Uptown Sedona · Jordan Road · Modern Mexican
Elote Cafe
Chef Jeff Smedstad’s Uptown dining room is Sedona’s most-booked dinner, known for fire-roasted elote, smoked brisket enchiladas and a deep tequila and mezcal list. Book well ahead.
Opens Elote’s menu page. Reservations are required and open up to 60 days ahead on elotecafe.com.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Modern Mexican
Dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday
Price range
$$–$$$
Mains $24–$48 on the online menu
Hours
Tue–Sat from 5 pm
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Time needed
About 1.5–2 hours
Our estimate for a sit-down dinner
Parking
Small lot + Uptown lots
Tight lot; the city has one bus/RV lot
Recognition
James Beard semifinalist
Chef Jeff Smedstad, Best Chef: Southwest, 2017
What to order
Fire-roasted corn and smoky moles
Elote cooks the food of southern and interior Mexico, from Oaxaca, Veracruz and Puebla, alongside Arizona flavors. The menu is short, seasonal and built for sharing.
Photo: Missvain on Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Start here
Start with the elote
The namesake dish is fire-roasted corn with spicy mayo, lime and cotija, $11 on the current menu. Then pick a main: smoked brisket enchiladas ($33), smoked pork cheeks ($36), lamb adobo ($45) or buffalo mole poblano ($42).
RV tip: Elote serves dinner only and doesn’t take walk-ins, so book your table before you pick your campsite dates. Takeout pre-orders open by phone at 3 pm.
More on the menu
- Smoked brisket enchiladasThe dish Google reviewers name most after the elote itself.
- Corn crusted scallopsThe priciest plate on the menu at $48.
- Tequila and mezcal flightsThe bar is built around agave spirits, with tasting flights.
- Mexican chocolate pieA $13 dessert to share before the drive back to the rig.
Why go
The reservation everyone in Sedona tries to get
Jeff Smedstad opened Elote in 2007 and moved it to its own space on Jordan Road in Uptown in 2020. He built the menu on years of cooking trips through southern Mexico, and he was a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Southwest in 2017.
It is the most consistently top-rated dinner in town: 4.7 on Google, 4.6 on Tripadvisor and 4.5 on Yelp, across more than 11,000 reviews. That popularity is also the catch, since tables often book out weeks ahead.
For RVers it is an easy trip from the parks along Oak Creek. Rancho Sedona is about a mile away, but Uptown parking is tight, so plan on the tow vehicle, not the rig.
Photo: Brady Smith, Coconino National Forest on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Why it made our list
- Rated 4.5 or higher on Google, Tripadvisor and Yelp
- A James Beard semifinalist chef in the kitchen
- About 4 minutes from Rancho Sedona RV Park
- Seasonal, regional Mexican cooking you won’t find elsewhere in town
- A serious tequila and mezcal list
For RVers
Getting to Elote in the tow vehicle
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Book before you arrive
Elote says reservations are required, with no walk-ins at this time, and opens dates up to 60 days out. If your dates are flexible, check the calendar first and plan your Sedona stay around a table.
Leave the rig at the park
The restaurant’s lot is small and tight, and Uptown streets are busy. The City of Sedona’s Uptown parking map sets aside one lot for buses and RVs and bars RVs from the others, so the tow vehicle is the way to go.
Use the free Uptown lots
Sedona runs free public lots in Uptown, including parking off Schnebly Road and Peach Lane, a short walk from Elote.
Dinner, then the stars
Service starts at 5 pm. In fall and winter you can catch sunset over the red rocks on the way in and be back at camp for stargazing.
What visitors say about Elote Cafe
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 30, 2026.
Overlooking the scenic Red Rocks of Sedona
Elote Cafe, describing itself · elotecafe.com
What visitors often mention
Topics Google reviewers mention most
EloteBrisket enchiladasPork cheeks
Google’s review topics, checked October 30, 2026: elote (182 mentions), brisket enchiladas (165), pork cheeks (87) and bar seating (44).
What things cost
Prices from Elote’s online menu, checked October 30, 2026. The menu changes with the seasons.
Good to know
Starters$8–$23 guacamole to short-rib quesadilla
Mains$24–$48 chile relleno to scallops
ReservationsRequired up to 60 days ahead
Also good forDate nightTequilaVegetarians
Prices and policies from elotecafe.com, checked October 30, 2026. Elote is closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Elote Cafe
- Address350 Jordan Rd., Sedona, AZ 86336
- HoursTue–Sat from 5 pm
Closed Sundays and Mondays - Phone(928) 203-0105
- ReservationsBook online or call; no walk-ins
- Getting thereIn Uptown Sedona, just off SR-89A on Jordan Road, about a mile north of the SR-179 roundabout at the “Y.”
- ParkingA small, tight lot plus nearby free city lots. Bring the tow vehicle; RVs are limited to the city’s bus and RV lot.
Hours and the menu change with the seasons. Check elotecafe.com before you go, and call if you’re running late for your reservation.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Elote Cafe
These are the closest Sedona RV parks we’ve written up. Drive times are estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, so allow extra time in Sedona’s traffic, especially on SR-179 and in Uptown.
Rancho Sedona RV Park
Shady full-hookup sites beside Oak Creek, a quarter-mile walk from Uptown Sedona.
Oak Creek Mobilodge
A small, family-run creekside park on SR-179 with 15 full-hookup sites; best for rigs under about 30 ft.
Chavez Crossing Group Campground
Forest Service group sites under sycamores on Oak Creek; groups only, one RV per site.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Tue–Sat · dinner from 5 pm
Ready for the best corn in Arizona?
Book your table online up to 60 days out, then drive the tow vehicle into Uptown and use the free city lots.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Missvain (mole enchiladas, not taken at Elote; CC0) and Brady Smith for the Coconino National Forest (red rocks; CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. Video: Arizona PBS on YouTube (Check, Please! Arizona). Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Elote Cafe unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the resort’s published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by the resort and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Elote Cafe at elotecafe.com or (928) 203-0105. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
We will always do our best to keep this page up to date. Thank you to everyone who contributes; we truly appreciate your help and support.