Reviews Spotted Donkey Cantina

Our first time eating here. We will definitely be back. We split the barbacoa chimichanga. It was easily enough for two. The brown chili sauce was fantastic So much flavor. Only complaint, skimpy chips and salsa that you pay for. Margheritas are excellent as well. Can recommend. Will return.

I highly suggest going here if you're in the Cave Creek area. My wife and I are staying at the Boulders Resort and the concierge suggested the Spotted Donkey. Really good food! The jalapeño appetizer was good but a bit of a gamble on spiciness. Worth it though.

First time here and the food was great! I got the surf and turf burrito and went light on the potatoes. It ended up being a bit smaller than I was expecting but it was still really good. Guacamole was fantastic and the margarita was great as well.

Alyssa was a great server. She was very attentive and the service was impeccable. The food was very good, and the prickly pear margaritas are a must!!! Loved the outdoor patio. We are from Texas and this was legitimate Mexican food.

This is a strange situation. This very good restaurant is located in a distressed and essentially vacant mixed-use property. Makes it look like it is also out of business. Added to this is zero road visibility, you have to know where it is and go there as a destination. Now, done with that, this is a great place! And very much in business, busy and fun. Upscale Mexican, part of a small national chain. Interior very much makes me feel like I am actually in Mexico at a nice restaurant. Food is a cut above, several steps above Encanto. Service is not only good but the staff are dressed in sharp outfits, well groomed and attentive. They have a happy hour with competitive prices, typical limited five dollar bar menu during happy hour, but with better food than is typical. Nice bar. Gets busy with the golf course crowd that can easily drive their golf carts to this place. As much as this place is hidden it gets a lot of business, and once you try it you will understand why. I think this place is both a family spot and a nice place for a single like me to enjoy an adult outing. Located upstairs in this large vacant property, there are patio views of the area which is another bonus. So yes, give this one a try for sure!

Margaritas are delicious here - house made and just the right amount of lime and not to sweet! The stuffed & fried jalapeno shots are spicy & yum with the ranch they are served in a shot glass. Unexpected and fabulous!! Chips, salsas and guac are good.. three salsas, one that's orange is spicy, the chunky salsa is sweet and the green salsa is limey all fun to try. Service was a tiny bit slow but they were busy so it was understandable. We sat outside which was nice especially when it cooled down and they turned on the heat lamp. Entrees - fish tacos are recommended also the enchiladas you can pick which flavor you like. We tried the chimichanga it was with shredded beef it was served cut at a slant and standing up - a fun presentation also tasty. The sunset was nice from the outdoor seating area. Not a super authentic Mexican restaurant - a little modern twist on some of the classics. Great location for the northern Scottsdale Cave creak area. (There is a cute art gallery next to it but it's not open very late FYI)

It had been quite a while since my last visit and I was excited to find ample patio seating and reservations available through Open Table. We arrived 5:15pm on a Friday evening and we're seated very promptly, we made reservations for a table on the patio. The inside had a good amount of people dining in as did the patio but still plenty of availability for people without reservations. 5:45 seemed to be when more people started to arrive and the patio started to fill up. We were pleasantly surprised to find that they offer their happy hour on the patio, very reasonable prices for some of their appetizers and lots of drink specials (photo of happy hour menu added). I started with a Mexican Mule ($13 regularly, $11 on HH) which was noted as having charred pineapple with basil and cilantro, it was tasty but the flavors of the pineapple, basil, and cilantro weren't very strong. Next I tried their classic margarita and it was excellent and on Happy Hour only $5, certainly would choose the classic over the mule on my next visit for taste and price. For dinner my husband had the chimichanga and was raving about the meat inside it. The presentation for the chimichanga was great because it ensured the outside crisp during each bite as it wasn't smothered in sauce but cut on half with the middle of each side standing in the sauce. I had the donkey protein bowl and was really pleased with the presentation as well as the ease to mix it all up and get a little of everything in each bite without having to spend all my time cutting through the bowl. It comes with avocado but I added some guac on the side and greatly enjoyed the addition. When I ordered I also got a side of Spanish rice not knowing if the bowl would be filling enough without the addition. Happy to report it would have been totally filling without the rice. The rice was good, but not necessary add to the bowl for the $4.00 side. Looking forward to visiting again in the near future to try out more dishes and the happy hour appetizers!