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| - I'm a foodie; I come here for the steaks, not the drinks or the ambience. Their steaks are better than the chain steakhouse restaurants.
If you're looking for a fancy steakhouse, go to Ruth Chris or Mortons. If you're looking for a cheap steak, go to Sizzlers (are they even still around?). Here, the steaks aren't cheap, but they're cooked well and full of flavor. Add one of their toppings (I like the mushrooms and scallions or the black peppercorn sauce options), and the steak just comes alive. Their prime rib just melts in your mouth... but the au jus that comes with it isn't that great. Their appetizer sampler platter is almost a full meal in itself for a small group; some very interesting interpretation of regular barfood appetizers. I've tried several other items on their menu, and they're hit-and-miss - but it's obvious what the misses are. (Hint: this is the wild west... so don't bother with pasta, salad, etc. You're also in the middle of a desert far away from the ocean and in a dusty little town in a cowboy/biker bar - why would you think to order seafood here?).
They don't bother serving you water when you sit for dinner; if you want it, ask for it (something about not wasting water if no one wants it...).
Ambience wise, this place just fits in with the Cave Creek feel - cowboys and bikers. The place is huge, with a big wrap-around porch and a large dirt parking lot. Service is a bit slow, and they obviously cater to their sports - especially the Steelers. Some nights they have live bands that they bring in - some local, some nationally known; it's hit-and-miss - you just have to check what's happening ahead of time.
I'm not a Steeler fan, I'm not a cowboy, I'm not a biker, I don't live in Cave Creek, and I'm not a wannabe... but I do know a good steak, so I make the trek out to Harolds every now and then when I'm in the mood for one. My most recent trip was on 2011-05-04. Things aren't perfect (the lettuce in my salad seemed a bit wilted), but I was happy with the steak and Arizona wings, and left satisfied.
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