I had high hopes for this restaurant, but unfortunately, it fell short of expectations. The drinks were poorly mixed and lacked proper proportions. The two I tried (desert sunset and prickly pear margarita) tasted overwhelmingly of alcohol and severely lacked flavor. My wife had a prickly pear mocktail which was by far better. The smoked tuna dip felt like a basic and bland tuna salad that could be easily made better at home. The Ensalada de Elote lacked flavor, tasting mainly of corn and mayo.The 3 scallop dish ($36) lacked a consistent crust and were also bland in flavor and I could not recommend. On a positive note, the buffalo loin was decent.While the restaurant's aesthetic is appealing with its consistent geometric theme, I wouldn't recommend anyone dining here. It might be a nice spot to hang out on the rooftop and enjoy some beers, because again the cocktails were a miss. The service was extremely poor on a night it was not busy.
Jasmine L.
Food: we ordered the smoked tuna dip and the spreads. Both were overpriced. It was $18 for the spreads and $20 for the tuna dip. I was most excited for the tuna dip, I was expecting ahi tuna though and then what we got looked and tasted like canned tuna. It came with potato chips and honestly was so salty I didn't want to eat it but was hungry so I did anyways. The spreads were fine, the green one was awful, tasted like baby food. The red one was very good and then the hummus was nothing special. Drinks: We enjoyed the drinks. My friend got the desert sunset and she enjoyed it. I got the cucumber southside, I asked the waiter for a not sweet drink and it was still pretty sweet but was refreshing too. Service: our server was great and was attentive Ambiance: stunning views of the skyline, the decor was great, the menus light up, they were super fun. They had live music and also ESPN projected. For the vibe of the restaurant I wouldn't have sports on as it was a little too much going on with the live music too. Parking: you have to valet and they do not validate for Lucero which was annoying
Attentive waiter, Anthony.. tasty raspberry lemon drop cocktail, nice sized wine pours. Smoked tuna w/house made potato chips was tasty. Seafood paella was just .. good, Not outstanding. Beautiful views! Will definitely dine here again, or at least come for sunset/cocktails
Masih Beheshti
The environment is good and relaxing. However, nothing justify the price. For almost $100 per person I expected a high quality in the food, drink, and menu options. However, everything is just average. This is a good place for having a drink and enjoy the view. But not a fancy restaurant to eat.
Yesenia Ronces
Not only were we rushed out and told they closed in “an hour and a half” at 10pm but the wait staff deliberately turned off our fire and left every other fire on. On our way out we were told to not use their restroom since “the water was suddenly not working” we stopped by the restroom and the water was in fact working as it should. Definitely a bit of racist undertones from the second we valeted our car. I would not recommend this to anyone I care about or even anyone I don’t, there are better cocktails in AZ in places where they value your business and treat you equally and with respect.
Samantha A.
Incredibly beautiful view with friendly staff. I didn't dabble in the menu as I was only here for drinks but I'll be sure to try the food next time. I suggest a reservation especially on the weekends.
Angela Brien
Last night was the first time I visited Lucero and it was a lovely experience! I ordered the raspberry lemon drop and the sliders which were delicious! There was wonderful live music playing, stunning views, and a beautiful atmosphere. I loved how Lucero is designed. All the staff were very friendly and attentive. I will be back! Thank you!
Riveropolis
The two stars are for the view. Food | Just OK - given the prices expected more. The salmon was good but the grains and sauce it sat on - way salty and and the tzatziki inspired sauce - super meh. Had the cucumber/spaghetti squash starter - a pile of tastelessness. Service | Oh my - please take your staff to a quality restaurant to show them how it is done. Everyone is nice but fairly clueless. When you charge $24 for a 6 oz pour of a wine the server should at least know where it is from. The pacing was ridiculous - 15 min wait for first drinks to arrive (wine - nothing fancy - and not yet crowded in the dining room). Dinner took forever to arrive (again not super busy) and came all at once (starter and main). We were sharing said cucumber salad - it showed up on a big plate with no way to serve. We were told because the kitchen is afraid they will be backed up because some big parties are coming in they have to get everything out all at once. Huh? No one asked if we wanted dessert. No coffee available - espresso served with cold cream. I expect to pay a more because of the view/hotel situation, however, would only return for a drink (maybe). The food, communication, pacing all need serious work.
