Buffalo Chip is a cowboy and biker bar. Â Period. Â Note: It's even an unofficial hangout for a lot of old-time HA guys (Sonny's birthday ride typically ends there).
If that's your scene, you'll love the place!
Friendly local service.
Good grub (BBQ and desserts stand out).
Cheap and strong drinks.
Cigar friendly patio.
Country music.
Biker parking.
If they'd improve their beer list to have more craft stuff, I'd bump it to a 5 star spot... we ALWAYS have a great time whenever we're in!
Not my usual scene, but I had a work event here. The beer is cold, the brisket delicious, and they have live bullriding. Serious. Live bullriding.
The brisket is phenomenal and they have the best fried cheese curds south of Wisconsin.
The patrons are a bit intimidating, but after 2 beers, you won't even care.
Strange experience here as we attempted to eat lunch here on Saturday. The place was pretty empty with about 3 tables of people dining. The bartender came over and took our drink orders pretty quick, which was two diet cokes. After that, nobody showed up for about 10 minutes, which gave me a chance to read some reviews about the ribs I was about to order and they weren't good. Finally, a waitress showed up and she started telling us about the two fights that took place last night and all the events that go on at the Chip. She also mentioned that the brisket wasn't good which was my backup choice and also some weird explanation of why nobody showed up to take our order (miscommunication with 3 tables full?). Anyway, after all that, we said screw it and decided to bail across the lot to Harold's. Extra star for that bald bartender who gave us our cokes for free and a to-go cup. Otherwise, they were $3 a pop. Might be nice place at night if you like to watch live drunken fights (now, I just watch them on youtube).
Review Source:Happy to give a strong recommendation to this place - fun atmosphere, great service, excellent food... and really loved the made-at-the-table s'mores!
I recommend this for anyone who has out of town guests for a little bit of the 'old west' and good fun. Â All you can eat BBQ on Saturday and Sunday during the day.
Look, it is what it is. Â BCSS or Beer Can Chicken as we call it in our house is a Western Throwback where you can go for line dancing, bull riding watching, reasonably priced drinks, and decent food. Â Overall this is a place you'll go once a year with friends from out of town to show them what Cave Creek is all about. Â The nachos are huge and meant for sharing. Â The ribs are "ok" but no where near as good as Bryan's down the road. Â I would recommend the burgers as a safe bet.
Review Source:Read reviews and a sign that said it was the best BBQ. Well it wasn't . I had the ribs and my fiancé had the BBQ pulled pork sandwich . His had barely any sauce and it was very dry and my ribs were full of fat and gristle and NOT FALL OFF THE BONE.  Very disappointed. Will only go back for fish fry on Fridays .
Review Source:My favorite place to go out in Cave Creek, hands down. Not only is this a staple for those of us who live here, but a great place for those visiting to get a taste of Arizona Cowboy nightlife. This is a BBQ joint through and through, with my personal favorite being the Beef Brisket Sandwich. The meat itself is always cooked perfectly and the portions are generous. For a fun dessert, try the smores you get to cook right at your table!
Whether you're going for Bull riding on Friday nights or to listen to Pat James, you're guaranteed to have a fun night.
Cowboy- up; We love the atmosphere and always make this a stop for lunch.. No crowds, no wranglers, no bull...The meat is smoked, the fries are crisp and the pour is mighty fine.. My cowboy and I leave with the mustang, top down( the car.. Not us). The Buffalo Chip satisfies your inner cowboy!
Review Source:The Buffalo Chip is the real deal. Â Nothing says the "WEST" like the town of Cave Creek and this place. Â Friday and Saturday they have live bull riding competitions. Â Fridays are better as they have the pros. Â Wednesdays are for the amateurs and anyone else silly enough to sign the waiver and pay the entrance fee. Â Outside on the new patio they have a pound of meat (your choice of brisket, ribs, chicken, pork), a roll, corn, potatoes, cold slaw. Â It's good. Â Bathrooms are well not great. Â A 7x10' space they've carved into as many stalls as they possibly can. Â Live country western bands play on weekends and the place gets packed. Â Fires in the winter keep the outside cozy.
Review Source:Cave Creek and the Buffalo Chip Saloon are a bit of Wild West in Arizona. On the Wednesday night in March that we arrived the place was surrounded with pickup trucks, jeeps, and real and wanna-be cowboys. There was a long, very slowly moving line waiting at the outside buffet. You choose your meat (they give you a pound of it!) and some sides. And of course there is cold beer. We chose to go inside and grab something. It was busy, but far quicker than the patio buffet, although it was confusing to even find our way to the restaurant. The place is kind of a maze.
