This is a great restaurant for a date night. My wife and I came in recently, and enjoyed the Duck, the Calamari, and a Bacon Cheeseburger. Odd combination, but all great. Nothing was spectacular, but all of it was definitely tasty. Keep in mind the entrees have a pretty wide price range, from about $10 to almost $40. Overall I would recommend Bink's Midtown over Bink's Scottsdale due to their amazing patio, but if you're in this area and want something a bit more private, this is a great choice. Enjoy!
(4)
RC H.
Had lunch here with a friend. Restaurant is brightly yet simply decorated. A very eclectic menu wanting me to return to try some of the other items. We both had the lunch special which included soup or salad, sandwich and iced tea or soda for $16. Sandwich choices included chicken salad and sand dab.my friend had the chicken salad and I went for the sand dab. Both of us had the gazpacho. The sandwiches were excellent as was the gazpacho. For $32 plus change we had a nice lunch for two, including iced tea, and it was a substantial meal. The server was knowledgeable and efficient. Parking is not a problem due to the strip mall location. The menu is ideal for vegetarians and carnivores alike. I definitely want to return to try the mussels, the calamari and the burger. I will be back.
(5)
Kara S.
I made the venture to Binks in Scottsdale with friends for restaurant week. They offered a three course menu selection with wine pairings that had options for meat and fish eaters. The regular menu had a varied selection as well and looked equally good. The rating will depend on what you order since I was much more satisfied with my dishes than my friends were. For starters I had the red pepper chilled soup with yogurt, caramelized, onions and nuts that was paired with a dry white wine. My main dish was blackened trout over a perfectly salted stew or carrot, celery, mushroom and gnocchi that was paired with a Spanish red. My dessert was a buttermilk pie with jammed blueberries that was just the right amount of bitter creamy to sweet. This was paired with a sweet bubbly dessert wine. My friends all ordered the fried chicken and were not overly impressed and said it was too heavily breaded and salty. Overall I was very pleased with my food, the service and the ambiance. I think that your satisfaction level will depend on what you order so choose wisely! It's worth a try!
(4)
Gee L.
We went for happy hour. The fried rice/meatballs were interesting. We ordered appies and beer. The bartender was personable and attentive, The place is really nice, a bit small so plan for it. I reserve the right to amend this after we have a full dinner there. Maybe soon. The wings were of the sweet spicy variety. Not my fave but the cook was good.
(4)
Steve A.
I came in to check it out on a Sunday eve. Prompt, courteous service and able to easily answer my questions about the menu & wine list. A small but unique menu and I liked being able to get a carafe of wine as an option. I had the Moroccan fried chicken, which was very tasty. All in all, a very good experience
(5)
Jennifer S.
We stopped in one Sunday for brunch and ended up ordering off of the lunch menu since the brunch menu is quite limited. I enjoyed my sloppy joe sandwich with a pickle tremendously. We sat on the patio and were surprised that the restaurant was dead...all of the Binkley's restaurants kick out some pretty fresh and amazing food, so I would expect more of a crowd. Great space, great service and great food too!
(4)
Ciara S.
I heard so many great reviews about it's counterpart in cave creek but, this place wasn't worth it. It was okay but, I don't crave it nor barely think of it.
(3)
Anna B.
Because of the fairly good reviews on Yelp we decided to give this a shot tonight... to say we were disappointed is an understatement. I called ahead to make sure it was kid-friendly... the woman on the phone said there was no kids menu (totally fine) but that there were plenty of high chairs so come on in. When we arrived we were greeted by two gentlemen who seemed apprehensive to seat us (probably because we had a one year old with us... who might I add is very well behaved at restaurants, otherwise we wouldn't go out.) After five minutes of waiting for them to find us a table (it was dead) they sat us at the very last table right next to the restrooms. Our waitress was friendly and recommended a few items. We ordered the pretzel and chicken wings for apps, cocktails and a burger and the bolognese. The drinks were the highlight of the evening, we ordered a margarita, the mule and the whiskey shandy. We were brought our entrees, a fairly small portion for bolognese in my opinion... my husband's was cold and the pasta wasn't fully cooked. After letting our waitress know, ten min later they brought him a new one. Unfortunately the plate was on fire but the food was barely warm. The bolognese was nothing to write home about... just OK. My brother's burger was again, just OK and the side salad was mediocre at best. We brought it to the wait staff's attention that we would like the apps taken off the bill since our waitress never brought them... she was very nice and sincere in her apology, apparently it was her first night - they comped his bolognese. We won't be going back.
(2)
Ivo G.
We were excited about experiencing the atmosphere and the food at Bink's, however, when we walked in on a Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015 at around 1:40pm we were asked if we had a reservation. We said NO and the host told us that they were booked solid for the next two hours. As we chose to eat at the place next door, we checked available reservation times at Bink's and everything starting at 2:00pm and on was available to reserve. Still not sure why we weren't allowed to eat there???? Perhaps polo shirt and short attire not welcome there?
(1)
Stephanie N.
The central location is better... My duck was over cooked and the atmosphere is wanting (but not a huge fan of dinner restaurants that are in strip malls)
(3)
Anthony W.
Came here last night for dinner with my wife. We are big fans of Binkley's up in Cave Creek and excited to try his newest establishment in Scottsdale. The place was fairly empty when we got there, but it was a Monday evening. The place was decorated very nice and modern. They have a nice bar area for drinks if you prefer. We started with the pumpkin soup which was delicious but be warned that it is sweet. It was so velvety smooth that I had to restrain myself from licking the bowl. For our main course we chose the sand dabs for my wife and the duck breast for me. I wasn't too impressed with the sand dabs. It was three thin filets that were pan fried with brown butter and then covered in slivered almonds. For a a nice restaurant I would expect to see something like Chilean sea bass, halibut, mahi mahi, or something more exotic. My duck breast was great. Perfectly cooked but served in an oval bowl that I found hard to cut into bite size pieces. I would rather see it served on a plate, maybe with a side of something. All in all it was a good meal and I would return to try some other dishes.
(4)
Lindsey D.
First off, I love the fact that I can make a reservation directly through the Yelp app or through Bink's website so that I don't have to worry about getting a seat...especially during snow bird season! I'm a big fan of the Bink's family and this was my first time visiting their Scottsdale location. I really enjoyed the environment, food and service and especially the patio which was the perfect place to dine on a nice day. To start, they brought out their buckwheat rolls which were amazing! I've never had buckwheat before but I'm sold. The bread was soft and sweet and the perfect way to start a meal. For my lunch, I went with the lunch special which was a salad or soup, a sandwich and a drink for $15. Not a bad deal! The food came out quickly and it was delicious. Be warned that their cheese is not pasteurized. I have found that most restaurants have pasteurized cheese but luckily I still checked because Bink's is not and un-pasteurized cheese is a no-no for pregnant folks. They were kind enough to bring me another salad without the cheese. The chicken salad sandwich I ordered was really good! It would actually be good as a salad too. I really enjoyed the food as well as the atmosphere. I encourage you to visit if you're in the area and make a reservation if you do!
(4)
Vijay R.
I came to Bink's for Restaurant week under recommendation of one of my foodie friends. I went with him and his wife, and we had a fairly good time, but maybe some of our expectations were a little higher. As starters, the majority of us got the beef capriccio. We each got different main dishes: pork shoulder, fried chicken, and shrimp pasta. The pork shoulder was amazing with a mediterranean type of seasoning. The fried chicken was okay because it had too much breading for its liking. It also said it was boneless, but it did not turn out boneless. The shrimp pasta was light, but it didn't quite have the wow factor. The desserts were Tres Leche cake, pear ice cream, and a hazelnut mousse cake. The desserts were yummy when you mixed all 3 of them together in one bite. Each of them individually seemed to be lacking a component. Overall, the setting was great and lovely. The food was decent, but maybe not at the level we were expecting when we reserved our night.
(3)
Suzanne H.
Overpriced and crappy. The service was awful-from start to finish. Clueless waiter. Let's get something straight waiters of the world: Everything is not amazing on your menu. I had the duck and I only ordered it because it was the only thing I would consider ordering besides the fried chicken and my husband got that. The chicken was actually decent, my duck was seriously overpriced for what is was and was okay. The grilled grapes were a total joke that came with it. The starter salad we had- a chopped salad- was totally crappy. Tasteless combination of items. The buck wheat biscuits are whatever they bring you to start are leaden pieces of undercooked dough. Bleh. We were there on a Sunday when we supposedly had the awesome opportunity to have a leftover cinnamon roll from Sunday brunch. It was absolutely annihilated in the oven and burned to a crisp. Awful, pathetic, inedible. But hey, waiter, don't say anything if you are taking back 1/2 or less eaten plates of food! Totally forgot drink orders, too. Ugh, just a waste of time and money. What a crappy restaurant and other than the cute tabletops, the interior space is super basic and obviously not done by a professional. We just stood by the front door upon entering for minutes with no one around. Just march on down to one of the many other places in this strip mall in Scottsdale and eat elsewhere-anything is better than this place.
(2)
Takuya K.
Our experience was super pleasant as opposed to others who've yelped about the new Binks Scottsdale. Hubby and I went tonight casually for an early dinner and was courteously welcomed and seated with water right away. The decor was super lovely and it was very apparent there was significant $$$ infusion for the elegant bar and overall interior. The kitchen was comparatively spacier and a peep through glass window allowed us a view to within. Was pleasantly surprised to see Chef Binkley arrive soon after us dressed in their casual Bink work attire, must be hard to do the rounds now with so many outlets and fans. Ordered the barbecue octopus, which delicately balanced the tangy BBQ sauce with a buttery mayo aioli. But most surprising was the combination flavors of the tender octopus with celery leaves, a duo us Asians would seldom imagine. Tonight's app was neither chewy or overdone, simply a success. Then as we were both craving the burger, we were shocked to not see it on the dinner menu. Boldly asking our friendly waiter whether the kitchen would cater to our needs, he promptly returned minutes later that the chef would prepare the bacon infused patties straight away. The reasoning for not being present on the menu is they are prominent happy hour selections thus the restaurant doesn't want to over promise in case of selling out during HH. We love the option for a quickie bite in Scottsdale and will definitely return as the menu evolves,
(4)
Travis B.
happy hour time! why it was so empty for a sunday HH, i have no idea but fine with us. Binks is probably a great happy hour for some budgets, but not necessarily for ours. Our friends whom invited us, are in a higher income bracket. We are not. That being said, our food was delicious, the service was great, and the atmosphere was inviting. We were started with a small plate of cinammon biscuits from their brunch menu. Sweet, delicious, rich. Our happy hour meal was a large kale salad, split. Not the average kale salad. The dressing was light but oh so tasty. We had 2 of the fish sandwiches, one with a side of their thicker cut fries. The fish sandwiches were crispy, salty but complemented with a hint of sweetness from the bun. 1 beer and 1 glass of wine also, and our bill was 50 bucks. service was prompt, friendly, and spot on.
(4)
Michael T.
How it took me a year to go here I'll never know. Not as stuffy as Binkley's, the food is far more down-to-earth. We started with the pomegranate meatballs and kale salad, which were both excellent. We then had the duck and the bolognese. The duck was perfectly prepared, not gamy, and just melted in your mouth. The bolognese was one of the best bolognese dishes I've had in years. It was slightly zesty, with a delicious meat mixture that was spiced perfectly. Dessert wasn't that impressive, we shared the chocolate puddin', and didn't finish it.. But I'd go back there in a heartbeat! If you go, ask for Dylan. Great server!
(4)
Julie D.
Must say I'm extremely disappointed. We came in to try the burgers and bottle special. Once we said that everything changed. Our wine came out without a label display or introduction, much less a tasting. One of our burgers fell apart as soon as we picked it up and the split was dark, which means the burger broke on the first turn but instead of making a new one they slapped cheese on it and sent it out anyway. Your "coupon" customers may be there to feel out the place or just regular customers wanting an easy night out.
(3)
Pepper T.
The food and service surpassed my expectations by leaps and bounds. I enjoyed a great meal here about two weeks back and wondered if lightening could strike twice. The $30.00 three course Restaurant Week Menu with Optional $15.00 Wine or Beer Pairing was Phenomenal. I soon received my first course of Tempura Eggplant sprinkled with Bonito Flakes, Shaved Jalapeño and Black Garlic Vinaigrette. The Tempura was nice and crispy and the eggplant was creamy not soggy. The shaved Jalapeño added the right kick and the Black Garlic Vinaigrette added the right sweetness. It also was a bonus that the serving was large so my husband got to try that one out too. My main course was the Baked Trout with super great Red Potatoes. The Trout came out on this cast iron dish that was extremely hot with herb butter. The fish was nice and fresh and very moist. I thought it would over cook but it didn't and remained moist and hot and was simplistic but perfect and tasted great. The Red Potatoes were Amazing and were cooked perfect with crispy edges so creamy on the inside and seasoned well. They were embellished with Chopped Egg and White Anchovy Vinaigrette and were excellent. The portion was big and my husband happily helped me eat them too. The wine pairing was a buttery Chardonnay and I normally Hate Chardonnay it's usually my least favorite wine but the pairing was magical with this dish. I'm a sucker for Passion Fruit so I went for the Coconut Mousse that came with Passionfruit Curd Blueberry Cake Ginger and Coconut Flakes. The Mousse was unlike any Mousse I ever had before. It had a hard shell that I suspect to involve Molecular Gastronomy. Light as cloud Mousse came out when you broke the shell and complimented the intense delicious Passion Fruit Curd and everything else on the plate. Service, Food and Value were Outstanding!
(5)
Dan S.
Bink's Scottsdale is a wonderful restaurant tucked into the corner of a small mall. My wife and I came for the appetizer and stayed for lunch. The app in question was the Sweetbread nuggets. These golden-brown delights were cooked to perfection and paired with a great sweet & sour sauce. My wife had the Chicken Salad sandwich which she enjoyed. I had the Ham sandwich which was also very good. Both sandwiches came with fresh pickles and great dipping sauces for the accompanying fries. A very delightful lunch. We hope to try dinner soon and visit some of Binkley's other valley restaurants.
(5)
Elissa R.
