Brugos Pizza & Italian Bistro

Brugos Pizza & Italian Bistro Family owned Italian restaurant & gourmet pizza Stagecoach Village, Cave Creek.We twirl dough, not mustaches hand-tossed pies & pastas.
(1)

Wine Night Wed. 4 to Close. ½off bottles & glasses, $8.50 Happy Hour 4–6pm. Reserve on OpenTable Patio seating. Cozy, family-run Italian restaurant in Stagecoach Village, Cave Creek. Hand-tossed pizza, classic Italian dishes, slow-simmered sauces, and old-school hospitality. Twinkling-light patio • Indoor/outdoor bar • $8.50 Happy Hour (4–6 pm) • Wine Night Wednesdays (half-off bottles & glasses)

Warm, relaxed, Dean Martin–style supper-club vibe — conversation-friendly, dog-friendly, and never rushed. Widely loved as one of the coziest Italian spots and best pizza & Happy Hour in Cave Creek.

Something about Sunday dinner outside at our place feels like a little treat....Maybe because you get all the good parts...
10/04/2026

Something about Sunday dinner outside at our place feels like a little treat....Maybe because you get all the good parts and none of the work.
Somebody else is doing all the cooking (us!), there’s a glass of w**e or a cold Bitburger in front of you and somebody else is taking care of you too (also us!)
The fountain is going, the twinkling lights start coming on and there it is... one of those beautiful Arizona evenings we all wait for.
And tonight should be one of those nights at Brugos. It’s 91 today, so by dinner the patio should be absolutely beautiful.
This is probably where I should say something sensible about dinner but really all I can think about is sitting outside in beautiful Stagecoach Village with a glass of Pinot Grigio or that cold Bitburger, Sinatra or Diana Krall floating around somewhere and absolutely nowhere I need to be for a couple of hours.
See... this is why I own a restaurant. I’ve basically spent almost 20 years building the kind of place I want to sit in.
Sunday means My Mom’s Chicken Piccata starts at 5 and that one always gets me because it tastes like Sunday dinner to me. Bright lemon, chicken, pasta, that whole old fashioned Italian dinner thing where you sit down and actually stay awhile.
And if Piccata isn’t calling your name, maybe my delicate and delicious, if I may say so, Chrissy’s Lasagna is!
Or Finding Nemo... our Scampi Pizza with baby shrimp sautéed in garlic butter, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, roasted garlic, Asiago and mozzarella over our creamy garlic white sauce. That one can get me into trouble pretty fast because I can’t stop eating it!!! It’s like cheesy scampi garlic bread!!!
Happy Hour at the BAR is 4–6 with our $8.50 Premium Happy Hour and dinner is 4–9.
We’re inside beautiful Stagecoach Village in Cave Creek. If you’re coming up from Desert Mountain, North Scottsdale or Carefree, Brugos is an easy drive with easy parking and all the fun of downtown Cave Creek is just a short walk away.

But back here?

Well it’s still our quiet little Italian living room and supper club.
Sinatra, Dean Martin, Diana Krall... the kind of music that makes dinner feel a little more like dinner used to.

Walk-ins welcome. Reservations appreciated.
https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek
https://www.brugospizza.net

Takeout and Take-N-Bake start at 4.
480-575-3044
Come over to our house for dinner.
Ciao and love,
Chrissy

There’s this funny little moment at Brugos every night that I love.Before dinner everything is ready but it’s still quie...
10/03/2026

There’s this funny little moment at Brugos every night that I love.

Before dinner everything is ready but it’s still quiet.

The tables are set, the bar is ready, the music is on and the kitchen starts smelling so good that at some point I have to find something quick to eat or I become completely useless.

There is only so much roasted garlic and pizza a person can smell while pretending to be productive.

Then the door opens and somebody we know walks in.

Then a happy couple walks in… somebody heads straight for Pat’s bar, somebody sees friends across the room, somebody is hugging somebody they haven’t seen in a while and pretty soon you hear glasses clinking and people laughing and talking across tables.

And the whole place lights up.

Our little Italian living room, supper club, whatever you want to call it… it’s alive.

That’s the part that makes me happy.

It reminds me a little bit of having everybody over for Thanksgiving when somehow the house is full, everybody is eating, everybody is talking at once, somebody is laughing too loud and you look around for a second and think… this is exactly how it’s supposed to feel.

Except we get to do it almost every night.

How lucky are we?

People enjoying themselves… that’s what I live for. Really. The food matters enormously to me, you already know how ridiculous I am about that, but watching people relax and have a good night together… that’s the whole point.

And Saturday seems to have a little extra of that because nobody is in quite as much of a hurry. The big bar doors are open when the weather cooperates, the patio lights come on, the fountain is going out in beautiful Stagecoach Village and Sinatra or Diana Krall is floating around somewhere.

Then of course dinner starts coming out and I get distracted again.

Tonight our Mama Mia Spicy Shrimp over Angel Hair starts at 5, and if spicy shrimp isn’t calling your name, somebody walking past with a Big Combo pizza probably will.

This is why I can’t be trusted near the kitchen when I’m hungry.

Happy Hour at the BAR is 4–6 with our $8.50 Premium Happy Hour and dinner is 4–9.

We’re inside beautiful Stagecoach Village in Cave Creek and if you’re coming up from Desert Mountain or North Scottsdale it’s an easy drive, easy parking and you’re close enough to all the fun downtown to walk over after dinner and wander back when you’re done.

Walk-ins welcome. Reservations appreciated.

https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek

https://www.brugospizza.net

Takeout and Take-N-Bake start at 4.

480-575-3044

Come over to our house for dinner.

Ciao and love,
Chrissy

I have a problem with roasted garlic.The minute we start roasting it at Brugos the smell hits me and I’m useless because...
10/02/2026

I have a problem with roasted garlic.