Once inside, we ordered beers - very cold! Â That was nice. Fast service. Sat at the bar. Ordered the homemade fried chicken and a burger. Both were good, but the chicken was better. Definitely homemade. Â However, if you're looking for a neat, organized, well appointed atmosphere you won't find it at the chips. It more resembles a cowboy mess hall and its a bit messy, loud, and crazy. But it was packed - and that says something.
After dinner we headed back outside for the Wednesday night entertainment of amateur bull riding...and we're not talking mechanical bulls...these are the real bucking, snorting, and kicking big boys. The bleacher seating around the arena was packed, there were bonfires roaring, and the crowd was wound up and having a great time. This is a highlight of the Chip.
Would we go back? Â Maybe not. Â But we're glad we went once. It was a fun experience. Â If your near Cave Creek, you should do the same.
This place is a must stop on Friday nights  when ever we have guests visiting from out of town. Where else can you see live bull riding, lots of fire pits, live country music, numerous bars outside that eliminates the wait for a drink. Have not tried the food.
Wear your boots and cowboy hat!
DELICIOUS BBQ, and if you're a fan of country and cowboy-themed restaurants with a large outdoor and patio area, you'll like this place. I've never been in the Cave Creek area, and while this place was pretty far from my place, it was totally worth it.
Now granted, we visited this place on a Sunday afternoon. It was dead at this time, but I've heard rumors it gets really packed Friday and Saturdays.
I got the BBQ platter, which was about $15 total (with tip) and the plate was a nice mix of pulled pork, sausage and some sort of beef strips (forget the name) it was big enough for me to save a good majority of it for leftovers the next day.
Also: They have some sort of offer where you can get a pound of food for ~$10 or something ridiculous like starting at 10 a.m, so I'll try that offer next time I'll be back...and I'll definitely be back. I'd give it five stars but it's really far away from me.
This saloon is complete fun. On a recent, hot summer weekend trip my dad actually suggested we head over here to watch the bull riding.
It is out on a main road in a nicely setup tourist/ restaurant row in Cave Creek.
We arrived around 7 pm and the parking was at capacity. We headed straight to the back outdoor area as we could hear we arrived right at show time. There's tons of seating, but it was standing room only. The scene completely exceeded my expectation. Lots of cowboy hats, boots, and smiling people.
The MC was funny, charming, and had a nice clear voice. He got the crowd excited.
The actual bull riders didn't stay on too long, but the whole show was a blast. It was just long enough to stand the heat and the dust, before the intermission came. Â Time for a cold beer to refresh and to go inside to watch some phenomenal dancers, listen to a lively band, and bask in some a/c.
The decor inside enhanced the personality of this establishment. All the servers were super friendly. I felt like a regular. When I'm back in the area, I'll be kickin' some chips at the Buffalo Chip Saloon.
My wife and I went to Buffalo Chip Saloon for a birthday party. Â It was fairly easy to find as I don't go to Cave Creek all that often. Â So here's the run down:
Pros
-Good food. Â You may want to avoid if you are a vegetarian but I mean...really...it says steakhouse in the name.
-Great atmosphere. Â We were out in the back area and they had bull riding and good country music blasting. Â
-Great staff. They were prompt and really nice for as crazy as their system is (More on that in the Cons). I had a fly in my beverage when it came out and she apologized profusely and quickly went and got me a fly free beverage. Â We were outside, it's not like we were inside and there was a fly in my food. Â
Cons
-Payment system. In the day and age of identity theft, I am not a fan of letting my credit/debit card out of sight. Â This place takes your card, until you leave. Â Seriously. Â I'm sorry but that is beyond crazy. Â So far, I've not see any "extra" charges on my card so I guess they are trustworthy.
-Ordering food was not clear. Â It may have been just because we were part of a large group but it was just kind of "we do what now?" Never saw a menu, we just did an outdoor buffet.
Summary
Go check them out if you like good food and country music and don't mind total strangers holding on to your credit cards for indeterminate amounts of time.
Where can you find Fat Albert and tons of hot cowboys wearing spurs on a Wednesday night? Why, Buffalo Chip, that is!
My friends and I came here on a Wednesday evening to watch some good ole fashioned bull riding. Wednesday nights are for practicing and amateurs, yes, dear reader, as long as you sign a waiver and pay a fee of $40, you can ride a live bull and pray you don't break something as you get bucked off! Friday nights are for the professionals with shows starting at 7pm both days.
We got here around 6pm because my friend said they have great BBQ so we decided to try it out. Its $10.88 plus tax for ONE POUND total weight of any of the following:
beef brisket, pulled pork, grilled chicken, baby back ribs, smoked sausage, cowboy beans, grilled veggies, quickdraw coleslaw, and honey butter biscuits.