I've been here twice - once for dinner and once for happy hour - both times my experience was fantastic. Service has been very attentive and food is great. When I was here for dinner, I ordered the trout as a main course - cooked and prepared perfectly. They have a great selection of sides featuring local, seasonal produce - we tried the asparagus and beats, both were excellent. Their happy hour is hard to beat - a good selection of small menu items and drink/wine specials. I wish it went later than 6:00!
(5)
Darcy M.
The sazerac martini is excellent but the last few times I went there with my boyfriend, we were both disappointed. The food was so-so and it took an extraodinarily long time for the bartender to take and make our drink orders.
(3)
Mark T.
Was paying a visit to the area for the week and needed something fun to do. On accident, I found out that it was Arizona Restaurant week. I figured why not and decided to go for it. This place was the first stop in the city tour. Upon arrival, I immediately found it odd that this place was located in what looked like a strip mall next door to a hotel. I went in and got seated at a high table near the bar. I examined the restaurant week menu and dug in. First I ordered the Steak Carpaccio (thin sliced steak with brussels sprout kimchee, sesame seeds, seaweed crostini and wasabi mayo). The second course was the Moroccan Spiced Fried Chicken (with preserved lemon and herb potato salad and harissa). Finally, I went with the Brown Butter Banana Tres Leches (peanut butter mousse and raspberry). By far, the best dish of the night was the Carpaccio. I usually don't order kimchee but I found that the sourness of the kimchee was balanced out with the tanginess of the wasabi mayo. Not to mention that those flavors coupled with the steak on top of the crostini made one excellent dish. As I moved on to the second dish and tasted it, I thought that it tasted just like regular chicken. It could have been easily dismissed until I found the spicy sauce elsewhere on the plate. Although the spice was a little less than what I expected, it still tasted like a very unique dish. I wasn't a fan of the dessert; not because it wasn't good, but because I think I needed a lighter dish. The Tres Leches was what it was supposed to be; a dense spongy cake with slices of banana, nuts and raspberries. I thought that it felt heavy on my stomach. I took the time to examine the ambiance. The restaurant looked very modern; seating area on one side and high tables and the bar on the other. The areas were separated by a clear display wall of mason jars of different types of things: spices, coconut pieces, slices of pineapple, etc. Wood paneling behind the bar and big scree tvs on either side. Spacious patio area outside. The wait staff was excellent. Regretfully I didn't get the chance to get my waiter's name but he took a lot of time to wait on me and explain the menu. The bartender seemed super nice nearby; he was laughing and joking with some of the folks seated at the bar. The night exceeded way beyond my expectations. Bravo.
(4)
Erika K.
Pretty bummed with dinner the other night. My mom and I loved Binks Midtown and were so excited to try the Scottsdale location. Came on a Sunday night so the place was pretty dead. I'll start off saying the server was really nice and attentive. The three stars is for the food. We ordered the simple salad and tasted like someone poured salt into the dressing. We love salt but my mom couldn't even eat it and I regret eating mine for the chipmunk cheeks I had later. My mom even let the manager know it was a little aggressive and he did offer to bring her a new one... Now for entrees, I had the mussels in a curry sauce and were awesome! My mom got the Sand Dabs and low and behold.. Salty!! She had to order chili peppers to counteract the salt. All in all underwhelming and not worth the price...
(3)
Rickey Lynn G.
Binks is one of a small chain of restaurants created by Chef Kevin Binkley, who has been nominated for James Beard award a number of times. While the chef has a regular menu at Binks, companion and I were there for a special lunch - a buffet featuring pig's head. There are those who will turn up their noses at even having a pig's head served to them, but truth be known, some of the best and most succulent meat on the beast is on the head. Companion and I queued up with our plates at the buffet. We started with phenomenal veggie paella, which consisted of rice, peas, onions, thyme and bay leaves. I could not identify all the ingredients, but it was a true hit with both myself and companion. Next was a coleslaw of finely shredded cabbage with mustard seeds and sprouts marinated in what I think was a Japanese rice wine vinegar. I never eat coleslaw that does not have a creamy dressing, but I made a big exception in this case and went back for seconds. Continuing down the line were a cucumber salad, and a potato salad made with red potatoes. The potato salad was tasty, but the potatoes were cut into much too large pieces - my only complaint. Also on the line was a large chafing dish of BBQ beans that were very flavorful. Next came a large chafing dish of pulled pork. The pork had a nice flavor to it along with a bit of smoke. The moisture content was just right and it was cooked to perfection. Finally, we came to the pig's head. Binks got their pig's heads from The Meat Shop, which slaughters their own heritage pigs and supplies many of the best restaurants in the Phoenix area. The meat really does make a difference. The head was served by a chef and you could ask for any parts that you wanted to have. The event started at 2:00, and by 3:30 they had used up 9 heads. And you didn't think this would be popular?? I had an ear, some brains, a cheek, some snout, some tongue, and lots of crispy, crunchy skin. Companion had the same as I did. First up was the brains. Creamy with a good flavor from the seasoning. Next was the cheek - which when heavily smoked is the Italian delicacy Guanciale. As I ate it I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I only got a little of the tongue, as companion had asked for the entire thing and quickly scarfed it down. Companion loved the food. The snout had a lovely, gelatinous texture and was a real treat to eat. Finally, came the ear - beautifully crunchy and at the same time the texture of a little cartilage. The skin was wonderfully crunchy and had a nice mahogany glaze that tasted of maple syrup. I was too full for any dessert, but companion managed to down a piece of Sweet Tea Cake which had a light sweet bacon icing drizzled over it. Is there anything better than a porcine meal topped with a dessert that has bacon lardons in it? Over all, it was a wonderful experience, and I will definitely be returning to experience the regular menu. The amount of food was almost overwhelming as this was an all you can eat experience. Service was excellent and everything was spotless. 5 stars
(5)
Carol C.
The Calamari was excellent! Crispy, spicy with sweet onions. My duck entree was outstanding. Shared Brussels sprouts amazingly tasty. Definitely coming back.
(4)
Iris D.
Tonight, my husband and I enjoyed ourselves with close friends for the pig's head special. Initially, you might say "eww!", but it's anything but. Sure, it's the head of a pig, but talk about a culinary adventure. The chef comes out and cuts it for you; you can choose what parts of the head you will/won't eat. In essence, it's no different than BBQ pork. It's tender bc they soak it in brine for 2 days; they cook it for 6 hrs. You'll get sides of pulled pork, cheddar biscuits, potato salad, and kimchee style brussel sprouts. If you want more sides, they give you more. We had a party of 8 people, but there was definitely enough food to feed at least 12 people. The portions were ample. The brussel sprouts were really good, but the potato salad had a bit too much dill. The service was first class, but we were the only people there on a Sunday night. If you want to try the pig's head, and you should!, you'll need at least 6 folks and a reservation 7 days in advance. It's $180 for 6, and only $10/extra person. It's reasonable for the quality of food you'll enjoy.
(4)
Mary M.
A friend and I had dinner here last night at this formerly favorite restaurant. We started with the mussels which were delicious although the portion seemed much smaller than it used to be and the broth was now a sauce and there wasn't a lot of that. I ordered the sand dabs. Now I had had them many times before at Bink's and they were always wonderful. When they were delivered to me they looked very dark. The first bite tasted absolutely burnt. I tried one more and yes it was burnt. Looking at it it was blackened, really burnt around the edges and even the slivered almonds on top were burnt. I called the waitress over and she was very nice and took it back. Next out comes a completely dry piece of fish with no butter sauce. I call the waitress again and takes it back to speak to the chef. Now the manager, Brad Gaulke, comes to our table to talk to me. He proceeds to tell me fish was not burnt but seared and this is how they always have prepared it. When I tell him it tasted burnt and it know what burned food tastes like he raises his voice and tells me not to be condescending. He was very rude, yelling at me. I ended up ordering the gnocchi. At the end of the evening he didn't charge me for the 2 sand dab orders. Thanks! And comped my dessert which was a mediocre blueberry tart that seemed to be reheated. I will NEVER go back to this location. I love Bink's Midtown and will go there. It's completely different. Our waitress here was wonderful. I felt bad for her. She needs to go work somewhere else.
(1)
Hil P.
Good, but nothing outstanding. I enjoyed my lunch, the food was well prepared and flavorful but nothing spectacular. The buckwheat biscuits were heavy and dense, don't recommend them. Pumpkin soup was enjoyable. Salads are made from fresh local ingredients and well balanced.
(4)
Allie H.
Love their unique combinations but wish they had more options for picky eaters like me. I love their seasonal butternut squash soup!
(4)
Rhiannon D.
Went for restaurant week and was impressed. I had the beef carpaccio with kimchi slaw, the shrimp and pasta, and their peanut butter tres leches for dessert. I normally don't eat beef, let alone eat it raw, but the carpaccio was really good! The spicy, tangy asian flavors were refreshing. Not too spicy. Loved the wasabi horseradish. The pasta was delicious! I don't usually like pasta because of how heavy it usually is and how I feel after eating it; I finished the whole bowl and was pleasantly full, no doubt, but did not feel weighed down. The flavors were light, despite seeming like a creamy sauce. There was some kind of bread served with the pasta that I loved the texture of. The tres leches was good. I don't feel like it had the texture I was hoping for - the cake seemed very dense, and I was hoping it would seem more soaked. It was a moist cake, just not what I expected for something that was described tres leches. Did enjoy the peanut butter flavor, but liked their Pear Sorbet better (my mom had that). Definitely will go again!
(4)
S C.
My favorite go to spot in Scottsdale! The menu is unique, fresh and delicious. The service is always great and the menu changes often to make for great variety. They have the most unique and tasty bread and butter if any restaurant I have ever been too. I have enjoyed a variety of dishes here. I love their French fries and truffle ketchup, the mussels are good, lots of great salads and vegetable dishes, the sweet potatoes are wonderful, trout, pasta...I'm not sure I ever had a bad dish here. The dessert variety isn't always great but the summer menu sure is!!! Highly recommend Binks!!!
(5)
Phillip C.
Fans of Kevin Binkley will certainly flock to his fourth valley restaurant. The restaurant just recently opened to the public (December 2013). There were a couple minor service glitches that are related to the staff getting to know the restaurant layout and the reservation system (some food runners were bringing stuff to our table that we didn't order), but I was pleasantly surprised at how well everything was already running. My dining companions and I wanted to get a broad sampling of the menu, so we ordered family style. We ordered about 10 different things. The kitchen and the front of the house worked very well together to pace our meal quite well. Again, for a new restaurant, that was impressive. Now onto the food. The menu is currently the same (as far as I can tell) as Binks Midtown. The focal point of the menu is the "Local Produce" section, broken into cold, hot and salads. We had the eggplant, dates and beets from the cold list. All three were well balanced but the eggplant stole the show. From the hot section, we had the winter quash and the fried red potatoes. Both were almost too good to share! If you're a fan of Spanish patatas bravas, you'll love these. The smoked paprika really came through. We also had the bone marrow, french fries and bbq octopus from the appetizers section of the menu. One rule I make for myself: whenever Kevin Binkley has octopus on the menu, order it! This one was exceptional. Don't worry, Chef Binkley doesn't serve "rubber" octopus! We only tried one entree, the brown butter and almond sand dabs. Sand dabs are small, delicate fish that you don't normally see on menus. There were expertly prepared, to enhance, not overpower the flavor of the fish. Just know that the entree does not come with anything on the side. You'll want to order a la carte if you want veggies with your main course. We sadly had no room for dessert on this trip. This is definitely a place where I could become a regular, so I'm sure I'll be able to add to the review soon.
(4)
John O.
The food was well prepared fresh and delicious. The decor was muted, modern elegance. The menu is not quite as inventive as the Midtown location catering more to older, more conservative taste buds. The menu changes often to reflect what is fresh, seasonal and available. The portions a little on the small side but well priced, fresh and well presented. Definitely a good place to go if you want to chat as the noise level is refreshingly low. Easy parking right outside. Superb, professional service.
(3)
Phyllis G.
Lunch today was cafeteria food. My roast beef sandwich was served on a too doughy cold roll the beef was almost raw and the arugula was limp. My husband's salad was ordinary and unimaginative and he had to ask for bread. Add two ice teas and the bill was almost $50. Rip off!
(2)
Little M.
Wow. What a disappointment. We tried the aranchini, the carpaccio, the pork shoulder, pasta, and Moroccan chicken with the mousse and pear sorbet. The pear sorbet was good once I removed the bacon. The flavors did not work for me. The carpaccio was tainted with Wasabi and very acidic slaw. The Wasabi and slaw were way to strong. The pork was ordinary. The pasta was not memorable. The chicken itself was good. The fried part was very thick. I had to remove the fried crust. The mousse was bland. The cake below was good. Overall, the meal was a joke. We will not be back.
(1)
Cassie G.
I love this place! Every time I've come to eat here I've been amazed - every dish is so beautifully prepared and tastes even better than it looks. My favorites on the menu: papusa, lobster pasta, chicken salad sandwich, and heirloom tomatoes. The dining room decor looked a bit different today than it did last time I was there. The change, while very mild, definitely changed the feeling of the restaurant for the better - it's a very relaxed/modern/elegant vibe. I've brought friends here for dinner and they are as equally in love with Bink's as I am. I know they will be back and I will continue to tell friends and family how wonderful this place is.
(5)
Lucy G.
Disappointed and disenchanted. We first went to this restaurant around this past New Years/holiday season. Back at that time we had a fabulous experience and have been wanting to get back here ever since. We finally made the trek tonight...and just simply had the worst service. At the bar, we asked the bartender if some items were perchance still available now. The response received was short, and a bit rude. We do understand that menu items would change with the season, however that doesn't automatically mean we ourselves are educated with what exactly is in season, and what isn't. That. Is. Why. We. Asked. We then were mainly avoided during our time at the bar, and the drinks made certainly had zero of that kind of panache that you expect when paying $12 for a martini. We're very reasonable and understand everyone has an off night. However I truly do not think we would make the trek out there again anytime soon. That does make me sad to say, but regret that's the truth.
(2)
Patrick H.
