Rustler’s Rooste — Restaurant in Phoenix

A Disastrous Evening That Failed My Veteran and Our Hopes for Peace. My husband and I, along with another couple, including two Marine Corps disabled Veterans who are currently navigating the profound challenges of PTSD and significant personal struggles, had hoped for a simple, quiet evening at Rustler's Rooste. Staying at the resort, we deliberately chose to arrive right at opening for happy hour, specifically to avoid crowds and ensure a calm, low-profile atmosphere. Our carefully planned attempt at a peaceful evening was shattered by the restaurant's utterly distressing actions. The first blow came with the menu. The happy hour menu so clearly advertised on their official website was a complete fabrication. It bore almost no resemblance to what was offered in the restaurant. We had meticulously chosen Rustler's Rooste based on those specific online options and prices, hoping to make the ordering process as smooth as possible for our husbands. Finding those items unavailable was immediately disheartening. When our server initially dismissed our concerns about the menu discrepancy, we found ourselves in the incredibly uncomfortable position of having to ask for a manager. As anyone supporting a veteran with PTSD knows, drawing attention, especially unwanted attention, is precisely what we strive to avoid. This request, forced by their own inaccurate advertising, instantly created a tense atmosphere. A manager eventually came, agreeing to honor some of the prices, but flatly stating they would not honor the specific products we had seen online and desired. This made ordering an agonizing and frustrating ordeal, forcing us to select alternatives that weren't what we wanted, just to salvage some semblance of a meal. But the situation, unbelievably, escalated from there. More managers were brought to our table, turning an already difficult moment into an outright confrontation. One manager approached with an unsettling proximity that felt like an invasion of personal space. Before we could process it, we were surrounded by four or more individuals—managers and possibly servers—hovering over our table. The amount of unwanted attention was suffocating. They seemed entirely unwilling to believe us about their own online menu, even when we literally showed them the proof on our phones. It felt like a deliberate tactic to overwhelm us, to make us so profoundly uncomfortable that we would simply be forced to leave. As I watched my husband and his fellow veteran, I could feel their stress levels rising, the quiet peace we sought being systematically dismantled by the restaurant's staff. I tried to interject, explaining how incredibly uncomfortable this excessive attention was, reiterating that we had come specifically for quiet and calm, and that their behavior was creating an unbearable situation. It was clear that their own error regarding the menu had led to this distressing spectacle, and their response was to make us feel like the problem. The environment they created was so antithetical to our needs that we had no choice but to gather ourselves and leave, our evening utterly ruined and our veterans needlessly distressed. To any fellow patrons, especially those supporting veterans or anyone seeking a genuinely calm and honest dining experience: If you are with a disabled veteran dealing with trauma or PTSD, please, for their well-being, avoid Rustler's Rooste. The complete lack of empathy, the aggressive confrontation, and the deliberate creation of an overwhelming, confrontational environment are deeply damaging and potentially triggering. If you expect a restaurant to be truthful about its online offerings and not engage in blatant bait-and-switch tactics, this is NOT the place. Their advertised happy hour menu is misleading, and they refuse to honor it. If you anticipate competent, understanding, or genuinely helpful management when their own mistakes cause an issue, this is NOT the restaurant. Their management team compounded the problem, displaying disbelief and an unsettling approach that...

A Distressing and Disappointing Experience – Avoid, Especially if You Seek Peace as a veteran with PTSD.