We tried the beef brisket, pulled pork, beans, veggies (which was really corn), and the biscuits. Oh my yumminess, everything was so tasty, but next time we agreed we would just get the beef brisket due to its superiority over the pork. Buffalo Chip also has $3 domestic drafts (PBR, Bud, Miller, Blue Moon) and $4 import drafts, awesome. My friend got a mixed drink using Absolute and a bottle of water and it cost her $9 for both. Great drink prices!
We didn't spend much time at the inside restaurant/bar because all the excitement was outside, but we did notice a pretty decent size dance floor where we can only imagine the amount of line dancing going on. Also, I notice the menu inside and it looks like they serve TexMex food along with BBQ.
Big Props to all the cowboys and cowgirl (yep, there was one girl toughing it out) giving us a great show and great first experience at Buffalo Chip. I also need to give a shot out to the bulls Fat Albert, Brutus, Black Hole, Domino, and Goliath, I don't know how you are able to buck around with balls that huge...ouch!
Oh, and four random side notes: (1) because you are so far north and away for the bulk of city lights, you can really see the beautiful stars (2) I listened to country on my way back home (3) don't forget to wear your cowboy boots and (4) I can't wait to come back!
Great place for a group of friends to watch the Friday night bull riding....but please note that you have to be 21+ to enter unless you have a parent (even if you're 20 years old)! It doesn't matter whether you plan on drinking or not, but they are STRICT about letter underagers in. Not to mention I was ID'd at the entrance, when I ordered a drink, and again just walking around with a drink in my hand.
Good fun for those that are 21+, just don't invite your underage friends...they'll have to go home!
Oh Lord somehow I have wound up in Cave Creek down at the Buffalo Chip Salon, Â I guess this place during the day is restaurant and I'm sure even at 11 they were cooking some beef cuz I sure was smelling the bbq and thinking damn that smells good, yea wasn't thinking about food till I smelt the bbq! But didn't get any but did have me another whiskey and coke, guess that was my drink for the night
So if you're into cowboys, hunny this is your place! It must be the mecca for the cowboys, they were everywhere, Also there was a live band playing loud and proud, dance floor was small, inside seemed to be a tab bit small to me too and crowded, I don't like when its elbow to elbow of people, I like to people watch, look around till a spot a fly guy and then go talk to him, but here to move around was a big production. Â
Sometimes it's not about the place you are at, but with the company you keep, I did have a good time at the buffalo chip, but it was due to hanging out with my girlfriends on a Friday night! My dd and I bounced after 40 mins, again if you're into loud country music and tons of cowboys, this is your place!
DD & I hit the road to go check out a dive bar in the valley
If you ever find yourself deep in the bowels of lacka-nookie hell, have I got some good news.
The Buffalo Chip.
It's a widely known fact how most chicks dig cowboys....manly bastards they are.
One small problem.
You're not a cowboy, which is why you're knee-deep in the midst of a sex-draught.
Well let's change all that, shall we?
Get down to Saba's western wear in Scottsdale and pick yourself out a cowboy getup, making sure to get a pair of tight fitting Wranglers that'll telegraph your business.
Another problem.
You're running a small business and not a major corporation. That's ok.
That's what the good lord made gym socks for. Roll one up, and stuff it inside your boxers.
Hmmm.
That's not going to get anyone's attention. Better roll the other one up too.
Ok, now you're ready.
Climb into that Range Rover and head down to the Buffalo Chip.
Start with one of their $3.75, 16 oz drafts.
Follow it up with 12 more jes like it.
Now it's time to eat.
Order the bbq meal. A full pound of tasty meat with all the fixins for 11 bucks.
Showtime.
Sit at one of the tables next to the fire pit where everyone can see you.
Next, begin wolfing your food as though you've been on a cattle drive for the last month and haven't eaten anything but jerky and corn nuts.
Don't come up for air.
Be angry. Get mad at that bbq...wolf it down man.
Quick, sop up those beans with your bread, making sure to slop it all over your mug.
Now wash it down with some hot coffee you threw an ice cube in when no-one was looking.
Drink the entire cup in one gulp. This will impress any onlookers.
Now, lick your lips, wipe your face with your sleeve, and make some loud noise like ahhhhhh.
Then, start looking around to see if any of the beautiful women in this place are watching your shit-show, hoping at least one of them is about to slide off her seat. Â
Time to rope a filly, bud.
Uh-oh.
Burrrrpp. Â
I forgot.
You don't drink twelve beers at a time do you?
Quick, run for the bathroom to throw up before anyone sees you.