Kevin Binkley is a great chef and while he may not necessarily be cooking your meal at one of his restaurants, his staff is well-trained and stocked with great fresh ingredients. This was my first visit to this location and I sat at the bar. I started with a cup of the butternut squash soup. It was excellent and flavored with bits of apples, cranberries and walnuts to give it a little crunch and an extra layer of flavor. My entree was the duck breast. I ordered it medium rare and it was cooked perfectly. The port vinaigrette sauce paired perfectly with the rest of the dish. My only complaint was that the bartender needed some help. He was very capable but couldn't keep up with the bar crowd. Again, this isn't a knock on him, but if he had some help he could take the time to engage the customers a little more and refill drinks a little faster. I'm glad Bink's Scottsdale is here in town.
(4)
Lenora H.
Every good thing I heard was exceeded. When we have folks from out of town escaping the harsh winters up north, we will definitely bring them here. The food was phenomenal - we had sesame-crusted salmon and the Moroccan fried chicken. OMG, wish I could cook like that. Appetizer teriyaki meatballs were really good. Chocolate mousse desert - yum.
(5)
Kate L.
This was our second visit - after a year. We took some friends from Chicago since we had good memories from last year. We have come to the area last year and this for a month to escape winter. We had reservations at 8:15 and the table was being prepared for us as we got there. The service was just excellent. I can't remember her name, but she was attentive without being intrusive. I had the pasta bolognese and it was so good. Loved the pasta and liked the sauce. My husband had the sand dabs which were very good. Our friends had the gnocchi and a kale salad with chicken. I thought the gnocchi dish looked a bit small, but he seemed happy and she really liked the salad. We appreciate restaurants being inventive and as I said, the service was so good.
(4)
Janet H.
The worst food, service, and management I've had in 70 yrs of eating around the world! Would not give credit for bad food, service was curt, rude, and unhappy I wanted clean glass for my wine! Management would not listen talked over me and walked away. Bill was overcharged and they would not go over the detail with me! Don't go!!!
(1)
Eleanor H.
Thank you Kevin for coming into our neighborhood!!!!! Those in the know will certainly agree that binks is a little taste of heaven and a great teaser for interested diners to prepare for Binkley's (the mothership of Kevin & Amy's cuisine). So far our favorites are the soup (always a delight), the foie gras, and the ricotta with pistachios. I recommend ordering at least 2 seasonally changing veggies dishes highlighting local produce and our personal favorite entree Amy's bolognese. Our waiter Andrew is knowledgable and accommodating. We have a standing reservation and if you know anything about food you will also. See you there, cheers!
(5)
Rhoda R.
Took my in-laws here and dinner was outstanding. Service impeccable. Loved every part of this. So happy to have this culinary delight in our hood. A must try.
(5)
Ernesto L.
Nice and sober neighborhood gem. It was restaurant week so I had that menu plus the truffle fries, a cheese board and the asparagus. Don't bother with the asparagus. The rest was pretty decent plus the price was fair. The desert was pretty good. A coconut frozen ball with a liquid filling. I'll go back to try the regular menu. Cheers
(3)
Julia L.
The food was amazing! My husband had the Moroccan chicken and I had the duck! Service was fabulous from Shonda! The biscuits are awesome! Highly recommend this place!
(5)
Rose C.
Best food and best service in Scottsdale. My favorite place! Thank you for outstanding delicious foods.. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Steve K.
Thee food at Bink's scottsdale is what farm to table should be. But for some reason everything is very salty. I believe that in order for them to be successful, they would need more things on the menu to appeal to more people. They are not busy. It seems the place needs some identity. It's cold.
(3)
Peter Y.
Bink's was pretty good. Portions are not the biggest and I think it was a little more hyped up. The beef carpaccio was very good! If the prices were a little less I might give this four stars. Get something that you have never had before, one positive is their eclectic menu.
(3)
HIROKO K.
This was my third visit to Bink's. The foie gras is no longer on the menu. I always order several appetizers, and then an entree. The BBQ octopus, mussels in curry sauce, and the pork pupusa were good as always. The sand dab was OK. What was most disturbing was the moldy tasting snow peas that accompanied the lobster pasta - one of their more expensive dishes! Shame on the chef who made this! If the chef had bothered to taste it, the chef wouldn't have served it. I let the server know that the snow peas had gone bad. The service has always been lackadaisical and uncoordinated. This experience has put me off from wholeheartedly recommending future visits. So disappointed.
(2)
Barbara G.
A friend came in from out of town and was staying in Scottsdale so on the recommendation of a friend who is fond of Bink's in Phoenix we went to the Scottsdale Bink's for happy hour making a reservation for 5:30pm, My friend got there on time and I arrived at 5:40pm. I should have been forewarned by the ratings on Yelp about the Scottsdale location. Our waiter was dour and abrupt and never smiled or welcomed us. Our food was worse - only the french fries were very good. I had the sand dab sandwich which was mostly mayo-heavy slaw (they put it on the bun) and bread with only 3 tiny pieces of fish. When I pointed this out to the manager, she got defensive and said sand dabs were a thin fish. My desert came with a white topping that was hard as a rock and inedible. We were not given happy hour prices, either. for our wine or food. We left Bink's wishing we had gone to nearby Houston's which has consistently outstanding food and service.
(1)
dzeneta a.
went for an early dinner about a week ago. We set inside in one of the booths. Our service was prompt and proffesional, knowledgable and on point. Suggestions were amazing. They had the BBQ octopus with beens special that was out of this world. Never thought that these items would work together... They did and they rocked. all of our food except for the kid's burger was excellent. Now, i had to take one star off due to very poorly prepared kid's cheeseburger. We are of an opinion that if you put something on the menu and are willing to sell it, than ensure that it is done right. We will for sure come back to the restaurant and instead of the burger we will have a steak for our daughter ( she did very much like it) and i am sure that it will be a 5 star experience.
(4)
Matt S.
Very, very much a fan. Had a nice dinner outside at Bink's Scottsdale last night. Our waiter, Chad was menu-knowledgeable and we enjoyed the food very much. Having been to Bink's Midtown a few months back, and not loving our meals, we were hesitant to try Bink's Scottsdale, but I'm happy to report that we very much enjoyed the experience. The three of us shared the kale and quinoa salad, fries, sweet potatoes, smashed potatoes, cauliflower, bolognese, rainbow trout, mussels, chocolate puddin' cake and frozen orange soup. I wouldn't order the smashed potatoes or the frozen orange soup again, but everything else was excellent. Very affordable meal for that area of town as well. Highly recommended!
I had heard rave reviews of the Bink restaurants and was excited for my first foray. Well, that excitement was soon tempered by a less-than-stellar experience. We arrived and were seated. I took a good 7 minutes for us to even be acknowledged at our seats. Finally, we asked for some water which was brought to us with a perfunctory "sorry." Then, we had to ASK for bread. Finally, our drink orders were taken, and we waited for our drinks in the time it would've taken to ferment a glass of wine. The gimlet I had was just meh. I've had better. Then, it took forever for the waiter to take our food order. Once he did, we waited, and waited.....and waited. He then told us that they were short-staffed that night and was profusely apologetic. That helped ease the experience, but frankly not enough. The butternut squash soup was good, but overall the food wasn't great. The cauliflower tasted like they had haphazardly emptied their entire artisanal salt shaker onto it. It wasn't worth complaining about, because by the time we could get anyone's attention and a new order it would've been a good hour. I recommend the push-pop dessert which was made with lime sorbet and oatmeal ice cream. It tasted like a key lime pie. It was made ahead of time so was actually brought out rather quickly.
OK, I am a local, not a snowbird and I am always looking for a good down to earth restaurant. I should have gone running from the restaurant when I saw Kale on the menu. Kale is the new "in thing". Yuck! very few people in the restaurant at 2 PM on a Saturday and the service was so-so. The Pomegranate meatballs were alright but nothing special. How do you ruin a roast beef sandwich? well, it is supposed to arrive hot. It arrives warm on top and ice cold in the center. Served on a very small roll that had obviously been tasted maybe a few hours before, hard on the edges. Our friends had the saddens and said they were good. One friend had a ham and cheese sandwich and said the ham was very salty. I tried it and he was right, too much salt. Overall not what I expected and too expensive for the small portions. Can't anyone open a good, restaurant with good old fashioned food that does not have kale or pig belly on the menu?
(2)
Jeff B.
Went to Bink's on a Friday night for restaurant week. We were seated immediately at a table that allowed a good view of the kitchen. The restaurant week menu is a three course affair. Had the beef carpaccio as an app. Flavor-wise the main feature was the brussel sprout kimchi and it could have used a pinch of coarse salt but the amazing thing was the texture. As I went to slice it with my knife and fork, i noticed that the knife wasnt necessary. The beef so thin and tender I could easily scoop it up with my fork and smear it on the crostini before piling on a little of the kimchi on top. It was literally meat butter. Awesome. The entree was fried chicken which at Bink's is boneless. The chicken had obviously been brined and was very juicy; it was also rocket hot. I noticed that in the kitchen, the chicken was almost always the last thing to hit the pass and as soon as it was done, they would quickly run the order out. But again, the most interesting thing was the texture, or in this case, the crust. It had a batter consistency a lot like what i had in NOLA at Jacque Imos, extremely crispy, well seasoned. Kind of a cross between traditional fried chicken batter and a spring roll wrapper. Desert was a chocolate mousse and again, while the flavor was great, the most interesting part of the dish was the texture. The mousse was impossibly airy; it was as if someone had blown a handful of cocoa powder at you while your mouth was open. I could have lived without the overcrisped espresso bean garnish tho. I definitely would go back again even without restaurant week. I've never had a meal where I walked away thinking more about texture than flavor or anything else ... (PS after writing this, I saw the carpaccio pic someone had posted and my serving was definitely missing the very prominent sprinkling of salt and pepper that is inthe picture.)
(4)
Clarissa L.
We were not impressed with any of the dishes we ate. The small Foie Gras portion was disproportionate to the $21 cost but the presentation was nice. Taste was good but not great. Although another nearby diner raved about the broccoli rabe, we did not find it impressive. Lastly, the rib-eye steak was tough. Service was so so. The broccoli dish was served well before the steak. After requesting the steak to be served since the vegetable dish was getting cold, steak was finally served 5-10 minutes later. Manager was kind enough to credit us the cost of the entree. We will not return to Bink's.
(3)
Sarah Z.
I had a salon appointment near by and I was searching for a quick bite and found Binks. I asked for a Menu and Nick the server, gave me the happy hour and dinner options as well as their brunch and lunch. I wasn't sure about the food on the menu at first, so I decided to walk to the restaurant next door and then I found myself back right back at Binks. Nick ended up serving me and I'm glad I came back because everything was fantastic. I ordered the octopus app- delicious complicated flavors working well together. I ordered a glass of gruner vetliner, which he described very well, and I thoroughly enjoyed- they really do have a great wine list..,and then I had chocolate pudding cake for dessert. I'm a sucker for great service and great food. I will be back. The patio is charming,
(5)
Libby Z.
This is probably the most painful negative review I've written, because I've never had a complaint about anything Kevin Binkley has done. In fact, I always make a point to take visitors from out of town to his restaurants because it is so consistently good. However, this visit for restaurant week was less than impressive. Now, the service was fantastic, so I have no complaints there. The waiter was knowledgeable, friendly, and just great all-around. But the food was just not up to par. From the restaurant week menu, I ordered the Tempura Fried Eggplant, Pork Schnitzel, and the Coconut Mousse. The tempura was well-fried, but so bland. It came with some dipping oil, and that had some flavor, but I just couldn't believe that the entire dish was so bland. I would have thought there would be some seasoning in the tempura batter. That wasn't the worst though. The pork schnitzel came out nicely fried, but DRENCHED in butter. I probably ate a quarter of my serving because I was trying to avoid the gelatinized butter which covered the majority of my dish. The parts that were not covered in butter were tasty, but unfortunately there wasn't much of it. Had the butter been drizzled, it would have probably been okay, but there was a lake of butter on my pork, which then rendered the schnitzel soggy. The dessert was fantastic, which I expected. I did expect a bigger portion given the portions of everything else we received. My other complaint was the wine pairing. I knew that for an added $15 I wasn't going to get three full glasses of wine, but I didn't even receive three half glasses of wine. I think the three glasses together may have added up to a half glass. I'd have been better off ordering a full glass of wine off the regular menu. Bottom line, I was just really really disappointed in this experience. It almost seems as though they want to deter people from ordering the restaurant week menu, or they don't want people who are visiting for restaurant week to return. If that was in fact what they were trying to do, it has most likely worked with me.
(2)
Martine O.
How excited we were for Kevin Binkley to come to our neck of the woods. Hilton Village is right down the street and an easy dinner out with friends. We made our first visit for a birthday celebration in late December and have the same take away after a wine and appetizer tonight, disappointed on both accounts. As expected, Kevin Binkley delivered an amazing food experience. Watching him expedite his creations is a thrill and enjoying dishes from Sweetbreads to Bolognese was memorable. Let's not forget the amazing warm buckwheat rolls with honey butter! Where your concept falls flat, with both experiences your staff was unfriendly, lacking knowledge of your menu, and missing the mark in a warm welcome ( or good bye for that matter ) We want more than anything for you to succeed, loved your specialty popcorn and will return for the Bolognese no doubt. Working out the kinks of a new restaurant, yes. Great food with poor service, no. Wishing you the best, hoping 3rd time is a charm for us! Shaun and Martine Scottsdale Arizona
(2)
Jim R.
Food was amazing. The concierge at the Four Seasons recommended it to us, and we are happy he did. To start The doughnut muffins were scrumptious! The Spanish omelette was light, creamy and melted in your mouth good. Service was friendly and knowledgeable. We look forward to Coming back soon! The steak was well made and the burrata was very good. The homemade potato chips and dipping sauces went very well together and tasted very good.
(5)
Joshua W.
I came here with high expectations(obviously Binkley's) and was not let down. The mussels appetizer along with the barbecue octopus were magnificent. I will definitely be back to sample the rest of the menu
(4)
Lorianne S.
I have been to Binks in Scottsdale a few times for lunch and have enjoyed the food, service and ambiance each time. Every dish and side that I have ordered has been very fresh and I feel that they go above and beyond to ensure their food does not taste like every other place in town. Any time I have an opportunity to lunch in Scottsdale, this is my place of choice.
(5)
Miranda G.
The only good thing were the fries. I had the chopped salad and it was gross. The service was bad too. Took 30 minutes to get our check after it was clear that our plates were somewhat done.
(2)
Matt B.
