Reviews (dining and attractions) from the 2016 Arizona Golf Trip
I posted a few reviews, mainly restaurants, from the trip. Only one course review as I had already posted reviews for most of the courses we played. The restaurants are listed first and alphabetically. Links to the reviews on Trip Advisor are also provided.
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8-bit Aleworks (Avondale): These folks love their craft beer!
Visited March 10, 2016; reviewed March 19, 2016 See this review on Trip Advisor.
We stumbled on 8-bit Aleworks while looking for a craft beer pub for dinner. We certainly found the beer, but you will need your GPS to find the location! It is in a warehouse facility, north of Van Buren, off of North Fairway and Garfield. Once you get there it is obvious, but we were scratching uor heads as we were approaching the place.
It is a pretty plain, sort of industrial setting with a few arcade video games standing around. They are all about the beer here, no food for sale, although you are welcome to bring your own or call in a delivery order (we started to do that, but the wait time for pizza was over an hour).
The point of 8-bit Alehouse is the craft beers and they have some pretty good ones. This is a particularly good place for the folks who like stouts. I think they had seven or eight taps and at least four were stouts. But I’m an IPA guy, although I appreciate most any type of beer. Their session IPS, the Hopassin’s Creed was pretty good, but still had that weak finish that seems typical of most sessions. The Legend of Zymur, their double IPA, was my favorite. It was a bit sharp but still pretty darn good. Overall well worth the stop. The fellow running the place was more than happy to talk beer with us. Unfortunately most of the group I was with was not interested in savoring good beer, so I’ll have to come back when I can take more time to really enjoy the place.
Visited March 10, 2016; reviewed March 19, 2016 See this review on Trip Advisor.
We stumbled on 8-bit Aleworks while looking for a craft beer pub for dinner. We certainly found the beer, but you will need your GPS to find the location! It is in a warehouse facility, north of Van Buren, off of North Fairway and Garfield. Once you get there it is obvious, but we were scratching uor heads as we were approaching the place.
It is a pretty plain, sort of industrial setting with a few arcade video games standing around. They are all about the beer here, no food for sale, although you are welcome to bring your own or call in a delivery order (we started to do that, but the wait time for pizza was over an hour).
The point of 8-bit Alehouse is the craft beers and they have some pretty good ones. This is a particularly good place for the folks who like stouts. I think they had seven or eight taps and at least four were stouts. But I’m an IPA guy, although I appreciate most any type of beer. Their session IPS, the Hopassin’s Creed was pretty good, but still had that weak finish that seems typical of most sessions. The Legend of Zymur, their double IPA, was my favorite. It was a bit sharp but still pretty darn good. Overall well worth the stop. The fellow running the place was more than happy to talk beer with us. Unfortunately most of the group I was with was not interested in savoring good beer, so I’ll have to come back when I can take more time to really enjoy the place.
BW3 (Goodyear): Just a typical chain; not bad but nothing special.
Visited March 9, 2016; reviewed March 19, 2016 See this review on Trip Advisor.
I group of golf buddies ate here after a day on the links. One of the guys wanted to catch the ACC basketball tourney and this seemed like a good place to watch. Very good service, better than average food (I have to admit that I enjoyed the shrimp po’boy that I had). The beer selection was not extensive but had some decent brews. This would not be my first pick for a place to eat but it is someplace that seems to appeal to the rest of the crew. I would try it again.
Visited March 9, 2016; reviewed March 19, 2016 See this review on Trip Advisor.
I group of golf buddies ate here after a day on the links. One of the guys wanted to catch the ACC basketball tourney and this seemed like a good place to watch. Very good service, better than average food (I have to admit that I enjoyed the shrimp po’boy that I had). The beer selection was not extensive but had some decent brews. This would not be my first pick for a place to eat but it is someplace that seems to appeal to the rest of the crew. I would try it again.
Majerles Sports Bar (Goodyear): I think we are finally done with this place.
Visited on March 7, 2016; reviewed March 19, 2016 See this review on Trip Advisor.
