Harold’s in the Press

At the height of the Great Depression in 1935, Johnny Walker began construction on the original A-frame structure of the Cave Creek Corral. Little did he know that this modest bar would expand over nine decades into a 12,000 square-foot restaurant and iconic country-western institution, attracting thousands to what former Cave Creek Mayor Vincent Francia called “the center of the universe” for the desert community.

Possibly the most well-known football spot in Arizona, and even a top national spot, Harold’s is synonymous with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dubbed “Heinz Field West,” the restaurant is widely regarded as the biggest Steelers bar west of the Mississippi River, gathering an average of 700 “yinzers” each Sunday.

Harold’s Cave Creek Coral has been serving diners and live music fans for nearly one hundred years. A new Arizona-based production company is hosting a two-day music event on October 3 and 4 to kick off the venue’s 90th anniversary celebration.

The fest, Harold’s 90 Year Celebration, will feature a lineup of country music heavy hitters, including platinum recording artist Rodney Atkins and Brian Kelley, the Florida part of the Grammy-nominated band Florida Georgia Line, who has released three solo albums. Kianna Martinez, Josh Roy, Austin Burke and Laura Walsh are also scheduled to perform.

After a year of preparation, Cave Creek Rodeo Days are set to kick off their 46th year. Over a week’s worth of events will get started on March 16 with a community parade.

The parade will have an American Western heritage theme and walk past Local Johnny’s, Big Earl’s, Kiwanis Marketplace, Buffalo Chip and Harold’s Cave Creek Corral.

This year, the parade will be led by Grand Marshal Daniel Piacquadio. The grand marshal is typically a leader in the community who supports the rodeo and is selected by the board of directors. 

“(Piacquadio) was selected because of his reputation and what he has done for the community and rodeo,” Poppenwimer said. 

Betting options, outdoor patio bring an expanded, shaded outdoor patio offering more seating for patrons and a popular Unibet sportsbook offering live wagering on all major sports means the start of football season will look a lot different at Harold’s Cave Creek Corral this year.

The country western bar and restaurant has been serving patrons for nearly 90 years, according to a press release. During the past two decades, Harold’s Corral has grown to become a large Steelers bar, affectionately known as “Heinz Field West.”

With an original owner named Johnny Walker, how could this bar not have staying power? Walker’s effort to serve workers building the Bartlett Dam evolved into a beloved watering hole named after Harold Gavagan, who bought it from Walker. The tales about lions and tigers caged in the back room and whispers about Gavagan signaling closing time by firing his gun into the air only added to the legendary attraction that has drawn movie stars and country singers to the humble bar over the years. And good luck finding an open seat during football season as it’s known as “Heinz Field West,” one the biggest Pittsburgh Steelers bars outside of Pennsylvania.

The Valley’s oldest restaurants have all carved their own special niche in not only the metro area’s history, but in Arizonans’ hearts as well. And this combination, along with sheer grit, may very well explain how they’ve survived for so long. All the restaurants on this list have all held their own for more than half a century, surviving natural disasters, the ups and downs of the economy, a global pandemic, rising food costs and labor shortages. Harold’s Corral’s roots date back to 1935, when owner Johnny Walker opened a bar to serve the workers building Bartlett Dam.

This barn-like hall was originally built in the name of an old Arizona tradition: getting a piece of the massive federal largess that’s flowed in here through the years. The workers who built the Bartlett Dam in the late 1930s needed a nearby place to spend their paychecks and forget their cares. An entrepreneur named Johnny Walker was there to help them with a place he called the Corral Bar. A promoter named Harold Gavagan bought it a few years later, filled it with honky-tonk gimcracks, brought in some country-and-western bands and called it a “wild west” bar, even though very few actual ranchers were among the customers. Sports plays on the TVs and there’s off-track betting. It’s worth seeing how Arizona looks at itself in a mirror and reflects itself back to the rest of the world.

The Western-themed Cave Creek restaurant is intertwined with the fabric of the town, 30 miles north of Phoenix. Cave Creek’s longtime Mayor Vincent Francia  has said, “Sedona has its vortexs, Cave Creek has Harold’s.”