Sawmill Run Restaurant

Mount Lemmon, United States

3.7

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 520-576-9147
Website:
www.sawmillrun.com
Address:
12976 N Sabino Canyon Pkwy, Mount Lemmon, AZ, 85619
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.8 miStop 9
1.2 miStop 8
1.4 miStop 7
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Lunch
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Mount Lemmon) 00:17 Thursday, 12 June 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Specializes in American Food with a sensitivity towards smoking meats, fish, and vegetables

Top sellers include:

–Ribs

–Smoked pork

–Brisket sandwich

–Hamburger

–Smoked chicken wings

–Pulled pork sandwich

We strive to be a casual environment with good food and a full bar that can be enjoyed inside or out on the patio.

History

Established in 2012.

We stand where historically the old Pie Shop stood (and yes, we have wonderful homemade pies). The Sawmill Run Restaurant has been the dream of Bob Zimmerman and Jim Campbell (with Fran and Kathy pushing all the way). The simple mission being the rebuilding of the Village Center where once stood the Pie Shop, the Mt Lemmon Café, the Mt Lemmon Inn and the Ponderosa Lodge. The restaurant had to be first with a dual purpose to provide food and beverage to our mountain visitors and to provide a gathering spot for the community, our own safe haven.



To help bring it all together Bob and Jim partnered with Gabe Greenberg, who has a history of opening and operating successful restaurants throughout the United States. Gabe has a strong desire to provide a special place on the mountain. Special food, special atmosphere and special friends. Bob, Fran, Jim, Kathy and Gabe all hope to see you soon and desire for you to enjoy this special place on the mountain.

Meet the Manager

Gabriel G.

Manager

Gabriel cooked at multiple restaurants here in Tucson when in high School at St Gregory from 91 – 94. During his time in Atlanta, Gabriel ran the gambit of restaurant jobs over 15 years including working with the president of the National Restaurant Association on an upstart concept called Marlow’s Tavern. He was also an owner operator for The Nook on Piedmont Park. Before coming back to Tucson for The Sawmill Run Restaurant, Gabriel was the Food and Beverage Manager for The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Pittsburgh, PA. Gabriel’s current goals is to give Mt Lemmon and Tucson another great option for food and drinks when visiting this most unique Southern Arizona destination.

Sawmill Run Restaurant also recommends

Mt Lemmon General Store and Gift Shop

14

reviews

Gift Shops

Gabriel G. says,

«Please help support the rebuilding of Summerhaven.»

Mt Lemmon Cookie Cabin

75

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Pizza

,

Bakeries

Gabriel G. says,

«Please help support the rebuilding of Summerhaven.»

Living Rainbow Gift Shop

10

reviews

Flowers & Gifts

Gabriel G. says,

«Please help support the rebuilding of Summerhaven.»

Nearby

Near this location:
1
ft
US Post Office
12984 N Sabino Canyon Pkwy
3.3
mi
Rose Canyon Lake
Catalina Hwy
3.4
mi
Sunrise Lending
5347 N Ridge Spring Pl
3.4
mi
Evans John A & Associates
5450 N Sabino Highlands Pl
3.5
mi
Bunny Shooz
5409 N Sabino Highlands Pl
3.6
mi
The Beauty of Life Christian Ministries
5246 N Spring Point Pl

