Rockin’r Ranch

I’ve been to Rockin’r a few times through the years mostly when I have out of town visitors. I love this place. I love the people, the place, the show and especially the food… their coffee is the only coffee I love to drink black! It’s a simple fun evening.
When the doors open, there is a perfect amount of time to enjoy the petting zoo, sweet shop, a beer and all the other fun little things going on there.
People wining about the prayer are probably wining about everything around them… they are what’s wrong with this country! so put a sock in it! I absolutely love that there are still values somewhere. I really missed not hearing the song about the Old Flag but I’m thinking it’s because of the Christmas songs… LOL yes I said «Christmas»
Rockin’r, keep doing what you do!

Great entertainment, great food. The staff was very professional and kind. My daughter loved the pony ride and the petting zoo. I highly recommend buying a root beer and standing on the saloon balcony and watching everyone walk around the street. Really feels like a Wild West experience.

We almost didn’t go because of some of the Unilocal reviews, but we had a terrific time here with our kids. We were there from 5 to 10, and we were all talking about the good food and the fun we had all the way home. I’d definitely recommend it.

Instead of buying tickets online, I made an effort to go to the location weeks in advance and purchased specific seats in the front row. I would have our hearing impaired daughter with us that night and I wanted her to be able to read the lips of the performers.
The night of the performance, we went early sat in our seats and after 20 minutes we were then was asked to move by another customer who had purchased tickets for the same seats. ‘Sweet’ Mary the owner, (and I say that lightly) had absolutely no concern that I came in person early and purchased the tickets for those seats, that our deaf daughter lip reads, or that we were already seated. She escorted my party of 6 to another table further from the stage. As it came to be, there was another group of people who were sold those same seats. The same section of seats sold to three separate groups of people… Very very poor management. Extremely poor customer service. I paid nearly $ 200.00 for fair food, and to be treated as if i had stolen the tickets I had purchased.
Honestly, it wasn’t the situation that was hard to swallow, it was that my honest complaint fell on the deaf ears of ‘Sweet’ Mary who did not bat an eye at taking away what had been honestly paid for and couldn’t have cared any less that our hearing impaired daughter was moved away form the stage.
Take your money someplace where it is appreciated.

Great place for the family to go and a great place to take out of town visitors for a taste of Arizona!
Dinner with live entertainment for only $ 36.
It’s good for grandparents, parents, and kids.
I wish the show was longer.
I will return soon!

We are from Chicago and came to Arizona for a visit. We took the whole family to the ranch. We were beyond disappointed with our visit. We got there at 6pm. All but 2 hot biscuits were gone. Everything was closed up. There were no signs saying if we were allowed to go inside the corral with the baby goats to pet them. We couldn’t find the pony. Our 3 and 6 year old complained about the music being too loud and screechy. So we went for ice cream, which was closed. Overall, a VERY bad experience. I called to see if we could be given any sort of compensation since we paid over $ 30 a person and all the lady argued was that what they promised was there. Would have been nice to have some guidance for the out of state guests to know what to do. Horrible customer service.

I thought this place was adorable! I definitely think they need daytime hours on weekends, so children of all ages can enjoy this gem. I am not a fan of Western Music, but the concert is very cute. The food was wholesome and flavorful! I enjoyed my time here!

Fun for little kids… cute and cheesy. But If you don’t have kids or not going with people that have kids you may not want to stop in. we came in from out of town to visit friends whom have children. I believe the kids had a good time. Food was actually pretty good. Follow directions on how to hold the plate… its not a joke.

