Binkley’s Restaurant

I was so excited to come here. It was one of the few «foodie» places I haven’t been. I did the full tasting with a couple add ons. The food was very good but, wasn’t to die for. The atmosphere was beautiful. The staff was attentive and knowledgable. It was a bit cold inside but, I can get cold easily. So if you do get chilly bring a nice shaw. The cocktails had a great balance of flavors. My favorite part was the after dinner «tea». It was the most memorable part of my meal and the only thing I still crave!

In honor of my 800^th review I am writing about someplace very special (and very far) that my husband and I had the pleasure of dining at for my birthday a couple of months ago. Even though I had been to the Café Bink in midtown before I had never eaten at Binkley’s and I wanted to make sure I went before they closed. I have no problem spending a good amount of money on my birthday dinner but I will say I was a bit surprised by how far away it was and how hard to find. As you all probably know it was in a strip mall out in Cave Creek surrounded by biker bars and cowboy western type steakhouses. Not what I was expecting but I did not mind the décor inside as much as some other people seem to. I thought it was refreshing that the atmosphere was so comfortable and easy going though once hubby saw how casual it was he was pretty annoyed that I had made him wear a tie.
The food of course was amazing but I was really disappointed in the portion sizes. Obviously they are going to be small when you are doing a tasting menu but here you really only get about two bites of each item and since we did the petite tasting it really did not add up to a complete meal. Also, I made the comment to my husband that I wish the petite tasting included the leek potato soup and so he asked for that as an add-​on which ended up being $ 28 each. As I said I don’t mind paying some money for a special meal but I wish our waiter would have informed us of that price ahead of time since at that point it would have only been a few extra bucks to do the full menu. Also, I had heard from other Unilocalers that they added on a lot of surprise courses and amuse bouches but that was not my experience. I guess they sort of cut back on that stuff in their last few months. I think the only thing extra we got that was not on the menu was the orange soda. This was very cute and of course the presentation made me smile but I don’t think it works particularly well as a palate cleanser. Oh and the ball of sorbet at the end that was for my birthday I guess since it had a candle. My favorite dish of the night did end up being that leek and potato soup, it was amazing. I was also pretty impressed by the hot and cold chocolate. The «main» course of lamb shank fell a bit short. I thought the meat was a bit dry and I also didn’t really care for the presentation of that one. It was sort of formed into a square with very sharp and defined edges which meant it more closely resembled a chocolate brownie rather than meat.
Overall it was a very special experience but holding it up against the tasting menus at Quiessence (prior to Greg LaPrad’s departure) and Different Pointe of View at Tapatio I would have to say the food didn’t quite measure up. And of course the service and atmosphere did not hold a candle to Kai. So after being judged against its peers I can not give them more than three stars. I do wish I had visited Binkley’s in its prime though and maybe I would feel differently.

Used to be a big fan of this place. But, after last nights comparative collapse, I’d say no more.
First off — the menu. Our captain told us the current menu was half-​way between the old concept, and the new one coming soon in another location. However, we were still charged the old pricing.
The new menu means ONE menu. No choice, except between a 5-​course tasting, and an 8-​course tasting. That’s it. There was one item on the 5-​course I was allergic to, so the Captain said I could choose one of the remaining three options from the larger menu, however, two of the three would incur a «few more dollars». That was the substitution. I almost considered anaphylactic shock for a moment.
The food was completely meh. The demi-​glacé on the duck was burnt. Not easy to burn a sauce, and I’m surprised no one tasted this before plating. The foie-​gras, which incurred a supplement, was drops of whipped mousse. Super disappointing.
The runner was coming towards us with the sloppy joe amuse, when he saw we already had entrée, so he turned on his heels, and brought them back to the kitchen. Fail. Not sure why he didn’t drop them anyway, because the girl who brought dessert did so while our dessert amuse plate was still on the table.
We sat with wine glasses bottomed out as well, as we were forgotten in this regard.
Overall, food and service fail. I know this place is closing up in a week, and it felt like the last days of a going out of business sale. Minus the sale pricing.
For Chef Binkley — someone who talks in the press about wanting to be «perfect», the way to do that is finish out strong, and not take your foot off the gas. If this is indicative of the «new concept», then I think he’ll continue to be the Susan Lucci of the oh-​so-​elusive James Beard award. With one exception… she eventually won.