We've been to Binkley's and Bink's Midtown and had to complete the trifecta by going to Bink's Scottsdale. TL;DR: This scores and fits perfectly between Binkley's in Carefree (5 stars) and Midtown (3+ stars). If you love Binkley's but don't want the drive, this would be a nice alternative; the attention to detail is good, ambiance is comfortable and staff inviting. Just don't expect the over-the-top details like Carefree. I cannot give Binkley's (Carefree) a 5-star-review and score Scottsdale the same, so for that reason, this location gets 4. It's very good. Go and enjoy your meal. You won't be upset! Long review: We visited the Bink's Scottsdale this weekend which was Mother's Day. That may make this review not as helpful since it was brunch all-you-can-eat style (which I don't think they do regularly). Regardless, my experience was great. This feels to be the smallest establishment of the 3, but might be about the same as Carefree. I found the ambiance to be in agreement with the other two, but felt slightly more up-classed than Midtown. The brunch featured many "regulars": an array of breads, both sweet and savory, roast beef, salmon, sausage, bacon, eggs-to-order, and a small sampling of deserts. The lowlights: the bacon was amazingly tasteless, and we were provided a choice of 2 deserts (lemon and chocolate). The highlights: the salmon, while a staple in many buffets was unbelievable. It was buttery and soft and delicate. They offered two unique items: pork belly and grits. Both were outstanding, with the latter plate-licking delicious. The grits were paired with a rich and spicy sausage and shrimp gravy. The pork was paired with "kimchee pickles" which also had a nice kick. We visited with children - a trip I would never do had it not been a special occasion. The staff were perfectly pleasant despite the kids, and were happy to dote on their needs. We never felt rushed and leisurely enjoyed a long afternoon at the restaurant. I am of the strong belief that Binkley's-Carefree is the finest establishment we have in the greater Phoenix area for the "foodies." [Virtu is on my to-do list, but they appear to have a great offering.] I cannot - in good conscience - score his Scottsdale establishment as high as the original, and for that reason alone I have to give it a 4 star. Bravo.
(4)
Eric S.
Disappointed as we live down the street and hit many restaurants in the Hilton area. We ordered take out for our first experience, no napkins,offer for plastic silverware, no bread, etc. just a very big grocery style paper bag with 3 small boxes. The portion size was VERY small for the amount of $$$ they are asking. The Paella was drowned in the sauce lost the taste of the "quality" vegetables and it didn't have any flavor other than the sauce, definitely not worth $17 for an entree. Butternut squash soup was good as well as the Kale salad, decent but high priced at $10 per item. Overall not very impressed with the food. Place looked nice and they had a separated bar from the restaurant with TV's which where i waited for takeout. Staff was nice and courteous.
(2)
A C.
Excellent. Hit the bar first for a unique cocktail. Menu consists of ever changing innovative small plates
(5)
Rachel G.
Food was amazing. Friend and I grazed on apps and sides and were very pleased and full! Glad I gave this place a shot in lieu of their current yelp of 3.5 stars.
We dined again, this time with friends, and for lunch. My wife and one friend had a chicken salad sandwich, another had a salmon blt and liked it, and I had Prime rib with blue cheese. We liked the choices we made and enjoyed the side salads and French fries. Desserts went down well. I was the only wine drinker and the selection is small. It went down well. Service was very good.
(4)
J P.
While we thank Sir Lawrence for reminding us to keep the servants in their place (and woe be to those who do not recognize superiority in their presence), we believe it is clearly the wrong place when speaking of Bink's. After several visits, we have had nothing but exceptional food and service. Staff is welcoming, knowledgeable, and we always end up talking food with them, from their sourced produce to little gem vineyards off the E45. And we always learn. But, then, we treat the staff as we would like to be treated. Curious how that works... And just a word about the food, as others are covering that well already: in the greens we taste the hint of earth from which they came. It is rare and, at least for us, what separates the very best from even the very, very good. Congratulations to all (even the servants), and welcome to Scottsdale.
(5)
Kim F.
My family of four ate dinner at Bink's Scottsdale on 12/21/13. We arrived around 5:30 p.m., and although the restaurant was only 1/3 full, it took awhile for our server to come to our table after we were seated. We ordered a carafe of wine, which at $25, was a little pricey. It shouldn't take long for wine to be poured, but again, for some reason it seemed to take awhile for drinks to be served. I ordered the grilled octopus appetizer and the sweet onion tart, my husband ordered the arugula salad, on son ordered the baby back ribs appetizer, and our other son ordered the butternut soup. When the appetizers were delivered to the table, the sweet onion tart was missing. I pointed it out and it turns out our server failed to enter it into the system. The baby back ribs (4 total for $8), which we all split, were disappointing. The sauce was tasty, but the ribs were tough and had very little meat. In fact, I gave up trying to saw anything off mine. The octopus was the biggest disappointment. It was extremely charred and overcooked to the point that it was nearly as tough as the ribs. The arugula salad and soup were good, according to my sons. When the onion tart ($7) arrived, it was small...probably only three inches in diameter. The entrees were extremely small servings for the price paid. I understand that local sourcing of highest quality ingredients can be expensive, but I just don't get how a restaurant can charge $21 for a pork belly entree that is literally a little bigger than perhaps a king size candy bar. Even worse, the pork belly was braised with capers, mushrooms and beans...a very strange combination that didn't work together. My 13-year-old son had the duck breast ($22), which was good, but consisted of approximately six to seven bites. Our total bill without the carafe of wine was $150. Even after ordering appetizers and entrees, we left hungry. This restaurant doesn't live up to the hype and billing that the Binkley name has received.
(2)
J T.
Nice patio. Great veggie and app plates to share. Average service. Dropped by for dinner. Promptly seated on the patio at our reservation time. Host was very friendly sharing his story about opening a restaurant in the winter in our home state. Decided to share several app and veggie plates between the three of us. Had asparagus and egg, beets, broccoli, local citrus, and sweet breads. All were excellent and just the right size to share. Decent wine list. Shared a carafe between the two if us. Service was sufficient. The kind where they ask how things are but don't really stop to listen on the assumption all is fine. No issues. Just not fully engaged. Would recommend as a great little place for a real food dinner.
(4)
Kathy J.
I went to Binks in Scottsdale last night and had an amazing dinner! We were greeted with a smile and immediately got seated in a wonderful spot with a cool view of all the happenings in the kitchen. The Sangria was perfect with pomegranate ice cubes that improved the taste of the drink as I enjoyed it over appetizers and dinner. We started with the mussels- wonderful curry aroma! We shared the trout (cooked to perfection!), Amy's bolognaise and polenta, roasted cauliflower (my personal favorite) and asparagus. Everything was absolutely delicious and we will return to try some other choices on the menu that also sounded wonderful. The service was impeccable and our server (Dylan) was delightful and knowledgeable about food. What a great addition to the neighborhood!
(5)
Holly P.
We arrived 15 minutes late for our reservation, wide-eyed from the hideous traffic jam we had encountered on the 101. Our sympathetic, attentive hostess immediately brought us a drink. What a great intro! When shown to our table (I hate banquette seating), we requested instead an outdoor table. We were quickly and cheerfully accommodated. After my chair was switched out for something more comfortable (I am a wide load) and the tippy table was adjusted (all done, again, cheerfully & quickly), we were finally ready to order. First course: mussels with a cocoanut curry sauce and the sweetbreads. Mussels were great; sauce was top-notch. My sweetbreads were completely overwhelmed with a breading and pungent sweet and sour sauce. What a criminal thing to do to delicate sweetbreads. PLEASE find another way to serve these delicacies which are so seldom found on a menu! We politely requested (for a second time) more focaccia bread to sop up all that curry-cocoanut goodness. I don't really think "I heard you the first time, I didn't think you were kidding" is an appropriate response from a waiter. The wait--and the snark--were worth it, though, when the hot focaccia finally appeared (with an apology from our second waiter) The crust was unbelievable buttery. Our second, younger waiter was an obvious foodie, so enthusiastic about the food, and made up for the rudeness of the first. Next course was a plate of cold thinly sliced yellow beets with feta, which my table mate loved, and the barbecued octopus. The octopus had a wonderful char, and was tender, a feat I admire, as every time I try to prepare octopus it tastes like my car tires. It was, unfortunately showered in a delicious but too copious sauce. Please let some of these dishes speak for themselves, people! Finally, dessert was a very yummy pudding-textured chocolate cake with a soft marshmallow topping. The tempo of the meal was rather leisurely, but the place was really hopping for an early Wednesday evening. We are big fans of Binkley's in Cave Creek, and particularly love Bink's cafe, which is practically our neighborhood hangout, so it was fun to try a new Binkleys. We will be back, as I am dying to try the marrow, the fois gras, the sand dabs...the list goes on and on.
(4)
Katie T.
I've eaten at Bink's in Scottsdale three times since it opened, and the food is delicious. The taste is in the details. I could tell that everything was made from scratch including sauces, dips, and all of the bread. The butter that comes with the buckwheat biscuits alone makes me want to return. They have a KILLER HAPPY HOUR, too. Get the sweetbread nuggets and mussels.
(4)
Jodi P.
I had the chicken salad and it was tasty. Atmosphere was nice, servers were nice. Just had a water so I can't comment on the beverages. I would go back to try the burger but I do wish there was a little bit more to choose from.
(3)
Jim M.
This place being walking distance from the Dr's house, we decided to give it a try. Crowded with poor spacing between tables.. feels like you have no privacy at all on the 2 tops....We decided to try a number of things to adequately sample the menu. The butternut squash soup was very nice....as was the arugula salad. The Dr. loved the jicama salad with a tart whipped cream or sour cream dressing... me, not so much. The roasted sweet potato dish I sent back to the kitchen.. It was carbonized....makes me wonder why any well trained chef would send carbonized food out to a customer. Our wait person, who was pretty exceptional, immediately took it off the bill. The entrees of duck breast, really good, and my scallops..30 bucks for 3 very salty and charred on the grill. All in all it was an ok experience. Given it's one of Kevin's places I expected it to be much much better than it was...Not sure I'd go back....
I expected to be impressed and wasn't. The service was appalling. Sure it was busy, but what do expect on a Friday night in Scottsdale at the height of the season. Maybe you think about calling in enough servers. The menu was odd. None of the entrees appealed to me. My husband liked the duck. I would have ordered scallops but didn't feel like paying $31. I had the kale salad. It was okay but have had better ones elsewhere. We did love the French fries and the cauliflower. Even though it's only 5 minutes from our house we probably won't go back. Too bad. What a disappointment.
(3)
LJ N.
Weak menu / small portions / high prices long wait after ordering.
(2)
Jennifer S.
very average food, i expected a whole lot better, in th end another pretentious attempt to redefine nothing....i could go on and on, but this particular restaurant do not care about criticism, just groupies will find a voice here.... one tip : when you serve French fries, empty and clean the fryer or pick the fires with a tongue, do not dump the frying basket contents straight to the serving dish,..finding partially dessicated and fossilized old pieces of food at the bottom of your fries basket is a real turn-off....And that is just one example of my experience there !
(1)
Lee R.
Nothing bad, but nothing remarkable. The restaurant was not particularly busy when the three of us arrived and we sat at the bar. Service was mixed...more than once we had to remind the bartenders what we wanted. Drinks were decent if not spectacular (they seem to love using liquid nitrogen to no obvious purpose...I would call it "Scottsdale pretentiousness"). The popcorn was good. The fries were also good...though the three sauces were all rather weak. The "bread" tasted like baking soda and little else. If you want very good Chinese orange chicken, order the sweetbreads...just don't expect them to taste like sweetbreads...the sauce overwhelmed. The octopus was well prepared, but the sauce masked the flavor of the octopus. The bacon burger was decent but nothing special...I'll take the Big Ass Burger at Roaring Fork any time. The Sloppy Joe was a decent example of this kind of sandwich...but it was still just a Sloppy Joe. And finally the donuts were OK, nothing special. Overall, nothing bad, but nothing remarkable either.
(3)
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Address :6107 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ, 85250
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Dave T.
This is a great restaurant for a date night. My wife and I came in recently, and enjoyed the Duck, the Calamari, and a Bacon Cheeseburger. Odd combination, but all great. Nothing was spectacular, but all of it was definitely tasty. Keep in mind the entrees have a pretty wide price range, from about $10 to almost $40. Overall I would recommend Bink's Midtown over Bink's Scottsdale due to their amazing patio, but if you're in this area and want something a bit more private, this is a great choice. Enjoy!
(4)RC H.
Had lunch here with a friend. Restaurant is brightly yet simply decorated. A very eclectic menu wanting me to return to try some of the other items. We both had the lunch special which included soup or salad, sandwich and iced tea or soda for $16. Sandwich choices included chicken salad and sand dab.my friend had the chicken salad and I went for the sand dab. Both of us had the gazpacho. The sandwiches were excellent as was the gazpacho. For $32 plus change we had a nice lunch for two, including iced tea, and it was a substantial meal. The server was knowledgeable and efficient. Parking is not a problem due to the strip mall location. The menu is ideal for vegetarians and carnivores alike. I definitely want to return to try the mussels, the calamari and the burger. I will be back.
(5)Kara S.
I made the venture to Binks in Scottsdale with friends for restaurant week. They offered a three course menu selection with wine pairings that had options for meat and fish eaters. The regular menu had a varied selection as well and looked equally good. The rating will depend on what you order since I was much more satisfied with my dishes than my friends were. For starters I had the red pepper chilled soup with yogurt, caramelized, onions and nuts that was paired with a dry white wine. My main dish was blackened trout over a perfectly salted stew or carrot, celery, mushroom and gnocchi that was paired with a Spanish red. My dessert was a buttermilk pie with jammed blueberries that was just the right amount of bitter creamy to sweet. This was paired with a sweet bubbly dessert wine. My friends all ordered the fried chicken and were not overly impressed and said it was too heavily breaded and salty. Overall I was very pleased with my food, the service and the ambiance. I think that your satisfaction level will depend on what you order so choose wisely! It's worth a try!
(4)Gee L.
We went for happy hour. The fried rice/meatballs were interesting. We ordered appies and beer. The bartender was personable and attentive, The place is really nice, a bit small so plan for it. I reserve the right to amend this after we have a full dinner there. Maybe soon. The wings were of the sweet spicy variety. Not my fave but the cook was good.
