicken, a burger, Strawberry Shortcake and a Brownie Sundae. The Fried Zucchini and Onions were good, but the mushrooms were cold and some of the batter was raw. The ribs were dry. The Liver and Onions was surprisingly tasty, but the mashed potatoes were "fake". They tasted like they came from a box. The burger was good, but so is In and Out. The Strawberry Shortcake was supposedly award winning, but the strawberries were from a can/jar, they were soaked, not fresh and a weird tinge of purple. The cake alone was delicious and hot. This dessert should have been served with ice cream. The Brownie Sundae was the most delicious part of the whole meal. The brown was hot, and soft and served with ice cream and whipped cream. The fried chicken was tasty, but not hot enough. I can't say I will ever go back, other than to have the Brown Sundae again. The server forgot about us and we went thirsty most of the meal. This seems like a tourist trap, so no matter how many bad reviews they get, I think they will continue to be busy.
(2)Al W.
Good burgers. Casual dining. Nice place to grab lunch at a local restaurant..
(3)Dave G.
Went to Cave Creek and decided to try The Horny Toad! Was fun looking at the gift shop and the restaurant was tasty. Enjoyed chatting with other customers that were in the outdoor section, We all seemed to enjoy the place! Service was excellent ! Seems to me the prices were high for what they were! Overall I did enjoy it and had to buy the HORNY TOAD TEE SHIRTS.
(3)James R.
Went back when my parents flew into town and wanted to check it out. After reading some reviews on their Fried Chicken I had to give it a try and I am glad I did. The meat was moist and the skin was crispy and tasty. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that goes up to Cave "tourist trap" Creek. Enjoy!
(4)Ethan L.
The best fried chicken anywhere. Period.
(5)Chris S.
My husband and I enjoyed our dinner here. The burger was ok. They fried chicken was really good. Great BBQ sauce too. Our waitress was really friendly. We enjoyed eating outside, before the sun went down and it got too cool.
(4)Kelley p.
So after venturing up to cave creek in hopes of going to the spotted donkey (which we never found.. Thx to the wrong map on yelp!) We were starving and just wanted to eat so we found this joint. And eat I got. It was worse then those restaurants that were names "eat" that I would see along the roadside as a kid(which I never ate at). Nothing for vegetarins here other than fried fish. I had green chile soup, a cheese crisp(that was more a pile of greasey cheese than anything) and a ceaser salad. My friend had a steak that resembled the steaks in a commerical for Coco's. After eating this food I felt absoultly sick. I won't be back. I rather eat at EAT.
(1)Kathy Y.
Home style cooking with huge portions. Love the fried chicken and strawberry shortcake. Lots of fun.
(4)Kristin C.
I remember thinking it was so funny that the Satisfied Frog was right down the road basically from the Horny Toad. I mean, was the Frog totally getting all the action? The Toad was left so totally unsatisfied? (Yes, I know what a horny toad is. I am a native, remember? But as a kid these things are hilarious.) Strangely enough, that's kinda how it looks. The Satisfied Frog will have tons of people being brought in by the bus load. The Horny Toad was always fairly easy to get into. I feel like the Satisfied Frog actually takes some of the heat off of the Horny Toad so that it could be a better place, but sometimes I think it's trying too hard to just be like the Frog. Yea, it's kinda touristy, but it's also really close to some other cool spots. Do the big Cave Creek loop and, if you're not going for high cuisine, stop here first. Grab some casual - but not super high quality - grub at the Toad, hang out and watch the tourists while you eat. Then go over to the Town Dump right down the street. You've just experienced Cave Creek. You can now finish the loop and end up in Scottsdale for the rest of your tourist shopping. One more city checked off your guest's list and you didn't have to fight through bus loads of people.
(3)Josh D.
To some this is a real AZ hangout. To others it's nothing but an overpriced tourist trap with bad food. There's a little bit of truth to both of those statements. Bottom line... it's a decent place to take out-of-town guests to experience an old West atmosphere and eat fried chicken. Order any other food at your own discretion! Oh yeah, the beer is OK to drink as well.
(2)Michael T.
I went to the Horny Toad with a party of five. Sadly there are few redeeming qualities to this place, all of which are in no way associated the actual restaurant. The decor makes the place look like an abandon mine shaft. The food was horrible. The salads consisted of shredded iceberg lettuce and a few uninspiring toppings. The restaurant did provide a bucket of salad dressing to allow the diner to drown the insipid salad in. The grade of the ribs was sub-standard and permanently marked from the jockey whip. During dinner we had several uninvited guests visit us (beetles/roaches). We found one on our menu, one in the basket of fries, and several more littered around the establishment. Since I did not see any outside the restaurant, I can only conclude that they lived in the kitchen. Cave Creek is a beautiful setting. I highly recommend taking the time to drive up there, but give the Horny Toad a pass, unless you are a gourmand in entomophagy. (I wish yelp allowed zero star ratings)
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