My recent visit to Rustler's Rooste was nothing short of a nightmare, transforming what should have been a relaxing evening into a profoundly distressing ordeal. Our party, consisting of two couples, including two Marine Corps disabled Veterans grappling with PTSD and significant personal challenges, specifically chose Rustler's Rooste because we were staying at the resort and aimed to visit right at opening for happy hour. Our goal was to avoid crowds, minimize interaction, and ensure a calm, low-profile experience. What we encountered was the exact opposite. Our frustration began immediately upon seeing the menu. The happy hour menu prominently displayed on their official website is a complete bait-and-switch. It bore almost no resemblance to the menu offered at the restaurant. We had selected Rustler's Rooste specifically for the advertised online options and prices, which were simply unavailable. When our server initially refused to honor the online prices, we reluctantly asked to speak to a manager – something we desperately wanted to avoid given our need for a low-key environment. This simple request, born from their own inaccurate advertising, spiraled into an incredibly uncomfortable confrontation. A manager arrived, eventually agreeing to honor some of the prices but explicitly stated they would not honor the actual products we had seen and desired online. This made the entire ordering process confusing and intensely frustrating, forcing us to choose items we didn't want at prices we wouldn't have considered otherwise. The situation escalated dramatically from there. More managers were brought to our table. One manager inexplicably got uncomfortably close, invading our personal space. Before we knew it, we had four or more managers and possibly servers hovering over our table, creating an unbearable amount of unwanted attention. It became painfully clear they did not believe us about their own online menu, despite us showing undeniable proof on our phones. The atmosphere felt intentionally hostile, as if their sole purpose was to make us so profoundly uncomfortable that we would be forced to leave. I verbally expressed how overwhelming and distressing this situation was, emphasizing that we came for quiet and calm, and that their aggressive and disbelieving behavior was completely antithetical to our needs. The excessive attention and confrontational approach, directly a result of their own operational failure (the incorrect menu), became intolerable. We were ultimately forced to leave, our evening ruined, feeling utterly demoralized and disregarded. To be unequivocally clear: If you are a disabled veteran with trauma issues or PTSD, this is NOT the restaurant for you. The lack of understanding, the aggressive confrontation, and the deliberate creation of an overwhelming environment make this a highly unsuitable and potentially triggering place. If you expect a restaurant to operate with integrity and not bait-and-switch their advertised menus, this is NOT the place. Their online happy hour menu is deceptive and they are unwilling to honor their own advertised offerings. If you anticipate competent, understanding, and helpful management when issues arise (especially those of their own making), this is NOT the restaurant. The management team exacerbated the problem, displaying disbelief and an unsettling approach that prioritized making us uncomfortable over resolving their error. Rustler's Rooste delivered an experience of profound disappointment and emotional distress. Their deceptive advertising and shockingly poor customer service, particularly in a situation that disproportionately impacted vulnerable individuals, is unacceptable. Save yourself the trouble and seek...

Dear Owner/CEO of Rustler’s Rooste,

I am writing to express my profound disappointment and frustration regarding the appalling treatment my family and I experienced at your restaurant on the evening of September 1st. We had made reservations well in advance to celebrate our twin daughters’ birthday, a day that was supposed to be filled with joy and celebration, but instead turned into a humiliating and traumatizing ordeal.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were initially pleased with the service. Despite a brief wait, my husband and I managed to grab a quick drink at the bar while waiting for our table. My husband then decided to walk with our daughters to find our table as we were informed it was ready, and I stayed behind to close out our bar tab. Unfortunately, this is where the experience began to sour.

I attempted to pay the bill, but the bartender ignored my request and began attending to other patrons who had arrived after me. Concerned about losing track of my family in such a large, busy restaurant, I asked the bartender to simply add the drinks to our table tab and hurried to catch up with my husband and daughters. I didn’t want to lose them in the crowd as they were getting too far for me to see where they were going.

Once I located my family, we were seated at a table with a lovely view. My husband and I briefly stepped outside to take some pictures, all the while keeping our daughters in sight as they sat at the table inside. To our shock, we were suddenly approached by a manager, who did not identify herself with a name tag, and were accused of attempting to leave without paying our bar tab. She claimed that many people leave without paying just before the fireworks start and insisted that we provide a credit card or she would call the police on us.

We were utterly stunned and horrified by her accusations. We explained that our daughters were inside, happily waiting for the food we had just ordered, and that we had every intention of paying. Despite this, the manager repeated her threat, creating a scene that left us feeling humiliated and demeaned in front of other guests. Never in my life have I been treated with such disrespect, and it was clear to us that we were being singled out unfairly, possibly due to our ethnicity.

The rest of the evening was ruined. We hurriedly let the girls finish their meal, too shaken to eat my husband and I boxed our food and got out of there as fast as we could. I didn’t realize that the waitress had followed us outside. When our waitress, who had been unaware of the incident, asked why we hadn’t tipped her, I could only apologize, explaining that I simply couldn’t bring myself to reward service in light of the degrading treatment we had received from the manager.

I want to emphasize that our stay at the Arizona Grand Hotel was otherwise enjoyable, but this incident at Rustler’s Rooste has cast a dark shadow over our entire experience. We had heard wonderful things about your restaurant and were excited to celebrate our daughters' birthday there. Instead, we left feeling deeply hurt and disrespected.

I urge you to investigate this matter thoroughly and to take steps to ensure that no other family is subjected to such appalling treatment at your establishment. We are honest, hardworking people who believe in treating others with kindness and respect. It is heartbreaking to have been treated as though we were criminals over something as minor as a bar tab that we were actively trying to pay.

I look forward to your prompt response and hope that you will take this matter seriously.

Sincerely,

Diana...