During our annual golf trip to the Goodyear area each spring we seem to eat here at least once if not twice. I don’t know why we keep going back here, I think it is average at best. On the plus side, the service is very good and I don’t think that we have ever had to wait on a table, even on a crowded evening. But the food is just OK, and the beer selection is at best average. This year the rest of the group finally admitted that the food just was not that good. With any luck this will be the last trip that we eat here.
Visited on March 7, 2016; reviewed March 19, 2016 See this review on Trip Advisor.
During our annual golf trip to the Goodyear area each spring we seem to eat here at least once if not twice. I don’t know why we keep going back here, I think it is average at best. On the plus side, the service is very good and I don’t think that we have ever had to wait on a table, even on a crowded evening. But the food is just OK, and the beer selection is at best average. This year the rest of the group finally admitted that the food just was not that good. With any luck this will be the last trip that we eat here.
Saddle Mountain Brewing Company (Goodyear): I have a new favorite place in Goodyear!
Visited March 10, 2016; reviewed March 19, 2016. See this review on Trip Advisor.
One of the few downsides to having our annual golf trip in the Goodyear area is the lack of really good places to eat. Sure, there are plenty of decent chain restaurants and sports bars, but nothing that had interesting food and a great selection of craft beer, at least not without a long drive. Those days are over now that our crew has found Saddle Mountain Brewing. What a great place.
It is located in a shopping plaza/strip mall at the southwest corner of Roosevelt and North Estrella Parkway. Inside it has an industrial and aviation themed décor that is both simple and interesting. But we did not come here for the vibe, necessarily, we were looking for good food and great beer.
The only downside was that we arrived, there was a wait. That was expected as it was the dinner rush on a Thursday evening. However, the young man at the door who added us to the waiting list was unable to give me an estimate of the wait time. That should have been a red flag. But I was not worried as I could see there was space at the bar and headed that way to sample the wares.
Fortunately Saddle Mountain does offer flights of beer, a sampler of six 4-oz. glasses. The perfect way to try several new beers without getting hammered. I asked to try their IPAs, but there were only four on tap this evening so I asked the barmaid to pick the other two and she did well with a couple of hoppy red ales. While there were a couple of very good beers in the group, none would crack my top ten list. The Problem Child IPA was the best of the group I tired.
So while me and a couple other guys from our party were enjoying the time at the bar, the rest of the group was wondering why it was taking so long to get seated. After talking with the kid at the front door, who apparently did not have a clue, four of the guys left to find food elsewhere. The manager found us at the bar and apologized for the inconvenience and offered to sit the three of us right away and covered the cost of the meal and drinks. Can’t say no to that.
Dinner was outstanding. I had the jambalaya. Unusual presentation as the rice was served in a separate dish. I mixed the rice with the rest of the dish, of course. Excellent flavor. One of the other guys tried the pizza, so I tried a slice of that as well and it was very good (the first good pizza that I have found in the area, so another plus for Saddle Mountain).
Granted the lack of coordination by the host caused four or our party to leave the restaurant but other than that it was a very positive experience. The beer was great and the food was excellent, which is what I was looking for. The service at the bar and during dinner was outstanding. The bartender and the servers were friendly, attentive and very helpful. The young lady behind the bar was very knowledgeable of the beers on tap. I will definitely be returning to Saddle Mountain Brewing when during our golf trip next year.
BTW, I would have rated Saddle Mountain as a “5” if not for the issues with seating. I think that is something that the management will address, so I’m sure that the rating will go up following my next visit.
Visited March 10, 2016; reviewed March 19, 2016. See this review on Trip Advisor.
One of the few downsides to having our annual golf trip in the Goodyear area is the lack of really good places to eat. Sure, there are plenty of decent chain restaurants and sports bars, but nothing that had interesting food and a great selection of craft beer, at least not without a long drive. Those days are over now that our crew has found Saddle Mountain Brewing. What a great place.
It is located in a shopping plaza/strip mall at the southwest corner of Roosevelt and North Estrella Parkway. Inside it has an industrial and aviation themed décor that is both simple and interesting. But we did not come here for the vibe, necessarily, we were looking for good food and great beer.
