We came to Sedona on a mission: try the food we had never tried in our lives before. Some of it we were genuinely excited about. Some of it we were unsure about (rattlesnake, cactus, a peanut butter and jelly omelette). But the whole point of this Sedona food tour was to say yes to all of it and see what happened.
Sedona is about an hour and a half north of Phoenix, surrounded by those famous red rocks, and the food scene here is more interesting than you would expect for a small desert town. We hit five very different stops, from a roadside McDonald's with a strange backstory to one of the most reserved-out restaurants in the state. Here is everything we ate.
Stop 1: The Turquoise McDonald's
Our first stop was a McDonald's, and yes, there is a reason. This is the only McDonald's in the world with turquoise arches instead of the classic gold ones.
Here is what happened. McDonald's tried to open in Sedona back in 1993, and the city basically said no, not with those bright gold arches. The red rocks here are protected, and the color of the arches had to blend in with the landscape instead of clashing with it. McDonald's was not thrilled, but they caved, and the arches came out a soft turquoise that actually matches the desert sky. It is the only one like it anywhere.
I was hoping there might be some special menu to go with the special arches. There was not. The one turquoise thing I could grab was a Powerade, which felt fitting, so I took the photo and moved on to the real food.
Stop 2: Coffee Pot Restaurant (101 Omelettes)
Next up was Coffee Pot Restaurant, home of the legendary 101 omelettes. That is not a typo. They have 101 different omelette varieties on the menu, and I came specifically for the strangest one I could find: the 101 Jelly, which is a peanut butter, jelly, and banana omelette.
Coffee Pot is a real Sedona institution. It has been open since the 1950s, it is family owned, and it has been operating in the same spot for more than 35 years. The walls are covered with photos of celebrities who have eaten here over the years, and even on what they called a non-busy day, the place was packed. The restaurant gets its name from the rock formation right behind it, which genuinely does look like a coffee pot once someone points it out. You agree, right?
I ordered the peanut butter, jelly, and banana omelette with hash browns, home fries, cottage cheese, and a biscuit, plus a hot chocolate.
Peanut Butter Jelly Banana Omelette: Visually I had doubts. I went looking for the banana and could not find it, because they mush it right into the egg. I was a little scared, but I tried it, and honestly? It is good. Vincent could not believe it either. The egg acts almost like bread, the peanut butter comes in little blocks so you get real texture, and the jelly and banana keep it on the sweet side without being too much. It is sweet and savory at the same time. Vincent kept going back for one more bite, which says everything. We both ended up liking it, even though neither of us could fully explain why.
The worker told me she had never tried it herself even after working there for three years, but the people who do order it tend to love it. Their omelette egg in general is really soft and nice, so even if the peanut butter and jelly combo sounds too weird for you, the regular omelettes are worth it.
Hot Chocolate: Served in the cutest cup, and genuinely good. Get one.
Stop 3: Hideaway House (Peach Pizza)
Now, I love Hawaiian pizza. I know, I know. But I stand by it, and that is exactly why Hideaway House caught my attention. I heard they have a pizza topped with fruit, and I had to know if anything could compete with my beloved pineapple.
Hideaway House is no joke. In 2024, Yelp ranked the top 100 pizzas in America, and Hideaway House came in at number 19, the highest ranked pizza in all of Arizona. On top of that, you get one of the best red rock views in Sedona while you eat. The patio looks straight out at the mountains.
We ordered a half and half pizza so we could try two of their specialty pies at once: the Green Goddess and the Peach and Pancetta.
Peach and Pancetta: This was the one I was excited about. It is definitely different from Hawaiian pizza. The cheese flavor is much stronger here, and the peach is subtle, not too sweet at all. If you like a white pizza, you will like this. The pancetta (Italian bacon) adds a savory, salty edge that balances the fruit, and it ended up being my favorite of the two.
Green Goddess: This one has lemon on it, which I had never had on a pizza before, plus a lot of zucchini and arugula. It is a stronger ricotta flavor with the peppery arugula on top. It is not zesty or sharp, just a very clean, classic white pizza with a lot of vegetables. If you love arugula, this is your pizza.
The half and half move is perfect if you are coming with a partner who hates Hawaiian pizza while you love it. You both get something you want. Would I come back to Hideaway House? Yes, the pizza is great and the view is even better.
Stop 4: Cowboy Club (Rattlesnake & Cactus)
This was the stop I was most nervous and most excited about, because we came here to eat rattlesnake and cactus for the first time in our lives.
Cowboy Club has serious history. It was originally called the Oak Creek Tavern and opened in 1946, back when Sedona was a tiny town used as a backdrop for western movies. More than 50 of them were filmed right here, and after a long day of shooting, Hollywood stars like John Wayne, James Stewart, and even Elvis Presley would walk through these doors. The tavern was restored in 1993 and has been going ever since. You can even smell the fudge from the shop nearby as you walk in.
We ordered the Trail Ball Sampler, the bison chili, and a Desert Pear Mule.