Honestly, I feel like many of the reviewers are a bunch of haters. The singrs can’t sing? I felt that they did a miraculous job, especially for a crowd that was as enthusiastic as a bowl of dead frogs. All of them in my opinion were great singers. I actually found myself envying them — they get to play their instruments, sing, and crack jokes and make people laugh every weekend… and during the week they put in hard work out on the ranch. To me, they live life while the rest of us go to work and then spend a lot of our time killing our couch springs by watching Jersey Shore garbage (I don’t watch TV, thanks). Were they some sort of 5-​star band that should go on tour? No. But they were genuine — they had fun, and they were lively. And truth be told, I’m not even into the song and dance type shows.
The food was pretty tasty, but not something I couldn’t whip up myself. Pretty basic, but I was full with what I got. I think everyone was in the same boat. No hungry people at my show. For the price I think I got a deal (food plus show). If the food was more of something to write home about, I’d bump the review up to 5 stars.
As for the religious tone that others mentioned yes there was a prayer before serving the food. Now, I’ve been ALL over the board on religion — so much that I don’t even know where I stand today. There might have been a time where I was offended at a prayer… but I found it to be low key, short, and tasteful. To me it actually added to the genuine demeanor of these people. They prayed and so they shared that part of their life and belief with you. You weren’t forced to bow your head, pray, or say Amen before getting your food. They didn’t ask God for you to repent — they just thanked God for having nice people to eat with. Religious or not, what can you find wrong with someone thanking you for being there and spending part of your life with them as a friend? I was honored.
The only thing I can truly knock the place for is that the bartender gal was slow as molasses and hard of hearing. We asked for XYZ and she totally forgot half the order and moved on despite that we were still standing there. It took her a long time to realize that we were standing there because she never finished our order out. I suppose we could have hollered at her but I’m just too mild mannered and laid back to say something.
Last but not least, the gun show at teh end was pretty cool. Maybe not for the young kids as the guns are loud… but I liked the show because it was funny… and I like guns. :)

food is a ok =)
entertainment is good
ambience is cool

I have lived in the East Valley for 24 years and had never been here. I remember driving by it on Baseline Road as a teenager (before the 60 extended past Power Road), and thinking what an odd place to have this venue in the middle of the farming fields. Now, I think what an odd place in the middle of suburbia. It is a bit touristy, so I probably wouldn’t go back and I probably wouldn’t take family visiting from out of state either.
We visited on a Friday night. There was a decent crowd, but not overly congested. Majority of the visitors were elderly, (I’m guessing snow birds or from the surrounding area retirement communities). The other minority seemed to be families on spring break. I probably wouldn’t recommend going here if you are a young couple without children.
The entrance opens at 5:30pm, which is plenty of time to mill around the small «western town.» My son wanted to spend the entire hour panning for gold. There was no charge for this, and seemed to be a favorite of all the children attending, as the trough was full of excited children playing in the murky water full of rocks and small pieces of pyrite.
Before the show, they had sarsaparilla, water, and beer available to purchase. The gift shop and sweet shop was open, but that is about all there is to see before dinner. Approximately, 10 minutes before dinner the man selling the beverages, which I believe his name was Cookie, came over and told a little story, and invited us inside for dinner.
Seating is all pre-​arranged; it was easy to find your table and seat number. Next, Big Jim, an owner, comes out and introduces himself and gives a little history about how his family came to be in Arizona and information about their working ranch. Afterwards, it was time to get your dinner. However, Big Jim leads everyone in a «blessing of the food» beforehand. I will say, it was a little weird sitting in a room full of strangers, blessing (praying) our food. I am not an overly religious person. I have many friends from diverse backgrounds (Jewish, Buddhist, Latter Day Saint, Christian, Seventh Day Adventist, Catholic), and I respect all religions and religious beliefs, but I was a little uncomfortable obliging this ritual at a public setting. That’s all I have to say about that.
Dinner was very orderly and organized. You are called up by row and it is «buffet style». There was plenty of food on my plate, so much so that I couldn’t get to the food underneath all the meat. Finally, I had to go get an extra plate just to clear off the top layer of food on my heaping plate. The chicken was flavorful; however there was very little meat the bone. The beef was ok; my husband thought it was the better of the two. They also served applesauce, beans, biscuits, and spice cake. Everything tasted fine and I ate a little bit of everything. However, I wouldn’t visit just for the food. The lemonade tasted like country time mix, but they were generous on the pitcher refills for every table. Which was a relief when you are sharing a pitcher per table with a bunch of strangers. After dinner you cleaned up by taking your plates to the back and the show started.
The show was cute, a little long for sitting on a wooden picnic table bench, but tolerable. They sang a few songs that I recognized, paid a special tribute to the veterans in the audience, and sang the Arizona State song. While they are singing there are two large screens showing a video of pictures on the side of the stage. I’m not entirely sure how long the show was, but my husband wanted to duck out. We stayed because my son wanted to see the gunfight after the show. The gunfight was a little «cheesy» and in my opinion not worth staying for. My son thought it was the best part of the night. Of course, it was way past his bedtime, he was exhausted and could hardly keep his eyes open.
Overall, it was a different family night out. I won’t be visiting again. If I had to choose a place to take out of town guests, I would drive down to Old Tucson Studios or Tombstone. If driving to Tucson wasn’t an option, this would be an ok alternative.