Crystal F
Give this place a chance! We’re so glad we did. The rooftop really is stunning and I love all the astrology themed decor. I wanna come back at night time! My fiancee and I came for Valentine’s Day cocktails and dinner. I had the strawberry 75 and it was delicious (could have used a cute garnish) and then tried the raspberry lemon drop which was good - not too tart!We ordered the croquettes, the hangar steak, and the wagyu sliders and all was good! My fiance said they grilled his steak to perfection.There were so many couples in love and friends celebrating Valentine’s Day and it made me so happy! I am a proposal planner and would love to plan something up here (If you noticed some business cards hidden yesterday, sorry that was me hehe.)
JonathanZ
The atmosphere was fantastic, but the service was still a bit rough around the edges. The staff seemed friendly, but they were a little slow and not as knowledgeable about the menu as I would have liked. Perhaps with more training and experience, the service will match the wonderful ambiance.
The service was less than stellar! As you looked around there were several open tables which typically indicates more attention given to the patrons. However, our server would rather hang out at the hostesses area than perform his job. Take care of your customers!!
ZeeZ
My server was awesome! She even asked what I thought of the food and recommended the dishes I ordered. I was honest with her. I had the chicken and dumplings. There was no gravy or broth to soak up the dry biscuit chunks that seemed to be tossed on top of a few slithers of carrot and peas. To make things worse they add gnocchi chunks and if you're lucky you might find some chicken thigh meat. So if you're looking for a bowl full of gravy-like traditional dumplings. Not here! The Paella called “Not your average paella” was THE WORST of the two. What an insult to the traditional paella dish. It wasn't even a variation of it. The saffron rice was fried in oil and made crispy. So there was nothing fluffy to eat on the plate and the medley of seafood consist of two small shrimp. 4 slices of super salty pork chorizo, and one scallop. Nothing was tossed together like the traditional Spanish dish. Such a disappointment to the culinary art lovers out there. It's fun to be creative but someone should've did a taste test first. The atmosphere and ambiance was gorgeous! The view from the 16th floor was beautiful. I had the old-fashioned cocktail and that was the best they had. It would be nice if the food was just as good as the atmosphere. The only way I'll go back is to have a drink. I gave my overall experience at 4 out of 10.
Jennifer G.
Very pretty venue. Staff are quite nice. I wish the hostess looked a bit more professional (loved her outfit, but it looked like her purposefully had a short sweater over a skinny tank top, way off her shoulder to expose more skin). Midway through our meal it was clear that it was fairly noisy and hard to hear each other speak. The bar chairs have essentially no back to rest against. And the bar counter is just slightly too low, enough that makes you have to slouch if you wanna rest your elbows or forearms on it. It's no comfortable. The bar also doesn't allow you to tuck your knees far enough under it before you hit the tiled wall of the bar, so you feel like you're slightly too far from your food or that you need to lean in. They do have purse hooks and even chargers between some of the seats though. We sat at the bar on a Thursday night. Moderately busy, but the bar was almost empty. We ordered the cucumber salad, the salmon X2, and the chicken and dumplings. For drinks, an iced tea, a bottled beee, and a raspberry lemon drop. When the server brought our two entrees, she didn't know which was for which of us. I've worked at a low key restaurant before that had an easy system for food runners to know exactly who gets what. So idk why a nicer (or any) restaurant would be asking us what food is for each of us. I think they ought to know. The cuke salad was actually mostly spaghetti squash. Attractive presentation. Took about 15-20min to get this first course. There was no real discernible dressing. So it was crumbed goat cheese, soft sun dried tomatoes, paper thin cuke slices, and spaghetti squash. It was extremely average. We ate it but I could've easily made a better version at home. No idea how