Dodo Bird Kitchen and Cocktails — Restaurant in Scottsdale

I recently checked out a new restaurant, and I have to say, my experience was fantastic! Right when we walked in, we were welcomed by Dolh, the manager, who was so friendly and attentive. It’s not often you meet someone in a management position who genuinely cares about the guests, and he really went the extra mile—especially when it came to making sure my service dog was comfortable. Major kudos for that!

While my friend and I waited for our table, Dolh suggested we hang out at the bar, which was a great call. The bartenders were super quick, and we didn’t have to wait long at all. I tried the Scottsdale Moms Club cocktail, and let me tell you, it was amazing! If you’re there, you definitely have to give it a shot. I also enjoyed a nice Casamigos Reposado on the rocks, which paired perfectly with our food.

Once we were seated, we dove into some shareable appetizers—dumplings and wings, which were both on point! They were perfect for sharing with my friend, and honestly, we couldn’t get enough. For our mains, we chose the bolognese and steak frites. I was really impressed by the bolognese—it was rich and comforting, and those waffle fries… wow! They added such a fun twist to the meal.

As we enjoyed our dishes, Steven, who brought out our food, checked in on us, ensuring everything was just right. He was genuinely cheerful, which really added to the vibe. Honestly, every member of the staff was so friendly and seemed to really enjoy what they were doing, which is always a nice touch.

The ambiance of the place was also a big win. The decor was modern and inviting, and the music was just right—not too loud but enough to set a lively atmosphere. We found ourselves lingering longer than we planned because the whole environment made you want to stay and enjoy the moment.

What struck me the most was how well the staff collaborated. It was clear they had a solid team dynamic, always checking in on each other and making sure the guests were happy. That kind of teamwork really makes a difference and contributes to a positive dining experience.

My friend and I can definitely see ourselves becoming a regular here. With such great food, amazing service, and a welcoming vibe, can't wait...

You would need to be a DoDo 🦤 not to like this place. This restaurant, themed on a goofy looking flightless bird with a perhaps undeserved reputation for being — well, a DoDo 🦤— that became extinct in the 1600s, has a lot going for it. Lighting dark enough to create a mood but not too dark to read the menu. Cool, alternative-ish music, but not too loud to hear each other talk. Corner booths for four. A see-across 3-sided bar (our favorite kind), a waiting/cocktails lounge area with leather comfy chairs, darts machines in the back (I’m pretty sure the DoDo 🦤 was not extintified by darts), a large mural of a well-dressed DoDo 🦤 couple (little-known fact: DoDos 🦤 were known for their sartorial splendor) on one wall and a 3D LEGO-ish specimen nesting on a shelf over the entrance, and a high, black, acoustical ceiling create a space where we were happy to nest for the evening. What brought us in was the Monday night special: $20 for a perfectly cooked (sous vide?) New York Strip steak and frites (waffle cut). Great deal, great plate. The menu also offered a nice variety of starters/shareables, a pasta dish, a fish main, smash burgers (the best kind), chicken sandwiches (no doubt because DoDo 🦤 sandwiches would be both impossible and wrong, but maybe that’s how they became extinct), and salads. Only three red wine choices were offered but we were okay with that because one was a Daou cab and all three were $50 or less (our sweet spot for restaurant wine). The menu also offers a wide selection of cocktails and beer. There’s only one dessert choice, a fried ice cream. Interesting but I’d like to see some chocolate. I know another restaurant that wanted a very limited dessert menu so they offered a simple plate of thick dark chocolate broken into random-sized pieces. Just a suggestion. Service was excellent. We will be back because we are not DoDos 🦤. We will probably sit at the bar, which looked like fun. YouTube’s...

Don't eat here! Our group came on a Friday night. Drinks were good but took 15 minutes to arrive. Everything went down hill from there. Two couples in our group ordered the Friday night Tomahawk for two special. Salad, steak, sides and dessert for $99. Salads took almost 50 minutes to hit the table and then were brought with no plates to share. Steaks took over an hour (I understand Tomahawk takes a while but not that long). Steaks were dropped at the table and we once again sat there with NO plates, hungrily looking at the food. Sides came out one by one, the last one came about 10 minutes after the first ones and also weren't what we ordered. Our steak which we ordered Med Rare was Med Rare on one edge and well done for the majority (no wonder it took so long). Friends "Korean chicken" was just plain over fried chicken with a side of "chili sauce" that was literally just oil. We asked the sever and she said "yeah idk it just comes like that". At this point we asked to speak to the manager there were so many issues. I explained to Jamie about the timing issues, missing plates, wrongly cooked steak, overdone food (they overcooked the baked potato too!). She said she was sorry and that she'd speak with the kitchen. WE NEVER SAW HER AGAIN. No explanation, no offer to make anything right, no follow up. Basically a "that sucks, bye!" And off she went. When the server dropped the checks there wasn't a thing removed or taken care of. $99 dinner that was just bad. I would have loved to speak with Jamie again to ask what the deal was but she had disappeared. Later saw her all the way across the restaurant chatting it up with the bartender. The service wasn't great, the food was bad, and the management was...