Grand Canyon Caverns Inn & Restaurant Review!

 

My family & I are always looking for fun adventures and new spots to visit. We've done several cave tours, so when I saw we had a cave here in Arizona, where you can also eat dinner inside of the cave, we knew we wanted to visit. They have longer tours, or short tours that can be combined with a meal inside of the cave itself which sits a little past two hundred feet underground. We did the short tour & dinner combo which ran about $70 a person. They are located at Mile Marer 115 Route 66 Peach Springs, AZ 86434

The cave tour itself was fun, our guide was friendly, chatty and knew a lot of fun facts about the cave including how it was found, and that they've hosted events inside of the cave in the past. Overall, the tour lasted about fifteen minutes from start to finish, then anyone who had food reservations breaks off from the group at the end. There is a small wooden deck inside of the cave which hosts a few tables and a small server's area. 

We had ordered the steak, potato/broccoli dinner and my daughter had picked out the chicken dinner. I wasn't expecting an extravagant five-star dinner in a cave, but I was a little surprised when they did bring our food to us. The steak was a bit burned, the broccoli was cold and there were no toppings aside from butter packets or sour cream packs for the potato. I am not sure if it was because we were one of the last two groups of the night, so maybe the team was in a rush to go home. The other table inside of the cave with us was quite mad about their meals, as they arrived the same as ours, so they refused to eat it and asked for a refund. 

If I were passing by again, I might stop to do the longer tour, but I would not get the meal added on with it again as it was a bit of a disappointment. However, I can say being in the cave itself was peaceful. Aside from the other group dinning and our sever, there were no other people in the cave so it was very quiet. Cell phones of course did not work that far underground, but if you really wanted to be on your phone they had wifi you could hook up too or just enjoy a conversation with your group. 

Is eating lunch or dinner in a cave 200+ underground a activity you would enjoy doing??

💗This post is not sponsored. I love sharing awesome new spots I find with my readers!

Small Business Spotlight - Guadalajara Mexican Grill in Tucson!

 

When we go on trips, we always try to stick to local restaurants instead of big chain restaurants & I love being able to share them with my readers after we visit. On a recent trip to Tucson, we had originally set out to visit a small old school diner, however there was an event going on and it was packed, so we drove back to a Mexican restaurant we had spotted while driving through town. That restaurant was called Guadalajara Mexican Grill. We ended up arriving at just the right time! After we had been seated there was a big rush of people who came to eat as well, however one of the servers had called out so many of the people who came after us had to wait for a table to open up.

Even with a smaller staff our waiter did a good job at keeping up on our drinks and making sure our table was alright. It was a lot of fun having someone come around to handmake salsa & guacamole at our table, and it is nice you are able to choose your spice level on both. We went with the medium on the salsa & are glad we did, as it was pretty spicy so I can't imagine how much hotter a higher level would have been. Both dishes were quite delicious, especially the guacamole! It always bugs me when I can taste the lime/lemon a lot of spots use to keep their guacamole fresher, and this one didn't have any since it was fresh. 

The margaritas were quite large & if you had a party with you that wanted to drink, they had a fun margarita fountain you could purchase. The menu was quite large & there were a ton of delicious entrees to choose from. We all ended up with a dish we were quite happy with and everything was cooked just right! Everyone left feeling happy & full, but not over stuffed. We would happily stop by and visit this spot again the next time we were in Tucson. 

If you are in the Tucson area & want to stop by for a visit, this location is located at 4901 E Broadway Blvd Tucson, Arizona 85711.

Looking for more adventures in Tucson? Type in "Things to do in Tucson" or "Things to do in Arizona" (You can also click the link) in the search bar of my blog.

💗This post is not sponsored. I love sharing awesome new spots I find with my readers!

Hash Kitchen Review!

 

I was recently invited out to try some of the new menu items at Hash Kitchen. It was our first time eating here & we had a great experience. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, for our appetizer we ended up ordering the Billionaires Bacon & the Cannoli donuts. The bacon can seem a little pricey at $8 for one slice of bacon, but my goodness it was amazing. The glaze they used is fantastic & it was a very thick cut of bacon. The Cannoli Donuts were amazing too, we didn't realize how big they would be so we didn't eat all of them just part. You could probably order it as a main course if you wanted. We stopped by the Peoria, AZ location located at 16222 N. 83rd Ave Peoria, AZ 85382.