this made the menu. My spaghetti squash that I grow is actually yellow. This was sorta pale, almost translucent. Not the best color. The salmon was great, through the portion was maybe 4-5oz. Wish it was 6 or so. Very good texture, crisped skin, quite large pearl couscous and large orbs tzatziki foam--very flavorful and lime-forward. Delish. Very pretty. The chicken and dumplings was homey, as one might expect. Good flavors, but unfortunately salty. The gnocchi were lovely. The peas and pea shoots also great. The carrots were very lightly cooked, and crunchy enough that they were out of place in this type of dish. This isn't a soup, btw. It has very little liquid at all. The biscuit crumbs and pieces did not elevate the dish. In fact, the biscuit pieces were crumbly like they were cooked two days ago (I make biscuits often, so I know) and biscuits don't belong in chicken and dumplings anyway. The chicken pieces were tender and had good flavor. Not more than just an ounce or two of meat though. The raspberry lemon drop was fine, though probably only a 4oz drink. The large martini glass made the drink look undersized. It was tasty, but in no way worth $19. It was garnished with a wedge of lemon, which looked surprisingly clunky and inelegant against a pretty pink martini drink. A wheel of lemon or a more delicate garnish would've made it look more worth the price (wheel of lemon dusted in freeze dried raspberry powder?). The iced tea was made to our order, as they don't keep an urn of it premade unless it's ordered I guess. It was very nice, and nice that they made it for us even though they'd likely not sell much later in the shift. They did offer that we could order a different drink instead of waiting, which was nice.
Diane Graham
Worse dining experience in AZ! 30 minutes to get a glass of wine. Wrong orders for our group of 6. One of our guests did not get the entree! Apologies galore but not one Manager (if they have one?) came to our table. Espresso machine not working. We found out later the one on the first floor bar was working. Dessert: "spiced pumpkin mousse, chocolate pumpkin shell, maple & pecan puffed rice cookie". Except the latter two items were NOT on the plate and the pumpkin mousse tasted sour.
Isabel O.
TLDR: Great vibe, great service (waitress wise, Aracely specifically AMAZING), great view, great drinks. Horrible food horrible hostesses and I'm not picky. Long review: The vibe, the aura, the decor, view is amazing. If you want great pics and to feel good while you drink, this place is AMAZING. The food? The hostesses??? Horrible. The hostesses: they will not be friendly or helpful unless you're the skinny, white, influencer type. We came right at open (4 pm) and asked for outdoors, they said it was fully reserved, which is understandable. But then said they don't know if they can fit us in the main area. No one there. fully open. Stayed fully open until we left (6:30 pm). There were two girls at the bar that went up to the hostesses and asked if they could go outside and she said, "Yes no problem!" So yeah, whatever that situation is there. Food wise: Listen I'm not trying to bash the chef because I can see the effort behind the dishes, but wow they are SO BAD. They are plated beautifully but the taste? I don't know if he was sick or a smoker but everything was SALTY, and I love salt!! I can usually be okay with the food, and push through but WOW. The wagyu sliders were good, beef short rib croquettes and grilled halloumi were good enough. Nothing grand but hey still good enough, borderline salty. Enter the cast iron scallops. For $36 you would hope they would be great. You get three pieces on top of a tomato sauce and their "squid ink tuile" has no squid ink taste, but PURE SALT. Scallops are salty on their own and that topping was just pure salt that you don't expect because you would think a chef would know not to add more salt. That bite felt like I was taking a tablespoon of iodized salt. So horrible. The scallops were not seared crispy. Waste of $36. The lucero spread came with naan bread that you expect to be toasty and crisp and they were just oily and soggy with all the oil. Listen I wouldn't complain if this was a dive bar, but for a "fancy" place that costs more than the average bill, you would expect higher quality food. I would come back if they changed out the hostesses and chef changed his tastebuds.
