Don & Charlie’s

Our family came for dinner and was really impressed with the service and the food. Our water glasses were never empty and we loved the fact that the kids food came out before the adults. The prime rib was cooked perfectly and well seasoned. Hot fudge sundaes were a hit as well!

The Boy took me to Don and Charlie’s for my yearly anniversary of NOT getting older and we really enjoyed our experience! Don and Charlie’s has a lot of charm as that neighborhood restaurant where you take your family or meet your buddies after golf.
The menu is easy to navigate and reminded me of home (yay Midwest!). We decided on an appetizer, the onion strings, which was delicious and MASSIVE. The two of us barely made a dent in it.
The Boy felt like ribs and I was feeling steak so he ordered a full rack with the Southwest Sauce and I got the NY with Parmesan crust. The Boy LOVED the ribs and raved about the Southwest sauce so much that he has mentioned it several times since the visit and even talked about going back and seeing if he could buy a pint. I ordered the Deli style cole slaw, a must if you like vinegar and mustard but was just ok with the Parm Crusted steak. It was good but I felt like the steak had enough flavor that it didn’t need the parm coating.
Our server was delightful, attentive, and very helpful when navigating the menu. She even surprised me with a piece of their delicious chocolate cake for my birthday! I mean, ummm, my special occasion.
Everything about our visit was amazing and we look forward to coming back! One tip, use valet due to the many clubs in the area as well as the new residents being built across the street.

I had the prime sirloin steak. It was truly «prime»! And it was cooked to perfection. I have not had a steak of that quality since the old New York steakhouses. The service was perfect and the dining room was a really comfortable place to dine. I truly enjoyed the experience!

Racists. I hate this place. The foods terrible and the racist manager Austin Green says he doesn’t serve my «kind» because we’re «guilty by association». He just shrugs in agreement when called a racist. I don’t understand how this kind of treatment is still acceptable.

Had dinner here for my sisters birthday. We ordered ribs and the twice baked potato. Both were good, the BBQ sauce is awesome! The banana cream pie is a reason to return in itself, SO DELICIOUS! Charlie was our server, she is OUTSTANDING! She made our first experience so special and really went out of her way. Haven’t had service like that anywhere in a while. So we will be back to see her and for some pie!

What a great place. We had a wonderful dinner with amazing service thank you Cheri. No better way to end a great meal but to have Don pick up dessert for our Boys. Don thanks for your hospitality.

This is the second time I have been there this year and it did not disappoint. We had 4 adults and 2 kids. We ordered the kids food with our drinks and it came out with our soups and salad so the kids had plenty of time to eat. The server was very nice and patient with the kids too. The only thing I was disappointed in was that I remembered them having onion strings but today they had rings. Not nearly as good as the strings. Other than that the New York steak, fried chicken, shrimp scampi (Chicago style) and ribs were all great. If you are going to go make a reservation.

Never thought I would be writing this one especially after going here for twenty years. Getting a bad meal does happen but all four of us at the same time. What has happened to this place… The server was not very good to say the least. Didn’t seem to understand different meat temps (i think she was a vegetarian). Filet ordered med rare came out med, prime rib ordered med rare came or med I asked if they had any VERY rare prime rib before ordering, was told I can order it for you, asked if she could check to see if they had any VERY rare before ordering as I know very well that they run out if it early, and would order something else if they were out, she insisted she could «order it rare» I repeated very rare and she insisted she could deliver, sure enough it came out med, not even rare, looked identical to the other one we had ordered med rare that was med. She said she would get me another, again I said if you don’t have any VERY rare I will order something else. She brought me out another aside from being a very poor cut it was med rare. She was getting closer but still not rare let alone VERY rare. I asked if she knew what VERY rare was., she said would you like it «black and blue» seriously, prime rib prepared black and blue! I said forget it I’ll have the NY strip cooked VERY rare. She asked if I wanted it black and blue, I said no, but VERY rare. When it finally came out it was rare, still not VERY rare. But at least it was rare and it was a dry steak, not very juicy as was the filet one of us had that was also overcooked. Overall the quality of the food served was well below what I had come to expect after 20+ years of frequenting the place.
When the waitress brought out the check she made a point of saying she took the prime rib that I sent back (because it was overcooked & she was to either stubborn or ignorant to see if they had any VERY rare) off the check (like she was doing me a favor) and replaced it with the NY strip that I ordered for an additional $ 8.
There were more issues with the service but enough said, just a very poor experience at what WAS my favorite place in Scottsdale to get a great steak and always recommended it for the food not just the memorabilia. I guess that’s all changed now.

Old and tired with food to match. Feeling nostalgic, then by all means, go there. Want good food, try somewhere else.