20 reviews of Sawmill Run Restaurant

No registration required
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
Because there are so few places to eat on Mt Lemmon (3 to be exact). We came here twice in one day (a snack in the afternoon and again for dinner)
For our snack we had the homemade potato chips with BBQ pork, and the Hummus with warm pita and celery/​carrots. I would sure have liked to try the Pretzels and cheese sauce, but I could only pick one of the two and I picked the chips.
I also got their version of a Moscow Mule. It was good, but not too strong.
Both appetizers were solid, I preferred the chips, a decadent mix of crispy homemade chips and salty/​crispy and chewy pork atop. It was a little greasy, but a fine split for 4 peeps.
The hummus was thick and good, but frankly I make a better hummus at home in my blender.
— — — — — — –
For dinner we came back later in the day. The special of the night was pot roast, my sister and bro-​in-​law both had that.
I ordered the meatloaf, I asked for a side of creamed corn (they say they no longer have it on the menu that no one ordered it) The menu also described «crispy onions» on top of my meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but I say no crispy onions (sigh). I ordered the soup of the day (Pozole) instead of the creamed corn. It was huge and a nice classic take on meatloaf. it hit the spot after a few glasses of wine on a cold day.
My man had the ¼ rack of ribs (Prickly pear BBQ sauce I believe) with sweet potato tater tots and the beans.
Plenty of food and the staff was very sweet. It was a Saturday night and my in-​laws pointed out the owner & his wife who apparently eats their with locals every Saturday (he makes everyone pay their own way)
2nd best restaurant on Mt. Lemmon.
Place rating: 5
Kingston, WA
What a surprise! Travel all the way up to the top of Mt. Lemmon only to find such a nice restaurant.
I ordered the half smoked chicken with two sides (mashed potatoes with gravy; side salad), and my wife ordered a chicken sandwich with sweet potato tater tots. Everything was great. My order also came with two pieces of toasted french bread with pesto butter, which I was not expecting. My side salad was like I would make at home, with red onion, cucumber, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, croutons, lettuce and probably something else — it was large, fresh and good. Same for the mashed potatoes with gravy. The potatoes still had the peels mixed in, and the gravy looked and tasted like the real deal. My wife’s sandwich was also very good — lots of veggies, and an interesting bread to «sandwich» everything in.
We ate outdoors, and were entertained with birds, squirrels and chipmunks that also came down the hill for their food. Every so often, someone from inside would come out and place a little something on the top of the wall for the critters to eat. The terrace probably could’ve used some umbrellas for shade (the sun was pretty glaring), but if they did that, you wouldn’t be able to see the surrounding town that goes up in all directions. Also, nice modern and clean bathrooms.
This is almost worth the drive up to Mt. Lemmon by itself, but the drive is also beautiful with several turnouts to let traffic by or to take pictures.
Place rating: 4
Hegins, PA
Visited this past weekend and had quite an experience. Always a pleasure to see businesses recognize other businesses on draft, Dragoon IPA. In addition, the smoked chicken had a delicious smoky/​sweet flavor. To finish it off, the strawberry rhubarb was exceptional. Definitely will revisit.
Place rating: 5
Marina del Rey, CA
The salmon BLT was excellent. Also the angus burger was heavenly. Coffee and pie was perfect. Service with a smile.
Place rating: 4
Tucson, AZ
I’ve been here 4 or 5 times now and each time I’ve had good food. Today was no exception.
In the past I’ve had the Cuban, the Ruben, and the smoked sausage. Both sandwiches were good and the sausage was good but a little dry. Today I had the tri-​tip dip with the baked beans and both were really good. Today my wife had the spinach salad and I keep hearing about how good the dressing was.
The service is a little laid back, but I am here to relax so that is fine with me.
Place rating: 2
Tucson, AZ
Go to the Iron Door when in Summerhaven on Mt Lemmon! This place is consistently disappointing. Brats on Oktoberfest menu were likely Johnsonville. If you want salty, fatty, fried food like you can get at your local greasy spoon, you’ll probably like this place.
Service is terrible, inattentive and slow. Not a fan.
Place rating: 1
Tucson, AZ
Honestly if we had a different server the experience may have been better. But she would get distracted wanting to talk to other customers and take forever to bring us what we had asked for. We felt very ignored it took over ten minutes from when she asked what we’d like to drink to when we got it. I understand checking tables as you go but we watched her stand at the bar and just talk.
I also have a 19 month old was never asked if I needed a booster or a high chair. Instead I got you from my both walked across the room and got it myself.
Its got a very small menu and is kinda expensive for casual food with Crappy service.
Food quality was average.
Place rating: 3
Tucson, AZ
Came up on a Thursday Afternoon, just hanging out on the mountain and decided to stop in and grab a beer! We sat outside at the bar and the views were spectacular. The service on a slow Thursday Afternoon was «ok». I’m guessing they aren’t known for awesome service. The draft beer was ice cold, and we met another couple just hanging out there and had a great conversation. Didnt try their food but for an ice cold draft and friendly customers, a fun place to swing by and chill.
Place rating: 5
Tucson, AZ
Amazing seasoned fries and pulled pork sandwich that will make you beg for more. Seriously awesome bun for the bacon cheeseburger, however the cheeseburger was pretty good. Not totally awesome. Sabrina was extremely attentive and friendly. Would recommend this place to anyone making a lunch trip up mount Lemmon.
Place rating: 5
Tucson, AZ
My friend Kathy and I drove up to Mt Lemon for some hiking and to get away from the July Tucson heat. We were both hungry after a morning of hiking and headed over to the Sawmill Run Restaurant where we were seated outside. You could smell the wonderful smells of sausages being smoked next to the patio. We both ordered the pulled pork sandwich with the best fries I’ve ever had. After that delicious meal we couldn’t not have the homemade Strawberry Rhubarb pie with 2 scoops of ice cream. Wow! Just great. Service was terrific, there’s ample parking in front of the restaurant and best of all, it was 70 degrees outside while Tucson had 102. For a nice day trip, consdier Mt Lemon for hiking and the Sawmill Run Restaurant for lunch. Breakfasts are served on weekends.