Want to impress someone? Want to waste money on small portions? Want a fru fru dinner with orchid leaves, cactus petals and baby carrots? This is the place. Otherwise… head down the street for larger, reasonable, normal portions, good food and less pretension. I like to go out and EAT, not see how much money i can spend and still be hungry.

I have had delightful meals all over the world. I do not mind a variable experience except when treated poorly. In addition, I do not mind paying upwards of $ 300 or more per person if the meal and service is justified. I visited this restaurant with my brother and had a delightful meal but poor experience due to the service. The couple next to me who had an outward appearance of greater civility than me and my brother were treated differently than us, despite us paying for the same meal. I would suggest that if you would like to go to a restaurant in the Phoenix area that they do not pack you in like sardines and appear to serve you based on an outward appearance, such as what I had with my brother, than you should visit somewhere else. Kai comes to mind. Luckily, this makes me assured not to visit this place again.

Ok so our favorite Fine Dining so far has always been Kai. Many people have told us we just HAVE to try Binkleys. So we finally did.
You know, its good, but it has some odd flavors and combos that just don’t mesh. They seem to be trying to be cool and modern with the presentation and sadly the flavors just lack or don’t really go.
This is no KAI that is for sure. The service was good, not amazing but good. The servings sizes are of course tiny and you get multiple courses but we all definitely still left hungry.
Nice atmosphere. We went on a Friday around 6pm. By the time we left around 7:20 the restaurant was about 60% full. I think this is probably why they are closing.
All in all, I wouldn’t go back. Glad we finally tried it but I think we will stick with Kai for the fine dining experience.

I will first say I am baffled by some of the reviews I read. Does it matter that this restaurant is located in a small «strip mall?» No. Chef Kevin Binkley is hands down one of the best Chefs in the state of Arizona. My husband and I frequent Bink’s in Scottsdale and Midtown. We spoke for a year or more about trying Binkley’s. When I received the email about Binkley’s relocating to midtown, 1. I was thrilled! 2. I wanted to experience Carefree before it came to an end. We celebrated my early dirty thirty with a warm welcoming by Amy (Chefs wife) as the host. She brought me a glass of champagne that is only offered by the bottle, she also had the bartender make a special drink for my husband. The food is so hard to describe because it is just that damn good! We opted for the large chef tasting. We experienced over 20 small plates which were oh-​so amazing. Each plate brought more flavor, making you so eager to try what might be next. The desserts were amazing, yes multiple desserts! Chef Binkley sent us off with a personal goodbye and those yummy rice crispies they make (available at the other restaurants too)! I will be one of the first reservations when they re-​open in Midtown. I can’t wait to experience Binkley’s all over again!

Went to Binkley’s honestly not knowing what to expect. Katherine F. and Michael W. joined me in my excursion to Phoenix for a work trip. We were all pretty tired from the flights in and I nearly thought it wouldnt be a good day to do this.
Driving in was easy from downtown Phoenix and parking was a cinch. Walking up to here, you would not expect this to be a fine dining establishment. But I have to say right now to the peeps giving less stars because of the décor. Ya, if you really wanna care that much about it, then fine, your choice, but you are here for the food and service.
We walked in and were sat right away. Angus our waiter/​host proceeded to inform us of the menu, grab our drinks and our night began.
We went different routes each. I decided on the petite menu while Michael and Katherine went with the full tasting but split it.
The petite menu was not petite at all in a good way =) I’m a pretty big eater for a small guy but this menu was full of surprise, delight, and most of all deliciousness.
From the eggplant soup (I typically hate egg plant) and mushrooms (again I hate) to the Wagyu beef, Kevin Binkley made this my hit of the trip. Hands down, top 3 meal LIFETIME. The topping of the meal was the extra grapefruit soda that Michael managed to get courtesy of Angus and the peach jam.
Angus, thank you again for the wonderful night. Kevin Binkley, you sir are an amazing chef. I hope to come back to Phoenix eventually and try your new place when it opens.

