Hole-In-The-Wall BBQ Joint — Restaurant in Phoenix

Tucked deep within the Hilton resort grounds, Hole in Wall BBQ offers a casual and inviting atmosphere. With its unassuming name and reputation, I arrived with high expectations. While the experience was pleasant overall, the meal delivered a mix of highs and lows.

First, the setting. Despite ongoing construction that limits parking and requires a bit of navigation, the space is remarkably clean. The staff is incredibly warm and attentive. There was no wait to be seated, and the tables offer ample space for those with mobility challenges. These elements created a welcoming and relaxed environment to begin the evening.

The menu is modest, which often signals a focus on quality. I opted for the Smoked St. Louis Ribs with grilled vegetables and fries. The ribs arrived fall-off-the-bone tender, a promising start but lacked the depth of seasoning expected from a barbecue establishment. The sauce leaned heavily toward store-bought familiarity rather than a house-crafted blend with unique character.

The grilled vegetable side was notably underwhelming. Composed almost entirely of onions with a sparse showing of bell peppers, it missed the balance expected from the menu description. However, the fries and onion rings were both crisp and expertly executed; a highlight of the plate.

It is worth noting that the team is currently operating out of a food truck instead of a full-service kitchen. This certainly explains some of the constraints in execution. I chose not to rate this experience lower because of the genuinely pleasant atmosphere and the staff’s evident dedication to service.

Hole in Wall BBQ has potential. Once construction is complete and operations return to a traditional kitchen setup, I look forward to revisiting. There is heart behind the hospitality. With a few culinary adjustments, this could become a standout destination in...

Food and drinks were really good and most of the staff was great! The manager working the night of November 11th needs a talking to.

Our football team traveled here from California on veterans weekend for a big game so we had a rather large group. On our first night ,Friday night our bartender Laicey was busting her tail trying to keep up and all while she had a smile and was very polite. Her manager that night, however, just sat on the outside of the bar and let the poor girl work on her own. As I said we had a very large group and before the night was over the manager was sending staff home while we still had a very large group there. The manager that night had no interest in helping or staying open a little later to accommodate our large crew and when I told her we would be back the next night, she still did not care.

The next day we had an amazing waitress for lunch named Grace. Considering we had probably about 20 boys and a dozen adults on a bunch of separate checks she did an amazing job keeping all the orders in line and getting the food out to the right people. She kept her cool the whole time and with a smile.

Later that night after our game our whole crew came back and had our wonderful bartender Laicey again but this time the manager on staff was Kat. Together they made the evening a wonderful experience. Kat was moving all around all night helping out and these ladies even kept the restaurant open later to accommodate our large group. Unlike the manager from Friday night. These ladies really added value to our trip at this hotel and hopefully are truly appreciated by management.

Again a big shout out to Laicey, Grace and...

We stopped in for dinner at the Hole-In-the-Wall restaurant our first night in Phoenix, while staying at the Hilton Resort and Retreat.

The restaurant decor is fun and rustic. I was surprised with how slow the restaurant was considering they are the only restaurant on site that was open for a late night dinner.

The hostess was attentive and kind, and sat us right away. Her fun, black heart shaped glasses were also super cool and definitely added some personality to her work attire! Points to her for her fashion choice for sure!

The service was a bit on the slow side, unfortunately. This was shocking considering how slow the restaurant was. As a patron of the establishment, and former waitress myself for many, many years, I couldn’t help but notice the clumps of servers standing around and chatting due to how slow the restaurant was. This would be fine normally, because I get it, but there were also times we weren’t able to get refills on our drinks due to the lack of attentiveness by the staff.

The food was good though. The nachos were outstanding! Definitely flavorful and loaded enough to satiate one to three people. My house salad was also tasty and filled me up well. My husband had the turkey club and mac n cheese. He loved the mac n cheese specifically.

Honestly, this was a good little stop for some late night dinner. My hope is that the restaurant will upgrade as the Hilton does because there is some untapped potential here to be capitalized on. Overall, a good experience though all...