Camp Verde, AZ — There’s a quiet confidence in the way Chef Andrew Raab moves through The Bullpen Grill & Watering Hole, the Camp Verde restaurant he recently purchased. It’s the confidence of a man who has spent decades steering major culinary operations that has finally found the place where his food, and his family, can breathe and expand.
Enjoy a meal at The Bullpen Grill & Watering Hole in Camp Verde and you’ll sense it immediately.
The food speaks for itself, plentiful and extraordinarily delicious. The Cowboy atmosphere and ambiance are welcoming. It feels like a place that exudes the history and feel of the Old West, where the architecture and walls tell a story of our country’s colorful western past.
Before opening his restaurant in Camp Verde, Chef Andu lived at the speed of expansion. As vice president of culinary operations for the iconic Urth Caffé in Los Angeles, he helped guide the brand from four cafés to ten — a rapid ascent that eventually carried the company onto the international stage.
It was a heady chapter, full of growth, complexity, and pressure. At a certain point, Chef Andy knew he was ready for something different.
Born in Maryland, Chef Andy had already proven himself long before California. He spent a decade running three successful restaurants on the East Coast, learning the rhythms of hospitality from the inside out, not just the food, but the math, the staffing, the systems that keep a restaurant alive.
When he and his family made the move west, Sedona offered both beauty and breathing room. He soon took the helm as chef at René at Tlaquepaque, where he brought new warmth and energy to the kitchen.
Yet even there, something else was quietly forming.
Chef Andy missed ownership. He missed shaping a place completely, the food, the tone, the experience. He nearly purchased a restaurant in Prescott before fate intervened in the form of an unassuming listing in Camp Verde.
“I came close to buying one in Prescott,” he said, “And then I saw that The Bullpen Grill & Watering Hole was for sale. The moment I walked in, I knew. I could see the potential immediately. I knew I could grow the business here. I was impressed by the building itself and its history. I saw a huge potential in the building as well as Camp Verde. The Bullpen had opened last February with a different owner. I purchased it in July.”
Wagyu Beef Cheeks
What Chef Andy brought wasn’t a wholesale overhaul, but a careful elevation, comfort food refined through experience. The menu he developed honors familiarity while quietly raising the bar. Locals did not need convincing. They came back again and again because the food was so good.
New England Clam Chowder that brings you back home. Pecan-Crusted Catfish that delivers crunch and sweetness in perfect balance. Chicken Fried Steak that defines what a comfort food is all about. There’s also Cowboy Steaks, and the Wagyu Beef Cheeks
Chef Andy serves three versions made with Wagyu beef, a deliberate choice that speaks volumes about his philosophy.
“Wagyu is Australian beef with incredible marbling and flavor,” he explained. “We use it not only for burgers, but also for beef cheeks. The texture and richness are on another level. You simply don’t get that from choice beef.”
The Bullpen’s appeal extends beyond the plate. Live music fills the room on select nights. Service is attentive without hovering. It’s the kind of place where families linger and regulars greet one another by name.
Fantastic food, outstanding customer service, and live music create the perfect dining experience. It’s hard to choose a favorite dish when everything, from the Crawfish Tails to the Bullpen Burger, is delightful.
Behind the scenes, The Bullpen is very much a family endeavor. Chef Andy’s wife, Alexia, works in the restaurant whenever she’s not homeschooling their two children, ages seven and nine. The kids are learning early what hospitality really means.
“We’re teaching them the value of hard work,” Chef Andy said. “They love making desserts and sometimes even help with other menu items.”
Chef Andy decided to become a chef early in life because he loves being creative as well as the chaos of a commercial kitchen.
“I was inspired by my grandfather who was a Pastry Chef from Vienna Austria,” Chef Andy said. “My philosophy is to let the main ingredient in a dish speak for itself,” he said. “I don’t mask the flavor of the food.
When it’s time to relax, as an avid runner, he clears his head on Sedona’s trails, logging an astonishing 40 to 50 miles a week. It’s meditation through motion, problem-solving through breath.
Immerse yourself in the ambiance of the Old West and enjoy cuisine that matches it so well.
Make it a point to visit and dine the The Bullpen Grill & Watering Hole and enjoy the gastronomical delights and atmosphere this restaurant has to offer.
And check out this “Girls Night Out” at The Bullpen Grill & Watering Hole video below!
The Bullpen Grill & Watering Hole
564 S. Main Street, Camp Verde
bullpengrill.com
Call: 928-427-2102