A formal celebration of food! Great spot. We have been here a few times. The food is amazing!

This is a tough one. Friday night full tasting menu with the sommelier wine pairings. Food was very good. Service was excellent. The place is tired. Strip mall on the main drag. Sometimes you can’t judge a book by its cover. This one you can. Décor and furnishings are worn out, tired and outdated. I can understand why they’re closing it soon. Easier to start over.
Having said all that … We will be checking out the new digs downtown when this concept is relocated.

My review will be most helpful to people who have visited Binkley’s before and might confuse those who never dined here.
Binkley’s is considered to be one of Arizona’s finest restaurants. The Chef is a four time James Beard nominated chef. The cuisine is French Inspired mixed with whimsey using the highest quality ingredients out there.
This restaurant is located in a strip mall and isn’t the fanciest inside.
It is common knowledge that the Chef/​Owner is closing this restaurant at the end of June and is focusing on opening a new concept in the fall at his (at this time) the more casual Mid Town Bink’s Restaurant that will be closed and remodeled for the changes.
Binkley’s used to offer their guest many menu choices so that they could customize their menu into four, five or six course tasting menus or have the option of ordering ala carte. You used to about three different choices for each selection.
The menu choices have been downsized. The current offerings are either a petite tasting menu already made up for you or the chef’s menu that is also already written and a Chef’s Tasting menu that is already written. On line are vegetarian menus that I didn’t receive in the restaurant. Substitution off the Petite Menu or Chef’s Menu converts to a vegetarian plate.
Some of the other changes I noticed are choices in the wine parings. You pick them by your budget now and the new wine pairings are in three levels that range around $ 50-​$ 200+ a person. Other changes are that you don’t get the assortment of bread anymore, you get less but some better amuse bouche, the cheese menu has been dropped and you don’t pick your dessert or cheese course anymore.
Technically most of the food I had was prepared perfect. The only exception was my second course that had shiitake mushrooms that were razor thin and leathery hard.
Both me and my husband loved the risotto (our 3^rd course) and it was both our favorite course of the evening. The rice was a perfect al dente and the sauce was rice and creamy. the Parmesan Foam just added that perfect umami. It was delicious and one of two plates I would want to have again.
My favorite amuse bouche was the fresh shaved French Truffles over house made mascarpone cheese with local honey. This was more satisfying and much more wow factor than some of the entrees.
If I am honest and if you read my reviews you know I always am I have to admit I was very underwhelmed with my dinner of Steelhead Trout. It was prepared to perfection but was far less detailed to what I tried before at Binkley’s for dinner. I thought my dinner was also sort of spoiled because someone accidentally served me cabernet wine that didn’t pair at all fine with this dish. In addition to that nobody cleared the last amuse bouche plates or the last wine glasses and just dropped the dinners off. I had a pile of extra serving ware on the table to look at. (see dinner photo). I did inform the sommelier that the cabernet didn’t pair with my dinner and he apologized and poured me more cabernet and said he’d give me an extra wine course with dessert.
They preformed molecular gastronomy on dessert and it was to close to me and I felt it on my leg. It didn’t burn but it felt like ice cubes rubbing on my leg. It was weird.
Lastly someone used to stand at the hostess stand and thank us for coming. When we left nobody was there but someone did run after us in the parking lot and asked us if we took our parting snack bag.
Binkley’s is still one of the finest places to dine at in Arizona but if you’ve been here before it’s no longer the same.

Great tasting menu, they really go above and beyond to create a unique atmosphere. A must for anyone coming from out of town who has to choose one restaurant. Sunset is best but it’s great anytime. We sat on the patio by the fireplace — it was great. Unlike any of the tasting menus I’ve tried anywhere else — and the bacon… wow…
I would tell you what to order but honestly, that’s not what makes the experience, it’s everything they bring to you in between your meals. So just enjoy.