Excellent. Just go. I see a lot of reviews suggesting it is a tourist trap. Definitely not. Great food, great service, great sports memorabilia. I love the strip George Will style — charred. If you are undecided on which bbq sauce, just ask for both on the side. I still can’t decide which is best. If you sit in the bar they have the best bartender in town. Also, the Bud Selig is actually very good tho not a «high end» entrée.

After living here for 30 years I was finally talked into eating here by some out of town friends.
It’s not a cheap place, but you are paying for central Scottsdale and walls of memorabilia. Lots of COOL Sports Memorabilia.
As for the food, it was good. Nothing stunning, but good average food.
Since they are «FAMOUS» for their ribs, I had to have them. They came sauce on and it’s a good sauce. The Southwestern Sauce is the best, since it’s spicier.
I would prefer sauce off, with the nice char they had on them. The flavor was very good, though even having them sauced didn’t compensate enough for the dry meat.
Just a tiny bit over done, but still one of the better tasting ribs I’ve had in a new place for me. I’d say maybe the 5^th best ribs I’ve eaten in the valley. They should vacuum seal them after smoking to keep them moist till they put them on the grill for a nice char. They do cost about $ 8 more than I think they are worth for a full rack.
Their slaw and baked potato are top notch. Loved the potato. The best I’ve had in years with a wonderful herb crust.
As for the other dishes at the table, The Salmon was happily enjoyed along with a big steak. The Cobb salad next to me looked fantastic. So were the deserts enjoyed by other people. I’m glad I was full.
It’s a neat place for a once a year meal, but not the type of place I’d eat at regularly since the food isn’t much different than most similar chain restaurants.

My husband celebrated our wedding anniversary at Don and Charlies last night and it was one of the best dining experiences weve ever had in Scottsdale.
I unfortunately failed to catch our waitress’ name but she made our experience more than wonderful. The food was delicious, cooked exactly as ordered and the rib eye was the best steak my husband has ever had.
Great food. Great experince. We will be back.

If I was going to outer space for a year
…Don and Charlie’s would be my last meal.
Liver pâté… and rye bread OUTSTANDING.
Onion rings… best I have ever had.
Slaw (deli style) tart and sweet at the same time… Excellent
Chopped sirloin… fabulous.
Hot fudge sunday… OMG
Price very very reasonable.
Service IMPECABLE.
THE BEST SPOT IN THE VALLEY

Don & Charlie’s is kinda like comfy old pair of shoes. You slip in and are immediately at ease. It’s not pretentious and certainly has marked its standing among the finicky crowd of Old Town. In fact, it reminds me of Frasher’s but all love for Chicago rather than St. Louis. You can feast your eyes on every type of sports memorabilia so it’s like stepping into a museum of goodies. I have to admit it is geared towards your mature active adults, such that you might find yourself amidst the heated debate between councilmen or City of Scottsdale employees ranting as to why this is the most livable city!
I don’t disagree with the most recent Unilocal reviews. The food isn’t amazing, nor will it knock it out of the park. They do serve schnitzel.; burgers are stacked high and salads are generous in portion. The price tag certainly doesn’t justify me choosing this over Wildfish or Ruth’s Chris. But if you are looking for low key vibe, chill with the power players of Scottsdale, or missing a piece of Chicago, grab a seat and take it all in.

We dined at your restaurant tonight. We dined at your restaurant many times in the past few years. I’ve dined at your restaurant dozens of times since I was a child, over 30 years or so. Things have gone downhill over the years. It seems as though you slowly raise the prices, and give you less and less items for the money. Yes I get it there is inflation, and you can’t continue to give the same thing for the same price. But why are you the only restaurant I can think of, who constantly takes things away, and then charges more to add them back when it used to be included? Maybe you guys just were horrible at the beginning, and gave too much value? No, I don’t think that was it. It’s just that you are getting greedy. There’s no other way to put it.
But on to the dinner. Like many servers, our server clearly has been with your restaurant for many many years. And it shows. Not because she is so experienced, but because she seems to just be like a robot, rushing to take your order, not really hearing what you’re saying, and not looking answer any extra questions. She simply want to move on, get the order in, get your food out, not stop by any extra times, get you out, and get the next warm bodies into the seat. What’s frustrating is both the owner, & a manager are roaming around the dining room during our dinner, but neither one of them stop to ask him anything was. In fact I didn’t even stop and talk to anyone in the dining room, not that I can’t say it didn’t happen, but I never saw it at all during our visit tonight.
You guys are an iconic restaurant in the valley, so you need to live up to your reputation, but instead you rest on your reputation and take advantage of your customers, many who spend up to $ 100 a person. I’m not saying you guys are in a good restaurant, I just think you need to remind your staff that the people who are dying in here are out to relax and enjoy the evening, and they should not be rushed through their meal, or be given any kind of attitude, or lack of customer service.
I hope you will stop and think, and remember it’s the regulars who really build your business. If you slowly change everything, and disappoint, and don’t respect them, you won’t have much to show for it in the end now will you? Again, I think there’s lots of good things about your restaurant, but I also think customer service is key, and this is not the first time I’ve not been impressed with it. Your wait staff really needs to be reminded that they’re lucky to have this position, and that regulars like us, as well as all customers, deserve better. Unless I see a change, my next visit may be my last.