Desert Pear Mule: This is made with prickly pear, which is part of the cactus family. It is naturally pink and naturally sweet, mixed with Tito's vodka and ginger beer. The mule does not normally come in the copper cup here (they are more known for their margaritas), but I asked and they made it work. It tastes like a regular mule with a little extra sweetness from the prickly pear syrup. Really good. Maybe too good, because I was feeling it pretty quickly.
The Trail Ball Sampler is a giant platter: cactus fries, rattlesnake sausage, bison meatballs, barbecue ribs, and a warm pretzel stick, served with prickly pear and southwest peanut dipping sauces.
- Cactus Fries: Made from prickly pear cactus paddles that get cleaned of thorns, sliced into fry shapes, breaded, and deep fried. The texture is on the softer, soggier side, more like a snack you would have with a beer than a crispy fry. With the pink prickly pear sauce it tastes like a sweeter, more sour version of Chinese sweet chili sauce. The peanut sauce reminded me of the kind you get with Vietnamese spring rolls. Both worked.
- Rattlesnake Sausage: My favorite of the whole sampler. Good news first: it does not look like a rattlesnake, so that helped. It is juicy, a little salty, not fatty at all, and genuinely full of flavor. Vincent liked it too. If you have never tried rattlesnake, this is an easy place to start.
- Bison Meatballs: Very soft and not oily, different from a typical meatball. Whatever sauce they use on them works really well.
- Barbecue Ribs: I almost skipped these because they looked basic, but they were one of the best things on the plate. Really good barbecue ribs.
- Pretzel: A pretzel is a pretzel. I took a bite for the video and moved on.
Bison Chili: Made with bison and anasazi beans (a heirloom Southwestern bean), with roasted corn, poblano peppers, cornbread crumbles, and cheddar. It tastes good, like a solid chili, but nothing about it stood out as special.
If I had to rank the sampler: rattlesnake sausage first, then the chili, then the meatballs, then the cactus fries, then the ribs, and the pretzel last. People online say this place used to be better in its heyday, but we genuinely enjoyed the food and the prickly pear drink was the highlight.
Stop 5: Elote Cafe (The Famous Elote)
Everyone in Sedona told us the same thing: you have to go to Elote Cafe. It is regularly called one of the best Mexican restaurants in America, and on Facebook, Reddit, and Yelp it came up every single time, no matter where I looked. The catch is that you basically need to book a reservation one to two months ahead, which makes a normal sit-down visit almost impossible to plan on a trip.
So we did what a lot of locals do: we got the elote to go and ate it in the parking lot. No shame.
Here is the trick that actually works. Even though the restaurant opens at 5:00 PM, you can call around 3:00 PM to place a to-go order, and they tell you exactly what time it will be ready for pickup. We called around 4:00 PM and they said it would be ready at 5:15 PM, and it was ready right on time. If you want to dine in instead, plan on booking around three months out.
The elote was $12.16 and came beautifully packaged, even for takeout, with chips, salsa, and a warm tortilla on the side.
Elote: If you have not had it, elote is the ultimate mix of sweet, smoky, and tangy. Traditionally it is fresh corn on the cob, fire grilled until charred, slathered in a creamy mayo mixture, coated in crumbly cotija cheese, dusted with chili powder, and finished with a squeeze of lime. Elote Cafe serves it dip style, scooped up warm with crispy tortilla chips, which technically makes it closer to a dish called esquites. I added a little extra lime and dug in.
It is slightly spicy from the chili powder, and the corn is sweet and savory all at once with the cheese melting into it. It is completely different from the cheesy corn we know from Korean food, much more balanced and far less heavy. Eating it with the tortilla chips makes it even better. Vincent could not stop hovering next to me, and once he finally got a bite he agreed it was well balanced and worth the trip.
This was the best food we ate in Sedona, full stop. We are already talking about making a real three-month reservation and coming back to do it properly.
Sedona Food Tour Tips
A few things I wish I had known before planning this Sedona food tour:
- Book Elote Cafe the second reservations open. They release 60 days out and fill up almost immediately, so set a reminder and grab a table the moment the window opens.
- Elote sometimes takes walk-ins at the bar. If you missed the reservation window, call ahead to confirm, then show up early and try your luck at the bar. The to-go option (call around 3:00 PM for a same-evening pickup) is the most reliable backup.
- Hit Coffee Pot for breakfast before a hike. It opens early, it is filling, and it sets you up perfectly for a morning on the red rocks before the heat.
- Reserve Cowboy Club ahead, especially around sunset. It gets busy in the evenings, so book a table rather than walking in.
- The turquoise McDonald's is a quick photo stop, not a meal. Pull in, grab the photo, and move on to the real food.
Final Verdict
Sedona surprised us. We came in to try food we had never had before, and we left with a new appreciation for rattlesnake sausage, cactus fries, peach pizza, and an esquites-style elote we cannot stop thinking about. Even the weird-sounding peanut butter and jelly omelette won us over.
If you are planning your own Sedona food tour, here is how I would rank the stops by what is actually worth your time: Elote Cafe first, then Coffee Pot Restaurant for the omelettes, then Hideaway House for the pizza and the view, then Cowboy Club for the novelty sampler. The turquoise McDonald's is just a fun photo stop.
Let me know if there is any interesting food we should try in Sedona next time. There is clearly more to eat here.