For our main dishes I ordered the Red Velvet Pancakes which were huge! I was brought a plate with four big pancakes, syrup and cream cheese frosting. It was like having cake for breakfast! I was only able to eat about a quarter of them before I was full so I took the rest home for another meal. My husband ordered the Brunch sandwich which was amazing as well, it was the perfect combination of breakfast foods.

Drink wise I ordered the BYO Seltzer and choose watermelon + vodka. Usually I am not a big fan of most alcoholic drinks as they are too strong for me, but this was the perfect combination. My husband got a muffin top which was basically a boozy muffin in a glass, and he also got a shot. Inside the restaurant feels like a dance club, there is a live DJ playing and it was crowded when we went. We choose to sit outside, it was a little quieter and was quite comfortable for us.

Along with what we selected they had dozens of other scrumptious dishes & drinks. Food Portions are large, depending on what you order you'll be able to get more than one meal out of it. Our waitress was friendly & so was the host who sat us. This is a great spot to go for brunch whether it is for a date with your spouse, or a girls day out, this spot is a lot of fun.

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  Hash Kitchen provided this experience to us for the review  free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Spooky's Swirls a horror themed bakery & mini museum in Chandler, Az!

 

We are in the midst of spooky season, so it is the perfect time to talk about our visit to Spooky's Swirls! Spooky's Swirls is a horror themed bakery & mini museum that is open year-round for all spooky lovers to enjoy. They offer delicious treats featuring characters like Ghost Face, Slimer, and more plus slices of cake, biscotti and more. Gluten-free guests will be happy to know they are a gluten-free bakery. Alongside their delicious treats they also have some products for sale like earrings, mints, etc. and they have a collection of horror themed props in the store that you can check out while there. They are located at 3029 N Alma School Road #117 Chandler, AZ 85224.

While we were in the area recently, we decided to stop by & pick up some sweet treats! Everything in the store ranges in price, but everything is labeled clearly. There are so many delicious sweets to select from, you'll have a hard time trying to leave with just one thing. We each found something we wanted to try & we were all quite pleased with what we had picked out to take home. Not everything is pictured on this post, but you can see most of what we picked up to try out. 

Sometimes products that are gluten-free can taste a little off, but that wasn't the case with their treats. Everything was sweet and had a lot of flavor. I also loved the little designs on a lot of the products. They do have quite a few products that are staples of the bakery & won't get swapped out, but they do also rotate through other products featuring different movies and themes so there will probably be something new each time you stop by. 

The mini museum is pretty neat as well, they have a decent number of props, replica clothing and more on display along the walls of the store. As an added bonus they also have a small selection of products for sale including horror themed earrings, hair clips, mint tins, and more. The store is family friendly & the staff were all very nice and were happy to answer questions. We will be visiting again the next time we are in the area! 

What horror character or movie, would you like to see featured on a baked good? 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

★ This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this on our own. I enjoy sharing new places we explore with my followers.

Pinches Tacos Review! (Phoenix, AZ)

 

When it comes to lunch or dinner, I am always down for tacos or nachos so when I heard about a new taco shop in our area I looked forward to trying it out. My family & I were invited to come try a few of the items on the menu & this is definitely a spot we will be back to. The spot is called Pinches Tacos, This spot has not only tacos but they also sell burritos, quesadillas, plates and sides. Pinches Tacos Al Carbon is located at 520 West Union Hills Drive Suite 102 Phoenix, AZ 85027 which is in North Phoenix. This spot is not only family friendly, but it is quite affordable as well. 

You can get tacos for as low as $1 for a bean taco, or opt for it as a bean & cheese burrito for just $2.50. Inside of the restaurant you'll find a salad bar where you can choose from a number of sauces, or toppings like cut up onions, limes and cabbage. If you ordered to go, they have small containers with lids so you can still grab what you want from the salad bar to take home. Everything looked fresh & was kept stocked and swapped out when needed. 

Let's talk about what we ordered! I'll start off with one of my personal favorites out of what my husband and I picked out to share. The Asada Fries are so good and it comes with a lot more than I had expected. The fries were packed full of flavor & some bites were slightly spicy due to one of the sauces on it (you can ask them not to include it if you don't like spice). My husband ordered a Alambre plate which is almost Philly cheese steak filling on a plate, with a side of beans and five tortillas. I tried a bit of it & was so good, I like that you can eat it with just a fork or in a tortilla if you choose. 

