Soul Cafe — Restaurant in Scottsdale

I climbed to the top of Humphreys Peak and wandered around the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on my recent trip to Arizona. You know what else I did that was absolutely awesome? I located and consumed multiple cocktails that literally had a rubber duckie floating in it. It may not have been one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, but what a sight to look at AND drink.

Several months ago when I was researching destinations for this trip (we're talking dead of winter early February-ish), I was looking for edgy places fairly close to Phoenix for the night before the trip home to NJ. It didn't take long to find pictures of a bright blue beverage with an equally bright yellow duck. Problem solved. Soul Cafe was a LITTLE out of the way (it seems to be literally right in the NE corner of the Phoenix metro area before it gives way to full-on desert), but made for a fairly easy stop after a long car ride that started in Sedona hours earlier. The large strip mall it was housed in was located uneventfully, and my friend and I had a late lunch nearby before meeting up with one of my noble OG chums from olden times here (we met in the kindergarten bathroom - those bonds last for life).

I was nervous coming in because a prior menu review indicated the Duck Duck Booze was only referenced within the breakfast/brunch cocktail menu (no waiting until 12PM in these parts). My OG chum was confident it wouldn't be an issue, and after explaining to our waitress the situation we watched as she went to the bartender to make the impossible a reality. I have no idea why you would limit this wonderment to one part of the day, but the staff at Soul Cafe made an exception for me on this magical evening, and that's what matters. Literally my only piece of constructive feedback here is to add this drink to the other part of the menu.

The drink arrived with great fanfare, and as you can see from the attached, it was the visual perfection I had been waiting for. I'm not sure I've seen a water source this exact color in real life, but that's not even a quibble. Easily one of the best cocktail optics I've ever seen, and the drink itself was delicious. I'm usually not crazy about gin, but blue curacao isn't a stranger to my glass, and egg whites are one of my all-time favorite booze accompaniments; if you want your drink to be as smooth as a glass of Evian AND put a hue on your cheeks? Look for the egg whites. I may have accidentally had five over the course of a few hours, which was definitely at least one or two too many but I was on vacation so it's allowed. One of my friends also ordered one (when in Rome, right?) but wasn't as excited as I was, claiming it was too sweet. My argument would be that it's practically fluorescent and has a bath toy in it - how was it not going to be on the sweeter side? Regardless, a rare item that lived up to the hype that had been steadily building for about three months.

The service was very good. While it was pretty empty when we came in, it was PACKED within an hour or two throughout the restaurant. This is clearly a hopping place (though I didn't see any rubber ducks at other tables, so the conclusion I drew was that they have other scrumptious items on the menu). Our waitress was great. Not only did she nobly advocate for my off-menu request, but she was absolutely slammed for most of our visit and still kept her head above water (honestly a phrase I'm not sure I say if I'm not thinking about the ducks). Super friendly and kept the blue beauties coming.

For me, Scottsdale was pretty much just a drab, tan-colored town with some cacti and golf courses. I can't think of a single reason to ever come back to this area except for this wonderful place. Loved it. Perfect...

Conflicting thoughts about this spot. The ambiance and decor is very lively, colorful and cute, and the menu has a pretty good amount of various items to choose from (even including doggie bites!). There was no wait and we were seated right away at some comfy high tops (idk if this was a good sign for a restaurant at 11:30am on a beautiful Sunday in spring). However, I was not super impressed with the brunch. My omelet was as dry as sand (I think it’s called the western), like seriously cooked to death and seemed as if they didn’t use any cooking oil or butter or anything. It even looked bad (like burnt & dry just in eyeing it up); I probably should’ve sent it back, but I’m the type of person who feels really uncomfortable doing that. It was so subpar for a restaurant that seemed so nice from the outset - 2/10. The breakfast potatoes I had on the side were at least quite good - 7/10. My boyfriend’s chicken and waffles dish was just okay, not bad but not great, like no wow factor to it - 6/10. And chicken & waffles really can be done exceptionally well if you’re a good cook. Our friend’s omelette (I think the farmers one) was much better looking than mine and seemed to be more moist and definitely a very sizable amount of food, but he didn’t rave about it. It was also kinda average. The banana nut bread with pecan maple butter was very good but really needed some salt - 7/10. Side of bacon was a little overcooked. Our drinks were good - blueberry mule 9/10, mimosa was good (you can’t really mess up a mimosa unless the OJ goes sour), and the breakfastini was really tasty but they serve it in this ridiculously little glass big enough for 3 average sized sips and it was gone. Most of the glass was taken up by a huge orange wheel not by the drink that I paid for. Insane for the price. They should serve it in a regular sized martini glass or if not, then charge like half the amount they do for that little thing - 5/10. The food & drinks came out pretty fast but the waitress didn’t check in on us enough, and we had to flag another staff member down to order more drinks even though the place wasn’t that busy. The staff also wasn’t that personable, like we couldn’t even remember who our server was, and as someone who used to work in the restaurant industry for over a decade (FOH), that’s just really not good to not even get the easy basics of service down right. You gotta train your staff to be engaging and welcoming and accommodating. If it weren’t for the look of the place, there’s nothing really that memorable about this spot. They need to take it up a few notches with some of their dishes and hire an amazing breakfast chef and hire more personable staff or train the ones they have to leave an impression, not be shy violets who don’t even give guests their name and vanish for most of the meal. I will say that I do love that they have a dog menu and their patio is pup-friendly…Maybe brunch just isn’t their thing and they do other meals better. Maybe we just got the wrong items and maybe we went at a time when they just weren’t at their best. It’s possible all that’s the case, but as for breakfast, I’m good not ever going here...

⭐ Soul Café – A Soulful Gem in North Scottsdale

📍 Ambiance & Atmosphere

Tucked away on Pinnacle Peak, Soul Café offers a warm, inviting space—complete with indoor-outdoor seating and a dog-friendly patio. The décor and lighting create a relaxed yet energetic vibe, perfect for brunch, dinner, or happy hour

🍴 What to Order & Why

Brunch Musts:

Chilaquiles & Eggs – flavor-packed, satisfying portion Favorites**:

Blackened Catfish, Shrimp & Grits, and Dover Sole are frequently praised for their taste and portion size

Jalapeño‑Bacon Bloody Mary, prickly pear margarita, and their famous key lime and peach pies consistently earn rave reviews

🥗 Quality, Service & Price

With an overall rating around 4.3–4.4 out of 5, Soul Café is celebrated for its quality food, attentive service, and portion sizes that offer good value—though some dishes can run a bit expensive, especially brunch entrées.

🌟 Highlights from Guests

Guests love the creative cocktails:

“One of the best cocktail optics I had been waiting for… service was stellar” (sluurpy.us).

And the atmosphere:

“Beautiful patio, dog friendly… manager introduced live music”

⚠️ Minor Quibbles

Some dishes occasionally miss the mark on texture (e.g. slightly chewy veggies beneath salmon) or seasoning (too fatty bacon), according to a couple of detailed reviews

✅ Final Verdict

Soul Café consistently delivers on creative, hearty American‑Southwestern dishes, inventive cocktails, and a cozy vibe with both indoor and pet-friendly outdoor seating. It’s one of Scottsdale’s top spots for brunch or dinner—and their desserts and drinks are top-tier. Be prepared for prices toward the higher side and (on busy nights) a slight wait, but good service and big flavors make it worth it.

**Perfect for a relaxed brunch with friends, a lively happy hour, a pup-friendly patio night, or a...