Stone & Barrel, an IronOaks Taphouse — Restaurant in Arizona

This was our first visit to Stone & Barrel, and it definitely won’t be our last! Nestled in the beautiful Sun Lakes community, we were greeted with a picturesque entrance—palm trees, colorful flowering shrubs, and a spotless exterior set the tone for a great evening.

Upon entering, we were warmly welcomed by two friendly hosts. We asked to head to the bar for a drink first, and easily found two seats. The good vibes continued! Both bartenders had great energy—fun, attentive, and genuinely engaging with everyone at the bar. It felt like we were longtime regulars, not first-timers. We each enjoyed the weekly drink special, a tropical-tasting blend of rum, punch, and other liqueurs—absolutely delicious and perfect for a poolside mood.

Once back at the host stand, we were quickly seated in a cozy booth. Our server arrived promptly, shared the evening’s soup and protein specials, and gave us a moment to decide. We both started with the clam chowder—rich, well-seasoned, and loaded with potatoes and clams. Delicious!

For dinner, in true “jinx you owe me a Coke” fashion, we both ordered the pot roast—and wow! Tender, juicy, and served with a flavorful au jus, creamy mashed potatoes, and an impressively fresh vegetable medley. I really appreciated the thoughtful mix of purple and white cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, squash, carrots, and onions—everything felt truly handcrafted and fresh.

We ended the meal with the lemon mousse cake, which unfortunately didn’t live up to the rest of the evening. It was a bit dry and lacked the zesty punch we hoped for. That said, it didn’t dampen the experience overall.

The ambiance was fantastic—warm lighting, soft music at a volume perfect for conversation, and a relaxed, welcoming vibe. Every staff member we interacted with was kind, attentive, and professional. Overall, just a really great experience and a hidden gem we’re happy...

It pains me to give a one star review but here goes … The hostess at the front desk- amazing.

The server we had was nice but so slow with everything. We had to wait on refills (just soda and water) .. I had to go find someone and asked for refills. My burger was raw, not medium. The manager came to the table and disagreed that the burger was not cooked rare, even after it was pulled apart and clearly show it was rare. A new burger was ordered and I don’t know if the cook was upset about it but he sent out a well done burger - it looks like it was done in the microwave. The manager came to the table and agreed it was well done instead of medium .. again not cooked right. If u asked me the burger should have been checked before it came out to the table and not afterwards.

To prevent any further embarrassment (that is what it was for them or I hope so) I just asked for it to be removed from the table. The manager also remove the burger off the tab, which of course was the right thing to do.

While all this was going on, the table next to us received their food. 3 elderly ladies. 2 of their orders were wrong. 1 lady is now eating all by herself while the others are waiting on their food. I really hope they figure out the disconnect. The waiter … she came to our table twice in...

Stone & Barrel Taphouse is the latest attempt to modernize the dinning experience at Iron Oaks in Sun Lakes. Having been a patron of the prior establishments at this location, I must admit the million dollar+ makeover of this new venue is impressive. Stuffy old wooden bars and dark decor are now modern light and airy spaces with great views. There is even a dedicated gas fired pizza oven area open to public view. Staff was attentive, smiling and pleasant. The food is what you would expect from a "taphouse." while the beer was a disappointment. Because it's moniker is taphouse, we were looking forward to a couple of cold tap beers. Unfortunately, out of the ten tap beers offered, our first three choices in a row were not available at the time. The fourth time was a charm but all three different beers were delivered almost flat. We will chalk it up to an unfortunate coincidence, return in the future and hope for a tall cold one the next...