Pacific’s Cafe

Not bad every once and awhile.
It’s inside a big office building and I didn’t even know it was there. A coworker took me there a couple months ago. They have a variety of food, yummy bagel selection, they even have somewhat of a convenience store area near check out. I got a jalapeño bagel toasted with cream cheese (super delicious!) and a banana nut muffin for only $ 3 :) Later on I got the chocolate banana smoothie (which was good)… but I was a little put off to realize that I could easily make it myself and I just overpaid majorly for what it consists of since they make it right in front of you (ice, banana and a packet of Nestle Hot Cocoa… REALLY?!).
They have a good sized sitting area and make hot & cold sandwiches, salads, soup. There are daily specials. Prices seem fair but… lean towards the moderately overpriced based on the quality (I mean… the smoothie itself put me off…)
So… not bad over all. Just not a place I’d frequent on a daily or weekly basis.

Well, yesterday took the cake. I go in to order a salad (Cobb with no avocado) because 1) I was hungry. 2) Its close and I didn’t feel like driving. And 3) I did not feel like walking over to Paradise.
I go in and order with no problem. I pay the dude and the gal starts making my salad.
Lettuce — Check.
Chicken (which she chopped right there) — Check
Tomatoes — Check
Egg (I get this instead of avocado) — Check
Bacon — Check
Blue Cheese — Checkkkkkkkkkkkkkkerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr­rr. Wait.
She leans down to the cooler below the counter and pulls out a container.
Its not the container that the cheese was purchased in.
It wasn’t a Tupperware or gladware type container.
*Drum roll*
The blue cheese was being stored in a Skippy Peanut Butter container. The size you’d get from Costco.
I stood there dumbfounded for a moment. I’m handed my salad and I turn and walk out, heading back to work. I get all the way back to my building and desk… thinking about it the peanut butter cheese situation the whole time. I then proceed to tell my coworkers, who all burst into laughter. I’m glad I can at least provide some humor. I am completely turned off by the salad after a few minutes of staring at the cheese.
I decide to go back to Pacific’s and get my money back. A coworker decides to get out of the building and walk with me. We get there. And in short, they were both defensive. The gal even went to the back and got the big container of cheese saying… this is the cheese. I said that that might have been where the cheese originally came from, but that isn’t where she got the stuff that was on my salad. That it came from a peanut butter container and that’s not the proper method of storage. And I then said, «Open up the cooler.» The gal then said… give her back her money. Yeah, give me back my $ 7.00.
Seriously. What if I had a peanut allergy???
I took my money and walked to Paradise, where I got a small Cobb, a small mac&cheese, and 2 cookies for $ 9.50. At least I know I don’t have to worry about quality, freshness, and storage issues at Paradise.

Pacific Café isn’t a standard Scottsdale place. It’s basic, at best. Great people, fresh brewed Ice Tea, two types and some basic food. sandwiches, salads and soups. They have a wonderful Tuesday special of ‘hot meat” LOL it’s Mexican style beef made into either Nachos, Tacos or Burros depending on the Tuesday. Myself and 2 others in my office will wait till 9 am to run down there to get ‘hot meat’ day.
The owners are great, always with a smile and a friendly hello. I wouldn’t say their food is Zaggot’s worthy but this is a great small deli that will get you a nice breakfast or lunch when you don’t want to go spend 15+ else where in Scottsdale.
B

What the!
Am I really the first to review this spot?
There have to be about 150 Unilocalers within an 5 block radius of this place! But, no reviews! Makes me want to grab a can of spray paint and tag them!
All righty then, here goes!
I don’t always need to make my own lunch or go someplace fun for lunch, sometimes you just need a good, serviceable sandwich or a bowl of soup, for a quick decent lunch. Someplace that isn’t a drive-​thru, isn’t greasy (I suppose they could add grease if that’s how you roll), congested (I mean in the automotive sense rather than then bronchial sense… although the fumes from most drive drive thru’s make me long for a plugged sinus).
Pacific’s is a sweet little family run (apparently, they speak passable English and they always have trouble understanding me when I tell them my sandwich was terrific… a nice touch is that they all bow when I thank them… they are beyond adorable!) operation.
They make, as noted above, a really serviceable sandwich (I’m fond of the egg salad with some chopped olives on it) and decent soups, as well. The place is very clean (they always hustle out to wipe down tables, even though they are busy behind the counter, making sandwiches, etc.), and smells good, too (like a good food joint should).
I know they also do breakfast (which I cannot comment on… if I go out to breakfast, I want to make count with something like the Breakfast Joynt or Matt’s).
This little spot isn’t easy to find, frankly. It has an Indian School Rd. address, but it’s ½ block north of the street in the office complex by another one of the statues of Winfield Scott (we should start a new game and see if we can’t find and count all of the statues to the Scotts… including that delightful paean to Mrs. Scott in the park… you know, the one with her on the horse looking like she has the worst case of constipation in American history).
At any rate, try to find this place and have a sandwich. It’s pretty good food, freshly prepared (like Subway only clean and nice), at a good price.