7 Must-Try Lake Havasau City Restaurants | Best Places To Eat Lake Havasu City

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Foodie Flash Packer | December 30, 2021

https://www.foodieflashpacker.com/lake-havasau-city-restaurants/

Long before I lived in Arizona, there was something magical about Lake Havasu. Along the west border of Arizona, it creates an oasis with water sports and lush golf courses unlike most of the rest of the moon-like landscape of so much of this desert state. And the Lake Havasau City restaurants– those alone are enough to warrant a visit!

I hadn’t realized until a few years ago that the original London Bridge, built in the 1830s that spanned the River Thames in London, England, had been purchased and moved here. Lake Havasu City, a planned community founded in 1964 and promoted by developer Robert P. McCulloch, has drawn visitors ever since.

For an extended day road trip, we decided to include a visit to Lake Havasu in our journey from Flagstaff to Tucson. If you check the map, you’ll see we created a horseshoe across the Arizona map, driving west on I-40 and then south on 95 and back east on I-10. 

That’s a horseshoe. In Arizona. Outside Page. Okay, we did do Horseshoe Bend in June, and that was great, but Page is not known for their restaurants outside the luxury hotel and Antelope Point Marina. So it was nice to find another town with many tasty restaurants. 

Best Places To Eat Lake Havasu City

Lake Havasu City provides easily accessible casual lakeside and riverside dining with views of the London Bridge, purchased for $2.46M by Robert P. McCulloch from the City of London in 1968 and numbered, moved, and reassembled (for another $4.5M) with reinforced concrete.

The welcome ceremony and rededication occurred on October 10, 1971, with the Honorable The Lord Mayor of London Sir Gilbert Inglefield, and Arizona Governor Jack Williams in attendance.

If you cross the bridge, turn left into the London Bridge Beach, and stop at the playground or tennis court or enjoy your time at the beach. On this side, you’ll find Javelina Cantina, Shugrue’s, and the Barley Brothers. Park here and walk across the bridge and go down the stairs for the English Village for even more. Or off the river for some of the best Italian or pizza in town.

The 7 Must-Try Lake Havasau City Restaurants

Javelina Cantina

1420 N. McCulloch Blvd. // 928-855-TACO

The most unusual animal I’ve come across since moving to Arizona is the javelina. Much angrier than Pumba, we avoid getting too close, especially when in the backyard. It will charge you.

But the cute javelina figure on the door of this wonderful Mexican cantina makes you forget all that.

The menu confirms they believe ‘Javelina Cantina is Lake Havasu’s number one destination for authentic Sonoran style Mexican food.

Start with their Sopas Y Botanas. Chips and salsa and water were delivered to our table shortly after we arrived. The waiter was there just moments later to ask what additional beverages were desired. They have a specialty tequila connection and advertise their world-class tequila bar. But I was ready to focus on the starters.

I haven’t seen bacon poppers before, and anyone who likes jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese is bound to enjoy these.

Or stick with the more familiar tortilla soup, grilled chicken & onion quesadilla, chicken strips, chili con queso, 7-layer bean dip, nachos grande, Baja shrimp cocktail, or Ceviche del Patron. We couldn’t pass up the chance to try the cheese crisp, a toasted flour tortilla, melted jack & cheddar cheese, garnished with pico de gallo, reminding me of how we used to have nachos at Tortilla Flats in Danbury, CT, when I was a little girl.

 

They have seven different salads available, from side salads to blackened sea scallops to Seafood Fiesta Salad. Check out their avocado vinaigrette salad dressing. I haven’t found it anywhere else.

Their specialty sandwiches cover the basic proteins: chicken, steak, salmon and a burger. 

And they have almost everything a la carte you could imagine at a Mexican restaurant: tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, rellenos, tamales, flautas (my usual choice), taquitos and burritos.

When you’re hungry, though, you’ll probably want to try their Surf & Turf Molcajete Bowl.  

I learned that molcajete is the Spanish word for mortar and pestle that derives from an Aztec word meaning seasoning bowl. Their bowls are hand-carved from a single piece of basalt rock and are independent works of art.

You can have the pomp of the sizzling fajitas – the family near us had the kids laughing with the fun of the service. They’re so helpful here, if you want to try three different types of fajitas, they can accommodate. Their Three Amigos include shrimp, steak and chicken fajitas. Too many places we’ve been only allow three of the same type of protein.

The Chef Specials are where we landed. Favorite daughter especially likes that you can add 10 grilled shrimp to any of these plates for only $6. That’s a great price for what you receive.

They offer street tacos, shrimp tacos, a super burrito, flautas or taquitos, enchiladas, chimichanga, two potato spinach & cheese enchiladas, carnitas, salmon tostada, carne asada, lobster tail tacos (a local favorite), or my choice of the day: fish tacos.

Whenever I’m near the water, I feel obligated to consider the choice. Their mahi mahi choice made it easy. Given the option of fried or grilled, I chose grilled. I didn’t have the rice and beans since I’d already had so many of the warm, delicious chips and medium spice salsa.

I barely had time to settle in to answer a couple of emails and enjoy the view of the south side of the London Bridge, when the service returned with my meal.

Two tortilla wrapped white fish tacos were over-filled with shredded cabbage, mango salsa, corn, scattered black beans, and a southwest tartar sauce with a very pleasant kick.

It is well advised to save room for dessert or eat it first.

They have my all-time favorite Mexican restaurant dessert: fried ice cream. They take the packed ball of vanilla ice cream, roll it in corn flakes, deep fry it and add just the right amount of caramel drizzle. It just never gets old.

The other desserts include the traditional sopapilla, churros (plain or strawberry filled), and a raspberry white chocolate cheesecake. 

They also had two I haven’t heard of before. 

Chocolate Totopo is a devil’s food cake filled with hot fudge and garnished with chocolate syrup, topped with whipped cream and a cherry, and served with vanilla bean ice cream. Sounds delicious.

Xango is a cheesecake-filled tortilla, fried, and covered with a cinnamon sugar topping. If you like cheesecake, I think you’d really like this.

This was my favorite meal in Lake Havasu City with great, fast service, wonderful food, and a great view of the London Bridge. 

They serve Coca-Cola beverages, milk (to counteract the spicy food), juices, tea, coffee and hot chocolate.