DO NOT hold any private events here. Rockin R Ranch apparently ignores noise ordinances, but is surrounded by residential areas. Loud music and other party noises means the police might show up to your event. Awful! Please stay away and spend your money somewhere else!

It was interesting. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I was taken here by my family and didn’t do any research on it. That might be the best way to experience something like this. When I got there I was a bit worried. This is a mormon run establishment and I wasn’t sure they had a bar that served alcohol which concerned me a bit because to watch a show like this I need some encouragement from a few beers. We did find the bar upstairs in the Saloon and we had some libations while listening to a girl singing and playing guitar. She wasn’t bad, sounded pretty good. All of the sudden everyone cleared out around 6:30 (heading to the main hall to eat). Luckily we waited about 20 minutes then headed on over (be careful not to bring beer out side the saloon they don’t allow drinking anywhere else on the property). Thankfully we entered about 5 minutes before the food was served and didn’t have to sit through 30 minutes of story tellin’ by the main cowboy. The tickets were purchased through deal chicken and it came out to about 20 $ per person and we have VIP front row seating which is always nice. We also were the first into the food line. I noticed some people said they didn’t get an «all you can eat» experience in the previous reviews but I did. I had 3 servings of the chicken which was actually pretty tasty and two potatoes as well as beans, biscuit, cinnamon bread thing and some sort of beef slice (not so good). This place is not really a restaurant so I am not sure what other reviewers were expecting, but for cowboy food served up in a line it was just fine. I would have liked to have something else to drink other than tap water or lemonade but what are ya gonna do? Long story short, the main show started and I realized the people that were serving drinks and food all night were the people in the show and they are all very talented. The music (although it’s not my cup of tea) was very good and it kept everyone entertained throughout the show. There’s something to be said for a family run operation like this where they run the entire place all evening. I was going here expecting to get my enjoyment from the cheesiness of it (like watching a b movie) but was pleasantly surprised that I got my enjoyment from the show and the fact that it was run by a family of hard working locals. I think the 40 $ regular price per head might be a bit steep, but for 20 $ it was a good deal and all in all it was a fun night.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting it to be campy, and it was, but there also was a good amount of production involved in the live music show.
There were several other acts (hoop dancer, magic show, gun fight) going on through the evening that each performer venue directed the crowd to (and kept the night moving), but the real gem here is the main music show.
I’m amazed that this family is still doing their show, and it is incredible. A musician myself, I’m usually leery of such acts, but their band had a magnetic energy (and playful onstage banter), Big Jim and Sweet Mary can still SANG and their fiddler rivals the speed of light! Very tight harmonies, a medley of moving patriotic songs & spirituals, and a healthy amount of crowd interaction.
The band serves you through the dinner line, engaging visitors when the line lulls. It is a humbling realization when you see them up on stage after dinner doing their thing. They ran out of chicken about ²⁄₃ of the way through the line and gave out ice cream vouchers to those people. However, even without the chicken, they fill your plate. I did not leave hungry.
I bought 2 vouchers through BuyWithMe for «2 VIP tickets for a barbecue buffet, ice cream, and high-​energy stage show» for $ 40 (so, $ 20/​person). According to their website that should include «VIP Seating /​Includes Chicken and Beef Combo Meal» and costs $ 36 per person. What actually happened: it was not a buffet, but cafeteria style — one run through, one serving of each. We did not receive ice cream vouchers with our dinner tickets, and did not receive VIP seating, unless if everyone else used the same VIP seating vouchers, and we were just four rows back in the VIP seating (out of five rows total). So, that was disappointing. I don’t think it’s worth the full admission price. I enjoyed it, yes, but, even for the novelty of the show, I’d cap the adult price at $ 20.
Overall, though, it’s a good place to bring the kids. They successfully recreated a completely different era for children (and adults) to lose themselves in, and get some history at the same time. There is a lot of standing for acts other than the dinner/​stage show, so not the best option for older folks or those with back problems. Also, you’ll enjoy it more if you choose a cooler month — only the stage show/​dinner is inside.
My final word? It was worth the voucher price and was a nice alternative to the standard dinner and a movie. If I go again and bring the kids, we’ll pop in just for the dinner/​show and leave afterwards.

