The Lodge is located in Old Town Scottsdale, and is modeled after, you guessed it, a ski lodge! It was quite ironic that we had planned on having lunch there, since the high was supposed to be 115 degrees that day! Maybe it was a subconscious attempt on our part to pretend that it wasn't as hot outside; and I will say, once we walked in through the doors, it did feel like we had left Phoenix for a mountain retreat! The inside decor was very much what you would expect from a ski lodge; lots of wood and leather, with cozy booths and chairs that had wheels! A few TVs were scattered here and there, but with the fireplace burning, it made for a very cozy atmosphere.
My friend Kirsch had been telling me that The Lodge has the best Fried Cheese Curds in town, and since she is from Wisconsin, she knows her cheese! On her recommendation, I thought that we needed to try them. My family was a bit skeptical because they had never had a cheese curd before, and didn't really know what they were. I didn't know really how to explain it (and didn't want to bother Kirsch for an explanation) so I just told them that it was cheese, and it was good. Cheese curds come in different flavors, just like cheese, these particular ones were white cheddar and were dipped in a smooth batter and fried, with a side of ranch dressing for dipping. I stabbed one with my fork and dipped it into the ranch, and yes, Kirsch was right, these were amazing! The fresh flavor of the cheddar, the crunchy coating and the cool ranch were the perfect combination. I watched as the rest of the family experienced their first cheese curd, and they too thought that these were tasty. These are not healthy in any way, shape or form; but every once in awhile can't hurt!
I was so excited about trying out the cheese curds that I had a hard time deciding what to order. The menu has quite a few sandwiches, burgers and salads to choose from, but ultimately, I ended up going with the Tuna Melt. I choose the sweet potato fries as my side dish, the other choices were regular fries, potato salad, pasta salad or a garden salad...once again, so many choices! The sandwich came out and looked good with the bread being all toasty, but after just one bite, I was confused. There was no melt business going on in this sandwich! The tuna was cold, the cheese was cold, the only element that was remotely warm was the toasted bread! After the cheese curds I wasn't all that hungry, so I didn't want to make a fuss and send it back, but I had a hard time with the fact that I was served a cold Tuna Melt! The flavor of the tuna was fine, although not as good as Subway's, but they should have called it a Tuna Sandwich on Toast, not a Tuna Melt! The sweet potato fries seemed to have some sort of coating on them, they were just okay, I have had much better versions. In the end, I ended up just eating the tuna out of the middle of the sandwich, it worked, but was a bit disappointing.
My mom is a health food nut, so none of us were surprised when she opted for the Veggie Burger with the garden salad. It seemed to be just your typical veggie burger, but I think the patties were made in house. She ate it and liked it, but said that her favorite one is still at Claim Jumpers. But it was nice that there did seem to be quite a few meatless options on the menu for non-meat eaters. The salad was your basic iceberg mix, nothing fancy, but the lettuce was fresh.
Not only does my dad like to go out to lunch, but he likes his beef (a trait that I take after most of the time)! So I wasn't surprised when he chose the Sliced Beef Sandwich. It was served on a soft roll with a side of au jus and shoestring fries. The beef was cooked perfectly, nice and tender and the au just had a good flavor. Dad thought that this was a really good sandwich, but wasn't as much of a fan of the fries, he prefers his fries to be a bit thicker, but to each his own!
So had read a few months ago about this burger that The Lodge just added to the menu, the Sasquatch, I had mentioned it in conversation to my sister and she immediately decided that she had to try it! Basically, it is your typical meat patty and toppings, but the outrageousness comes into play with the buns. Instead of your typical bun, a grilled cheese sandwich is used on the top and the bottom to hold the burger! Yes, that's right, it goes grilled cheese, burger, grilled cheese! In thinking about what to expect from this burger, it was hard to imagine a person being able to even take a bite of this behemoth. When it arrived at the table, with a large steak knife sticking up through the middle, it was big, but not quite as overwhelming as all of us had expected. I had imagined grilled cheese on Texas toast, but the bread was actually quite thin, making it manageable to eat. Laura cut in half and dove in; and she was immediately grinning from ear to ear. She declared this to be the best burger she had ever had! The meat was well seasoned, and cooked to her liking, but the double grilled cheese sandwiches just took it to a whole new level! She ended up giving Dad a quarter of the burger to eat, and I too got a bite, and we both agreed, that this was a delicious spin on an American classic.
I wouldreturn to The Lodge again, I think it would be a fun place to hang out in the evenings when there is a better crowd. Except for the Tuna Melt debacle, I thought that the food was actually very good for bar food. So if you are in the area, or if you have a Sasquatch sized appetite, check it out!The Lodge
4422 N. 75th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.scottsdalelodge.com
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