REVIEW: COPPER & SAGE

The Stars Almost Align (Finally)

Mr. Buzz & I had been meaning to go out to dinner for well over a year now - so many things to celebrate - but the time just wasn’t right and the stars never seemed to align.

It was getting late. On a Sunday night. On a holiday weekend. I was already hangry. But otherwise, we had nothing restricting us, so we decide - on a whim - that tonight’s the night we get gussied up and leave the house…

Cravings & Crowds

I wanted to go to my favorite local restaurant, right down the street, however it closes at 8 PM on Sundays.¹  

Since it is now a little after 7, and I didn’t want to have to have to rush through dinner, I suggest a mosey on down the freeway to The Stillery, because I know they’re open late. (I wrote about them before here.)

When we arrived at Goodyear Civic Square (“GSQ”) it was packed! There were people everywhere and parking spots were hard to come by. [Yes, I know there’s a parking structure, but my backseat driving couldn’t get us there.]

I was surprised how many people were milling around the square and visiting the temporary ice skating ring because I found it to be very cold outside.

Madhouse

The Stillery was a madhouse. There was a live band and at least a 20-minute wait. This is great news if you’re into that sort of thing - the place is pumping!

However, given our increasingly cranky mood, and wanting to converse at dinner, this place was not the right place for us tonight. Make no mistake, I love The Stillery, it just wasn’t right for us tonight.

This is turning into one of those nights where nothing seems to go right. Now it’s even later… on a Sunday night. The odds are against us in the sleepy West Valley.

We didn’t plan ahead, but where we eventually ended up was…

Just What We Needed

We take a walk over to look at the menu at a different restaurant, across the parking lot but Mr. Buzz is already groaning… Not his style of food and me, well, I’m hungry so I don’t care, I’ll eat almost anything.

Just then we turn and Mr. Buzz spots Copper & Sage. He’s already walking toward the building and he’s too far ahead of me to hear my objections. I had previously looked at the menu online and didn’t think there was anything I could eat there given my dietary sensitivities.

But Mr. Buzz was intrigued and he’s got great intuition, so I follow behind. Both of us march across the parking lot with a lot more pep in our step now that Mr. Buzz seems to be excited about this option.

Vibing

We step inside, take a peak at the menu, and right away I see something I can order. The place is quiet - has a great, mellow vibe - so we decide to give it a try.

As we wait for someone to help us, I am pretty shocked at how beautiful it is - I wasn’t expecting that in a strip mall setting. Forgive me, I must get with the times - I’m not accustomed to upscale places like this in anything other than a stand-alone building. Gotta open that mind, V.

Hidden in Plain Sight - Good News/Bad News

A few minutes later someone arrives and takes us to a table at the back, at the end of the row. I immediately like this idea because it feels so quiet and private, even though there is a couple sitting at the booth next to us.

It’s been a loooong time since Mr. Buzz and I have sat down alone together and I look forward to catching up with him… This seems like the perfect spot for that!

Bad news, I don’t think any wait staff knows we’re here. We’re hidden in plain sight.

Tick-Tock

We wait and we wait and we wait some more. Now, I’m starting to get even hangrier. And, now it’s even later, but it looks like we won’t be eating here after all.

It’s odd because, while there are other patrons in the establishment, we seem to be invisible. I begrudgingly get out my phone to start searching for other nearby eateries. I’m afraid it’s going to be slim pickins for other options on a Sunday night at nearly 8:15 pm.

Have You Guys Been Helped?

Before I can find my glasses in my purse and get on a good scroll, a sweet server pops by our table, seemingly surprised by our presence. We tell her we’ve been waiting and were just about to leave. I get the sense that either a different server was assigned to this table and they bailed, or this is her table and no told her we had been seated there.

Regardless, from that point, our nosedive of a night starts to get better.

Lookin’ Up!

Our server was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and helped Mr. Buzz decide on his meal. He had his eye on the Pork Belly Tacos but ultimately decides that is probably going to be too spicy. He ends up ordering the Classic Smash Burger, no tomato, no pickles, dijonaise on the side. I order the Blackened Fish Tacos.

I Eat With My Eyes

Our food is delivered - quickly I might add - but I am initially unimpressed with the presentation. My tacos seem skimpy and I am, by this point, very hungry; I was looking for a lot more than what was set in front of me.

The tacos are served without sides - just 3 tacos served on a slab of wood. To me, it doesn’t seem like enough food. The presentation is unique but comes across as barren and a bit sloppy.

Smashed It!

But then I take one bite of my taco and my mind is blown. This is the only truly fresh, grilled fish taco I’ve had since we moved to Arizona. The flavor combination is incredible. And 3 tacos ends up being plenty of food. In fact, I even brought one home and had it for breakfast the next day.

As for Mr. Buzz, he loved his Smash Burger. He said the best part was it wasn’t dripping juices everywhere and the bun didn’t soggy. His meal came with fries. Of course I had one!

I rarely meet a fry I don’t like, and while these had great flavor, they were barely warm and I think there should have been a few more in the cup (see picture above to see how they’re served). The issues with the fries don’t phase Mr. Buzz - he was impressed by all of it. He even liked the dijonaise - he’s not one for sauces, so I’m pretty surprised to hear this.

Tough Crowd

Mr. Buzz is a really great cook, which is really why we don’t eat out much: he makes everything better than most restaurants. We don’t have fancy meals, just simple things; nobody makes simple food taste as great as Mr. B!

As such, we both are pretty tough critics when it comes to eating out - especially in a classy place like this. So often, we’ve paid several pretty pennies for subpar meals.

However, tonight, we are both pleasantly surprised by our delicious meal!

Ambiance & Decor

I find the decor stunning. Old world. Rich. Classy.

I especially love the dining room option (photo above, top right) that you can book ahead for private gatherings.

There was background music playing throughout dinner and it was set at the perfect volume - we could hear it and have a conversation. That small detail is something I’ve noticed most restaurants get wrong.

They also have a really nice, really big outdoor patio! And, live music on Wednesday evenings which I have now added to The Buzz’s music listings which can be found here.

I learned recently - from another local establishment - that it is not good to show photos of a place “empty” with no patrons. But, for me, tonight, this is what I like most about it, as it seems like the entire restaurant was built and waiting just for us.

Also, keep it mind, these photos were taken on a holiday weekend, on a Sunday night, 15 minutes before closing time. I can imagine this place is normally very busy.

Worth It

Buzz Rating

I would definitely go back here! They serve brunch on the weekends, which sounds fun too! Having only visited once, I will refrain from commenting on the service.*

Overall: 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 (4/5)

*Taking off one bee because I felt our food could have been warmer and the initial service more attentive. Because it was so late in the evening and so close to closing time, I’m hoping this is why it was like that. I will update this if I find the next visit different.

If you go, let me know!

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1  My review of “this place” has been delayed because I forget to take pictures of the food every time we go and I can’t write a post without pictures. 😆