My son selected a plate as well, he selected the green chili mix. He really enjoyed it, they included quite a bit of green chilis which is nice as some spots can skimp a little. Again they are another option that comes with quite a bit of food & for the price, it is perfect! My daughter is a big fan of quesadillas so she decided to try out the Mulitas quesadilla which is steak and cheese. She was a big fan of it, it was cooked just right and didn't need any sauce. 

As for myself I decided to try out the quesabirria, it had more meat in it that I thought would be in it! I thought the shell had just the right amount of crisp and went really well with the green chili sauce. I added in a bit of onions too which really gave it an extra pop. I also ordered the Vampiro which is an open faced taco on a tortilla which has steak, beans and melted cheese. You'll get a little mounted of sliced steak on top of the tortilla & are sure to love it. 

Everything was cooked perfectly, we didn't have any issues with our food. The staff were friendly & the food was made quickly. The restaurant itself was very clean & had plenty of seating if you decide to dine in instead of taking your food to go. I also really liked the dragon mural they had painted on the wall, over all it was a very enjoyable experience and as I mentioned before this is a spot we will 100% be stopping at for dinner again since it is both fast & affordable, perfect for nights when no one wants to cook or you are too busy to cook. If you are in or near the Phoenix area, I highly suggest stopping by to check out what they have to offer. 

🌮 Does this sound like a spot you'd enjoy? Which do you prefer Tacos or Burritos?

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  Pinches Tacos provided a meal for us for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Trappers Sushi Co in Anthem, Arizona - All You Can Eat Sushi!

 

My husband & I enjoy going out for a sushi night from time to time and we are always looking for new places to check out. I recently found out about Trapper's Sushi Co. which has three locations in Arizona - one in Anthem, one in Avondale & one in Surprise. Along with having locations in Arizona, they can also be found in Washington + one location in Texas. Before getting into the review, I do want to note that prices vary depending on the region so the price I mention below may vary from one near you if you are in another state. Trapper's Sushi Co. has a large menu of various sushi & appetizer options, and they also have All You Can Eat Sushi. My husband & I were recently invited to visit on of their locations here in Arizona to experience their AYCE. I live down in Phoenix, but this spot is well worth the drive up to Anthem & if you love sushi and have a chance to visit one of their locations, I recommend that you do. The location we visited is located at 39510 N Daisy Mountain Dr Anthem, AZ 85086. 

They have a number of great deals including Happy Hour plus kids under 10 eat for free on Sundays. This location has the AYCE at $20 for lunch and $30 for dinner, depending on how much you are able to eat this is an awesome deal. If you are going specifically for the AYCE sushi it is only served at the sushi bar, or you can relax at a regular table/booth to enjoy the full menu. The restaurant itself was very clean & felt welcoming, there were plenty of seating options and they had several large TV's each playing something different so you can choose what you'd like to watch while eating. The TV's & music were not turned up to a point where you weren't able to hear other party guests you arrived with which is nice as I enjoy having a conversation with my husband during dinner. 

We did the AYCE during the dinner hours. The only issue we had was deciding what we wanted to order because there were so many delicious rolls on the menu. I liked the selection of rolls they offered & I loved that it clearly stated what was in each roll. I've been to spots in the past that only have the name of the roll but not what was in it & as someone who can be slightly picky with sushi it is nice knowing what I am ordering. My husband & I each tried three different rolls plus we got an order of pot stickers & an order of trapper bites. All of the rolls we picked out were delicious & filling, you will be served a large portion, and everything is freshly made right there at the sushi bar. This is the first sushi place I've been to that has scallops on or in the sushi and man, I've been missing out!

I had ordered the white peach lemonade; it tasted like peach rings in a cup, and I loved it. My husband had ordered a blueberry alcoholic beverage that he enjoyed & when he went to order a second drink, he had asked for our server's recommendation & was very happy he did. The server recommended a drink called the Sea Monster Mai Tai. I am normally not a fan of alcoholic drinks, but I tried a sip and wow it was so good & one I would actually drink. All of the staff we encountered were friendly, talkative & attentive when it came to getting our orders, taking away empty plates.

They also have a program where they sell raffle tickets for $5, all the proceeds go to a cancer research group called Valley Girls & Guys. Later in the year they will draw raffle tickets and the winners could win one of an assortment of prizes. I always appreciate when companies & brands host raffles and events like this to help give back. 

