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| - ***Red's is a surprisingly good breakfast and lunch spot for a resort hotel***
Red's Bar & Grill is the casual restaurant and bar next to the golf course at the Wigwam--a hotel, golf, tennis, and spa resort near Phoenix. I tend to avoid resort restaurants, but I was at this resort without a car so I gave this resort's casual restaurant a try for breakfast and lunch.
I tried them first for lunch. They recently revamped their menu and it offers a mix of casual and not too expensive gastropub lunchtime fare--hearty starters and a collection of sandwiches including a few burgers. I started with the bacon and beer cheese dip with pretzel bites. The warm cheese dip was good as it had a good salty note as well as a smoky flavor from the bacon. The cheese dip was creamy and had a thickness without being overly heavy or rich. The dip was topped with green onions, which provided sharpness.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/reds-bar-and-grill-litchfield-park-2?select=UUZHGUneB7XP1Y9v0CWd4A#9w-QtLsLe_BVUhOMchrv1A
The pretzel bites were warm, buttery and not too salty. They varied in quality though. Some were too small and kind of hard while others had a nice light and soft quality to them.
For my entree, I had the Southern Bird, which was a satisfying turkey burger. What made the turkey burger shine the most were the garnishes. The lettuce and tomato were both fresh. I also enjoyed the lightly sweet but also slightly spicy BBQ sauce. The fried pickles provided an indulgent crunch and fried component to the burger as well as a little bit of tanginess from the pickles. There was also melted cheese though I do not think cheese always works with turkey burgers.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/reds-bar-and-grill-litchfield-park-2?select=UUZHGUneB7XP1Y9v0CWd4A#80b_lNUkJCOLHODY-2r8oA
The turkey patty itself was slightly moist though definitely not as moist as an expertly prepared medium rare burger patty. The turkey patty though had a good amount of flavor due to the aggressive seasoning of it. The burger sat on a fresh whole wheat bun. The bun provided a sturdy structure for the burger and all of the toppings so it could be eaten as a sandwich and not something with a knife and fork.
The burger came with fries and they were excellent--hot and crisp on the outside but still soft on the inside.
Dessert was disappointing. I had dessert flautas, which were fried pastries filled with brownies, nuts and marshmallows. The flautas were paired with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. The brownie flavor was decent and it was nice to have a warm dessert. This was supposed to a rocky road-like experience, but the flavor of the nuts and marshmallow were not really there. In addition, the flauta pastry was not crispy enough (it was actually quite soft and almost burrito tortilla-like).
I also tried Red's for breakfast and had their Southwest Loco Moco, which was Sonoran rice mixed with chorizo and ranchero sauce. The rice mixture was topped with poached eggs, cotija cheese and sour cream. The flavors were all delicious. The poached eggs were nicely done so that the yolk provided a thick and creamy sauce for the dish. The chorizo was moist and meaty. The rice was cooked to the right texture and all of the sauces and creams and chorizo combined to provide a spicy and savory breakfast dish.
There were a few areas where it could have been better though. The dish was very soft. Loco moco is too, but I think I would have preferred some crispy and crunchy textures here to provide variety to the hearty and comforting dish. In addition, the temperature was a little uneven as some elements were hot while other ingredients (like parts of the rice) were lukewarm to even slightly cold.
The dining room at Red's works. It is comfortable and suitable for various party sizes. It is also casual while still having a slightly upscale feel making it a good contemporary gastropub option. If you sit outside, you get nice views of the golf course.
I found the service to be very personable and friendly. I also felt the food came out at a quick pace. The waitstaff did not check in as much as other places I have been to and I think this was due to the shortage of staff. I did not think it impacted the experience that much though I did witness one very unhappy couple who seemed to have longer than expected wait times for food and service.
Prices were reasonable. Portions are generous and you do not have to pay the ridiculous prices that you often have to pay at a resort or even just a hotel for that matter.
Overall, I liked Red's. The food would not compete against top gastropubs I have been to across the country. But for the area, I felt the flavors and quality of their food would probably be above most of their nearby competition. If you are staying at this resort or playing golf, I think Red's is a satisfying option for breakfast or lunch.
I believe free parking is available.
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