(4)Steve A.
I came in to check it out on a Sunday eve. Prompt, courteous service and able to easily answer my questions about the menu & wine list. A small but unique menu and I liked being able to get a carafe of wine as an option. I had the Moroccan fried chicken, which was very tasty. All in all, a very good experience
(5)Jennifer S.
We stopped in one Sunday for brunch and ended up ordering off of the lunch menu since the brunch menu is quite limited. I enjoyed my sloppy joe sandwich with a pickle tremendously. We sat on the patio and were surprised that the restaurant was dead...all of the Binkley's restaurants kick out some pretty fresh and amazing food, so I would expect more of a crowd. Great space, great service and great food too!
(4)Ciara S.
I heard so many great reviews about it's counterpart in cave creek but, this place wasn't worth it. It was okay but, I don't crave it nor barely think of it.
(3)Anna B.
Because of the fairly good reviews on Yelp we decided to give this a shot tonight... to say we were disappointed is an understatement. I called ahead to make sure it was kid-friendly... the woman on the phone said there was no kids menu (totally fine) but that there were plenty of high chairs so come on in. When we arrived we were greeted by two gentlemen who seemed apprehensive to seat us (probably because we had a one year old with us... who might I add is very well behaved at restaurants, otherwise we wouldn't go out.) After five minutes of waiting for them to find us a table (it was dead) they sat us at the very last table right next to the restrooms. Our waitress was friendly and recommended a few items. We ordered the pretzel and chicken wings for apps, cocktails and a burger and the bolognese. The drinks were the highlight of the evening, we ordered a margarita, the mule and the whiskey shandy. We were brought our entrees, a fairly small portion for bolognese in my opinion... my husband's was cold and the pasta wasn't fully cooked. After letting our waitress know, ten min later they brought him a new one. Unfortunately the plate was on fire but the food was barely warm. The bolognese was nothing to write home about... just OK. My brother's burger was again, just OK and the side salad was mediocre at best. We brought it to the wait staff's attention that we would like the apps taken off the bill since our waitress never brought them... she was very nice and sincere in her apology, apparently it was her first night - they comped his bolognese. We won't be going back.
(2)Ivo G.
We were excited about experiencing the atmosphere and the food at Bink's, however, when we walked in on a Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015 at around 1:40pm we were asked if we had a reservation. We said NO and the host told us that they were booked solid for the next two hours. As we chose to eat at the place next door, we checked available reservation times at Bink's and everything starting at 2:00pm and on was available to reserve. Still not sure why we weren't allowed to eat there???? Perhaps polo shirt and short attire not welcome there?
(1)Stephanie N.
The central location is better... My duck was over cooked and the atmosphere is wanting (but not a huge fan of dinner restaurants that are in strip malls)
(3)Anthony W.
Came here last night for dinner with my wife. We are big fans of Binkley's up in Cave Creek and excited to try his newest establishment in Scottsdale. The place was fairly empty when we got there, but it was a Monday evening. The place was decorated very nice and modern. They have a nice bar area for drinks if you prefer. We started with the pumpkin soup which was delicious but be warned that it is sweet. It was so velvety smooth that I had to restrain myself from licking the bowl. For our main course we chose the sand dabs for my wife and the duck breast for me. I wasn't too impressed with the sand dabs. It was three thin filets that were pan fried with brown butter and then covered in slivered almonds. For a a nice restaurant I would expect to see something like Chilean sea bass, halibut, mahi mahi, or something more exotic. My duck breast was great. Perfectly cooked but served in an oval bowl that I found hard to cut into bite size pieces. I would rather see it served on a plate, maybe with a side of something. All in all it was a good meal and I would return to try some other dishes.
(4)Lindsey D.
First off, I love the fact that I can make a reservation directly through the Yelp app or through Bink's website so that I don't have to worry about getting a seat...especially during snow bird season! I'm a big fan of the Bink's family and this was my first time visiting their Scottsdale location. I really enjoyed the environment, food and service and especially the patio which was the perfect place to dine on a nice day. To start, they brought out their buckwheat rolls which were amazing! I've never had buckwheat before but I'm sold. The bread was soft and sweet and the perfect way to start a meal. For my lunch, I went with the lunch special which was a salad or soup, a sandwich and a drink for $15. Not a bad deal! The food came out quickly and it was delicious. Be warned that their cheese is not pasteurized. I have found that most restaurants have pasteurized cheese but luckily I still checked because Bink's is not and un-pasteurized cheese is a no-no for pregnant folks. They were kind enough to bring me another salad without the cheese. The chicken salad sandwich I ordered was really good! It would actually be good as a salad too. I really enjoyed the food as well as the atmosphere. I encourage you to visit if you're in the area and make a reservation if you do!
(4)Vijay R.
I came to Bink's for Restaurant week under recommendation of one of my foodie friends. I went with him and his wife, and we had a fairly good time, but maybe some of our expectations were a little higher. As starters, the majority of us got the beef capriccio. We each got different main dishes: pork shoulder, fried chicken, and shrimp pasta. The pork shoulder was amazing with a mediterranean type of seasoning. The fried chicken was okay because it had too much breading for its liking. It also said it was boneless, but it did not turn out boneless. The shrimp pasta was light, but it didn't quite have the wow factor. The desserts were Tres Leche cake, pear ice cream, and a hazelnut mousse cake. The desserts were yummy when you mixed all 3 of them together in one bite. Each of them individually seemed to be lacking a component. Overall, the setting was great and lovely. The food was decent, but maybe not at the level we were expecting when we reserved our night.
(3)Suzanne H.
Overpriced and crappy. The service was awful-from start to finish. Clueless waiter. Let's get something straight waiters of the world: Everything is not amazing on your menu. I had the duck and I only ordered it because it was the only thing I would consider ordering besides the fried chicken and my husband got that. The chicken was actually decent, my duck was seriously overpriced for what is was and was okay. The grilled grapes were a total joke that came with it. The starter salad we had- a chopped salad- was totally crappy. Tasteless combination of items. The buck wheat biscuits are whatever they bring you to start are leaden pieces of undercooked dough. Bleh. We were there on a Sunday when we supposedly had the awesome opportunity to have a leftover cinnamon roll from Sunday brunch. It was absolutely annihilated in the oven and burned to a crisp. Awful, pathetic, inedible. But hey, waiter, don't say anything if you are taking back 1/2 or less eaten plates of food! Totally forgot drink orders, too. Ugh, just a waste of time and money. What a crappy restaurant and other than the cute tabletops, the interior space is super basic and obviously not done by a professional. We just stood by the front door upon entering for minutes with no one around. Just march on down to one of the many other places in this strip mall in Scottsdale and eat elsewhere-anything is better than this place.
(2)Takuya K.
Our experience was super pleasant as opposed to others who've yelped about the new Binks Scottsdale. Hubby and I went tonight casually for an early dinner and was courteously welcomed and seated with water right away. The decor was super lovely and it was very apparent there was significant $$$ infusion for the elegant bar and overall interior. The kitchen was comparatively spacier and a peep through glass window allowed us a view to within. Was pleasantly surprised to see Chef Binkley arrive soon after us dressed in their casual Bink work attire, must be hard to do the rounds now with so many outlets and fans. Ordered the barbecue octopus, which delicately balanced the tangy BBQ sauce with a buttery mayo aioli. But most surprising was the combination flavors of the tender octopus with celery leaves, a duo us Asians would seldom imagine. Tonight's app was neither chewy or overdone, simply a success. Then as we were both craving the burger, we were shocked to not see it on the dinner menu. Boldly asking our friendly waiter whether the kitchen would cater to our needs, he promptly returned minutes later that the chef would prepare the bacon infused patties straight away. The reasoning for not being present on the menu is they are prominent happy hour selections thus the restaurant doesn't want to over promise in case of selling out during HH. We love the option for a quickie bite in Scottsdale and will definitely return as the menu evolves,
(4)Travis B.
happy hour time! why it was so empty for a sunday HH, i have no idea but fine with us. Binks is probably a great happy hour for some budgets, but not necessarily for ours. Our friends whom invited us, are in a higher income bracket. We are not. That being said, our food was delicious, the service was great, and the atmosphere was inviting. We were started with a small plate of cinammon biscuits from their brunch menu. Sweet, delicious, rich. Our happy hour meal was a large kale salad, split. Not the average kale salad. The dressing was light but oh so tasty. We had 2 of the fish sandwiches, one with a side of their thicker cut fries. The fish sandwiches were crispy, salty but complemented with a hint of sweetness from the bun. 1 beer and 1 glass of wine also, and our bill was 50 bucks. service was prompt, friendly, and spot on.
(4)Michael T.
How it took me a year to go here I'll never know. Not as stuffy as Binkley's, the food is far more down-to-earth. We started with the pomegranate meatballs and kale salad, which were both excellent. We then had the duck and the bolognese. The duck was perfectly prepared, not gamy, and just melted in your mouth. The bolognese was one of the best bolognese dishes I've had in years. It was slightly zesty, with a delicious meat mixture that was spiced perfectly. Dessert wasn't that impressive, we shared the chocolate puddin', and didn't finish it.. But I'd go back there in a heartbeat! If you go, ask for Dylan. Great server!
(4)Julie D.
Must say I'm extremely disappointed. We came in to try the burgers and bottle special. Once we said that everything changed. Our wine came out without a label display or introduction, much less a tasting. One of our burgers fell apart as soon as we picked it up and the split was dark, which means the burger broke on the first turn but instead of making a new one they slapped cheese on it and sent it out anyway. Your "coupon" customers may be there to feel out the place or just regular customers wanting an easy night out.
(3)Pepper T.
The food and service surpassed my expectations by leaps and bounds. I enjoyed a great meal here about two weeks back and wondered if lightening could strike twice. The $30.00 three course Restaurant Week Menu with Optional $15.00 Wine or Beer Pairing was Phenomenal. I soon received my first course of Tempura Eggplant sprinkled with Bonito Flakes, Shaved Jalapeño and Black Garlic Vinaigrette. The Tempura was nice and crispy and the eggplant was creamy not soggy. The shaved Jalapeño added the right kick and the Black Garlic Vinaigrette added the right sweetness. It also was a bonus that the serving was large so my husband got to try that one out too. My main course was the Baked Trout with super great Red Potatoes. The Trout came out on this cast iron dish that was extremely hot with herb butter. The fish was nice and fresh and very moist. I thought it would over cook but it didn't and remained moist and hot and was simplistic but perfect and tasted great. The Red Potatoes were Amazing and were cooked perfect with crispy edges so creamy on the inside and seasoned well. They were embellished with Chopped Egg and White Anchovy Vinaigrette and were excellent. The portion was big and my husband happily helped me eat them too. The wine pairing was a buttery Chardonnay and I normally Hate Chardonnay it's usually my least favorite wine but the pairing was magical with this dish. I'm a sucker for Passion Fruit so I went for the Coconut Mousse that came with Passionfruit Curd Blueberry Cake Ginger and Coconut Flakes. The Mousse was unlike any Mousse I ever had before. It had a hard shell that I suspect to involve Molecular Gastronomy. Light as cloud Mousse came out when you broke the shell and complimented the intense delicious Passion Fruit Curd and everything else on the plate. Service, Food and Value were Outstanding!
(5)Dan S.
Bink's Scottsdale is a wonderful restaurant tucked into the corner of a small mall. My wife and I came for the appetizer and stayed for lunch. The app in question was the Sweetbread nuggets. These golden-brown delights were cooked to perfection and paired with a great sweet & sour sauce. My wife had the Chicken Salad sandwich which she enjoyed. I had the Ham sandwich which was also very good. Both sandwiches came with fresh pickles and great dipping sauces for the accompanying fries. A very delightful lunch. We hope to try dinner soon and visit some of Binkley's other valley restaurants.
(5)Elissa R.
I've been here twice - once for dinner and once for happy hour - both times my experience was fantastic. Service has been very attentive and food is great. When I was here for dinner, I ordered the trout as a main course - cooked and prepared perfectly. They have a great selection of sides featuring local, seasonal produce - we tried the asparagus and beats, both were excellent. Their happy hour is hard to beat - a good selection of small menu items and drink/wine specials. I wish it went later than 6:00!
(5)Darcy M.
The sazerac martini is excellent but the last few times I went there with my boyfriend, we were both disappointed. The food was so-so and it took an extraodinarily long time for the bartender to take and make our drink orders.
(3)Mark T.
Was paying a visit to the area for the week and needed something fun to do. On accident, I found out that it was Arizona Restaurant week. I figured why not and decided to go for it. This place was the first stop in the city tour. Upon arrival, I immediately found it odd that this place was located in what looked like a strip mall next door to a hotel. I went in and got seated at a high table near the bar. I examined the restaurant week menu and dug in. First I ordered the Steak Carpaccio (thin sliced steak with brussels sprout kimchee, sesame seeds, seaweed crostini and wasabi mayo). The second course was the Moroccan Spiced Fried Chicken (with preserved lemon and herb potato salad and harissa). Finally, I went with the Brown Butter Banana Tres Leches (peanut butter mousse and raspberry). By far, the best dish of the night was the Carpaccio. I usually don't order kimchee but I found that the sourness of the kimchee was balanced out with the tanginess of the wasabi mayo. Not to mention that those flavors coupled with the steak on top of the crostini made one excellent dish. As I moved on to the second dish and tasted it, I thought that it tasted just like regular chicken. It could have been easily dismissed until I found the spicy sauce elsewhere on the plate. Although the spice was a little less than what I expected, it still tasted like a very unique dish. I wasn't a fan of the dessert; not because it wasn't good, but because I think I needed a lighter dish. The Tres Leches was what it was supposed to be; a dense spongy cake with slices of banana, nuts and raspberries. I thought that it felt heavy on my stomach. I took the time to examine the ambiance. The restaurant looked very modern; seating area on one side and high tables and the bar on the other. The areas were separated by a clear display wall of mason jars of different types of things: spices, coconut pieces, slices of pineapple, etc. Wood paneling behind the bar and big scree tvs on either side. Spacious patio area outside. The wait staff was excellent. Regretfully I didn't get the chance to get my waiter's name but he took a lot of time to wait on me and explain the menu. The bartender seemed super nice nearby; he was laughing and joking with some of the folks seated at the bar. The night exceeded way beyond my expectations. Bravo.