We look forward to going back, not just by ourselves but with some of our other family members who love sushi as well. I can't wait to try out some of the other sushi rolls that we didn't try out this time, there is only so much I can eat & didn't want to feel like I was going to pop. But, that is a good thing because it gives me a reason to come back and try out more of their menu. 

🍣 Is this a spot you think you would enjoy eating at? What is your favorite kind of Sushi, or appetizer to order? 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer- Trapper's Sushi Co. provided a meal for two for us for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Frasher's Smokehouse Review!

 

We've tried out several different BBQ spots and our favorite by far has been Frasher's Smokehouse in Phoenix, Arizona. The location is easy to find, the staff are always friendly, helpful and have a smile on their face plus the food isn't just delicious it is also affordable. Everything is smoked in house, as soon as you pull up and step out of your car the aromas of the smoked meats wafts through the air, making you even hungrier. They are located at 3222 E. Indian School Road Phoenix, Arizona 85018 and are open seven days a week 11am to 8pm. 

There is a lot to choose from here so you might have a hard time picking out just one thing you want to try! We ordered a few different things so we could all try out a little of each, and it worked out perfectly for the four of us. You may not think of ordering Gumbo or Pizza from a smokehouse, but both are worth the visit on their own & their pizza has been featured on the food network. 

The pizza we tried was the BBQ Burnt End pizza, it isn't something we would normally order from a smokehouse but everyone enjoyed it including the kids! It has BBQ sauce, a cheese mixture, jalapenos and Burnt ends on thin crust that was cooked just right. The cheese they uses melds perfectly with the other flavors. I've never tried gumbo before, but on the recommendation of the owner and staff we tried it out and mmmm mmmm was it tasty! My husband, son and I all loved it. I would 100% go back to the restaurant just to order the gumbo or the pizza alone. If you aren't a fan of Burnt end meat, they also offer pepperoni, cheese and more. 

They aren't the only two items on the menu that are fantastic, all of the meats are so well done. They are seasoned perfectly and the meats are cooked just right, they aren't dry but instead manage to maintain the natural juices while soaking in the smokiness of the smoker and the seasonings added on. My favorites are the chicken & the pulled pork, my husband loves the ribs and pulled pork, my daughter loves the chicken and turkey and my son likes a bit of it all. I always dislike when you go to a BBQ place and spend a decent amount of money on smoked meats to be handed a plate of nothing but mostly fat. We haven't had that issue either of the times we've been here, which is another reason why we look forward to coming back because the food quality is excellent. 

In the mood for some sides? All of us enjoy cornbread so it is a given that we ordered and loved the cornbread, however I also highly recommend the green chili mac-n-cheese it has a nice little kick to it and is quite creamy. The baked beans are great, they have a bit of smoked meats in it and the garlic mashed potatoes are also pretty good along with the smoked corn. What can I say? There isn't really anything we tried there that we didn't like! At the end of our meal we still had a decent amount of food left so we got a to go box and had left overs for dinner the next day along with a small salad. The food was just as good the next day even reheated in the microwave. Don't forget the dessert before you go, if you are stuffed you can take it to go. The Gooey butter cake is not to be missed, you'll wish you ordered an extra to take home.

Through out the week they have daily specials such as Cat fish, Pastrami, and more. Coming soon they are also starting to feature live bands on Saturday's on their newly renovated outdoor patio that has seating, a nice grass area, a spot to play corn hole plus heaters for when it is chilly and pretty lighting. They had a flyer up on the table with the specials for the live events and they are pretty great so I snapped a photo and have it below for anyone interested. If the owner named George happens to be in while you are there, you should say hello, he is very friendly, easy to talk with and you can really tell that he along with his staff appreciate and care for the customers who come into the smokehouse. He also owns & runs Frasher's Tavern & Mrs. Chickens which I will feature here soon as well.

Along with being able to head into eat they also offer takeout which includes meal deals like their "Meal for six" for $95 or the "Meal for twelve", plus they also offer catering (information on this can be found on their website, click Frasher's Smokehouse at the top or bottom of this post to be taken to their website). If you are in Arizona keep an eye out in about a month, I will be hosting a large giveaway which will include a certificate to the smokehouse 😊 plus lots of other goodies. 

Disclaimer- Frasher's Smokehouse provided dinner for us for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.