elements — Restaurant in Paradise Valley

I’ve been to Elements 3 or 4 times with my wife. The food has always been excellent, but there are a number of things that have never been that great. Tonight was the worst of all our experiences. Sadly, this happened to be the night that my wife and I brought her mom to experience the wonderful tasting food.

Every time my wife and I have visited, we’ve had issues with actually getting into the restaurant. We need an accessible parking spot for our rampvan. A rampvan is a minivan equipped with a ramp so that a wheelchair, electric or manual, can easily be transported for any person that uses one for mobility. All four of our visits, the 3 or 4 accessible spots outside of the main entrance to elements have hotel staff golf carts parked in the striped loading zone. This is disgusting on so many levels. The staff is so comfortable with blatantly ignoring accessibility needs, that they park their golf carts wherever they please. On our first visit, the staff moved ONE of their golf carts so that we could park in a spot and deploy our ramp. We were told we couldn’t use the main entrance because there was an event. We were escorted around the side of the building to the kitchen entrance, which was down a hill that was so steep it rivaled the steep hills in downtown Seattle. If you weren’t buckled into a wheelchair, you may fall out of it. We then had to be escorted through a hot kitchen with staff walking around with things in their hands, almost bumping into us because they didn’t expect us to be walking through. On our second and third visits, we just drove around and parked down the hill so that we didn’t have to deal with it. Tonight, we were sick of having to be escorted through the kitchen, so we talked to the staff at the front of the building. Of course, the golf carts were in the loading zones. We asked if there was an event, and we were told no. We explained our needs and the staff member asked us if we could use the stairs. Maybe I didn’t explain our needs well enough, but I stupidly assumed that mentioning a wheelchair would imply that stairs weren’t an option. After this awkward exchange, I just drove to the side of the building as I usually did. I then saw a sign stating that there WAS an event. I knew from experience that I’d have to call the staff so that they could escort us through the kitchen. This all takes extra time. On our third visit, this extra time cost us our reservation. Even though I had called to explain the situation, we were ten minutes late because we waited for someone to escort us through the kitchen. I’m tired of feeling like we are a burden. We’ve been to many very nice restaurants, and we’ve never had to be escorted through a back kitchen door. We’ve never had to ask STAFF to move their golf carts so that we could use a wheelchair accessible parking spot. We’ve never had our reservations cancelled because of the lack of care about what a patron has to go through to get into the damn building. On top of all of this tonight, our waiter was awful. He forgot things that we told him on several occasions and he was extremely slow. He was personable and nice, but we’re not there to have a friendly chat. Those qualities only enhance an experience where the waiter actually performs their job well. I shouldn’t have to keep reminding you of things that we asked for. You also shouldn’t leave to get drinks before taking everyone’s drink order. That’s just rude. Tonight was the last straw. We only came so that my wife’s mom could enjoy the food, and we all left with no intention to ever return.

If you have accessibility needs, just know that this restaurant discriminates against you blatantly. Your accessibility needs are of no importance. Accessible spots are just extra spots for staff to park in. Our experiences probably could warrant a discrimination lawsuit. Save yourself the humiliation of being treated less than any other patron, and go to the Phoenician or other high quality restaurants that DO...

I am surprised at some of the bad reviews on here! My Dad, His Girlfriend, My Boyfriend and I came to dine here after reading some of the reviews and recommendations. My Dad loves a great sunset so we came here. I'll admit, I was a little skeptical because some previous diners had written how the food was terrible. I guess we just so happened to have a fantastic experience and I like to give credit where credit is due. We got there a little early and had a drink at the bar, which was phenomenal with big windows. We even got to watch a beautiful wedding taking place outside. When it was time for our reservation, the hostess told us we would be sitting inside. When I called and placed the reservation, I strictly told them we would like to dine outside because my family is from Pennsylvania and enjoys the sunsets and weather. I kindly asked her if we could sit outside and she said absolutely. (It was not very busy at this time, only a few other diners). Our table was great! There is a little bit of the sunset being blocked due to the wall next to the stairs, but not really anything that would ruin the night. We were immediately greeted by our waiter. The ONLY small complaint I would have is that our waiter seemed to be a bit monotone. Wasn't very lively and went on and on about the specials and food in a very monotone way. He was still extremely helpful, just would have been nice to have some personality. We started out with salads and soup and they were fantastic! For our main courses, I got the Salmon while the rest of my party ordered the steak. Our waiter came out to tell us that the chef wanted to make sure the steak was perfect so it was going to take a little longer. He returned a few minutes later with a cheese and cracker tray that was so delicious. It was crispy and crunchy and the cheese was great! It all led up to our dinner which was PHENOMENAL. I know sometimes you can read about these places that are pricey and serve the smallest portions. This was NOT the case. My piece of salmon was large and more than enough. My Dad got a HUGE steak that even he couldn't finish! (He is a 250 LB, bulky man). Our waters were constantly refilled and we were constantly catered to. Of course, one of the most amazing parts was the gorgeous sunset. The staff was helpful in offering to take pictures of us. For my Dad's birthday dessert, they gave us this delicious bread pudding. We enjoyed it! Overall, I have to say we LOVED it! My Dad and girlfriend raved about it and were so thrilled with all of the pictures they got. The boulders in the background are icing on the cake. The staff was excellent. Was it expensive? Yes. Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! I am getting ready to go back again but this time bring my Mom, Sister and Grandma so they can see what it is all about. If you are looking for a quick in and out dinner, I do not believe that this is the place for you. It is definitely a little lengthier as they like to wine and dine you, but with great food comes patience. I hope my next experience is as great as this previous one was! I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone looking to spend a little more on...

Incredible dining experience. Mind the time even with a reservation. They’ll make you wait 40+ minutes before you’re sat.

My partner & I decided to spend our anniversary/pre Valentine’s Day celebration here.

We made reservations more than a week in advance. I’ve dined here on several occasions - with gal pals, business dinners, bachelorette parties, so I’m not new to this spot.…and the beginning of our experience this go round proved frustrating but ended splendidly.

Three biggest points of note: Our 7:15pm reservation which was confirmed via call by the restaurant earlier that day, was not sat until just before 7:40. Seems we weren’t the only party experiencing this. The food and service once we were sat were stellar and worth high regard. Worth the wait if you’re willing to wait. It is a lot louder in the dining area than expected - other patrons at full ‘party’ volume.

Ultimately, when we drop $$$$ on dinner, we expect to be sat near our reservation time. This was not the case here. Be advised.

When checking in before our reservation time, we were told “grab a cocktail at the Jade bar and your table will be ready in a few minutes”.

We checked back in at 7:35 wondering the status of our table as there had been no word or update and attempted to get something ready - however, giving priority seating to others who arrived after we did.

I’ve been in the service industry for 10 years. We’re ready to wait 10-20 minutes to be sat for a reservation but 30-40 minutes to wait for a well placed reservation without notice and for this dining cost feels close to egregious.

I expressed the general frustration at the lack of expectation setting and delay of reservation and it was FULLY heard and understood.

But again - hard to combat the feeling of having to fight for a table when a reservation was already made.

When being sat for reservations is late, we know it’s not one persons’ doing, but a combination of after effects from throughout the day. My recommendation is to set clear time expectations and check ins to avoid ill feelings.

We had amazing & attentive service from Shabaz (I hope I spelled that right) who immediately heard our frustrations and made a concerted effort to make our dining experience memorable.

And what a success! The food was absolutely stellar, paced out perfectly. The hospitality we received from our service team was personalized and appreciated.

While the service was amazing, we will likely dine elsewhere as the initial experience of getting sat was deeply mishandled, the Jade bar next door is much...