This is a WHOLESOME family fun event. And I mean that both in the good way and the bad way. It’s a Mormon family that owns it, and that isn’t a bad thing, but this is obviously not going to be an event with alcohol, cursing, or anything disturbing.
We brought 6 adults and 6 children under the age of 9. Clearly this is a show that kids love, whether the gunfight at the end, the activities before the show, or little things like the ghostrider song with a real rider in sheets outside the theater and then making a brief entrance.
The songs were good and… wholesome. Probably like a show in Branson, MO would be.
Anyway, feed is decent for what it is. But for the love of GOD, stay away from the chicken. It wasn’t edible. In fact, it bordered on undercooked, and looked boiled witth a thin layer of barbeque sauce baked on (not grilled on).
The beef is like thin strips of roast beef, well done, slathered in a mild BBQ sauce. Apple sauce was tasty, beans were just okay, potato was small with a pat of butter. Biscuit, non-​greasy and just perfect, was delicious with the bottle of honey at the table. You drank the equivalent of lemonade crystal light.
The show is about 1.5 hours of singing… quite long. All in all, it’s about a 3.5 hour piece of entertainment.
So who do I recommend it for?
1) Families with young kids, especially ones enthralled with «cowboys.»
2) AZ people bringing in families or guests from out of state that lean towards enjoying wholesome, somewhat «cheesy» fun. Specifically, if they say something like… «let’s do something very southwest… or better… old west.» then you are on the right track… much better than old town Scottsdale.
3) Older people that like theater out of something that felt like it could have been a reenactment of a cowboy themed dinner shoe in the 50’s or 60’s.
If you are a young couple or middle age couple without children, I doubt you will find a lot of fun in it.
And remember, don’t get the chicken!

My Mom bought a coupon from somewhere thinking this was just a BBQ restaurant and when her husband wasn’t interested, her and I went last Fri night. With the $ 25 certificate, it was an additional $ 39. Quite pricey for what you get, at least in my opinion.
This is an old time ranch and from what they told us, they used to (still do?) raise thoroughbred horses here. The grounds are nice, you could see a gazebo and an area with trees that would be nice for a private party. There were several buildings, for $ 5? you could «pan for gold», for a few dollars you could shoot a Colt 45. The young kids around seemed to be enjoying themselves. My Mom and I wandered to the «Parlour» where there 2 guys playing the fiddle, ukulele and singing. While they weren’t great, they were pretty entertaining. I noticed most of the people sitting around were seniors. It wasn’t until the show was almost over that Mary (one of the owners?) came around asking if anyone wanted a drink, I guess there was a bar upstairs. My Mom doesn’t do stairs so we never made it up there.
After awhile they let us in the dining/​show room that was laid out with rows of picnic style tables. The emcee, one of the owners talked about the ranch itself, it’s history and explained how the food line worked. You bring your ticket and they give you a tin plate and you walk thru a small line where they plop food onto your plate. I know they say it’s all you can eat, but I don’t understand if that’s true, why only those who pay extra for a combo plate get both chicken and beef. A scoop of applesauce, a baked potato, a few slices of mediocre beef covered in BBQ sauce, a spoon of beans and a small square of spice cake. At the end of the line you take a plastic cup for the lemonade pitchers on the table. Food was mediocre and certainly not worth the price we paid. As someone else stated in a review, they do say a prayer before the email and I felt rather uncomfortable. After the meal you have to bring your dirty dishes and cups to the conveyor belt in the back of the room; while they try and sell you $ 3 bowls of ice cream. Ice cream should have been included for the price!
It was rather awkward during the meal, no music, no entertainment. You see the performers are in the back scooping the food! Just weird.
We had enough and left right after dinner, didn’t stay for the show. All in all it was rather cheesey and pricey. I could see where this might be fun for kids, but for my Mom and I it was just not really a good time. I won’t be returning, that’s for sure!