(4)Erika K.
Pretty bummed with dinner the other night. My mom and I loved Binks Midtown and were so excited to try the Scottsdale location. Came on a Sunday night so the place was pretty dead. I'll start off saying the server was really nice and attentive. The three stars is for the food. We ordered the simple salad and tasted like someone poured salt into the dressing. We love salt but my mom couldn't even eat it and I regret eating mine for the chipmunk cheeks I had later. My mom even let the manager know it was a little aggressive and he did offer to bring her a new one... Now for entrees, I had the mussels in a curry sauce and were awesome! My mom got the Sand Dabs and low and behold.. Salty!! She had to order chili peppers to counteract the salt. All in all underwhelming and not worth the price...
(3)Rickey Lynn G.
Binks is one of a small chain of restaurants created by Chef Kevin Binkley, who has been nominated for James Beard award a number of times. While the chef has a regular menu at Binks, companion and I were there for a special lunch - a buffet featuring pig's head. There are those who will turn up their noses at even having a pig's head served to them, but truth be known, some of the best and most succulent meat on the beast is on the head. Companion and I queued up with our plates at the buffet. We started with phenomenal veggie paella, which consisted of rice, peas, onions, thyme and bay leaves. I could not identify all the ingredients, but it was a true hit with both myself and companion. Next was a coleslaw of finely shredded cabbage with mustard seeds and sprouts marinated in what I think was a Japanese rice wine vinegar. I never eat coleslaw that does not have a creamy dressing, but I made a big exception in this case and went back for seconds. Continuing down the line were a cucumber salad, and a potato salad made with red potatoes. The potato salad was tasty, but the potatoes were cut into much too large pieces - my only complaint. Also on the line was a large chafing dish of BBQ beans that were very flavorful. Next came a large chafing dish of pulled pork. The pork had a nice flavor to it along with a bit of smoke. The moisture content was just right and it was cooked to perfection. Finally, we came to the pig's head. Binks got their pig's heads from The Meat Shop, which slaughters their own heritage pigs and supplies many of the best restaurants in the Phoenix area. The meat really does make a difference. The head was served by a chef and you could ask for any parts that you wanted to have. The event started at 2:00, and by 3:30 they had used up 9 heads. And you didn't think this would be popular?? I had an ear, some brains, a cheek, some snout, some tongue, and lots of crispy, crunchy skin. Companion had the same as I did. First up was the brains. Creamy with a good flavor from the seasoning. Next was the cheek - which when heavily smoked is the Italian delicacy Guanciale. As I ate it I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I only got a little of the tongue, as companion had asked for the entire thing and quickly scarfed it down. Companion loved the food. The snout had a lovely, gelatinous texture and was a real treat to eat. Finally, came the ear - beautifully crunchy and at the same time the texture of a little cartilage. The skin was wonderfully crunchy and had a nice mahogany glaze that tasted of maple syrup. I was too full for any dessert, but companion managed to down a piece of Sweet Tea Cake which had a light sweet bacon icing drizzled over it. Is there anything better than a porcine meal topped with a dessert that has bacon lardons in it? Over all, it was a wonderful experience, and I will definitely be returning to experience the regular menu. The amount of food was almost overwhelming as this was an all you can eat experience. Service was excellent and everything was spotless. 5 stars
(5)Carol C.
The Calamari was excellent! Crispy, spicy with sweet onions. My duck entree was outstanding. Shared Brussels sprouts amazingly tasty. Definitely coming back.
(4)Iris D.
Tonight, my husband and I enjoyed ourselves with close friends for the pig's head special. Initially, you might say "eww!", but it's anything but. Sure, it's the head of a pig, but talk about a culinary adventure. The chef comes out and cuts it for you; you can choose what parts of the head you will/won't eat. In essence, it's no different than BBQ pork. It's tender bc they soak it in brine for 2 days; they cook it for 6 hrs. You'll get sides of pulled pork, cheddar biscuits, potato salad, and kimchee style brussel sprouts. If you want more sides, they give you more. We had a party of 8 people, but there was definitely enough food to feed at least 12 people. The portions were ample. The brussel sprouts were really good, but the potato salad had a bit too much dill. The service was first class, but we were the only people there on a Sunday night. If you want to try the pig's head, and you should!, you'll need at least 6 folks and a reservation 7 days in advance. It's $180 for 6, and only $10/extra person. It's reasonable for the quality of food you'll enjoy.
(4)Mary M.
A friend and I had dinner here last night at this formerly favorite restaurant. We started with the mussels which were delicious although the portion seemed much smaller than it used to be and the broth was now a sauce and there wasn't a lot of that. I ordered the sand dabs. Now I had had them many times before at Bink's and they were always wonderful. When they were delivered to me they looked very dark. The first bite tasted absolutely burnt. I tried one more and yes it was burnt. Looking at it it was blackened, really burnt around the edges and even the slivered almonds on top were burnt. I called the waitress over and she was very nice and took it back. Next out comes a completely dry piece of fish with no butter sauce. I call the waitress again and takes it back to speak to the chef. Now the manager, Brad Gaulke, comes to our table to talk to me. He proceeds to tell me fish was not burnt but seared and this is how they always have prepared it. When I tell him it tasted burnt and it know what burned food tastes like he raises his voice and tells me not to be condescending. He was very rude, yelling at me. I ended up ordering the gnocchi. At the end of the evening he didn't charge me for the 2 sand dab orders. Thanks! And comped my dessert which was a mediocre blueberry tart that seemed to be reheated. I will NEVER go back to this location. I love Bink's Midtown and will go there. It's completely different. Our waitress here was wonderful. I felt bad for her. She needs to go work somewhere else.
(1)Hil P.
Good, but nothing outstanding. I enjoyed my lunch, the food was well prepared and flavorful but nothing spectacular. The buckwheat biscuits were heavy and dense, don't recommend them. Pumpkin soup was enjoyable. Salads are made from fresh local ingredients and well balanced.
(4)Allie H.
Love their unique combinations but wish they had more options for picky eaters like me. I love their seasonal butternut squash soup!
(4)Rhiannon D.
Went for restaurant week and was impressed. I had the beef carpaccio with kimchi slaw, the shrimp and pasta, and their peanut butter tres leches for dessert. I normally don't eat beef, let alone eat it raw, but the carpaccio was really good! The spicy, tangy asian flavors were refreshing. Not too spicy. Loved the wasabi horseradish. The pasta was delicious! I don't usually like pasta because of how heavy it usually is and how I feel after eating it; I finished the whole bowl and was pleasantly full, no doubt, but did not feel weighed down. The flavors were light, despite seeming like a creamy sauce. There was some kind of bread served with the pasta that I loved the texture of. The tres leches was good. I don't feel like it had the texture I was hoping for - the cake seemed very dense, and I was hoping it would seem more soaked. It was a moist cake, just not what I expected for something that was described tres leches. Did enjoy the peanut butter flavor, but liked their Pear Sorbet better (my mom had that). Definitely will go again!
(4)S C.
My favorite go to spot in Scottsdale! The menu is unique, fresh and delicious. The service is always great and the menu changes often to make for great variety. They have the most unique and tasty bread and butter if any restaurant I have ever been too. I have enjoyed a variety of dishes here. I love their French fries and truffle ketchup, the mussels are good, lots of great salads and vegetable dishes, the sweet potatoes are wonderful, trout, pasta...I'm not sure I ever had a bad dish here. The dessert variety isn't always great but the summer menu sure is!!! Highly recommend Binks!!!
(5)Phillip C.
Fans of Kevin Binkley will certainly flock to his fourth valley restaurant. The restaurant just recently opened to the public (December 2013). There were a couple minor service glitches that are related to the staff getting to know the restaurant layout and the reservation system (some food runners were bringing stuff to our table that we didn't order), but I was pleasantly surprised at how well everything was already running. My dining companions and I wanted to get a broad sampling of the menu, so we ordered family style. We ordered about 10 different things. The kitchen and the front of the house worked very well together to pace our meal quite well. Again, for a new restaurant, that was impressive. Now onto the food. The menu is currently the same (as far as I can tell) as Binks Midtown. The focal point of the menu is the "Local Produce" section, broken into cold, hot and salads. We had the eggplant, dates and beets from the cold list. All three were well balanced but the eggplant stole the show. From the hot section, we had the winter quash and the fried red potatoes. Both were almost too good to share! If you're a fan of Spanish patatas bravas, you'll love these. The smoked paprika really came through. We also had the bone marrow, french fries and bbq octopus from the appetizers section of the menu. One rule I make for myself: whenever Kevin Binkley has octopus on the menu, order it! This one was exceptional. Don't worry, Chef Binkley doesn't serve "rubber" octopus! We only tried one entree, the brown butter and almond sand dabs. Sand dabs are small, delicate fish that you don't normally see on menus. There were expertly prepared, to enhance, not overpower the flavor of the fish. Just know that the entree does not come with anything on the side. You'll want to order a la carte if you want veggies with your main course. We sadly had no room for dessert on this trip. This is definitely a place where I could become a regular, so I'm sure I'll be able to add to the review soon.
(4)John O.
The food was well prepared fresh and delicious. The decor was muted, modern elegance. The menu is not quite as inventive as the Midtown location catering more to older, more conservative taste buds. The menu changes often to reflect what is fresh, seasonal and available. The portions a little on the small side but well priced, fresh and well presented. Definitely a good place to go if you want to chat as the noise level is refreshingly low. Easy parking right outside. Superb, professional service.
(3)Phyllis G.
Lunch today was cafeteria food. My roast beef sandwich was served on a too doughy cold roll the beef was almost raw and the arugula was limp. My husband's salad was ordinary and unimaginative and he had to ask for bread. Add two ice teas and the bill was almost $50. Rip off!
(2)Little M.
Wow. What a disappointment. We tried the aranchini, the carpaccio, the pork shoulder, pasta, and Moroccan chicken with the mousse and pear sorbet. The pear sorbet was good once I removed the bacon. The flavors did not work for me. The carpaccio was tainted with Wasabi and very acidic slaw. The Wasabi and slaw were way to strong. The pork was ordinary. The pasta was not memorable. The chicken itself was good. The fried part was very thick. I had to remove the fried crust. The mousse was bland. The cake below was good. Overall, the meal was a joke. We will not be back.
(1)Cassie G.
I love this place! Every time I've come to eat here I've been amazed - every dish is so beautifully prepared and tastes even better than it looks. My favorites on the menu: papusa, lobster pasta, chicken salad sandwich, and heirloom tomatoes. The dining room decor looked a bit different today than it did last time I was there. The change, while very mild, definitely changed the feeling of the restaurant for the better - it's a very relaxed/modern/elegant vibe. I've brought friends here for dinner and they are as equally in love with Bink's as I am. I know they will be back and I will continue to tell friends and family how wonderful this place is.
(5)Lucy G.
Disappointed and disenchanted. We first went to this restaurant around this past New Years/holiday season. Back at that time we had a fabulous experience and have been wanting to get back here ever since. We finally made the trek tonight...and just simply had the worst service. At the bar, we asked the bartender if some items were perchance still available now. The response received was short, and a bit rude. We do understand that menu items would change with the season, however that doesn't automatically mean we ourselves are educated with what exactly is in season, and what isn't. That. Is. Why. We. Asked. We then were mainly avoided during our time at the bar, and the drinks made certainly had zero of that kind of panache that you expect when paying $12 for a martini. We're very reasonable and understand everyone has an off night. However I truly do not think we would make the trek out there again anytime soon. That does make me sad to say, but regret that's the truth.
(2)Patrick H.
Kevin Binkley is a great chef and while he may not necessarily be cooking your meal at one of his restaurants, his staff is well-trained and stocked with great fresh ingredients. This was my first visit to this location and I sat at the bar. I started with a cup of the butternut squash soup. It was excellent and flavored with bits of apples, cranberries and walnuts to give it a little crunch and an extra layer of flavor. My entree was the duck breast. I ordered it medium rare and it was cooked perfectly. The port vinaigrette sauce paired perfectly with the rest of the dish. My only complaint was that the bartender needed some help. He was very capable but couldn't keep up with the bar crowd. Again, this isn't a knock on him, but if he had some help he could take the time to engage the customers a little more and refill drinks a little faster. I'm glad Bink's Scottsdale is here in town.
(4)Lenora H.
Every good thing I heard was exceeded. When we have folks from out of town escaping the harsh winters up north, we will definitely bring them here. The food was phenomenal - we had sesame-crusted salmon and the Moroccan fried chicken. OMG, wish I could cook like that. Appetizer teriyaki meatballs were really good. Chocolate mousse desert - yum.
(5)Kate L.
This was our second visit - after a year. We took some friends from Chicago since we had good memories from last year. We have come to the area last year and this for a month to escape winter. We had reservations at 8:15 and the table was being prepared for us as we got there. The service was just excellent. I can't remember her name, but she was attentive without being intrusive. I had the pasta bolognese and it was so good. Loved the pasta and liked the sauce. My husband had the sand dabs which were very good. Our friends had the gnocchi and a kale salad with chicken. I thought the gnocchi dish looked a bit small, but he seemed happy and she really liked the salad. We appreciate restaurants being inventive and as I said, the service was so good.
(4)Janet H.
The worst food, service, and management I've had in 70 yrs of eating around the world! Would not give credit for bad food, service was curt, rude, and unhappy I wanted clean glass for my wine! Management would not listen talked over me and walked away. Bill was overcharged and they would not go over the detail with me! Don't go!!!
(1)Eleanor H.
Thank you Kevin for coming into our neighborhood!!!!! Those in the know will certainly agree that binks is a little taste of heaven and a great teaser for interested diners to prepare for Binkley's (the mothership of Kevin & Amy's cuisine). So far our favorites are the soup (always a delight), the foie gras, and the ricotta with pistachios. I recommend ordering at least 2 seasonally changing veggies dishes highlighting local produce and our personal favorite entree Amy's bolognese. Our waiter Andrew is knowledgable and accommodating. We have a standing reservation and if you know anything about food you will also. See you there, cheers!
(5)Rhoda R.
Took my in-laws here and dinner was outstanding. Service impeccable. Loved every part of this. So happy to have this culinary delight in our hood. A must try.
(5)Ernesto L.