I had high hopes for this restaurant, but unfortunately, it fell short of expectations. The drinks were poorly mixed and lacked proper proportions. The two I tried (desert sunset and prickly pear margarita) tasted overwhelmingly of alcohol and severely lacked flavor. My wife had a prickly pear mocktail which was by far better. The smoked tuna dip felt like a basic and bland tuna salad that could be easily made better at home. The Ensalada de Elote lacked flavor, tasting mainly of corn and mayo.The 3 scallop dish ($36) lacked a consistent crust and were also bland in flavor and I could not recommend. On a positive note, the buffalo loin was decent.While the restaurant's aesthetic is appealing with its consistent geometric theme, I wouldn't recommend anyone dining here. It might be a nice spot to hang out on the rooftop and enjoy some beers, because again the cocktails were a miss. The service was extremely poor on a night it was not busy.
Food: we ordered the smoked tuna dip and the spreads. Both were overpriced. It was $18 for the spreads and $20 for the tuna dip. I was most excited for the tuna dip, I was expecting ahi tuna though and then what we got looked and tasted like canned tuna. It came with potato chips and honestly was so salty I didn't want to eat it but was hungry so I did anyways. The spreads were fine, the green one was awful, tasted like baby food. The red one was very good and then the hummus was nothing special. Drinks: We enjoyed the drinks. My friend got the desert sunset and she enjoyed it. I got the cucumber southside, I asked the waiter for a not sweet drink and it was still pretty sweet but was refreshing too. Service: our server was great and was attentive Ambiance: stunning views of the skyline, the decor was great, the menus light up, they were super fun. They had live music and also ESPN projected. For the vibe of the restaurant I wouldn't have sports on as it was a little too much going on with the live music too. Parking: you have to valet and they do not validate for Lucero which was annoying
Attentive waiter, Anthony.. tasty raspberry lemon drop cocktail, nice sized wine pours. Smoked tuna w/house made potato chips was tasty. Seafood paella was just .. good, Not outstanding. Beautiful views! Will definitely dine here again, or at least come for sunset/cocktails
The environment is good and relaxing. However, nothing justify the price. For almost $100 per person I expected a high quality in the food, drink, and menu options. However, everything is just average. This is a good place for having a drink and enjoy the view. But not a fancy restaurant to eat.
Not only were we rushed out and told they closed in “an hour and a half” at 10pm but the wait staff deliberately turned off our fire and left every other fire on. On our way out we were told to not use their restroom since “the water was suddenly not working” we stopped by the restroom and the water was in fact working as it should. Definitely a bit of racist undertones from the second we valeted our car. I would not recommend this to anyone I care about or even anyone I don’t, there are better cocktails in AZ in places where they value your business and treat you equally and with respect.
Incredibly beautiful view with friendly staff. I didn't dabble in the menu as I was only here for drinks but I'll be sure to try the food next time. I suggest a reservation especially on the weekends.
Last night was the first time I visited Lucero and it was a lovely experience! I ordered the raspberry lemon drop and the sliders which were delicious! There was wonderful live music playing, stunning views, and a beautiful atmosphere. I loved how Lucero is designed. All the staff were very friendly and attentive. I will be back! Thank you!
The two stars are for the view. Food | Just OK - given the prices expected more. The salmon was good but the grains and sauce it sat on - way salty and and the tzatziki inspired sauce - super meh. Had the cucumber/spaghetti squash starter - a pile of tastelessness. Service | Oh my - please take your staff to a quality restaurant to show them how it is done. Everyone is nice but fairly clueless. When you charge $24 for a 6 oz pour of a wine the server should at least know where it is from. The pacing was ridiculous - 15 min wait for first drinks to arrive (wine - nothing fancy - and not yet crowded in the dining room). Dinner took forever to arrive (again not super busy) and came all at once (starter and main). We were sharing said cucumber salad - it showed up on a big plate with no way to serve. We were told because the kitchen is afraid they will be backed up because some big parties are coming in they have to get everything out all at once. Huh? No one asked if we wanted dessert. No coffee available - espresso served with cold cream. I expect to pay a more because of the view/hotel situation, however, would only return for a drink (maybe). The food, communication, pacing all need serious work.
