Cayton's Restaurant — Restaurant in Marana

The food was outstanding, the service was phenomenal (more on that later, but I’m not using that word lightly), and the ambiance was not only safe but warm and very comfortable.

The phenomenal service started before we’d even arrived at the restaurant, when I’d contacted them by email to inquire about gluten-free options, and engaged in a very helpful, informative, accommodating, yet personal conversation with a few of the restaurant personnel, including the gracious chef Peller himself, who assured me we’d have plenty of gluten-free options (usually, we get one or two options but when chef let us know they have a dedicated fryer and other equipment, so the number of gluten-free options actually exceeded our expectations even at that! It’s great to know you can trust your gluten-free dining experience including the management of the risk of cross-contamination. You just don’t see that kind of accommodating approach that much from other restaurants. Cayton’s really delivered on this aspect, as well as all the others.

But for us, eating out is not just a matter of whether we can get gluten-free items, but the quality of the food and service. Our server, Joe, was on top of his game. I’d seen other reviewers mention him by name and I can see why now. And I’m sure the other servers are very good as well, but Joe just had a pleasant demeanor, a solid knowledge of the menu (both food and drink), great timing (checking on us to see if we need anything else), and an engaging personality. It was really pleasant having Joe as our server.

We were very fortunate to have chef Peller stop by our table and to be able to converse with him. He’s got a very engaging personality and he is putting out dishes that are not just solid but memorably excellent. I mean, the food quality at Cayton’s Burger Bistro is absolutely top notch!

Don’t dismiss the tater tots as just another comfort food appetizers. These babies were amazing! First of all, the presentation was great, in that metal mesh basket, so you can see that delicious load of tater tots sitting there, waiting for you to dig in. Secondly, the texture was just perfect. The way you remember tater tots from your childhood, but I sincerely doubt the tots you had as a child tasted nearly as good as these. Crispy on the outside, tender and fluffy on this inside, with true potato flavor and a little spice. I don’t even know how he does it. I mean, there’s not only no oily residue on the tots, but you’re not even gonna see it on your fingers. You just keep on grabbing another one and enjoying.

Chicken drumettes were also great, very nice crispy outside and tender inside, but it’s hard to compete with the tater tots.

Burger itself was excellent, I really loved how I could taste that little char on the outside, but still have perfectly (medium well) cooked temperature, delicious beef flavor, and the right amount of cheese and lettuce. In fact, I think he might have actually placed the slice of cheese immediately next to the bun, which I thought was a nice touch (instead of placed atop the burger patty, because it changes the dynamic in a good way, I think you get a better balance of meat/cheese taste that way, it was almost as if the cheese slice was part OF the bun. Anyway, definitely a solid burger, with several preparation options.

And in terms of our comfort level related to health and safety practices related to COVID, we couldn’t have felt more comfortable. Staff were wearing both masks and gloves, tables were spaced more than adequately far apart (plus it’s a nice big dining area, so it’s easy to separate folks safely), patrons were required to wear masks (including to/from the restroom), it was just good to see them taking it seriously.

It really was just a very pleasant and even special dining experience.

For us, Cayton’s Burger Bistro demonstrated not just the ability to make dining out during the COVID pandemic work, but that you can actually have a wonderful meal and a very enjoyable dining experience - just like before...

During our recent visit to Cayton's Restaurant, our experience was a blend of both delightful and underwhelming moments. The restaurant, being part of the renowned Ritz-Carlton establishment, set high expectations that were not entirely met.

Regrettably, the main dish I opted for, a burger, was overcooked, lacking the juiciness and flavor one would anticipate in a high-end dining context. Additionally, the fries that accompanied the burger were undercooked, leading to a disappointing texture and overall taste experience.

On a brighter note, my wife's choice of the farmhouse salad with chicken, mixed greens, avocados, and pears was a highlight of our meal. She thoroughly enjoyed the freshness and the harmonious blend of flavors, which demonstrated the kitchen's capability to excel.

However, a notable disappointment came from the BBQ dinner, specifically the Mac and cheese, which was expected to complement the barbecue offerings delightfully. Contrary to our expectations for a hearty and comforting side dish, the Mac and cheese lacked the appealing creamy and indulgent quality one would look forward to. Although it was evidently homemade, it didn't meet the visual or taste standards that we anticipated, especially in the context of a barbecue meal at such a prestigious venue.

In sum, while there were aspects of our meal at Cayton's Restaurant that we enjoyed, particularly the salad, other components, including the integral part of the BBQ dinner, were not up to par with the high standards we expected from a Ritz-Carlton...

Sometimes the food is good, sometimes really bad or inedible (very inconsistent). We’ve ate here many times since my parents live a few minutes away and we really want to like it but the service especially is less than desirable. Difficult to get anyone to help you make a reservation, we’ve been forgotten at tables, food took an hour once despite us asking multiple times and being told no problem - if we could have something like the rolls or French fries come out early so our kids could eat because they were starving. Wings were so spicy my dad couldn’t eat them (and he loves spicy food but it was completely inedible). Heard another guy behind us also complaining last time. The worst though is the kids menu. I’ve ate at a ton of nice restaurants (much more upscale) and I have never seen a kids menu with a $19 peanut butter and jelly sandwich or hot dog. How is it even comparable to the adult menu? Who comes up with these kind of prices? May as well just say kids are not allowed in the restaurant if they want to drive away the thousands of families in dove mountain area. With only a few restaurants in the area, they could be so busy. We’ve spoken to over a dozen couples and families who live in Dove Mountain who all reported similar issues with service and ridiculous kids menu. Such a shame for a beautiful restaurant in a...