The only downside was that we arrived, there was a wait. That was expected as it was the dinner rush on a Thursday evening. However, the young man at the door who added us to the waiting list was unable to give me an estimate of the wait time. That should have been a red flag. But I was not worried as I could see there was space at the bar and headed that way to sample the wares.
Fortunately Saddle Mountain does offer flights of beer, a sampler of six 4-oz. glasses. The perfect way to try several new beers without getting hammered. I asked to try their IPAs, but there were only four on tap this evening so I asked the barmaid to pick the other two and she did well with a couple of hoppy red ales. While there were a couple of very good beers in the group, none would crack my top ten list. The Problem Child IPA was the best of the group I tired.
So while me and a couple other guys from our party were enjoying the time at the bar, the rest of the group was wondering why it was taking so long to get seated. After talking with the kid at the front door, who apparently did not have a clue, four of the guys left to find food elsewhere. The manager found us at the bar and apologized for the inconvenience and offered to sit the three of us right away and covered the cost of the meal and drinks. Can’t say no to that.
Dinner was outstanding. I had the jambalaya. Unusual presentation as the rice was served in a separate dish. I mixed the rice with the rest of the dish, of course. Excellent flavor. One of the other guys tried the pizza, so I tried a slice of that as well and it was very good (the first good pizza that I have found in the area, so another plus for Saddle Mountain).
Granted the lack of coordination by the host caused four or our party to leave the restaurant but other than that it was a very positive experience. The beer was great and the food was excellent, which is what I was looking for. The service at the bar and during dinner was outstanding. The bartender and the servers were friendly, attentive and very helpful. The young lady behind the bar was very knowledgeable of the beers on tap. I will definitely be returning to Saddle Mountain Brewing when during our golf trip next year.
BTW, I would have rated Saddle Mountain as a “5” if not for the issues with seating. I think that is something that the management will address, so I’m sure that the rating will go up following my next visit.
Schoolhouse (Sedona): Wonderful place to eat. Second visit was just as good as the first.
Visited on March 8, 2016; reviewed on March 19, 2016 See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I ate at the Schoolhouse in the Village of Oak Creek with friends back in the fall, so when I returned this spring with my golf buddies I figured this would be a nice treat for an after-round dinner. I was right. The only issue we had was that we arrived at 4:57, so three minutes before dinner seating started, so the young lady hostess told us to “stand over there” and went back to their chit-chat. Not a good opening impression. But we wandered into the bar where Amy, the bartender, basically hurdled the bar to greet us and get us seated. Amy really saved the day for the Schoolhouse. She was outstanding. Very friendly and attentive and extremely helpful with questions about the menu. Dinner was outstanding and the Schoolhouse was a hit with my golf crew. I had the seafood bisque followed by the shrimp and cheddar polenta which was an awesome pairing. Three of us split the dark chocolate cake which was huge and delicious. Glad we split it as I think it could have sent one person into a food coma! It was great. I know that I’ll be visiting Red Rock County again and I know that The Schoolhouse will be on the dining list when I return.
Visited on March 8, 2016; reviewed on March 19, 2016 See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I ate at the Schoolhouse in the Village of Oak Creek with friends back in the fall, so when I returned this spring with my golf buddies I figured this would be a nice treat for an after-round dinner. I was right. The only issue we had was that we arrived at 4:57, so three minutes before dinner seating started, so the young lady hostess told us to “stand over there” and went back to their chit-chat. Not a good opening impression. But we wandered into the bar where Amy, the bartender, basically hurdled the bar to greet us and get us seated. Amy really saved the day for the Schoolhouse. She was outstanding. Very friendly and attentive and extremely helpful with questions about the menu. Dinner was outstanding and the Schoolhouse was a hit with my golf crew. I had the seafood bisque followed by the shrimp and cheddar polenta which was an awesome pairing. Three of us split the dark chocolate cake which was huge and delicious. Glad we split it as I think it could have sent one person into a food coma! It was great. I know that I’ll be visiting Red Rock County again and I know that The Schoolhouse will be on the dining list when I return.