Shit. You forgot the socks. Hoist up the socks man.
Too late.
One just slid down your pant leg and into the well-lit dance floor for all to see.
Now the other too.
Don't look back man, git to the crapper...fast.
God you're pathetic.
But I will give you props for at least trying.
Now wipe that puke and beans off your mug, and head back to the Rover...it's high time you skidaddled outa this place.
You don't belong here.
You never did.
The cowboy life jes ain't for you.
Jes mosey along now.
Go on...GIT!
Buffalo Chip is like another world! Â We love living in downtown Phoenix, but this place is a great getaway for the night. Â If feels like another world. Â The dance floor is always packed and drinks flow freely. Â The food is ok, but nothing great. Â
The live bull riding on Friday nights pack this place out, but its also worth it...
Super fun.
Great place to go with a group of friends. Â Just make sure you whip out your wranglers and boots before hitting it up.
I've been here dozens of times over the years but for some reason, I've never Yelped it. Â Well, since I'm doing the better late than never thing this weekend, I'll do it now.
Popped in here for the annual Red & White Birthday Bash for Sonny B. (still running strong at 73).
Great atmosphere, with a kick ass back patio area. Â Grabbed my usual spot and ordered up their oh so refreshing Hefeweizen, in a tall frosty mug. Â I also chowed on their burger with fries which also hit the spot.
Caught up with old friends, made some new friends, took a few pics and then Mel and I hit the road for some impromptu green light fun down Scottsdale Road. Â
Reminded me of the good old days.
One of the awesomest places I've been to yet in Arizona. This is a must for people visiting or newcomers, or it even would be a great place to do a company outing. The food is just okay, but everything else is awesome. Big mugs of beer are only $4 and there is bull riding and cowboy music. The place is totally themed out but I didn't think it was cheesy (or I really liked the cheese).
I wouldn't recommend coming here just for food. For vegetarians there is an all you can eat salad buffet. For meat eaters, there is an endless supply of food you can eat. The biscuits were way too heavy and hard and the cowboy beans are probably an after thought. Their chips and salsa are surprisingly good, and though we didn't order it because we were deep into beer there is a tableside s'mores where you get to roast your own s'mores over an small open flame.
Wear whatever cowboy gear you may have and just come for a good time!
Wednesday night and you're looking for some fun? Â Check out the live bull riding and cowboy buffet with live music later on indoors & s'mores. Â
Be quick about deciding exactly *which* meats you want though or they will pile up your plate with ALL OF THEM!!! Â (I had meals for a couple of days...) Â
You sit on wooden bleachers to watch the bull riding from a few feet away from the ring. Â Wow! Â Haven't ever been that close to bull riding before! Â Kind of makes me want to do the running of the bulls in Cave Creek in mid-October.
Had so much fun here, I really did! Â I wasn't sure what to think before I went but had such fun I will definitely go back!
Tip: Â Don't wear white pants and you'd probably better leave your stilettos at home. Â It is pretty darned casual here.
Stopped by for lunch, ordered the burger. The outside was burnt to the point of being crispy, yet the inside was raw. Showed the waitress and she looked at me like I didn't know spit about burgers, but begrudgingly agreed to bring both of us new fair. Even the cook, sweaty guy with a bandana and chefs apron, gave us the evil eye. Neither of us would eat the latest incantation for fear of what surprises we may find.
Second try, we stopped for the all-you-can-eat fish fry on Fridays. Better than the burger-tar-tar, but honestly nothing memorable. Sometimes our next round of fish would come out crispy on the outside, enter on the inside. Sometime it would come out way overcooked and tasting burnt.
LIVE BULL RIDING FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday nights are armature nights (though you could have fooled me)
The hubs and I headed up as our friends son is apprenticing to be a rodeo clown (Who knew that was possible)
We had a total blast! Those bulls are feisty!
We didn't make it inside, but could hear the live band jamming out. We did hit up the BBQ buffet, pretty dang tasty. For $10 you get a POUND of meat, 2 sides and a biscuit. The hubs and I split a plate and they let you get several different kinds of meat, whatever adds up to a pound.
We will be going back up here again real soon.
Go on Wedesdays or Fridays! Â Its quite a hike up to Cave Creek but its worth it :) Â Real bull riding and its PACKED full of people. Everyone in Cave Creek and their grandma is at Buffalo Chips. Â The place itself is huge with a dance floor, restaurant area, multiple bars, arm wrestling station (hilarious), outdoor eating areas, outdoor bars, rodeo area.... and its right around a bunch of other bars within walking distance (some are very 'biker' bar'ish' so beware but try Harold's Corral next door) Â
The rodeo is AWESOME and they apparently have amateur night which is somewhat shocking to me... but maybe they put you on a little pony or in a full suite of armor ;) Â Â
Great western crowd... more cowboy hat and boot wearing folk than I've ever seen in one place! Â
In my book you are a winner if you even attempt the arm wrestling machine.... that thing is freakishly strong and makes you feel like a wimp.