Give this place a chance! We’re so glad we did. The rooftop really is stunning and I love all the astrology themed decor. I wanna come back at night time! My fiancee and I came for Valentine’s Day cocktails and dinner. I had the strawberry 75 and it was delicious (could have used a cute garnish) and then tried the raspberry lemon drop which was good - not too tart!We ordered the croquettes, the hangar steak, and the wagyu sliders and all was good! My fiance said they grilled his steak to perfection.There were so many couples in love and friends celebrating Valentine’s Day and it made me so happy! I am a proposal planner and would love to plan something up here (If you noticed some business cards hidden yesterday, sorry that was me hehe.)
The atmosphere was fantastic, but the service was still a bit rough around the edges. The staff seemed friendly, but they were a little slow and not as knowledgeable about the menu as I would have liked. Perhaps with more training and experience, the service will match the wonderful ambiance.
Restaurantji Recommends
The service was less than stellar! As you looked around there were several open tables which typically indicates more attention given to the patrons. However, our server would rather hang out at the hostesses area than perform his job. Take care of your customers!!
My server was awesome! She even asked what I thought of the food and recommended the dishes I ordered. I was honest with her. I had the chicken and dumplings. There was no gravy or broth to soak up the dry biscuit chunks that seemed to be tossed on top of a few slithers of carrot and peas. To make things worse they add gnocchi chunks and if you're lucky you might find some chicken thigh meat. So if you're looking for a bowl full of gravy-like traditional dumplings. Not here! The Paella called “Not your average paella” was THE WORST of the two. What an insult to the traditional paella dish. It wasn't even a variation of it. The saffron rice was fried in oil and made crispy. So there was nothing fluffy to eat on the plate and the medley of seafood consist of two small shrimp. 4 slices of super salty pork chorizo, and one scallop. Nothing was tossed together like the traditional Spanish dish. Such a disappointment to the culinary art lovers out there. It's fun to be creative but someone should've did a taste test first. The atmosphere and ambiance was gorgeous! The view from the 16th floor was beautiful. I had the old-fashioned cocktail and that was the best they had. It would be nice if the food was just as good as the atmosphere. The only way I'll go back is to have a drink. I gave my overall experience at 4 out of 10.
Very pretty venue. Staff are quite nice. I wish the hostess looked a bit more professional (loved her outfit, but it looked like her purposefully had a short sweater over a skinny tank top, way off her shoulder to expose more skin). Midway through our meal it was clear that it was fairly noisy and hard to hear each other speak. The bar chairs have essentially no back to rest against. And the bar counter is just slightly too low, enough that makes you have to slouch if you wanna rest your elbows or forearms on it. It's no comfortable. The bar also doesn't allow you to tuck your knees far enough under it before you hit the tiled wall of the bar, so you feel like you're slightly too far from your food or that you need to lean in. They do have purse hooks and even chargers between some of the seats though. We sat at the bar on a Thursday night. Moderately busy, but the bar was almost empty. We ordered the cucumber salad, the salmon X2, and the chicken and dumplings. For drinks, an iced tea, a bottled beee, and a raspberry lemon drop. When the server brought our two entrees, she didn't know which was for which of us. I've worked at a low key restaurant before that had an easy system for food runners to know exactly who gets what. So idk why a nicer (or any) restaurant would be asking us what food is for each of us. I think they ought to know. The cuke salad was actually mostly spaghetti squash. Attractive presentation. Took about 15-20min to get this first course. There was no real discernible dressing. So it was crumbed goat cheese, soft sun dried tomatoes, paper thin cuke slices, and spaghetti squash. It was extremely average. We ate it but I could've easily made a better version at home. No idea