Our administrative staff booked the Rockin R Ranch for a team building activity. It all started off fine. The old men playing cowboy were cute and you couldn’t help but humor them. The food was just ok, but we weren’t expecting much. But the night took a turn for the worse when the entertainment started. It was a holiday themed show so when they started off with Jingle Bells and other catchy tunes, we clapped and sang along. But then all of a sudden things got weird. They started singing very religious songs and playing a disturbing movie in the background. It was almost cult like, and very inappropriate. I am Christian and even I felt very uncomfortable, like they were pushing religion on us. It totally ruined the experience for our whole team and we couldn’t wait to leave.

Reading Tonya’s review was quite shocking. I absolutely love rockin r. My family and I have gone there since it was opened in 1984 and it is always great. The food is DELICIOUS! The chicken literally falls right off the bone. The lemonade is delicous and contrary to the other review, you are allowed as many pitchers as you want (my family had 3). The music is fantastic, the atmosphere is enjoyable, and the food is great. It is a wonderful place. It is great for families, couples, out of town guests, EVERYONE! Dont miss this Arizona gem! It does not get the praise and attention it should.

My mother bought tickets for my husband and I to go, she really wasted her money. Rockin’ R promised us a delicious cowboy style dinner with all the fixin’s and a great floor show. To start with, they only serve two things to drink, water and lemonade. One pitcher of each drink is placed on every table, and when it’s gone, there are NO refills. You have to take your tray and go stand in line for food (suppose to be part of the cowboy charm). Dinner consisted of either beef or chicken. They don’t tell you that the meat is DROWING in their barbeque sauce, which is TERRIBLE. We also got a baked potato, cornbread, which I hate, applesauce, which I can’t eat because it upsets my stomach and spice cake for dessert, which I also hate. So out of all the stuff on my tray, I could only eat the potato. Rockin’ R serves you what they want, if you dont like it, TOO BAD. The floor show started and it was boring. They sang old cowboy songs, had some «ghost rider» ride past the windows on the barn, did some rope tricks and a bunch of other dull stuff. For 60 bucks, we could have had a nice dinner some place else. I’ve been to better dinner/​floor shows for LESS money. Rockin’ R caters to older people which is why my mother liked it. But anyone in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s will be bored with it. Not to mention, the food was so HORRIBLE. The same people who serve the food are the ones who put on the show. You have to wait until everyone is done eating before the show starts because the entertainment staff is in the kitchen. I’ve been to other dinner theaters where you eat during the performance. Rockin’ R was the worst I’ve been to, with the worst food and the worst show and I will never go back again. And I will never recommend it to anyone. Stay away from Rockin’ R. LOUSY!!!

Outstanding family event! Great chuck wagon food and entertainment for less than $ 30 per person. This is a wonderful family production at the Rockin R Ranch: Dad and Mom (Sweet Mary), their sons, daughter, and a fidler providing a great medley of cowboy songs.
You can’t help feeling satisfied and smiling after a great night of feasts and entertainment (all you can eat!) If you are in the Phoenix area – this is a must!