Binkleys is a one of a kind dining experience. This was our second time dining here, but our first with a large group (14 people). We made reservations a month ahead for a 30^th bday extravaganza, and i was blown away with their attention to the small details that made the bday boy feel super special.
The courses were some of the most savoring flavors, and everything was cooked to perfection. So in that regard i will always give binkleys 5 stars. The front of the house is where my disappointment lies for this review.
We spent 5+ hours here. The restaurant was packed, and we got there promptly, however we didn’t even get our first course until 2 hours and 15 min in to when we sat down! Our server was clearly a little overwhelmed and ultimately we were waiting w plenty of libation and ready to eat our left arm by the time our first tasting arrived.
A little bit of advise – if dining here with a group (i wish our waiter would have recommended this)…either all do the same amount of tasting or all do a la carte ordering. The two people who simply wanted the meat course were left waiting, while the rest of the tasting party caught up to this course, until 1130p for their perfectly cooked rack of lamb!
At one point i needed to request to our matre d’ that we needed to leave by 11:15, however by midnight i was left stressed out that we were still trying to inhale our cheese and dessert choices due to lack of planning on their service side.
All around I’m glad the bday boy had a good time, but a 5+ hour meal is approaching on just bad service. As a comparison, when we came here on our 1^st visit, as a party of two, we had an enjoyable 3 hour meal which was a perfect amount of time.

Went for dinner on a Saturday evening and it was an EVENT. 5 of us were there and it was a 4 hour extravaganza of unique combinations of ingredients. Part of the experience is waiting to see what shows up next.
Try the sampler (you have 4 – 5 levels to choose from).
And the Wine selection was well done.
Just do not expect a decadent ambiance and you will not be disappointed…

We made reservations at Binkley’s for my 33^rd birthday way back in March. This was a completely new and somewhat intimidating experience, so I heavily researched online for some direction about what to order. Most people said that a couple of 4-​course meals would be more than enough food to satisfy us both, so that’s what we opted for.
We were seated in a quiet little room away from the crowd, which was nice and semi-​secluded. I say semi, as I constantly had to tune out the nearby couple that were in the early stages of dating. Despite this, I really liked their setup and atmosphere.
All of the servers were very polite. Virtually everything that was brought out to us was described in great detail. I regret not having them write everything down for future reference. Stand-​outs include the mini-​sloppy joes, the siphon filtered tea, mango bombs, and some excellent buttered bread.
I kept my birthday menu, but since the amuse-​bouches were not listed, we can only go off of pictures. Regardless, all of them were very good. We tried so many things, that I don’t feel there’s any point in attempting to describe them all.
Oddly enough, my only complaint is that neither one of us were full at the end of our meal. We devoured everything and had absolutely nothing left to take home (which is very rare). So, while the food may be good, don’t expect anything generous in terms of portions. I now feel we could have easily gotten away with a 5 or 6 course meal. I’ll remember this if we ever return.
There was a mistake with our bill, which I luckily caught. As you know, mistakes at these restaurants are usually more than just a couple of pennies, so I’m glad I took the time to look.
I’d recommend it for special occasions. It’s definitely a nice experience, but with so many other upscale places on our list to eventually try, it’ll probably be a few years before doing a repeat.

Binkley’s IS the ultimate dining experience! My initial expectations were high since I’ve heard raving reviews from all the people I know that are «foodies». When we got there, you look at the restaurant and think «So, what’s so special?»
You really just don’t know until you experience it yourself — kind of like finding the love of your life and not really able to explain it to the person who has never been in love like that before.
The service is like no other — they weren’t just friendly, but they were outstanding! I came for Restaurant Week and the menu consisted of a long list of things and I couldn’t understand at first if we had to pick or what… Well, guess what? You get every single thing on that menu…
It was like a show — a performance of fine food and I was blown away. The next day, one of the employees called me to thank me for dining.
A standing ovation, Binkley’s!