Nice and sober neighborhood gem. It was restaurant week so I had that menu plus the truffle fries, a cheese board and the asparagus. Don't bother with the asparagus. The rest was pretty decent plus the price was fair. The desert was pretty good. A coconut frozen ball with a liquid filling. I'll go back to try the regular menu. Cheers
(3)Julia L.
The food was amazing! My husband had the Moroccan chicken and I had the duck! Service was fabulous from Shonda! The biscuits are awesome! Highly recommend this place!
(5)Rose C.
Best food and best service in Scottsdale. My favorite place! Thank you for outstanding delicious foods.. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Steve K.
Thee food at Bink's scottsdale is what farm to table should be. But for some reason everything is very salty. I believe that in order for them to be successful, they would need more things on the menu to appeal to more people. They are not busy. It seems the place needs some identity. It's cold.
(3)Peter Y.
Bink's was pretty good. Portions are not the biggest and I think it was a little more hyped up. The beef carpaccio was very good! If the prices were a little less I might give this four stars. Get something that you have never had before, one positive is their eclectic menu.
(3)HIROKO K.
This was my third visit to Bink's. The foie gras is no longer on the menu. I always order several appetizers, and then an entree. The BBQ octopus, mussels in curry sauce, and the pork pupusa were good as always. The sand dab was OK. What was most disturbing was the moldy tasting snow peas that accompanied the lobster pasta - one of their more expensive dishes! Shame on the chef who made this! If the chef had bothered to taste it, the chef wouldn't have served it. I let the server know that the snow peas had gone bad. The service has always been lackadaisical and uncoordinated. This experience has put me off from wholeheartedly recommending future visits. So disappointed.
(2)Barbara G.
A friend came in from out of town and was staying in Scottsdale so on the recommendation of a friend who is fond of Bink's in Phoenix we went to the Scottsdale Bink's for happy hour making a reservation for 5:30pm, My friend got there on time and I arrived at 5:40pm. I should have been forewarned by the ratings on Yelp about the Scottsdale location. Our waiter was dour and abrupt and never smiled or welcomed us. Our food was worse - only the french fries were very good. I had the sand dab sandwich which was mostly mayo-heavy slaw (they put it on the bun) and bread with only 3 tiny pieces of fish. When I pointed this out to the manager, she got defensive and said sand dabs were a thin fish. My desert came with a white topping that was hard as a rock and inedible. We were not given happy hour prices, either. for our wine or food. We left Bink's wishing we had gone to nearby Houston's which has consistently outstanding food and service.
(1)dzeneta a.
went for an early dinner about a week ago. We set inside in one of the booths. Our service was prompt and proffesional, knowledgable and on point. Suggestions were amazing. They had the BBQ octopus with beens special that was out of this world. Never thought that these items would work together... They did and they rocked. all of our food except for the kid's burger was excellent. Now, i had to take one star off due to very poorly prepared kid's cheeseburger. We are of an opinion that if you put something on the menu and are willing to sell it, than ensure that it is done right. We will for sure come back to the restaurant and instead of the burger we will have a steak for our daughter ( she did very much like it) and i am sure that it will be a 5 star experience.
(4)Matt S.
Very, very much a fan. Had a nice dinner outside at Bink's Scottsdale last night. Our waiter, Chad was menu-knowledgeable and we enjoyed the food very much. Having been to Bink's Midtown a few months back, and not loving our meals, we were hesitant to try Bink's Scottsdale, but I'm happy to report that we very much enjoyed the experience. The three of us shared the kale and quinoa salad, fries, sweet potatoes, smashed potatoes, cauliflower, bolognese, rainbow trout, mussels, chocolate puddin' cake and frozen orange soup. I wouldn't order the smashed potatoes or the frozen orange soup again, but everything else was excellent. Very affordable meal for that area of town as well. Highly recommended!
(4)Lawrence K.
I usually give nice reviews. I understand the issues of a new, start-up restaurant. I know that Bink's will figure out that they need a few compelling menu items...as the limited offering, at this stage of the game, is odd. (After close scrutiny, there was nothing that 'spoke' to me on the menu. I order an appetizer for my entrée.) Portions were small...and made even smaller by the tiny plate the food was served on. The "NEVER AGAIN" was a result of the manager...and the server...under-estimating my intelligence and experience. I ordered a Stoli martini. No Stoli...so I changed it to Kettle. No special instructions..other than I wanted it stirred not shaken...I hate ice chips and a watery drink. Five minutes later, a frothing, bubbling, smoking drink was served to me. There was 1/8 of an inch of hard ice underneath the smoke produced by either dry ice...or ??? It was a drink some schmuck would order on a cruise ship. I asked the manager...who was strolling around... to take the drink back...and please give me a straight Kettle..up. Another five minutes goes by, and, supposedly, a new drink was delivered. I noticed that the vodka was very, very cold. Having consumed thousands of "up" martini's, I have a good idea of how cold vodka can get when stirred in a shaker over ice. This drink was much, much colder than I have ever had before. I also observed that there was a definite line on the rim of the glass that was obviously where the ice had formed from the stupid drink they first served. I asked the manager...and the server...if they had just scrapped the top off the first drink and re-served it. "Oh no...We dumped the first drink and made you a fresh one!" That my dear reader, is a fib. When further questioned, the server said, "Well...we used the same glass from the first drink...and made you a new one. That's why the line was on the rim" In my humble opinion...They didn;t tell the truth. What I believe they did...was scrape the ice off the first drink and delivered it back to me. I would bet $500.00 that was what happened. So...I will never return. The food, service, etc., was fine considering the new opening of this place. The fact that the manager and the server thought I was dumb enough to NOT KNOW a real martini from a screwed up first drink, INSULTED MY INTELLIGENCE. I guess I wish them good luck, however, I would never return and will take every opportunity to trash the place for the fib I believe I was expected to buy. Better hurry...as they can;t last long. Rule 1...NEVER, EVER go cheap. If the first drink was not right...make me a new one in a clean glass.
(1)Melissa B.
I had heard rave reviews of the Bink restaurants and was excited for my first foray. Well, that excitement was soon tempered by a less-than-stellar experience. We arrived and were seated. I took a good 7 minutes for us to even be acknowledged at our seats. Finally, we asked for some water which was brought to us with a perfunctory "sorry." Then, we had to ASK for bread. Finally, our drink orders were taken, and we waited for our drinks in the time it would've taken to ferment a glass of wine. The gimlet I had was just meh. I've had better. Then, it took forever for the waiter to take our food order. Once he did, we waited, and waited.....and waited. He then told us that they were short-staffed that night and was profusely apologetic. That helped ease the experience, but frankly not enough. The butternut squash soup was good, but overall the food wasn't great. The cauliflower tasted like they had haphazardly emptied their entire artisanal salt shaker onto it. It wasn't worth complaining about, because by the time we could get anyone's attention and a new order it would've been a good hour. I recommend the push-pop dessert which was made with lime sorbet and oatmeal ice cream. It tasted like a key lime pie. It was made ahead of time so was actually brought out rather quickly.
(2)Ara F.
This is right in our hood so we were very excited that an esteemed chef chose this locale. We showed up at 730p on a Friday. There were no tables so we decided to sit at the bar. The bartender was a really nice guy. We were impressed it was busy, thinking that was a good sign. And that's where being impressed ended. The food was a total failure. The bread they brought was like a cookie/muffin served with a warm mayonnaise or butter on the side. No good. For appetizers we got the octopus. It was served in a BBQ sauce. The flavor was actually quite clever but the octopus was overcooked and rubbery. We also got the mussels which were cooked perfectly, but the curry seasoning kind of fell flat. All in all the best thing we got. My wife ordered the bolognese. This was a greasy puréed sauce with a mush polenta. The crostini served with it was dripping with grease. From a texture standpoint, horrible. The whole dish was like porridge. This is something you would serve to an old person with no teeth. Or a baby. Do babies eat polenta? I got the steak in vinaigrette. I substituted bok choy for the potato. The steak was cooked well, but my whole plate was covered in oil. My bok choy was actually dripping with grease like my wife's crostini. We both had to take Pepto when we got home from all the grease. Overall an epic fail for the kitchen. Celebrity chefs should be on notice after the closing of Searsucker- get in the kitchen or get out of town.
(2)Betsy B.
OK, I am a local, not a snowbird and I am always looking for a good down to earth restaurant. I should have gone running from the restaurant when I saw Kale on the menu. Kale is the new "in thing". Yuck! very few people in the restaurant at 2 PM on a Saturday and the service was so-so. The Pomegranate meatballs were alright but nothing special. How do you ruin a roast beef sandwich? well, it is supposed to arrive hot. It arrives warm on top and ice cold in the center. Served on a very small roll that had obviously been tasted maybe a few hours before, hard on the edges. Our friends had the saddens and said they were good. One friend had a ham and cheese sandwich and said the ham was very salty. I tried it and he was right, too much salt. Overall not what I expected and too expensive for the small portions. Can't anyone open a good, restaurant with good old fashioned food that does not have kale or pig belly on the menu?
(2)Jeff B.
Went to Bink's on a Friday night for restaurant week. We were seated immediately at a table that allowed a good view of the kitchen. The restaurant week menu is a three course affair. Had the beef carpaccio as an app. Flavor-wise the main feature was the brussel sprout kimchi and it could have used a pinch of coarse salt but the amazing thing was the texture. As I went to slice it with my knife and fork, i noticed that the knife wasnt necessary. The beef so thin and tender I could easily scoop it up with my fork and smear it on the crostini before piling on a little of the kimchi on top. It was literally meat butter. Awesome. The entree was fried chicken which at Bink's is boneless. The chicken had obviously been brined and was very juicy; it was also rocket hot. I noticed that in the kitchen, the chicken was almost always the last thing to hit the pass and as soon as it was done, they would quickly run the order out. But again, the most interesting thing was the texture, or in this case, the crust. It had a batter consistency a lot like what i had in NOLA at Jacque Imos, extremely crispy, well seasoned. Kind of a cross between traditional fried chicken batter and a spring roll wrapper. Desert was a chocolate mousse and again, while the flavor was great, the most interesting part of the dish was the texture. The mousse was impossibly airy; it was as if someone had blown a handful of cocoa powder at you while your mouth was open. I could have lived without the overcrisped espresso bean garnish tho. I definitely would go back again even without restaurant week. I've never had a meal where I walked away thinking more about texture than flavor or anything else ... (PS after writing this, I saw the carpaccio pic someone had posted and my serving was definitely missing the very prominent sprinkling of salt and pepper that is inthe picture.)
(4)Clarissa L.
We were not impressed with any of the dishes we ate. The small Foie Gras portion was disproportionate to the $21 cost but the presentation was nice. Taste was good but not great. Although another nearby diner raved about the broccoli rabe, we did not find it impressive. Lastly, the rib-eye steak was tough. Service was so so. The broccoli dish was served well before the steak. After requesting the steak to be served since the vegetable dish was getting cold, steak was finally served 5-10 minutes later. Manager was kind enough to credit us the cost of the entree. We will not return to Bink's.
(3)Sarah Z.
I had a salon appointment near by and I was searching for a quick bite and found Binks. I asked for a Menu and Nick the server, gave me the happy hour and dinner options as well as their brunch and lunch. I wasn't sure about the food on the menu at first, so I decided to walk to the restaurant next door and then I found myself back right back at Binks. Nick ended up serving me and I'm glad I came back because everything was fantastic. I ordered the octopus app- delicious complicated flavors working well together. I ordered a glass of gruner vetliner, which he described very well, and I thoroughly enjoyed- they really do have a great wine list..,and then I had chocolate pudding cake for dessert. I'm a sucker for great service and great food. I will be back. The patio is charming,
(5)Libby Z.
This is probably the most painful negative review I've written, because I've never had a complaint about anything Kevin Binkley has done. In fact, I always make a point to take visitors from out of town to his restaurants because it is so consistently good. However, this visit for restaurant week was less than impressive. Now, the service was fantastic, so I have no complaints there. The waiter was knowledgeable, friendly, and just great all-around. But the food was just not up to par. From the restaurant week menu, I ordered the Tempura Fried Eggplant, Pork Schnitzel, and the Coconut Mousse. The tempura was well-fried, but so bland. It came with some dipping oil, and that had some flavor, but I just couldn't believe that the entire dish was so bland. I would have thought there would be some seasoning in the tempura batter. That wasn't the worst though. The pork schnitzel came out nicely fried, but DRENCHED in butter. I probably ate a quarter of my serving because I was trying to avoid the gelatinized butter which covered the majority of my dish. The parts that were not covered in butter were tasty, but unfortunately there wasn't much of it. Had the butter been drizzled, it would have probably been okay, but there was a lake of butter on my pork, which then rendered the schnitzel soggy. The dessert was fantastic, which I expected. I did expect a bigger portion given the portions of everything else we received. My other complaint was the wine pairing. I knew that for an added $15 I wasn't going to get three full glasses of wine, but I didn't even receive three half glasses of wine. I think the three glasses together may have added up to a half glass. I'd have been better off ordering a full glass of wine off the regular menu. Bottom line, I was just really really disappointed in this experience. It almost seems as though they want to deter people from ordering the restaurant week menu, or they don't want people who are visiting for restaurant week to return. If that was in fact what they were trying to do, it has most likely worked with me.
(2)Martine O.
How excited we were for Kevin Binkley to come to our neck of the woods. Hilton Village is right down the street and an easy dinner out with friends. We made our first visit for a birthday celebration in late December and have the same take away after a wine and appetizer tonight, disappointed on both accounts. As expected, Kevin Binkley delivered an amazing food experience. Watching him expedite his creations is a thrill and enjoying dishes from Sweetbreads to Bolognese was memorable. Let's not forget the amazing warm buckwheat rolls with honey butter! Where your concept falls flat, with both experiences your staff was unfriendly, lacking knowledge of your menu, and missing the mark in a warm welcome ( or good bye for that matter ) We want more than anything for you to succeed, loved your specialty popcorn and will return for the Bolognese no doubt. Working out the kinks of a new restaurant, yes. Great food with poor service, no. Wishing you the best, hoping 3rd time is a charm for us! Shaun and Martine Scottsdale Arizona
(2)Jim R.
