Arizona’s lack of coastline couldn’t hold Adam Strecker from his dream of opening a seafood restaurant — and it took just one year from idea to opening the first Buck & Rider in Arcadia nearly eight years ago. Now, the north Valley boasts its own Buck & Rider — twice the size of the original.
Arizona’s lack of coastline couldn’t hold Adam Strecker from his dream of opening a seafood restaurant — and it took just one year from idea to opening the first Buck & Rider in Arcadia nearly eight years ago. Now, the north Valley boasts its own Buck & Rider — twice the size of the original.
The signature rotating flat board holds a prominent position in the dining room to announce each day’s selection of freshly flown-in seafood. And the raw bar also, again, is a central attraction. Additional features to enjoy at the Scottsdale restaurant are a sit-down sushi bar and a wide-open exhibition kitchen — and, just a few steps along an interior hallway and in vibrant contrast to the generally muted atmosphere, a colorful depiction of a tilefish from noted textile artist Frances Rodriguez.
Interior design evokes old seafood canneries, while the patios — one enclosed by a split-rail fence, the other within a low stone wall — give a sense of rocky coast, with rough sandy floors and expanses of weathered wood. The front patio offers the full dining experience. The one in back serves more as cocktail lounge where guests can order drinks and small plates; Adirondack chairs are wisely designed with wide, flat arms that offer a convenient resting place for whatever refreshment was ordered.
Like its Camelback counterpart, the north Scottsdale location offers a menu that rounds out its seafood dishes with a few choices of steak, ribs and chicken as carefully sourced as the seafood from small producers around the world. Always popular are the Baja Shrimp Ceviche made with Sea of Cortez wild shrimp, Ahi Tuna Crispy Rice with a spicy aioli and Smoked Trout Dip made with Ducktrap Farms trout. Sushi offers a variety of flavors and textures, with the Baked Yuzu Crab Roll — blue crab and spicy tuna — encased in white soy paper instead of the usual black nori seaweed.
Buck & Rider Scottsdale also features event space at the south end of the building, with its own private entrance, creatively designed to accommodate two separate parties but with a flow-through that allows it to work for a single large party.
Buck & Rider
7015 E. Mayo Blvd., Scottsdale
(480) 561-5252
4225 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix
(602) 346-0110
Dungeness Crab “Wedge” Iceberg lettuce, egg, heirloom tomatoes, olives, KILLER Louie dressing topped with fresh Dungeness crab |
#1 Ahi Tuna Crispy Rice Crispy rice topped with #1 Ahi tuna, avocado, sesame and spicy aioli |
Buck’s Famous Fish Sandwich Pan-seared loup de mer, house tartar, lettuce, tomato and pickle on a poppyseed roll |
Photos courtesy of Buck & Rider
Did You Know: Buck & Rider or Buck &Rider? Yes, the ampersand matters. Playing on the meaning of the marine term “buck and rider” as a pair of intertwined crabs, the ampersand directly hugs the word “Rider” when the words of restaurant name are stacked one above the other.