how this made the menu. My spaghetti squash that I grow is actually yellow. This was sorta pale, almost translucent. Not the best color. The salmon was great, through the portion was maybe 4-5oz. Wish it was 6 or so. Very good texture, crisped skin, quite large pearl couscous and large orbs tzatziki foam--very flavorful and lime-forward. Delish. Very pretty. The chicken and dumplings was homey, as one might expect. Good flavors, but unfortunately salty. The gnocchi were lovely. The peas and pea shoots also great. The carrots were very lightly cooked, and crunchy enough that they were out of place in this type of dish. This isn't a soup, btw. It has very little liquid at all. The biscuit crumbs and pieces did not elevate the dish. In fact, the biscuit pieces were crumbly like they were cooked two days ago (I make biscuits often, so I know) and biscuits don't belong in chicken and dumplings anyway. The chicken pieces were tender and had good flavor. Not more than just an ounce or two of meat though. The raspberry lemon drop was fine, though probably only a 4oz drink. The large martini glass made the drink look undersized. It was tasty, but in no way worth $19. It was garnished with a wedge of lemon, which looked surprisingly clunky and inelegant against a pretty pink martini drink. A wheel of lemon or a more delicate garnish would've made it look more worth the price (wheel of lemon dusted in freeze dried raspberry powder?). The iced tea was made to our order, as they don't keep an urn of it premade unless it's ordered I guess. It was very nice, and nice that they made it for us even though they'd likely not sell much later in the shift. They did offer that we could order a different drink instead of waiting, which was nice.
Worse dining experience in AZ! 30 minutes to get a glass of wine. Wrong orders for our group of 6. One of our guests did not get the entree! Apologies galore but not one Manager (if they have one?) came to our table. Espresso machine not working. We found out later the one on the first floor bar was working. Dessert: "spiced pumpkin mousse, chocolate pumpkin shell, maple & pecan puffed rice cookie". Except the latter two items were NOT on the plate and the pumpkin mousse tasted sour.
TLDR: Great vibe, great service (waitress wise, Aracely specifically AMAZING), great view, great drinks. Horrible food horrible hostesses and I'm not picky. Long review: The vibe, the aura, the decor, view is amazing. If you want great pics and to feel good while you drink, this place is AMAZING. The food? The hostesses??? Horrible. The hostesses: they will not be friendly or helpful unless you're the skinny, white, influencer type. We came right at open (4 pm) and asked for outdoors, they said it was fully reserved, which is understandable. But then said they don't know if they can fit us in the main area. No one there. fully open. Stayed fully open until we left (6:30 pm). There were two girls at the bar that went up to the hostesses and asked if they could go outside and she said, "Yes no problem!" So yeah, whatever that situation is there. Food wise: Listen I'm not trying to bash the chef because I can see the effort behind the dishes, but wow they are SO BAD. They are plated beautifully but the taste? I don't know if he was sick or a smoker but everything was SALTY, and I love salt!! I can usually be okay with the food, and push through but WOW. The wagyu sliders were good, beef short rib croquettes and grilled halloumi were good enough. Nothing grand but hey still good enough, borderline salty. Enter the cast iron scallops. For $36 you would hope they would be great. You get three pieces on top of a tomato sauce and their "squid ink tuile" has no squid ink taste, but PURE SALT. Scallops are salty on their own and that topping was just pure salt that you don't expect because you would think a chef would know not to add more salt. That bite felt like I was taking a tablespoon of iodized salt. So horrible. The scallops were not seared crispy. Waste of $36. The lucero spread came with naan bread that you expect to be toasty and crisp and they were just oily and soggy with all the oil. Listen I wouldn't complain if this was a dive bar, but for a "fancy" place that costs more than the average bill, you would expect higher quality food. I would come back if they changed out the hostesses and chef changed his tastebuds.