The Spotted Donkey Cantina Restaurant Review
el Pedregal
34505 N. Scottsdale Rd. (Carefree Hwy.) 
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Scottsdale, AZ 85262
480-488-3358 | Make Restaurant Reservations | Menu
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Cuisine
Open
Lunch & Dinner dailyFeatures
- View
- Heart-healthy dishes
- Kid-friendly
- Private room(s)
- Full bar
- Reservations suggested
- Outdoor dining
- Parking lot
- Casual dressy
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| The gimmick is a cute “spotted donkey” theme, with lots of funky artwork featuring the furry beasts. But the menu is serious stuff, offering creative and well-crafted specialties like spicy Oaxacan bean soup with pork hocks; a delightful meatloaf fashioned of veal, pork, beef and green chilies; and juicy beer-braised beef tacos with borracho beans. Some ingredients are local, like the Cedar River Farms beef and La Canasta tortillas, and everything is made from scratch, natch. Credit chef Eric DiStefano, who hails from Santa Fe where he runs a sister operation, the global-Southwest fusion Geronimo. Yes, Spotted Donkey is a terrific place to grab an ice-cold margarita and a plate of nachos. But these are designer margs with fresh fruit, thank you, and gourmet nachos piled with drunken black beans, pulled pork, Serrano chilies, roasted tomato and tomatillo salsa, cheddar, manchego, Monterey Jack cheese and Mexican crema. Views of the surrounding desert are as gorgeous as the fashionably garbed clientele. |
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