⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Such a fun and unique little place in Flagstaff! The Toasted Owl has so much personality — I loved all of the quirky knickknacks and owl décor, and the fact that so many of the items you see are actually for sale makes it even more fun to look around.
The patio was probably my favorite part. It’s incredibly dog-friendly, and there was just something so enjoyable about sitting outside with everyone eating and their dogs happily hanging out under the tables. Such a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere!
The food was great too. I had the Reuben and loved it, and their house-made chips are absolutely delightful! Their Southwest-inspired breakfast dishes looked amazing, and I was really impressed by how many vegan options they offer as well.
Definitely one of those places that feels uniquely Flagstaff. Great food, fun atmosphere, dogs, owls, and plenty to look at — what’s not to love? 🦉🐾❤️
We tried The Toasted Owl for the first time. My first impression of the host wasn't great—it felt a little forced, and after seating us they walked away without saying anything else. Thankfully, our server, Alma, was excellent. She took our drink order within about 3 minutes, checked on us, and provided great service throughout our visit. Our food arrived in about 17 minutes, which was reasonable, and everything tasted good. The bathroom was clean, and our total was around $70 before tip. Overall, despite the rough first impression, Alma's service and the food made it a good experience. I'd recommend giving this restaurant a try.
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
Food (what I tasted): ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (3/5)
Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Atmosphere/Cleanliness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
The service was excellent, and the restaurant itself was clean, welcoming, and very pleasant. A huge bonus for us was that it’s dog friendly, which we always appreciate when traveling with our puppies.
My disappointment was simply that there wasn’t much on the menu that appealed to me.
My husband ordered the Bacon ‘r’ Sausage Scramble, and I stole a bite. 😊 I have to admit—it was really tasty. I don’t eat beef, so the burgers weren’t an option for me. I asked about the fried chicken, and the waiter explained that it was a fried chicken breast patty. When I think of fried chicken, I think of actual pieces of chicken—breast, thigh, wings, or drumsticks—so it just wasn’t what I was looking for. They also had salads and vegan dishes, but I wasn’t in the mood for a salad. I would have loved to see a couple of soup choices on the menu.
From the bite I tasted, the food was flavorful and well prepared, and my husband thoroughly enjoyed his meal.
I’m giving it 3 stars overall because, although the service, atmosphere, and dog-friendly patio were all excellent, I left disappointed that I couldn’t find something on the menu that really appealed to me. If the menu sounds good to you, I think you’ll likely have a much better experience. This is simply my personal preference and not a reflection of the quality of the food or the service.
A two-hour breakfast adventure featuring warm air, dry drinks, mystery gratuity, and chilaquiles that emotionally gave up
We were seated inside around 11:00 a.m., where the temperature was warm enough that I briefly wondered if “The Toasted Owl” was not just the name, but also the dining-room climate setting. Add in a few too many flies circling the table, and the place had a strong “breakfast with light survival elements” atmosphere.
Our waitress seemed new, so we tried to be patient. She took our drink order, and we settled in. Then we settled in some more. Then we began watching table after table arrive after us, get drinks, get food, eat, possibly reflect on life, and leave — while we were still waiting on water like we were participating in a desert-themed escape room.
Eventually, we asked what was going on. Turns out, our order had been taken but never actually sent to the kitchen. Not delayed. Not backed up. Not complicated. Just… never hit send. A small button, apparently carrying the full weight of our breakfast destiny.
When the food finally arrived, it was mostly standard breakfast fare. The eggs Benedict was fine — not remarkable, not offensive, just very much present.
I ordered the chilaquiles, which I was excited to see on the menu. They offered “Xmas” sauce for a $4 upcharge, meaning both red and green sauce. Great concept. Except what arrived was green chilaquiles with cold red sauce on the side. When I asked about it, the waitress explained that they can only cook one color.
I’m sorry, what?
So the $4 “Xmas” upcharge is not actually the dish cooked with both sauces — it is apparently a festive little cold sauce cup on the side. Somewhere, a menu designer printed that charge with confidence, and I admire the audacity.
Unfortunately, both sauces were bland, the chilaquiles lacked the traditional touches like beans or queso fresco, and the “medium” eggs were cooked so hard they may have been applying for a career in construction.
Also, sour cream must currently be experiencing a global shortage, because the amount provided was a microscopic decorative drizzle. I hope the kitchen is okay and that the sour cream vault has since been restocked.
Drink refills? Also no. Seven people at the table, all sitting there with empty waters, empty drinks, empty mimosas, empty Bloody Marys, and full emotional fatigue.
Then came the check. Or rather, the quest to obtain the check. By this point, we were about two hours into what was supposed to be a simple breakfast. The entire party finally stood up and migrated toward the entrance like we were trying to be gently rescued from brunch captivity.
When the check arrived, it was not itemized. We asked whether gratuity was included. The answer was basically, “I don’t really know. Maybe it gets added automatically for parties of seven or more.”
Maybe?
That is a fairly important detail when people are deciding whether they are already paying an 18% gratuity or accidentally stacking another 20% on top of service that mostly consisted of forgetting our order existed.
Overall, The Toasted Owl seems like a popular spot, but based on this visit, I suspect that popularity has more to do with location, branding, and the cute name than anything that actually happened at our table. Nothing wowed us, several things confused us, and breakfast somehow became a two-hour group project.
The owl may be toasted, but unfortunately, so was our patience.
Just happened upon the Toasted Owl on our way through town, and I'm really glad we did! The coffee was delicious, not overly dark roast or bitter. The food was delicious, and the portion size was great. The decor and overall vibe is really eclectic and fun. Leilani took great care of us. I would say I'll be back, but that would require another trip to Flagstaff. But who knows?
My only issue with the visit is that there is very limited, if any, free parking. That being said, there is plenty of curbside parking and a small lot nearby, but it all looked like you have to pay hourly.