Iconic!
Sports Memorial throughout the restaurant with many prized items such as the Babe Ruth autographed baseball. There are autographed baseballs, basketballs, footballs, bats, helmets, photos, cards, etc. This place could rival any collection of sports memorabilia in the country. I am a huge collector and one time the manager pulled me in the office to see a few items that were purchased which was the official lineup cards for all 7 games of the 2001 World Series.
As for the food, great prime rib and baby back ribs. The calamari is top notch as is the potatoes au gratin.
3 different size prime rib cuts and ask for it to be medium rare or it will be a little dry plus they will supply as much au jus as you need. Tip of the day, if you have a young one order the kids meal prime rib because it is a generous cut at a portion of the adult size.
The ribs are also a staple here where I would suggest if you come here with a guest split the prime rib and full rack of ribs.
The restaurant has been a part of Restaurant Week and is a decent deal.
Love this restaurant and will come back to celebrate another occasion.

Well you can guarantee one thing here — that they do have the best collection of baseball and football stuff I have ever seen. It is worth a trip to see all of it, but the Red Sox jersey in front of the ladies room needs to go. Most of the food was hit and miss, but it all is about Chicago this and Chicago that.
RIBS — by far do not order the charred style unless you really like eating a burnt hunk of ribs. The regular style was way better, but both were nowhere close to the best ribs ever, not by a longshot. These don’t strip off the bone which is what I prefer.
SIDES — redskin mashed potatoes not good and cole slaw was cold and crisp, but not top notch.
APPS — the spinach Artichoke Dip was chunky and good and served with great chips
SERVICE — very professional, except when they overcharged us 66 bucks (corrected)
It seems like if you have been going here for years, you don’t go anywhere else, but I won’t be back for anything really. If your famous for ribs and they are average, then it’s case closed.
Free birthday sundae was a nice after thought and the Wedge salad was also decent.

I’ve been here 4 times and it’s always excellent. I highly recommend it if you’re here for spring training… or any time
Bone-​in ribeye was awesome!

If you are a sports fan, you’ll want to make sure you pay a visit to Don & Charlie’s, a Scottsdale, AZ institution.
Almost every inch of wall and ceiling space is covered with some sort of sports memorabilia and this restaurant is also a go-​to spot for Spring Training. From the menu: «In 1959 our family moved to Arizona and I discovered Spring Training. I was in baseball heaven watching Ted Williams, Willie Mays and the rest of the players get ready for opening day. Spring Training is still the best. Every day I hit a different park, watch drills, batting practice, and just realize that I am the luckiest guy on the planet. Since 1959, I have met childhood heroes, met great folks from all over the country, and have been lucky enough to become part of the community and able to make a living. It doesn’t get better than this.»
The atmosphere is fantastic and you never know who you might see dining at this hot spot.
The menu boasts an array of burgers and BBQ and an extensive wine list, but we visited them to try the Bloody Mary. You can find our full review at
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Wow! What a disappointment! I remember going to Don & Charlie’s for an elite event a few years ago and especially loving the crème brûlée because there was a rich chocolate layer that gave you the sense the entire dish was built on a hershey’s bar!
We came to Don & Charlies last week as a part of our Steak Out (search for the best steak in the Valley) –I recommended it with dessert in mind! — and within 3 bites, we could confidently say this was not it!
My tomato soup was good but that’s about the only nice thing I can say about this visit!
Overall, the experience failed to meet expectations.
My fillet was barely seasoned and was cooked to medium well, despite being ordered medium. We discussed sharing our disappointment with the waitress but we noticed others weren’t sending food back, so we figured it was common practice for the kitchen.
The cheesy bread appetizer (complimentary with check in) took forever to arrive, so by the time it did I had had my fill of bread from the standard issue basket.
There was nothing notable about the creamed spinach.
The chocolate at the bottom of my crème brûlée more closely resembled a faint layer of chocolate pudding than the rich, chocolatey hershey’s bar I remembered.
Sadly, I’m in no rush to go back.