Football fans can be unforgiving…and some of us have elephantine memories. Dallas Cowboys fans, for example, will never forget nor forgive the Pittsburgh Steelers for having bested (obviously the referees cheated) the Cowboys twice in the Super Bowl. Never mind that our beloved Cowboys finally did beat Pittsburgh in a later Super Bowl. We’ll never get over losing two. Our only consolation is that at least we didn’t lose to those neanderthal New York Giants. Someday you’ll have to ask me how I feel about the Steelers and Giants. With such antipathy toward those miserable Steelers, the one place you’d think I’d never be caught dead would be a Steelers Bar, much less one of the most highly regarded Steelers Bars in the country. But, that’s precisely where we spent our New Years Eve.
Mind you, it certainly wasn’t my idea. My brother-in-law Tim–who knows about as much about football as the women on The View know about integrity–wanted to impress me. He didn’t know that espying propaganda declaring the sprawling Harold’s Cave Creek Corral “Heinz Field West (the dreaded Steelers play at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh) might instead nauseate me. Still, there it was–copious articles of adulation strewn throughout the cavernous bar with seating for 600 fans and another 200 on the outdoor patio. When the Steelers are playing, every television in the place is tuned in, the beer is flowing and the energy is raucous, ravenous and rapacious: pure Pittsburgh. Harold’s has been the proud home of the “Black and Gold Zone” with more than 3,100 fans officially registered in the Steelers Fan Club. Several legendary Steeler greats, including a few hall of fame players, have visited.
An employee at Harold’s told me fans are so passionate about the Steelers that they have paid “season tickets” that entitles them to preferred seating at the bar when the Steelers are playing. Fifteen minute before a game starts, season ticket holders can kick out any hapless diner who just happens to be seated in a reserved seat. He pointed to a bar across the street and said (after spitting on the ground) it was a Chicago Bears bar. Down the road are bars frequented by fanatic supporters of other teams. Considering the median price of a home in Cave Creek, Arizona is over $1.37 million, we were surprised to see so many honky tonk establishments in the town. Parked among mud-wearing F350 pick-up trucks at the bursting at the seams parking lot at Harold’s, we espied a Rolls Royce Bentley and other vehicles bespeaking prestige and wealth.
The Cave Creek Guide boasts “If you haven’t been to Harold’s, you haven’t been to Cave Creek! Harold’s Corral is the ORIGINAL Wild West Saloon! Located in the heart of Cave Creek, Arizona for over 80 years! Home of great food, great music, and great people! Actually, in October, 2025, Harold’s celebrated its 90th anniversary serving Cave Creek. It’s not just “Creekers” who frequent this fabled establishment. Dick VanDyke, who was born ten years before Harold’s first opened its doors, used to perform. Locals have even been known to ride their horses right into the bar. Today, Harold’s may serve more than 1,000 meals in a single day and employs over 100 staff members. Numerous cowboy boots hang from the ceiling, creating a unique, slightly dusty, iconic decor that guests often mention in reviews, tying into the local cowboy culture. The “Corral Boots” part likely refers to the iconic footwear brand, but at the Corral, the boots are part of the bar’s rustic charm, a long-standing tradition.
It wasn’t the quirky, quaint atmosphere my brother-in-law wanted me to experience. It was the food–the quality and the portions–he thought would impress me. Indeed, the menu did that. It’s humongous! Harold’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and regardless of which meal you visit for, you’re well advised to “come hungry.” The menu offers daily specials, happy hour specials and something for everyone: appetizers, soup and salads, burgers, sandwiches, south of the border favorites, pizzas and calzones, pasta, steaks and chops, smokehouse, fish and seafood, chicken, sides and desserts.
Despite having had what is almost universally acclaimed as the best fried chicken in Arizona at Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe, my Kim decided she hadn’t had enough fried chicken. The menu describes the fried chicken as “Freshly breaded and fried to a golden brown, served with mashed potatoes and chicken gravy. Half (4pc) $15 Whole (8pc) $22. For some reason, my bride decided her avian appetite can handle a whole fried chicken. Paul Bunyan would have struggled to finish all eight pieces, much less my Kim. Because there was so much chicken on the platter, she was generous in sharing it, but between the four of us, we couldn’t finish it all. Our verdict–very good chicken, but not as good as Mrs. White’s. The golden crust is somewhat on the generous side, but there’s plenty of juicy chicken under that breading. The mashed potatoes sans gravy (Kim doesn’t like the stuff) were rather bleah.
Having visited Harold’s several times, Tim and his beauteous bride Lola knew not to order too much. They eschewed appetizers and decided to split a “meaball bomber” (meatballs in tomato sauce, with melted provolone cheese, on an Italian roll). They gave me a substantial piece “so I can write about it.” It’s no wonder this behemoth is called a “bomber,” a sandwich term used primarily in upstate New York. It’s a large, loaded submarine sandwich, named for its hefty size and ingredients that create a big, satisfying, almost “bomb-like” impact on hunger. The meatballs were not only sizeable, they were moist and tender with a tomato sauce that lends much-needed acid. Melted provolone blankets the meatballs and the Italian roll.
Maybe it’s because Tim and I had our usually discussion about Rocky movies (we both love the first three), my meal choice was the “Italian Calzone” (salami, coppa, pepperoni, jalapeños, onions, and provolone cheese). It was a knockout with dynamite flavor. It’s pretty rare to find Italian sandwiches with jalapeños, but maybe jalapeños shouldn’t be an outlier ingredient. Those piquant peppers paired particularly well with the copa (capocollo or coppa, also called gabagool in American English. This Italian pork salume has long been one of my favorite of all cured meats. The salami and pepperoni proved equally formidable. So did the bread, somewhat of an anamoly in that it wasn’t shaped like a half-flattened football. Frankly, it reminded me of a chicken pot pie bread dough. It was quite bready and delicious.
Harold’s Cave Creek Corral would have been even better had it been a Dallas Cowboys bar. You can’t have it all.
Harold’s Cave Creek Corral
6895 East Cave Creek Road
Cave Creek, Arizona
(480) 488-1906
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LATEST VISIT: 31 December 2025
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$ – $$$
BEST BET: Italian Calzone, Fried Chicken, Meatball Bomber
REVIEW #1509