Our dinner at Binkley’s was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had with my family. We made our reservations for early on a Friday evening that happened to be at the tail end of Restaurant Week. To be honest, we made the reservation without doing any research on the place — just knew it was close to a place where we had a Friday afternoon appointment and that it came highly recommended. We were so happily surprised that it wasn’t just your run-​of-​the-​mill steak and seafood restaurant.
The space itself is unassuming in a strip mall next to a rental car place, but is nicely decorated inside with some art that I assume is local and for sale. I didn’t see all the different dining areas, but there appeared to be at least 3 – 4 different areas along with the bar.
Service and food — where to begin? All excellent. My mom opted for the RW menu while my brother, dad, and I all went with the 5-​course tasting menu with wine pairings. To try to recount everything we tried would be exhausting and would spoil some of the fun, but let’s just say it was all inventive and exciting and made even better by the excellent service by our waiter Angus and the Sommelier who took the time to answer any and all of our questions during the meal.
We thought we knew what we were getting ourselves into with our orders, but ended up being surprised with amuse bouches throughout the meal. Bacon, mini sloppy joes, mango bombs, and many others kept us entertained from start to finish. We all raved about the foie gras, duck breast, mushroom pasta, lobster, carrot cake, and cheese board.
You’re absolutely going to pay a pretty penny to come here but it is worth it in every way. I would come back in a heartbeat and it has turned me on to tasting menus! Plus, they followed it up with a phone call the next day to ask how our experience was. Now, that’s service!

Binkley’s is in the upper echelon of Phoenix fine dining, and I figured my birthday was a good time to splurge on this culinary experience. Unfortunately, I walked away disappointed, and my husband left hungry. That’s unacceptable for a $ 300 meal (not including wine).
There were definitely some highlights like my risotto and his waygu beef which we paid a $ 16 and $ 24 supplement for respectively. My sweet corn risotto was sublime. However, the shaved fresh truffles on top were exciting to see, but ultimately, did not provide much flavor. My husband said his beef was some of the best he’s had, but there were only two bites of it on his plate. I liked what they did with beverages. The digestif siphoned right at the table was surprisingly delicious and refreshing. They also brought out a nice grapefruit soda in tiny soda bottles as a palate cleanser. I also really liked my baked goat cheese topped with peppadews and pistachios that I had in lieu of dessert. The braised carrot and porcini doughnut amouse-​bouches were also memorable.
Lowlights started with the famous sloppy joe’s. The bread was stale, and my vegetarian version was just a speck of spinach with a dollop of goat cheese. The flash frozen grapefruit was bland. My cold appetizer was a salad topped with apples, blue cheese and caramel popcorn. How boring. The wet butter lettuce needed more time in the salad spinner.
What was truly abysmal was my entrée. There aren’t any vegetarian entrees listed on the menu, but that’s not uncommon. Usually the chef can put together something tasty, and I was excited to see what chef Binkley would do for me. What I got was absolutely the LAMEST vegetarian entrée that I’ve ever had. It was barely warm and unseasoned black beans (I hope not out of a can) with roasted baby squash. I could throw together a better vegetarian meal in 20 minutes using just pantry items. This dish was just a spectacular disappointment. It’s not as if I was throwing them a curveball either. I indicated on our reservations that I’m a vegetarian. I wanted to just sit at the table and give the dish the stink eye, but my husband ate it for me because he was still starving.
We left poorer, one of us needing another meal, and one of use pouting about getting the shaft as a vegetarian once again.

Amazingly unique restaurant, my second time here was for my engagement and it was even better than my first visit. I love their service and how even though you’re there for over 3 hours you don’t want to leave when the meal is over.
My date doesn’t usually try new foods, but she completely trusts Kevin Binkley and knows everything he makes is fantastic.
The menu is always changing, but it’s an experience unlike anything else in the state. If you’re going to go I would recommend doing the 5 or 6 course tasting menu so you can see just how talented Binkley is. The price is definitely high, but if you’re willing to go to this restaurant, you should absolutely experience it the way he intends you to.

The whole reason for our current road trip was to experience this restaurant once more. I had the good fortune to sample here 7 years ago and have been banging on about it to my wife ever since. The risotto is still something that the participants talk of about a near heavenly experience :-)
So yes, we took a road trip of nearly a eight hundred miles to spend a few fab days in a local resort and get to eat here once more.
Was it worth it. Damn yes !
We went for the 5 course sampler which was scattered with specials and pallet cleansers and some gastronomically alchemical delights. I won’t waffle on but I will say this restaurant hasn’t lost any of its sparkle and was just a totally unbelievable experience.
Rock on !

