Posted By Les Conklin on May 17, 2015

Introduction

Pinnacle Peak Patio, Front Entrance.

On June 28, 2015 Pinnacle Peak Patio will close its doors.  During the last two weeks of May, as a tribute to a special place and a special time, we are publishing an article that describes the early history of Pinnacle Peak Patio.  This is the second of three parts. The article was originally published in the May 2000 issue of A Peek at the Peak magazine. Most of the photographs included with this article are from the editor’s book, “Pinnacle Peak – Images of America,” and were provided by Marv  Dixon of Pinnacle Peak Patio.  Les Conklin, Editor

Thank You Pinnacle Peak Patio! – Part 1 of 3 – Published May 15, 2015

Pinnacle Peak Patio Dishes Up Steaks with a Side of Local History

Part 2 of 3

By Nancy Lucas and Don Schoenau
As published in A Peek at the Peak, May 2000

The Peak is not just popular with customers, many critters have made it home. “We used to have three deer here, Missy, Bucky and Sidney. One of the deer got in the newspaper because she used to come up to people while they were eating and pull off the tablecloths. They used to run around the restaurant. It was a health code violation, but in those days who knew? She would come to the door every

Pinnacle Peak Patio Postcard from 1970s warned “city slickers” that neckties would be “removed.” Photo Courtesy of Marv Dickson.

hour and we would give her a bottle of milk,” said Marv. At one time there was also a drunken mule who would drink beer right out of a bottle. Currently, there is a rattlesnake in residence. Don’t worry, she lives in a glass case. Marv recalls, “Some guy brought her here with two males. She had 13 babies. Her rattlers were off, so she would be very dangerous out there because she wouldn’t rattle. The others I let go.”

Water was an issue in the early days, remembers Marv.”Before there was water up here we used to have to get it from DC Ranch. We had a pool up here and we couldn’t keep water in it because it would evaporate so fast. The employees used it to cool-off, and we also had a lot of parties up there. To pay for the water, Bill DePew used to send us down to Brownie’s Ranch to help with the cattle drives.”

Pinnacle Peak Patio’s “cowboy” owner was a Phoenix businessman. Photo Courtesy of Marv Dickson.

You can’t miss the ties and cards hanging from every rafter. Like everything else in this place, there is a story behind it. “The tie and card tradition started on the first night the restaurant was open. A businessman from Scottsdale was trying to eat his steak but the tie kept getting in the way. This bothered the owner, Bill DePew, and he got a knife and cut if off and nailed it to the rafters. The man thought it was funny so he brought some friends in the next night and Bill cut theirs also. That’s how the tradition started. Now all the waitresses carry scissors to cut ties off of customers,” said Marv. No one knows for sure how many ties there are now, they lost count long ago. Estimates run into the millions.

The Patio is Marv’s own, private museum displaying his collection of objects related to the Patio and its environs. There are showcases on the walls throughout the restaurant, exhibiting items such as license plates from every state, the Arizona license plate from each year it was made – dating back to 1916, bola ties, badges and patches, can openers, Native American artifacts, an old rifle dug up on the premises, branding irons from local ranches, horse bits, old photographs, trophies, and photographs of celebrity customers. Next time you dine here, make sure to take some time to view these pieces of history.

The “Old Timer” served as the official greeter. Photo Courtesy of Marv Dickson.

Another part of the colorful atmosphere is the “Old Timer.” There have been a few Old Timers over the years. They all have the look of a grizzled prospector or old desert rat. The current Old Timer, Pappy, sports a beard down his chest, red flannels, old combat boots, suspenders and an old, dusty hat. He is the Patio’s official goodwill ambassador who makes people feel welcome and helps them get into the spirit. He greets tour buses by “firing a shot “as they arrive. He also gives out junior deputy badges to the kids.

Many celebrities have visited the Peak over the years. Marv has 150 autographs, and photos of “Miss Kitty” of Gunsmoke, Jane Russell, Ben Johnson, John Wayne, Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin. They also have pictures of Wayne Newton, Billy Martin, Billy Carter, Chill Wills, Pat Boone, Wilford Brimley, George C Scott, Gary Sandy, Ann Miller, Johnny Crawford from The Rifleman, Liza Minnelli, and many others. There are also many sports figures.

The building that houses the Peak has grown, somewhat haphazardly, throughout the years. It was originally one room with a screened in patio seating 50, and is now a maze of 10 rooms and three patios seating up to 5,000. One bar started out as an ice cream parlor, then became the Sweet Tooth Saloon, and is now known as the Gunslinger Bar. Some rooms were put up in two weeks for a particular party. Often customers would pitch in and help with the building. Marv is not sure how many square feet they have under the roof. That’s not surprising because of how it grew and its irregular shape. “We started with one room and then we kept adding till now,” said Marv.

This 1970s postcard shows Pinnacle Peak Patio after years of rapid growth. Photo Courtesy of Marv Dickson.

The Patio has a distinct western atmosphere, but underneath its rustic exterior lies a very efficient and professional restaurant. They serve 2,000 steaks on a typical Saturday night. It takes from 33 to 35 wait staff to take care of all their customers and there are 12 permanent grills and several portables. “We have a full house on the weekends;’ said Marv. “When it’s busy we can serve about 100 an hour.” Adding to the efficiency is a recently purchased meat processing operation. The Patio has a website and a sales staff for booking parties. Two years ago they added an on-site micro brewery that brews five types of beers and offers logo glasses, T-shirts and baseball caps for sale. They wouldn’t have lasted this long if they didn’t know what they were doing.

Related Articles

Thank You Pinnacle Peak Patio! – Part 1 of 3 – Published May 15, 2015

Thank You Pinnacle Peak Patio! – Part 3 or 3 – Published May 19, 2015

Editor Note. “Pinnacle Peak, Images of America, written by Les Conklin and the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association and published by Arcadia Publishing is available on Amazon.com and other major book sellers. For a signed copy and to save postage, contact The Peak.