Cornerstone Cave Creek restaurant and saloon celebrates 50 years

On a Monday afternoon in August, when most restaurants in the Valley are devoid of customers, if open at all, multiple small groups of diners were seated at wooden tables in the front dining area of The Horny Toad, enjoying their fried chicken, barbecue and respective company.  

Immediately next to this dining area sits a lively bar, festooned with twinkly string lights and patriotic swags and bows. As customers walk in the main entrance, they pass through saloon doors painted with horny toads, the restaurant’s namesake small, round lizard, and are greeted by wall decor featuring cowboys and neon beer signs. In another dining area towards the back of the building, wooden booths resembling church pews line the walls underneath stained-glass windows.

Spencer Lattouf, a second-generation owner who now directs the operations of The Horny Toad, is gearing up for a month of celebrations. The beloved Cave Creek restaurant and saloon will celebrate its 50th anniversary this month with food and drink specials, raffles, and live music.

For Lattouf, who grew up working at the restaurant, this is a huge milestone event.  

“I’ve been washing dishes since I was like 10 years old,” Lattouf says. He took over from his parents and has happily only ever worked at The Horny Toad. “I love it,” Lattouf says.  

This sentiment extends to customers, who have continued to return over the years.

“One of the most meaningful things for me is hearing guests tell us they came here with their parents 20 or 30 years ago, and now they are bringing their own kids or grandkids,” Lattouf says. 

The restaurant’s history dates back long before it sold its first plate of fried chicken. During the early years of Arizona statehood, a settler built a house in Cave Creek that was later transformed into a restaurant called Dirty Will’s Moustache Cup. In 1976, the restaurant was purchased by the Price family, who renamed it The Horny Toad. 

The Lattoufs purchased the wood-clad restaurant, just past swaths of colorful pottery stores and Wild West-themed restaurants, on the main stretch of the small town from the Prices in 2017, and have continued the tradition ever since.

The Horny Toad serves classic American comfort food, including meatloaf, chicken fried steak and barbecue. Lattouf points out a nostalgic menu item that’s often hard to find.

“Liver and onions is another staple of ours and that’s not something I’ve seen on any other menu in the whole Valley,” Lattouf says. “That’s something we’re really proud of and (will) never remove from the menu.”

The Horny Toad also has a full bar and features cocktails with cheeky names such as The Floor Is Guava, made with vodka, mint, green tea, guava puree and fresh lime and the Liquid Power Nap with espresso liqueur, vanilla vodka, cold brew coffee and chocolate liqueur. Non-alcoholic options such as bottled sarsaparilla continue the nostalgia. 

The restaurant’s top seller is the fried chicken, which Lattouf says accounts for about 25% of business. 

Since the comfort food staples have been going strong for so long, the Lattoufs didn’t make any changes to recipes when they took over. That is part of the magic that keeps regulars and those passing through coming back, he says. 

“Same recipe for 50 years now,” Lattouf says of the popular fried chicken, which is dredged and pressure fried to perfection.

The consistency of the food comes down to a kitchen crew with years of experience at The Horny Toad. While the ownership changed in 2017, the restaurant’s staff and kitchen crew remained. 

“We’ve been blessed to have some staff members that have been here 40-plus years, two of them recently retired,” Lattouf says.

Sixteen other staff members have worked at the saloon for over a decade. Several longtime employees now have children or other relatives working at the restaurant.

“They have a community here,” Lattouf says.  

Standing the test of time

While having dependable staff has certainly been a boon to the restaurant, the Lattoufs have experienced their fair share of challenges along the way.  

“Water is definitely affecting us,” Lattouf says, explaining their price for water has gone up 40%. In February, the town council approved changes to pricing tiers, which resulted in significant price increases for large-volume water users.

And while the longtime staff remains loyal to the restaurant, getting to work can be a challenge.

“The median house price up here is $1.2 or $1.3 million,” Lattouf explains. Therefore, not many restaurant workers can afford to live in the area. Lattouf says that most of his employees commute 30 minutes or more to get to work. 

Lattouf and his family have also faced the constant challenge of maintaining an aging restaurant that has been standing for over 50 years, making necessary updates while keeping it true to what loyal customers know and love.

“There is a lot of history in the building, and with that comes constant upkeep, repairs, and the challenge of balancing preservation with improvement,” he says.

On top of that, The Horny Toad isn’t immune to the challenges that face all restaurants, including rising costs of food, labor, utilities and insurance, plus competition for customers.

“There are more restaurants and dining options competing for people’s attention than ever before,” Lattouf says.

While The Horny Toad has retained its character and menu for the last five decades, it is important to Lattouf that the restaurant continue to make improvements in other areas that do not diminish its place in the community.

“For us, the biggest challenge is making sure we continue to evolve without losing the soul of the place. The Horny Toad has never been about being polished or trendy. It has always been about great food, a unique atmosphere and making people feel like they’ve found somewhere special. We want to improve the operation, the service and the experience, but we never want to take away the character that people have been coming here for generation after generation,” Lattouf says.

Reaching the milestone of 50 years is a testament to the impact of the local restaurant. Carrying it forward for future generations to enjoy is something Lattouf takes seriously.

“Some people haven’t been back to Cave Creek in years, and The Horny Toad is one of the first places they want to visit when they return,” he says. “That kind of connection is rare, and I think it is what makes this place worth preserving.”

For the 50th anniversary celebration, Lattouf has a full schedule of festivities planned, including live music, food and drink discounts and giveaways.

The party will span two weekends, Sept. 12 and 13, and 18 through 20. During all five days, classic Horny Toad food items, including the fried chicken, pulled pork sandwich and smoked wings, will be 50% off. Featured drinks will also be half price. These include margaritas, well drinks and the Horny Toad Golden Ale.

All active-duty military, veterans, and first responders will also receive 25% off during these weekends.

From 5 to 8 p.m. during the celebration days, live bands will perform. Lattouf will also hold raffles for gift cards, merchandise and other prizes.

Lattouf is perhaps most excited about his free brownies, which he will give away during the celebration days. Made following his grandma’s recipe, they’re a chance for the landmark’s most recent owner to add some of his family’s history to this historic place.

“That is really what my vision is going forward. I want to protect the things people remember — the fried chicken, the Western atmosphere, the history on the walls, the music, the families gathering around tables — while making sure the restaurant is strong enough to keep going for decades to come,” Lattouf says.

The Horny Toad

6738 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek