Eating at the Stockyards

We asked the kind knowledgable volunteers at the Tovrea CastleVisitor's Center for a recommendation for lunch for the 14 of us. They mentioned the Stockyards Restaurant, gave us a menu to look at and discuss. We voted yes and they were kind enough to call ahead and make a reservation for us.

See the Hereford on top of the building in the upper center of the photo? 

That was our destination.

The room in which we dined had murals on all the walls.

Once I placed my order, I went exploring.

Inside photos first

From the 1889 Saloon 

 Two more gilded birds?

Then the hallway between dining rooms and bar

In the foyer of the Stockyards Restaurant

"In 1919, Edward  A. Tovrea, the "Cattle Baron" came to Phoenix and opened his packing house west of 48th St. and Van Buren to support his cattle ranching and beef marketing operations. Tovrea quickly realized the need for staging grounds and started building pens for the growing number of cattle to be slaughtered, packaged and sold. These pens were located around 50th St. and Washington - away from the city, on the Southern Pacific Rail line, and close to the farms where feed was grown.

Tovrea died in 1932, after his family empire had acquired additional acreage along Washington St., including the "Tovrea Castle" (Carraro Hotel). Tovrea's son Phillip continued the meat packing tradition.

By the late 1940's and throughout the 1950's, Tovrea had amassed 200 acres of cattle pens to support over 40,000 head of cattle at a time. It was during this period that the Tovrea Stockyards became the world's largest feedlot.

In 1947, Phillip's son, Edward Jr. built what was known as the "Tovrea Land and Cattle Co. Administration Building" to support the growing operations. In the next few years, the building tenants included Tovrea businesses related to the stockyard, a barber, a veterinarian, a rancher, The Stockyards Cafe and a private club on its second floor, the swanky Cowman's Club.

In February of 1953, the building was tragically gutted by fire, causing $650,000 in damages - a substantial amount of money in the 1950's. In 1954, a new larger building was completed on the site, which included office space, a new high end restaurant (The Stockyards Restaurant), and the private Cowman's Club. In the 1970's, the cow pens disappeared altogether, along with the Tovrea meat packing empire." - from The Stockyards, Arizona's Original Steakhouse paper menu

Outside photos of the building

Our meals were delicious, served with flair, and 

presentation.  For a menu and a guess at our lunch

selections, visit...

The Stockyards Restaurant