Place rating: 4
Pasadena, CA
My family and I decided to drive up to Mt. Lemmon in hopes to escape the Tucson heat the other day. We didn’t know what to expect when arriving to this restaurant, but were pleasantly surprised with both the food and service!
My husband got the burger (which he loved), my daughter got a grilled cheese with sweet potato tots, and I got the tri tip beef dip. Best. Beef. Dip. Ever!!! I’m not even kidding, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that beef dip. It was so delicious! I told my husband it’ll be worth it to make the 1.5 hour drive up there once a month just for that sandwich. The sweet potato tots were yummy and the fries were amazing!
All of the staff were really nice and attentive. The only reason I wouldn’t give five stars is because the prices were higher than what they should have been.
Overall, this is a great restaurant to eat at when visiting Mt. Lemmon!
Place rating: 4
Tucson, AZ
My first time here and what a great experience! Four of us came for lunch after a hike. Very friendly service and pretty fast service. We all loved the patio! The Humas and sweet potato tots are excellent! The Caesar salad was just okay, hard to eat because it came in a big stock. The burger was also excellent. The pie was okay. I will definitely be back! I recommend this place!
Place rating: 3
Sahuarita, AZ
We drove up from Tucson to eat here and enjoy the cool weather yesterday for our Anniversary. We found out that they are no longer dog friendly. We camp on Mt Lemmon frequently and usually eat here and tie out dogs up outside of the fence in the shade and on their blankets. I understand if you do not want to them on the patio. When u r camping you have no choice but to bring them with you. Looks like we will be spending our $ eating fresh pizza a nice walk down the street.
Place rating: 5
Vail, AZ
Unexpected awesomeness! We Had the tri tip sandwich, fish plate, chili, bacon burger and all was great!
Place rating: 5
Maple Park, IL
Excellent fresh food. Mouthwatering Cubans and ruebens. Kind fast service with a smile. Stop in view is to die for up on Lemon mountains.
Place rating: 5
Tucson, AZ
Came up to Mt. Lemmon for a relaxing little family vacation. Had never been to this place before but, let me tell ya… this is exactly what the mountain needed.
Friendly service, cozy atmosphere and amazing food. I chose the BBQ chicken mac ‘n cheese sandwich with fries. All I can say is… OMG. Every bite was heaven. Prices are a little high but the portions are enough for two meals. We will definitely be back.
Anyone who gives this place a bad rating has their panties in a wad.
Place rating: 2
San Francisco, CA
Woke up the other morning and decided to do a desert ride up Mount Lemmon, one of my favorite destinations for Sonoran scenery, albeit fucking crowded on weekends.
Being a Tuesday, I figured it wouldn’t be too bad, except for the slow moving snow birds which are easily passed in the twisting roads when you’re on 2 wheels.
Temps down below hovered around 75 degrees. At 8000 feet, temps were around 55, sunny with blue skies and views as far as you could see.
Nice!!!
I decided to pop in for a bite and a beer. Outdoor seating was great, as was the service. Sadly, the food had little to be desired.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, which was so fucking greasy, I had to forego the bottom buns, as they were soaked like a sponge with loads of grease that congealed all over my plate due to the chilly ambient temperature. At least my beer stayed cold while I drank it. On the flip side, the sweet potater tots were delicious, so all was not lost.
I would definitely come back here, if just to order another cold beer and a small bowl of those yummy tots.
Good times in the Sonoran desert.
Place rating: 1
Tucson, AZ
This place is really bad.
First of all this place is not very pet friendly… Dog had to be tied outside of the fence on the patio. but thats not even why this place deserves less than a one star review… the artichoke dip was sad. small portions of carrots/​celery 3 pieces each, and the dip was pretty terrible. The worst offender was my pulled pork entrée. that came with the soup of the day. The soup (bacon+potato) was OK (very very salty) but manageable,
but I am almost POSTIVE. that (CHEF MIKE aka MICROWAVE) cooked my pulled pork… HALF of my pulled pork was COLD and the other quarter was WARM, and the other quarter was VERY VERY HOT. Disgusting. I was honestly pretty mad but I didn’t care to ask for a new plate. because I knew that they would just warm it up again and serve it back to me. so whatever. Oh and the microwaved pulled pork was very salty and some pieces (I would say 5 – 6 were extremely dry), but not that even matters because it was all microwaved to begin with.
(end rant)
Place rating: 2
Sahuarita, AZ
The husband and I have gone a few times for lunch and it is decent enough food. Sad there is no gluten free options unless you just get a salad or sandwich with no bread.
The menu is very limited with just 3 salads and a handful of sandwiches. Today I got the pulled pork with no bread. It was pretty good, got the sweet potato tots on the side which were okay.
The one downside to this place is the owner not honoring the 20% off coupon that he has posted to his own Unilocal review. After we told the server about our checkin coupon, the owner came out to tell us that Unilocal put that up without his permission. He said he has a military discount but nothing to help us or say sorry for our «fake» coupon. He should have at leave given us 10% off for the disappointment.
Very discouraged with our service. Not sure if we will return.
Place rating: 4
Tucson, AZ
After motorcycle ride with friends to the top of the mountain, some tasty food and cold drinks are the essential. We know most of the time restaurants option can limited when comes to «touristy location». Yes top of the Mt Lemmon doesn’t have that much of the options but need not worry, Sawmill have you cover.
Don’t need to go through things we ordered or how they taste. Everything we order was decent enough we all liked it, even down to the apple pie.
Since I can’t take the leftover with me. so I ate it all… Is that bad?
Side note: I had just read some of the one star reviews after I posted my. I understand sometime one inattentive waitstaff or a bad dish can ruin the entire experience. but you can tell the owner was on top of it and things had improved.