Pinnacle Peak

Yummy food and Wild West fun! My son loved the train ride. Only $ 2 for adults. Kids 3 and under are free.

I used to love this place. We have been eating here for years and then all of a sudden the prices went up and the food went downhill. 3 years ago we even got married in the gazebo and had our reception in the Savoy. Then came Sunday night. First it took forever for our waitress to come over to the table. Service was extremely, and I mean extremely slow. Took one glance at the menu and everything went up a few dollars in price. The bread was also stale and tasteless. Back in the day cowboys used butter not margarine!!! First was the salad. It was a lot smaller than before. Our food finally came out and the mashed potatoes were the smallest pile I have ever seen! For 14 bucks really?! They were cold. Plus the beef was all thrown into a pile and not as nicely carved and smoked as it usually is. I know I’m picky, but when you get used to something and know it’s good, why change the quality? You lose customers that way. It took forever for our server to come back to check us out so we walked up to the desk and they told us to pay at the table. I told them I can’t wait anymore I have to go to work. They said they’d get a manager who never showed up. My husband who never complains said his steak was cold. This was an expensive Cowboy steak that should have been perfect. I’m glad another Unilocaler brought up the peas and carrots. We all thought they were the worst we’ve ever tasted. Sorry Pinnacle Peak, but you’re seriously slacking. You got a great business, it’s time to get back in the game. And stop changing everything!!!

Well, I did not choose this location. I went with a very large group that voted for this place over other options. It was weird, over priced, and really not that good. The only reason they get two stars instead of one is for the service. Our waiters did a stellar job with our huge group, didn’t mess up orders, and we’re very accommodating. Too bad they work at a place with crummy food.

Our lovely waitress Desperado (character name) was fast and on point. The food was beyond reproach, and the ambiance was exactly as it should be for a wild west themed restaurant. This restaurant would have gotten a 4 star review as my filet I ordered rare came back medium well, but Desperado saved the day! Before I even had the thought to ask her to send it back, she noticed it wasn’t cooked right, approached me, took it back and had the new steak brought out quickly enough that the meal still finished on time for the entire table. Now, you want to talk about the best filet I have EVER had at a restaurant… the medium well one was still fantastic, but for those of us who love their steak still mooing, it gets no better than this. The seasonings were perfect, the lightly seared 1.5 inch steak was juicy and fell apart like butter in my mouth, and the flavor pairings of the mashed potatoes and salad I ordered were very complimentary. The salad was not a bowl of typical iceberg lettuce and wilted veggies, but a delightful spring mix with shaved carrots and grape tomatoes with the dressing served on the side. The mashed potatoes were real potatoes, not from a box, and the gravy was as perfect as a brown gravy gets. My daughter ordered mashed potatoes and gravy and mac and cheese, and let me tell you, her mac and cheese did not come out of a Kraft box. The noodles were soft and the cheese was creamy and thick. She was supremely happy and FULL after her meal.
The theme park this gem is nestled in is quaint and fun with an elaborate attention to detail. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed getting to ride the merry-​go-​round, take pictures on the grounds, ride the train, and stop off at the local confectioner for real Thrifty’s ice cream. My grandparents said they really enjoyed the wild west show and all of the staff were friendly.
If you’re in Tucson, this is a place worth going!

It had been years since I’d been here. The beans were delicious as was my steak if not a tax over seasoned, however the mashed taters were horribly presented and bland.
My saving grace was the Prickly Pear Margarita.

This is one of my favorite places to visit in Tucson. I used to live here and always enjoyed coming to Pinnacle Peak. Now whenever I return for a visit, I make sure we stop in. Everything here is great.
I’ve had steaks and ribs in the past and they are always excellent. I tried the pit beef tonight. I think it might be newer on the menu. Anyways, it was very good. Moist and there was plenty of it. Came with mashed potatoes and gravy and a mixture of cooked peas and carrots. It was just enough food.
The whole place has an old west cowboy motif. No ties allowed in Pinnacle Peak. Wear one and see what happens…
There is plenty of things to do in Trail Dust Town before or after dinner. Make sure you do the stunt show. My kids always love that. There’s a train ride, plenty of shops to visit, and a small arcade.