Live country music is fantastic and everyone is out there dancing and swinging around! SO MUCH FUN! Dancing really is the best part of 'nightlife' in my book and I totally loved the country western dancing at Buffalo Chips. Â
WARNING: Â DO NOT PARK ON THE STREET EVEN IF EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT. Â Those Cave Creek patrollers are nasty and I got a whopping $200+ parking ticket as did the other 12+ cars on the street. Â You've been warned yelpers!
*This is why I have to give four stars... the cruel and unusual parking ticket left a sour taste in my mouth*
Quite the cultural experience for city folk like me.
My friend who lives in the area brought me here straight from the airport and thank god they serve food because I was starving. It's about $12 for a biscuit, greens, beans and a pound of meat. A POUND. Could probably have shared with a few people. I would recommend not sitting too close to the arena, the bulls kick up dirt. Cheap, strong drinks.
Ok, honestly this is not going to be everyone's bag. But I LOVE going to Buffalo Chip. Throw on my cowboy boots, have a chance to wear denim on denim (oh hell yes I did!) & just let my wild hair down.
PBR out of a mason jar. Professional bull riding on Fridays & amateurs on Wednesdays (my guy friends' favorite new activity). Two-stepping to live bands. Fire pits out back. Cheap, delicious BBQ that looks as unhealthy as it is for you...but that makes it so much more yummy.
There is no pretension here. Everyone is just hanging out, having a good time. Talk to strangers. Everyone just seems genuinely nice. The walls are covered with cool shit & it definitely feels like I think AZ felt like back in the day. Â Take a trip...Cave Creek is so much fun, & the Buffalo Chip is one of my favorites.
Holy bull riding batman! Here are some updates since my last review.
Be sure to visit Buffalo Chip Saloon on Friday nights. The professional live bull riding makes it worth the drive, trust me.
Since my last visit, they've built an entirely new edition to the Saloon where they serve the famous BBQ buffet. It's very nice and makes for a good place to sit and eat!
I just love it here. This place is definitely what you would think AZ looks like if you lived elsewhere and had never been to Arizona, but sometimes even the locals need a little tourist social night in their life!
The hubs & I recently relocated to Cave Creek (yee haw!) and are lovin' life. This place is the perfect example of why.
A couple of weeks ago my British husband said to me, "I'm gonna have to check the bull riding schedule."
Pardon?
"Put on your cowboy boots."
Well you don't have to tell me twice.
Off we went on a Wednesday night to watch live bull riding and enjoy some cold drinks on the bleachers outside. They have pro and semi-pro riders, but anyone with some balls and the willingness to sign a (very thick) waiver is welcome to give it a whirl. I passed, and advised the hubs that he doesn't have enough life insurance to even begin to consider such an activity. But we sure enjoyed watching everybody else - especially the girl that stayed on longer than her boyfriend - and will absolutely, positively be back for more!
We didn't eat, but the drinks were cold, reasonably priced and delivered quickly by a cordial bartender. Love that it's just a couple of minutes away!
My aunt and uncle love this place because the beers are huge and their dog's invited. What more could you want? One time they were there and two folks had ridden their horses right into the bar. This is their kind of place!
We sat outside on a perfect afternoon and heard stories of other Buffalo Chip visits. Nothing too crazy and never any bullriding witnessed. They said they'd never seen a fight either but this is the kind of place that just screams Roadhouse fight.
Their dog made a best friend there once but he's long gone. I could make best friends here with a tall beer and a pail of peanuts.
Had never heard of this place until last week. Â A friend of mine was bull riding on Friday night, so I decided to check this place out. Â It only took me 30 minutes to get there... Â but, this place felt like world's away!!! Â
Country-type of atmosphere. Â Cowboy hats and boots were abundant! Â And the place is really big. Â You can do a $10 food buffet outside or go into the back, sit down, eat, drink, and listen to some tunes. Â And if you're brave, you can even get up and dance!
Also, every Friday night is bull riding. Â This was, by far, my favorite part of the evening. Â There were 3 rounds. Â My friend rode on the 1st bull in the 1st round. Â They randomly select which person will ride which bull. Â Some people can't stay on, but others stayed on for the full 8 seconds. Â It was really neat to watch! Â
I would highly recommend this place. Â Especially if you need to get away from the hustle, bustle, and craziness of the city.
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