Scottsdale has Mexican restaurants on every corner; it has almost no New Mexican ones. Carlsbad Tavern has been filling that gap on Hayden Road since 1995, veteran-owned and family-run, inside a room built to look like Carlsbad Caverns — bats, waterfall, a side of Roswell alien kitsch.
The theme is ridiculous and the chile is serious. Red and green do the everyday work; the habanero dishes exist to humble visitors, and the margarita doubles as the fire extinguisher.
When to go: late. The kitchen runs until 2:00 AM on weekends, and after 10:00 PM the tables fill with off-shift cooks and bartenders, which tells you everything.