Oxbow Saloon

I’m rewriting my review to make it more simplistic - we attempted to go to the Valentine’s Dance that was advertised here and could not gain access to the building. The front door facing the street was locked, so we went to the side where there was a black gate going around the outdoor area and that was also locked. Tried to call, let it ring for quite some time. No answer. So we left, went elsewhere. Maybe there was a specific start time that I’m not aware of and you had to be on time at 5:30, I’m not sure. But there were definitely sounds of the band and people cheering from the inside.

Do NOT plan to attend the Oxbow Saloon for any important gathering! My wedding dinner reservation was completely ignored by Mary, the owner, and my group of 20 people could not even get into the restaurant for our 5:00 p.m. dinner reservation on September 4, 2021 because the doors were locked and no one was there. We waited until 5:15, and the restaurant still had not opened. It took a month of attempts to even make the reservation as no one answers the phone at this restaurant. We had to drive (15 miles from our home) into Payson four separate times to even make the reservation because we had no other choice but to go in person, and even then two different times the doors were locked at a time the website advertises that they are open. I did finally speak to Mary in person two separate times to arrange the reservation for our wedding dinner. She was surly and rude. I asked her twice if I should change our reservation to 6:00 p.m., as I was concerned we would arrive at 5:00 to find locked doors. She promised me that 5:00 p.m. was fine, and there would be a table ready for us, though she was impatient and sarcastic with me as she spoke. I almost chose another restaurant just because of her poor attitude and unprofessional behavior. But we really wanted to have our guests enjoy this historic saloon. Mary guaranteed that when we came at 5:00 p.m. that she would have her BBQ menu available to us at that time. But she could not tell us whether there would be a live band or not until 10 days before our dinner reservation. It was a very stressful procedure to even make the reservation. This was all very disappointing and embarrassing in front of our guests during the most important event of our life. Because of the lack of consistency with the website and the actual times this restaurant is open, and because of Mary's gruff attitude and poor business practices, I was so nervous that something would go wrong, so I had made reservations at Rim Country BBQ down the street as a back-up. Our entire wedding party celebration then went to Rim Country BBQ, and they were ready for us, polite, and had wonderful food. After we enjoyed our dinner, some of our wedding guests still wanted to see what the Oxbow Saloon was like, so we went back there for a drink. Mary was near the front door as we entered, and she greeted me, but she did not recognize who I was or acknowledge what had happened. When we sat down, a waitress came over to our table and explained that she was the only one working that evening, and that we should go get our own drinks at the bar if we didn't want to have a long wait. In addition, no paper towels or toilet paper in the dirty bathrooms. I can only imagine how rude and defensive Mary could become if I attempted to speak with her in person about this incident, but I will never go there again. A saloon like this has such potential for the city of Payson, but because of the owner's very poor management of this restaurant, it is doubtful that it will ever be successful.