Rock Springs Café

Rock Springs Café began in 1918, when Ben Warner built a general store on Old Black Canyon Highway for motorists traveling between Prescott and Phoenix. By 1930 the operation had grown to include a hotel and a restaurant, which makes it one of the oldest restaurants in Arizona. The address today is 35900 Old Black Canyon Highway in Black Canyon City.

The pie program

Pies are the main event. The café offers about 21 varieties, including four cream pies, seven fruit pies and ten specialty pies, and the Jack Daniel's pecan pie is the signature. Pies first appeared on the menu in the 1930s and became popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Today the café sells about 100,000 pies a year, including more than 10,000 in the week before Thanksgiving. Banana, peach crumb, cherry and apple are among the other favorites.

The rest of the menu

The restaurant serves home-style breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinners include fried chicken, meatloaf, liver and chicken pot pie with corn on the cob, and the kitchen also cooks Southwestern dishes. The setting is saloon-style and appeals to locals, bikers and tourists.

A drive-by stop

Because it is a short detour from Interstate 17, many people stop for a pie on the way between Flagstaff and Phoenix.

Common Questions

When did it start?
1918, as a general store, with a hotel and restaurant by 1930.

What is the signature pie?
Jack Daniel's pecan, with many fruit and cream pies as alternatives.

How many pies are sold?
About 100,000 a year, including more than 10,000 the week before Thanksgiving.

What else is on the menu?
Home-style breakfast, fried chicken, meatloaf, pot pie and Southwestern dishes.

What are the hours?
Call 623-374-5794 to confirm current hours.