Grotto Cafe — Restaurant in Cave Creek

I've only been there once and am only commenting on the breakfast burrito which had to be the most bland and tasteless breakfast burrito I've ever had.. eggs literally had no taste and they forgot to put the potatoes in.. it was just bland mush of scrabbled eggs and bland meat.. There was literally zero salt and pepper... I got the chicken sausage and it was dry and surprisingly dull.. more like a dried hard sausage rather than fresh and the individual chunks were all big bite size squares which made for a poor mouthfeel and mix of ingredients as well as causing the burrito to fall apart easily (dont eat in the car). I asked for jalapenos because I like it hot and they put in stale pickled jalapenos which I had to pick out because they tasted really old and weird and were in no way hot. I went back inside and asked for some potatoes on the side... (the nice lady apologized and insisted they make it again, which in hindsight I should have just left at that time) ...I was hoping some crisp potatoes would liven up the thing... nope, a few mushy potatoes didnt change a thing but fortunately in the short time that transpired I became aware of a stomach ache coming on and, after a few bites of the second burrito, ended up trashing both burritos after maybe 6-7 bites total.. it was probably rancid jalapenos which fortunately I only had a few slices... side note, the tomatillo salsa was just awful.. it could have saved the boring burrito but nope... it's sweet and it just doesnt belong there...you need pico de gallo folks! you know, tomato, onion and fresh jalapenos go a long way... this is a burrito in the southwest.. if you have any sensibility of what Mexican food should taste like dont get the burrito.. I would just go somewhere else. If youre a snowbird from MN it might just be your thing because I'm guessing thats where the cook is from. Coffee was good, service was good.. nice people. The fruit would be a nice touch if it werent contaminated with cantaloupe which most people on the planet dislike.. sorry to be negative but I just want you guys to step it up and to warn others like myself. Use cripsy potatoes, pico de gallo, red salsa and chopping up the chicken sausage more would be better at the very least. I ended up getting a green juice to sooth my stomach and all is well but I...

I want to like this place better. But I feel it's highly over rated & def the popular "place to be." It's the environment more than anything because I've found FAR better coffee, food & service at an amazing coffee bistro across town. Here the coffee is avg often made by teenage baristas with attitude who can't be bothered to even mix your drink & will hand you a coffee with cream dumped on top & sweetener? Do that yourself. I asked 2nd day in a row, "you can't blend my drinks?" She grabbed my cup, swirled it a couple times & handed it back without a word. But better make sure you tip AT LEAST 15% as directed on computer tho I ordered a burger in lettuce wrap with provolone cheese & no tomato & sweetpo fries sub. The teenage cashier tried to charge me full price for side order instead of upcharge, too complicated I guess to ask how (the place is teeming with teenage worker girls to run food to the masses lined up way out the door from open to close as if the only place in town). My food? Didn't get what I ordered. Just the standard American cheese (aka oil & yellow die) with tomato. The fries were good but by the time they took my plate back to replace the burger they came back & served me the same cold fries. After 3 days of this nonsense I finally ventured to try one of the many other coffee cafes in town & won't be back. Too bad because the food is pretty good when done right & the ambiance is nice. But not wort the hassle. If they could get their act together & at least take drink orders from customers in line or have a kiosk just for drink orders, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Or hire some properly trained waitstaff for all those outdoor table orders! Geez. Cheaped out on a posse of teenage food runners and still have the nerve to ask for up to 20% tip after you stand in line 1/2 hour then wait around for your drink. American service is a thing of the past at too many places now. Over tipping for fast food-style service has ruined the work ethic of...

Great place for lunch. Was there with 2 over-80s seniors and it's overwhelming with no paper menus (or laminated permanent ones), just the big menu at the order counter and the QR 'touchless Scan Me' code. Neither one of my older friends uses their phone like that... so if they were there on their own it would not have been easy. I had the grilled veggie sandwich which was awesome - but the in-house aioli had spice, which was not indicated anywhere on any menu. I'm not a spicy girl, and yes I could ask ahead if something is spicy..., but it isn't a question I ask every time about every dish :/ imho it should be noted somewhere on the food description... my companions split the fajita tacos and the black beans were noted as very good. *They both have mouth issues which makes eating spicy food extremely painful another reason to inform customers about a spice/heat factor 😋 luckily their dish wasn't spicy and had a spicy salsa on the side :). The Grotto is fun, hip and had lots of fun beverage options. We tried a Raspberry Italian Soda that had half-n-half & wiped cream - it was fine. The patio looked great, and the place was busy.

A bit of a rant, at all new businesses... but I was sharply aware of it at this place, on this day...

Our society has taken "Able-ness" & "Accessibility" so very far since the 80's... which is fantastic! The next step is aging... keeping options for ease-of-use and a slightly slower pace & some training for staff on what issues (hearing, sight, new technology that changes from place to place, among other things) senior citzens often are managing in order to enjoy social interactions.

If we're lucky we'll all be able to still get out and about well into our 80s and beyond... I just hope that some compassion and understanding becomes the norm as the automation progresses and the...