Foothills Golf Club (Phoenix): Foothills is a keeper! Will definitely play here again.
Played on March 10, 2016; reviewed on March 19, 2016. See this review on Trip Advisor.
For our annual golf trip we will usually try at least one course that we have not played in the past along with a few of our favorites in the Goodyear area. This year the new course that was added was Foothills which was a bit of a gamble. First it was about an hour drive (with traffic) from Goodyear where we were staying. More importantly, it is affiliated with a course (Club West) that we played once several years ago and absolutely hated, so much in fact that we have not returned and do not play to. But I was able to get a tee-time on relatively short notice and the greens fees were reasonable ( $55 for 18 holes an cart). So we decided to give it a try. The good news was that Foothills was nothing like Club West.
There are eight guys in my group, ranging from single-digit to over 20 in handicap and we all like Foothills. A lot! The clubhouse is very nice and provides a nice view over the course. The folks in the clubhouse were very friendly and helpful. Shoot the starter was a comedian with his “Southwest Airlines” stich about playing the course (the foot wedge is the most important club in your bag). The course was a little rough around the edges but still in pretty good shape. The layout is very playable and has four sets of tees so a yardage for golfers of all skill levels. The fairways are pretty wide and many seem to funnel errant shots back toward the course, which is a big plus for me. The greens had been recently top dressed, so the speed and break were a bit inconsistent but they rolled nicely. It was also in a pretty setting in a nice housing community, but the houses were not tight to the fairway, and there were some nice desert views (not spectacular but still pretty). Overall it was an enjoyable day of golf, so much so that we grabbed lunch at the clubhouse and went back out for an afternoon round (replay rate was $25 to play until dark; could have easily gotten in another 18 holes but stopped after 9). There is a nice little pavilion at the starter shack that makes for a good place to stop for an after round beer and watch folks coming up the 18th fairway.
While the conditions could be better, it seemed that they are working to make the course better. The setting, layout, cost and staff all added the positive experience at Foothills. I think we will be playing here on future trips to the Phoenix area.
Played on March 10, 2016; reviewed on March 19, 2016. See this review on Trip Advisor.
For our annual golf trip we will usually try at least one course that we have not played in the past along with a few of our favorites in the Goodyear area. This year the new course that was added was Foothills which was a bit of a gamble. First it was about an hour drive (with traffic) from Goodyear where we were staying. More importantly, it is affiliated with a course (Club West) that we played once several years ago and absolutely hated, so much in fact that we have not returned and do not play to. But I was able to get a tee-time on relatively short notice and the greens fees were reasonable ( $55 for 18 holes an cart). So we decided to give it a try. The good news was that Foothills was nothing like Club West.
There are eight guys in my group, ranging from single-digit to over 20 in handicap and we all like Foothills. A lot! The clubhouse is very nice and provides a nice view over the course. The folks in the clubhouse were very friendly and helpful. Shoot the starter was a comedian with his “Southwest Airlines” stich about playing the course (the foot wedge is the most important club in your bag). The course was a little rough around the edges but still in pretty good shape. The layout is very playable and has four sets of tees so a yardage for golfers of all skill levels. The fairways are pretty wide and many seem to funnel errant shots back toward the course, which is a big plus for me. The greens had been recently top dressed, so the speed and break were a bit inconsistent but they rolled nicely. It was also in a pretty setting in a nice housing community, but the houses were not tight to the fairway, and there were some nice desert views (not spectacular but still pretty). Overall it was an enjoyable day of golf, so much so that we grabbed lunch at the clubhouse and went back out for an afternoon round (replay rate was $25 to play until dark; could have easily gotten in another 18 holes but stopped after 9). There is a nice little pavilion at the starter shack that makes for a good place to stop for an after round beer and watch folks coming up the 18th fairway.
While the conditions could be better, it seemed that they are working to make the course better. The setting, layout, cost and staff all added the positive experience at Foothills. I think we will be playing here on future trips to the Phoenix area.
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