This place is usually a hit with visiting relatives, who enjoy the Old West ambience, and the activities in Trail Dust Town. For us locals, there are still plenty of reasons to come here.
The food is still very good. My filet is always delectable, and the bread and butter soaked in pinto bean juice makes for a yummy side dish. Plus it only costs 17 bucks.
There are historical artifacts on the premises, including a real John Wayne costume and cavalry soldier artifacts in the foyer. There are also authentic buggies and wagons in the courtyard. The Museum of the Horse Soldier is another interesting feature on site.
The stores are fun to browse through. Our fave is the General Store which has many curiosities and features vintage candy such as Sugar Babies, Bit O Honey, and Pixie Stix.
Overall, it is still an enjoyable experience after all these years.

The little shows they put on are entertaining in a goofy way. Cool family fun as far as the surroundings (with the shops and stuff around) and atmosphere. The food is good and huge portions.

Good, plentiful portions. PLEASE PLEASE tell the haunted house players that we really enjoyed it. It was frigging scary… even if the Army guys were laughing nervously.

This place took me but complete surprise! I really had low hopes. However we had a great time! I had the salmon which was a huge portion and the others had steak. The steaks were good for the price and the service was friendly. We saw some people lose their ties too! Worth a trip, and make sure to have fun. The $ 2 stunt show is worth $ 4! Do do it!

Awesome service! My husband and I brought my parents here and they loved the ambiance. My mom couldn’t get over how «cute» it was. We had some complications (2 of our steaks were overlooked, then undercooked) with our orders and our server (Cisco Kid) handled it very professionally. The manager came over and offered to get us something else but we had a fussy kiddo and didn’t have time. He comp’ed our steaks and hooked my dad up with a brownie sundae dessert. Dad said he’s take that over steak anyway. Overall, we would gladly come here again despite the steak fiasco.

This place used to be a fun experience for the family that was worth the money. Our last few trips have been increasingly worse with reduced food quality and poorly trained staff. My last visit was the last straw and I don’t think I will return. The staff didn’t want us there, we had to continually remind them to bring basic items that came with our meal like forks, knives, drinks, and ketchup for kids meals. Finally our steaks came out ordered medium rare but the top 50% was burned to a crisp and the bottom 50% was raw as if it were thrown on the grill on one side and never turned. We sent everything back, the manager said something like, it’s a common problem with that steak you should have gotten a different one. I emailed the gm and her response was basically «sorry». She didn’t even ask us to give them another chance, I guess she knows she couldn’t actually improve anything.

While in Trail Dust Town, you need to come to this establishment as it has that steak and meat type food that goes with the theme of the old west. The tie bit is pretty fun although I don’t particularly enjoy being the center of attention, it was fun to see others get their ties cut off. If in Tucson, try to make some time to visit this place one night.

This place is adorable. It really makes you feel like you’re in an old Western town. The surrounding shops and props are great photo opportunities, and there are even rides for the little ones.
Also, the restaurant’s tie-​cutting tradition is very endearing, especially when you see all the cut ties hanging from the ceiling with their corresponding labels. It’s funny to see people come in with a tie and watch them get it cut.
So the atmosphere gets a definite 5 stars. However, the food is seriously nothing special. It’s not bad, but it’s just not good either. My steak was pretty good, but the mashed potatoes and beans tasted like they could have come from a can or package. So food gets a neutral 3 star score.
The service is always friendly and fast. And although the waiters claim their names are not made up, they totally are.
All in all, this is a place you definitely have to come to, but don’t expect great food.

Pinnacle Peak (and surrounding Trail Dust Town) it a kitschy place that’s fun for the flare — remember, it’s about the experience, not the food.
The cowboy flare on the inside is reminiscent of 80s-​90s western style — red-​checkered table cloths, pictures of cowboys on the wall, lots of wood paneling, fireplaces in some rooms, an open kitchen to watch them BBQ … and then there are the ties hanging from the ceiling.
Most meals are choice of meat + basic salad + cowboy beans + texas style bread (would be texas toast if it were actually toasted). The half chicken was excellent and the ribs were quite good as well. I took a pass on the beans and ate the iceberg lettuce salad just to add a little «health» to the meal.
As Paul C mentioned, «remember: it’s a nice restaurant, but not very nice; so wear a tie, but not a very nice tie.»
Outside the restaurant is a full town of cowboy flare from a magic shop, saloon, train ride for kids, panning for gold, general store and art shop to entertain the family before or after.