Food was amazing. The concierge at the Four Seasons recommended it to us, and we are happy he did. To start The doughnut muffins were scrumptious! The Spanish omelette was light, creamy and melted in your mouth good. Service was friendly and knowledgeable. We look forward to Coming back soon! The steak was well made and the burrata was very good. The homemade potato chips and dipping sauces went very well together and tasted very good.
(5)Joshua W.
I came here with high expectations(obviously Binkley's) and was not let down. The mussels appetizer along with the barbecue octopus were magnificent. I will definitely be back to sample the rest of the menu
(4)Lorianne S.
I have been to Binks in Scottsdale a few times for lunch and have enjoyed the food, service and ambiance each time. Every dish and side that I have ordered has been very fresh and I feel that they go above and beyond to ensure their food does not taste like every other place in town. Any time I have an opportunity to lunch in Scottsdale, this is my place of choice.
(5)Miranda G.
The only good thing were the fries. I had the chopped salad and it was gross. The service was bad too. Took 30 minutes to get our check after it was clear that our plates were somewhat done.
(2)Matt B.
We've been to Binkley's and Bink's Midtown and had to complete the trifecta by going to Bink's Scottsdale. TL;DR: This scores and fits perfectly between Binkley's in Carefree (5 stars) and Midtown (3+ stars). If you love Binkley's but don't want the drive, this would be a nice alternative; the attention to detail is good, ambiance is comfortable and staff inviting. Just don't expect the over-the-top details like Carefree. I cannot give Binkley's (Carefree) a 5-star-review and score Scottsdale the same, so for that reason, this location gets 4. It's very good. Go and enjoy your meal. You won't be upset! Long review: We visited the Bink's Scottsdale this weekend which was Mother's Day. That may make this review not as helpful since it was brunch all-you-can-eat style (which I don't think they do regularly). Regardless, my experience was great. This feels to be the smallest establishment of the 3, but might be about the same as Carefree. I found the ambiance to be in agreement with the other two, but felt slightly more up-classed than Midtown. The brunch featured many "regulars": an array of breads, both sweet and savory, roast beef, salmon, sausage, bacon, eggs-to-order, and a small sampling of deserts. The lowlights: the bacon was amazingly tasteless, and we were provided a choice of 2 deserts (lemon and chocolate). The highlights: the salmon, while a staple in many buffets was unbelievable. It was buttery and soft and delicate. They offered two unique items: pork belly and grits. Both were outstanding, with the latter plate-licking delicious. The grits were paired with a rich and spicy sausage and shrimp gravy. The pork was paired with "kimchee pickles" which also had a nice kick. We visited with children - a trip I would never do had it not been a special occasion. The staff were perfectly pleasant despite the kids, and were happy to dote on their needs. We never felt rushed and leisurely enjoyed a long afternoon at the restaurant. I am of the strong belief that Binkley's-Carefree is the finest establishment we have in the greater Phoenix area for the "foodies." [Virtu is on my to-do list, but they appear to have a great offering.] I cannot - in good conscience - score his Scottsdale establishment as high as the original, and for that reason alone I have to give it a 4 star. Bravo.
(4)Eric S.
Disappointed as we live down the street and hit many restaurants in the Hilton area. We ordered take out for our first experience, no napkins,offer for plastic silverware, no bread, etc. just a very big grocery style paper bag with 3 small boxes. The portion size was VERY small for the amount of $$$ they are asking. The Paella was drowned in the sauce lost the taste of the "quality" vegetables and it didn't have any flavor other than the sauce, definitely not worth $17 for an entree. Butternut squash soup was good as well as the Kale salad, decent but high priced at $10 per item. Overall not very impressed with the food. Place looked nice and they had a separated bar from the restaurant with TV's which where i waited for takeout. Staff was nice and courteous.
(2)A C.
Excellent. Hit the bar first for a unique cocktail. Menu consists of ever changing innovative small plates
(5)Rachel G.
Food was amazing. Friend and I grazed on apps and sides and were very pleased and full! Glad I gave this place a shot in lieu of their current yelp of 3.5 stars.
(4)Zoe G.
Small yet cozy restaurant. Friendly staff. Kid's menu and booster seat available. Delicious bread, cheese appetizers w/delicious paté. Honey-glazed pork and ribeye were tender and delicious. Fries are home made and delicious..!!
(4)bev d.
This restaurant is all smoke and mirrors. In an effort to be cutting edge, the food is betrayed, masked, and insignificant. The bone marrow appetizer was a large bone cut in half with less than a teaspoon of marrow. It was surrounded by fruit infused sauce (which tasted good, but hey, where's the beef?) My husband ordered green chili which was chili paste (surrounded by the fruity sauce) on an English muffin! I must admit the duck medallions were delicious, but the portion would be hard pressed to translate as an entrée. The Bolognese my husband ordered was salty almost a puree; no body. Served with polenta?? Mush on mush. The orange soup for dessert made a spectacular presentation. Our server dramatically poured liquid nitrogen over the ice cream and poppy cake splashing some in my lap. Again the presentation got a 10, the taste a 5. Won't be back!
(2)james c.
We dined again, this time with friends, and for lunch. My wife and one friend had a chicken salad sandwich, another had a salmon blt and liked it, and I had Prime rib with blue cheese. We liked the choices we made and enjoyed the side salads and French fries. Desserts went down well. I was the only wine drinker and the selection is small. It went down well. Service was very good.
(4)J P.
While we thank Sir Lawrence for reminding us to keep the servants in their place (and woe be to those who do not recognize superiority in their presence), we believe it is clearly the wrong place when speaking of Bink's. After several visits, we have had nothing but exceptional food and service. Staff is welcoming, knowledgeable, and we always end up talking food with them, from their sourced produce to little gem vineyards off the E45. And we always learn. But, then, we treat the staff as we would like to be treated. Curious how that works... And just a word about the food, as others are covering that well already: in the greens we taste the hint of earth from which they came. It is rare and, at least for us, what separates the very best from even the very, very good. Congratulations to all (even the servants), and welcome to Scottsdale.
(5)Kim F.
My family of four ate dinner at Bink's Scottsdale on 12/21/13. We arrived around 5:30 p.m., and although the restaurant was only 1/3 full, it took awhile for our server to come to our table after we were seated. We ordered a carafe of wine, which at $25, was a little pricey. It shouldn't take long for wine to be poured, but again, for some reason it seemed to take awhile for drinks to be served. I ordered the grilled octopus appetizer and the sweet onion tart, my husband ordered the arugula salad, on son ordered the baby back ribs appetizer, and our other son ordered the butternut soup. When the appetizers were delivered to the table, the sweet onion tart was missing. I pointed it out and it turns out our server failed to enter it into the system. The baby back ribs (4 total for $8), which we all split, were disappointing. The sauce was tasty, but the ribs were tough and had very little meat. In fact, I gave up trying to saw anything off mine. The octopus was the biggest disappointment. It was extremely charred and overcooked to the point that it was nearly as tough as the ribs. The arugula salad and soup were good, according to my sons. When the onion tart ($7) arrived, it was small...probably only three inches in diameter. The entrees were extremely small servings for the price paid. I understand that local sourcing of highest quality ingredients can be expensive, but I just don't get how a restaurant can charge $21 for a pork belly entree that is literally a little bigger than perhaps a king size candy bar. Even worse, the pork belly was braised with capers, mushrooms and beans...a very strange combination that didn't work together. My 13-year-old son had the duck breast ($22), which was good, but consisted of approximately six to seven bites. Our total bill without the carafe of wine was $150. Even after ordering appetizers and entrees, we left hungry. This restaurant doesn't live up to the hype and billing that the Binkley name has received.
(2)J T.
Nice patio. Great veggie and app plates to share. Average service. Dropped by for dinner. Promptly seated on the patio at our reservation time. Host was very friendly sharing his story about opening a restaurant in the winter in our home state. Decided to share several app and veggie plates between the three of us. Had asparagus and egg, beets, broccoli, local citrus, and sweet breads. All were excellent and just the right size to share. Decent wine list. Shared a carafe between the two if us. Service was sufficient. The kind where they ask how things are but don't really stop to listen on the assumption all is fine. No issues. Just not fully engaged. Would recommend as a great little place for a real food dinner.
(4)Kathy J.
I went to Binks in Scottsdale last night and had an amazing dinner! We were greeted with a smile and immediately got seated in a wonderful spot with a cool view of all the happenings in the kitchen. The Sangria was perfect with pomegranate ice cubes that improved the taste of the drink as I enjoyed it over appetizers and dinner. We started with the mussels- wonderful curry aroma! We shared the trout (cooked to perfection!), Amy's bolognaise and polenta, roasted cauliflower (my personal favorite) and asparagus. Everything was absolutely delicious and we will return to try some other choices on the menu that also sounded wonderful. The service was impeccable and our server (Dylan) was delightful and knowledgeable about food. What a great addition to the neighborhood!
(5)Holly P.
We arrived 15 minutes late for our reservation, wide-eyed from the hideous traffic jam we had encountered on the 101. Our sympathetic, attentive hostess immediately brought us a drink. What a great intro! When shown to our table (I hate banquette seating), we requested instead an outdoor table. We were quickly and cheerfully accommodated. After my chair was switched out for something more comfortable (I am a wide load) and the tippy table was adjusted (all done, again, cheerfully & quickly), we were finally ready to order. First course: mussels with a cocoanut curry sauce and the sweetbreads. Mussels were great; sauce was top-notch. My sweetbreads were completely overwhelmed with a breading and pungent sweet and sour sauce. What a criminal thing to do to delicate sweetbreads. PLEASE find another way to serve these delicacies which are so seldom found on a menu! We politely requested (for a second time) more focaccia bread to sop up all that curry-cocoanut goodness. I don't really think "I heard you the first time, I didn't think you were kidding" is an appropriate response from a waiter. The wait--and the snark--were worth it, though, when the hot focaccia finally appeared (with an apology from our second waiter) The crust was unbelievable buttery. Our second, younger waiter was an obvious foodie, so enthusiastic about the food, and made up for the rudeness of the first. Next course was a plate of cold thinly sliced yellow beets with feta, which my table mate loved, and the barbecued octopus. The octopus had a wonderful char, and was tender, a feat I admire, as every time I try to prepare octopus it tastes like my car tires. It was, unfortunately showered in a delicious but too copious sauce. Please let some of these dishes speak for themselves, people! Finally, dessert was a very yummy pudding-textured chocolate cake with a soft marshmallow topping. The tempo of the meal was rather leisurely, but the place was really hopping for an early Wednesday evening. We are big fans of Binkley's in Cave Creek, and particularly love Bink's cafe, which is practically our neighborhood hangout, so it was fun to try a new Binkleys. We will be back, as I am dying to try the marrow, the fois gras, the sand dabs...the list goes on and on.
(4)Katie T.
I've eaten at Bink's in Scottsdale three times since it opened, and the food is delicious. The taste is in the details. I could tell that everything was made from scratch including sauces, dips, and all of the bread. The butter that comes with the buckwheat biscuits alone makes me want to return. They have a KILLER HAPPY HOUR, too. Get the sweetbread nuggets and mussels.
(4)Jodi P.
I had the chicken salad and it was tasty. Atmosphere was nice, servers were nice. Just had a water so I can't comment on the beverages. I would go back to try the burger but I do wish there was a little bit more to choose from.
(3)Jim M.
This place being walking distance from the Dr's house, we decided to give it a try. Crowded with poor spacing between tables.. feels like you have no privacy at all on the 2 tops....We decided to try a number of things to adequately sample the menu. The butternut squash soup was very nice....as was the arugula salad. The Dr. loved the jicama salad with a tart whipped cream or sour cream dressing... me, not so much. The roasted sweet potato dish I sent back to the kitchen.. It was carbonized....makes me wonder why any well trained chef would send carbonized food out to a customer. Our wait person, who was pretty exceptional, immediately took it off the bill. The entrees of duck breast, really good, and my scallops..30 bucks for 3 very salty and charred on the grill. All in all it was an ok experience. Given it's one of Kevin's places I expected it to be much much better than it was...Not sure I'd go back....
(3)Dale E.
We just don't get it. Arguably the best food in town. Live across the street from the Café in Carefree and service is a disaster. Midtown is perfecto! Scottsdale must be trained and managed by the same as Café in Carefree. Will go to Midtown when it's convenient. Never see a Mgr checking on patrons and THEY should. Scottsdale today had no host so the Mgr should have done it. We sat ourselves and then walked out as we have done more than once in Carefree.
(3)Kathy R.
I expected to be impressed and wasn't. The service was appalling. Sure it was busy, but what do expect on a Friday night in Scottsdale at the height of the season. Maybe you think about calling in enough servers. The menu was odd. None of the entrees appealed to me. My husband liked the duck. I would have ordered scallops but didn't feel like paying $31. I had the kale salad. It was okay but have had better ones elsewhere. We did love the French fries and the cauliflower. Even though it's only 5 minutes from our house we probably won't go back. Too bad. What a disappointment.
(3)LJ N.
Weak menu / small portions / high prices long wait after ordering.
(2)Jennifer S.
very average food, i expected a whole lot better, in th end another pretentious attempt to redefine nothing....i could go on and on, but this particular restaurant do not care about criticism, just groupies will find a voice here.... one tip : when you serve French fries, empty and clean the fryer or pick the fires with a tongue, do not dump the frying basket contents straight to the serving dish,..finding partially dessicated and fossilized old pieces of food at the bottom of your fries basket is a real turn-off....And that is just one example of my experience there !
(1)Lee R.
Nothing bad, but nothing remarkable. The restaurant was not particularly busy when the three of us arrived and we sat at the bar. Service was mixed...more than once we had to remind the bartenders what we wanted. Drinks were decent if not spectacular (they seem to love using liquid nitrogen to no obvious purpose...I would call it "Scottsdale pretentiousness"). The popcorn was good. The fries were also good...though the three sauces were all rather weak. The "bread" tasted like baking soda and little else. If you want very good Chinese orange chicken, order the sweetbreads...just don't expect them to taste like sweetbreads...the sauce overwhelmed. The octopus was well prepared, but the sauce masked the flavor of the octopus. The bacon burger was decent but nothing special...I'll take the Big Ass Burger at Roaring Fork any time. The Sloppy Joe was a decent example of this kind of sandwich...but it was still just a Sloppy Joe. And finally the donuts were OK, nothing special. Overall, nothing bad, but nothing remarkable either.
(3)