Most disappointing meal I’ve ever had, and I’m not sure which was worse — the food or the service.
We decided this would be a fun place to try for a birthday. We wanted to do the tasting menu and eagerly picked the 5 courses with wine pairings — we also ordered a single hot tea… this was around 6:30PM. At 7:30PM, I inquired about my tea. It was brought out quickly after my request, but I was never given a refill or asked if I wanted one — in the 3 hours we were waiting for food. Moving on…
First course:
Around 7:45 our first course showed up without our wine pairing. After waiting and asking for our wine, it came after we finished our first course. I had ordered the crab panna cotta for this course. It was absolutely disgusting. It was as if someone took wonderful pieces of crab meat and soaked them in sour cream to the point where they were inedible. I figured this just want my thing and the next course would be better so I didn’t say anything, but I was wrong.
Second course:
The next course was the worst of the night. It was a parsnip soup that the server described as cream based, but wasn’t. Now, I love salt, I put it on everything, but this soup was too salty… I couldn’t even eat it. I just left it on the table and it was taken away by someone there who didn’t even inquire to how I liked it. She just took it away — not a word. I again figured that the main courses would be excellent so I didn’t ask to speak to anyone about my meal and I waited.
Third course:
Around 8:30 my first main course arrived — the filet. Wow, it was cold, covered in a sweet sauce and fatty. Again, I didn’t eat my meal and it was taken away — no questions asked. My husband’s first main course was the scallop. Somehow this was worse than the filet. It was as if someone took a single large scallop and minced it up and over cooked it. He didn’t finish his tiny plate. Since nobody came by we didn’t complain again, until our next course came out.
Course four:
I ordered the hen and my husband the elk. The hen came out cold and pink. His elk, rare. We asked for both to be cooked to a medium and to come out warm. They both came back, burnt and somehow due to the long wait, cold.
We then complained about our meal and begged them to please not bring out the last course since we were starving and hadn’t eaten. We were told they would be speaking with the chef, but nobody came back to talk to us until our check arrived. I couldn’t believe that a $ 300 dinner could be so bad. We have had so many good experiences eating in Scottsdale for less that I truly can’t believe this place is still open. I don’t know what I was missing.
If you are looking for a restaurant for a special occasion don’t come here! Want to find a restaurant at to break up with someone or complain about, this is the place!

Dearest Binkley’s,
I didn’t think it was possible to fall head over heals in love with another restaurant as I have with you. My heart races and my stomach is full of butterflies every time I think of you. I have not experienced these kinds of feelings since my trip to the South of France and my subsequent meal at Tatou where I ate quite possibly the worlds best bouillabaisse. I didn’t think love like that was possible again, but alas you proved that to be wrong.
I don’t think there are enough words to describe my delightful evening with you — It was astonishing, mind blowing, inexplicable, stupendous, exquisite, clever. From the out of this world service to my bacon smoked manhattan, which is quite possibly the best drink I have ever had — and really how do you do that? It’s one of the many amazing tricks you have up your sleeve to keep us coming back wanting… wait, no craving more! I can hear the crowds outside the restaurant cheering BINKLEY’S, BINKLEY’S, BINKLEY’S!
From the well thought out and endless courses of the amuse bouche — you definitely did more than give me a little bit of food to amuse my mouth and invigorate my palate! Starting with the worlds smallest (and tastiest!) sloppy joe on the worlds smallest brioche bun — which subsequently made me giggle in delight, to the pineapple with pancetta which was delightful and delicious, and I can’t forget about the mini fried chicken and waffle which was simply heavenly.
My taste buds were lucky enough to indulge in the 6 course tasting menu, each course better than the next! From the ever so beautifully presented Steak Tartare, the perfectly seared crispy Foie Gras, to the out of this world white truffle pumpkin risotto, with the freshly shaved and ever so fragrant Alba white truffle. The black cod was moist and the bacon wrapped Guinea Hen was exquisite. The grand finale aka the black truffle fondue was stellar and the deserts were phenomenal. There was not a point through out my entire meal that I did not enjoy.
So thank you for giving my palate a mind blowing evening, and I can’t wait until next time… I am counting down the hours until I can come back and be in your presence — until then, I am left with the fond memories of the evening we shared together!
Love,
Roxy