Sage advice: If this is your first time here, you must wear a tie.
I’ve been coming here since I was in a high chair (I’m 41), and for years it was our weekly go-​to…
THIS USED TO BE AN EASY FIVE STARS.
But the last few times we’ve eaten here I’ve had grizzly steak, so bad that every bite has a thick white tendon looking thing running through it. I always order the Big Cowboy — rare. And for whatever reason, last time my steak was returned twice and I ended up not eating because the rest of our group of 9 people were done by the time I got a steak that could be cut and chewed (even though it still had this tendon thing, only smaller and cuttable). GMO feed maybe? I just don’t get it. And it’s sad. It’s really, really sad.
I used to look forward to coming back home to Tucson purely for the food, this being one of the places we always make a point to visit. But I think that won’t be happening anymore.
My husband was so thoroughly unhappy with his food the last several times, he swears we’re not returning again. I hope we do. I hope that something changes. But it’s already happened a few times too many, so I’m not holding my breath.
Sorry Pinnacle Peak, but you just lost 40+ year regular. Let me know if you decide to fix this. Because I will miss you. This is so sad.

This review is long overdue since Pinnacle Peak (and its surrounding Trail Dust Town) is one of the best experiences in Tucson, and is definitely a place to take your tourist friends and relatives. But it’s all about the experience here; the food is only mediocre.
The interior of the restaurant is build and decorated in the old-​west style, and the food is cowboy fare. It comes with thick, bland slices of white bread. The salad is also completely tasteless. The cowboy beans are served in a bowl for the table and depending on what you order, you may not have a good place to serve them. Luckily, the meat is better.
Pinnacle Peak’s steaks are always perfect. It’s also worth trying the pit beef, slow-​cooked beef they advertise as «so tender you can cut it work a fork, but we give you a knife anyway.» Which isn’t actually true, it does require the knife. But it tastes great.
There was a time when I thought Pinnacle Peak was the best place on the East side for a steak. Now, though, it’s better better as a place to take your out of town guests. And remember: it’s a nice restaurant, but not very nice; so wear a tie, but not a very nice tie.

As much as I wanted to like this place, I gotta say it was a bit disappointing. The Cowboy Steak was a bit tough without much flavor. Still a nice place to go one time, but probably not a second time.

This place is friendly and warm. It’s just very tacky menu wise the un toasted white bread and ice berg salad. For 17.99 I expected more with my steak.
The steak itself was excellent. Hate the sides but love the meat and the tie filled atmosphere.

Wow. How do I review this one? While in town with another east-​coaster (Macon) we decided to try what was described to us as «a really good steak house». We went and the adventure began.
As we pulled up it became apparent that there was some sort of cowboy theme going on. We probably would have drove on if not for that amazing smell… The smell of red meat heaven… A dude ranch olfactory siren’s call…
As we walked in to a tiny old western town we crossed the tracks of a tiny train ride, passed a merri-​go-​round, and a western themed Ferris wheel. We’d bought the ticket and we were taking the ride… Hunter S. Thompson would have been proud. I mentioned the siren’s call right? Cowboys in spurs greeted us and made sure we were aware of the 7 PM cowboy stunt show. «Only $ 2!»
We were quickly seated. There were a large number of reasonably sized dining rooms allowing for a large number of patrons to have a normal restaurant experience in what is a massive building. The walls were covered in cut ties as they are not allowed. They sell them «in town» if you’re the sort that wants to me confronted with scissors by your waitress.
So how was my amusement park steak? I ordered the «cowboy steak — 20 oz t-​bone». I worry that I risk all of my Unilocal reputation, but it was in my top three steaks ever. A perfect t-​bone beyond any I’ve ever had. My dining companion begrudgingly agreed. How was this possible!!! Be warned your sides consist of sliced white bread and boiled (not baked) beans. They’re meant to make you feel like you’re eating on the trail after they rang the dinner bell. They’re only a distraction. Ignore them and zero in on that steak!
After dinner we wandered around a cute family friendly facsimile of an old western town. We came for dinner, but also got a show and a tale. Highly recommended — only detracted by its «unique» atmosphere and weak side dishes. Also check out the general store. The owners are friendly collector/​picker sorts who’ll tell you some fun stories if you have the time.