Alberto Ristorante — Restaurant in Carefree

This would be a hilarious experience if we weren't so famished. We ordered 4 meals and 2 appetizers for a cool $120, doing the take-out routine the day after Covid Christmas. Left 10% tip. I got back to our Airbnb, and my partner's meal was missing. Kids and I scarfed down our meals, and my partner ate some of ours, and we were all full. Food was probably 4 out of 5 *- clam linguine was great, seafood linguine pretty good, etc.

We had a bit of a contentious discussion on the phone (can't credit cc over phone), so I went back out to get refund in cash. The missing meal was about $20 before taxes/tip, so I was going to get $20 and be done with it, because it's never fair to take back a tip. I laughed when Alberto expected to pay me back $18.95 while fumbling with his cash stash, and I said I'll take $20, grabbed the bill, and was gone.

I mean, putting in a bit of effort to make sure I got a full refund with tax/tip would have made up for our inconvenience. I also wanted to avoid being inside an enclosed, 1/3rd-full restaurant with lax mask-wearing (welcome to Cave Creek, AZ). They seem like charismatic, good-hearted Italians. I love Italians. My best friend's Italian. But maybe on the night after Covid Christmas, Alberto and his staff weren't at their normal...

It was terrible from beginning to end. Owner seemed extreme arrogant and pompous. He turned a young couple away from a table due to "Reservations", and literally "shooed" them away from the seats....only to then seat 3 more tables WITHOUT reservations a few minutes after turning them away. There were several tables that witnessed him do this. The only reason I didn't speak up or say anything to him in that moment is because I knew my husband and I were never coming back to this establishment, and I didn't think it would be received well by him. They don't serve anything but water, wine, beer or liquor. And the food was horrible. A sloppy lasagna with mushy canned green peas inside all of it. I've never heard of peas in Italian lasagna in my life. He took forever to give people their bills so we could all leave, because it's obvious he wants to do everything by himself and therefore make others wait so that he can do the job of 3 people. A true narcissistic, arrogance that will not have us coming back. Most definitely Not the dining/date night we we hoping for and so rarely get. Very disappointed in this place and in the owners way with patrons. Even though we don't drink, it's still a pricey place when you add salads and app's. Don't waste your time or money...

This place is ridiculously overpriced! The food was ok at best but for the prices it was a total rip off. There's limited offerings from the small menu with the pages stuck together.The Caesar salad was a joke, served family style in a bowl that you pass around the table it's just some chopped up lettuce with some dressing mixed in, nothing else not even croutons and everyone at the table has it on their bill. The spaghetti was a small portion and comparable to Olive Garden, not terrible, but over double of what it should've costed. One of my friends got the mushroom special and said there was gritty dirt in it. The filet is tiny and just ok. The drinks are ok but small and overpriced. The plates were dirty and even the bread was sub-par. The wooden chairs are uncomfortable and the hand written bills are scribbled as if this was a high school fundraiser. Very unprofessional and considering the prices they charge I can't imagine how they stay...