The minute we start roasting it at Brugos the smell hits me and I’m useless because all I can think about is eating…. Then I am
Completely useless….

I’m supposed to be thinking about the restaurant and instead I’m standing there wondering what I can put roasted garlic on.

We’ve always roasted our garlic because it just tastes better that way. It gets softer, sweeter, more mellow… still garlic thank goodness, but without that sharp raw bite.

And I’ve always loved this about Italian restaurants. Sometimes you know exactly what kind of place you’re walking into before you even get through the door. You smell it and that’s it!

At Brugos that fragrance rolls right out into beautiful Stagecoach Village and I swear you can almost watch people walking by suddenly realize they’re hungry!!!

And speaking of me having absolutely no objectivity where roasted garlic is concerned, our Chicken with Roasted Garlic Pizza is one of my favorites. The only time we ever entered it in competition it won Best Pizza in the World.

So naturally we did the sensible thing and never competed again.

Retired undefeated I guess. 😂
See… I wandered from Scampi to pizza. Garlic does this to me.
But back to tonight…. I digress again!

Our House Roasted Garlic Shrimp Scampi over Fettuccini starts at 5 and if you’re anywhere near Brugos when that garlic starts roasting, good luck pretending you aren’t hungry.

Happy Hour at the BAR is 4–6 with our $8.50 Premium Happy Hour and dinner is 4–9.

Walk-ins welcome. Reservations appreciated.

https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek

Takeout and Take-N-Bake start at 4.

480-575-3044

Come over to our house for dinner.

Ciao and love,
Chrissy

Thursday somehow got here again and of course that means Chicken Parmesan at Brugos starts at 5!!!And yes... I know. I t...
10/01/2026

Thursday somehow got here again and of course that means Chicken Parmesan at Brugos starts at 5!!!
And yes... I know. I talk about this darn Chicken Parmesan all the time, but have you SEEN it? It’s so darn pretty and it’s SO good and I guess it’s easy to believe in something when you’re passionate about it. My Mom and Dad taught me that.

I love great food. I was raised on it, so that’s probably why I’m really picky, and if I’m carrying on about something week after week, I really do mean it!!! Which brings me back to the Chicken Parmesan... see, I wandered already.....

BTW, Pat’s back from Egypt and his bar has actually been pretty quiet, so if you’ve been waiting for the crowds to die down, they already did.

Then last night was W**e Night and watching Brugos feel like itself again got me thinking about something completely different... and that would be nostalgia in a good way...

You see, our gorgeous big bar door will be open tonight, and there will be somebody talking across the room to somebody they know, people laughing at Pat’s bar, dinner coming out of the kitchen, Diana Krall or Sinatra in the background... that whole little Italian living room, supper club thing.

We come by that naturally. It’s how I grew up, and when I think back to dining out in San Francisco in the 1960s there was a grace to it that I miss.

Nobody rushed in and nobody seemed in a terrible hurry to leave. The waiters knew our names or at least recognized us....
“Good evening Mr. Cefalu! Nice to see you and your family tonight. Let’s get you to a great table.”

That was normal. You had something to drink, you talked, dinner came when it came, the room had a little glamour to it without making a big deal about itself and the whole evening just had an ease to it.

I loved that then and all these decades later I guess I’ve been trying to recreate a little bit of that at Brugos without even realizing that’s what I was doing.

So there you have it, I started out talking about Chicken Parmesan and somehow ended up back in San Francisco in the 1960s.

Welcome to my scattered, messy brain.
Anyway... Happy Hour at the BAR is 4–6 with our $8.50 Premium Happy Hour, dinner is 4–9 and YES, that gorgeous Chicken Parmesan starts at 5!!!

We’re inside beautiful Stagecoach Village in Cave Creek and if you’re coming up from Desert Mountain or North Scottsdale it’s an easy drive, easy parking, and from Brugos you can walk right into downtown and wander back when you’re done.

Walk-ins welcome. Reservations appreciated.
https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek
https://www.brugospizza.net

Takeout and Take-N-Bake start at 4.
480-575-3044
Come over to our house for dinner... I promise I’ll stop talking about the Chicken Parmesan eventually. But probably not tonight!!!
Ciao and love,
Chrissy

W**E NIGHT WEDNESDAY AT BRUGOS!Wednesday is our favorite excuse to open a good bottle of w**e, especially when it’s HALF...
09/30/2026

W**E NIGHT WEDNESDAY AT BRUGOS!
Wednesday is our favorite excuse to open a good bottle of w**e, especially when it’s HALF OFF!
Whether you’re in the mood for one of our wonderful pizzas, Chicken Marsala or one of our Italian specialties, there’s nothing better than sharing a good meal and a lovely bottle of w**e with people you enjoy.
We’re a little old-school here at Brugos. Think Italian supper club, a cozy Italian living room, a proper cocktail and the kind of hospitality that makes you feel right at home.

And speaking of proper cocktails, Pat’s back behind the bar and his barstools are open. Come slide into one, settle in, have a little time to visit and enjoy the evening with him.

So if you’ve been meaning to come say hello, tonight would be a very good night to do it.

50% off w**e by the glass and bottle. Dine-in only.
Call 480-575-3044 for takeout starting at 4.

Stagecoach Village, Cave Creek
Dinner 4–9 PM walk ins welcome.
Reservations on OpenTable or just come on in!

https://www.brugospizza.net

Need take out? Call starting at 4:
480-575-3044
😎

W**E NIGHT WEDNESDAY AT BRUGOS!Wednesday is our favorite excuse to open a good bottle of w**e, especially when it’s HALF...
09/30/2026

W**E NIGHT WEDNESDAY AT BRUGOS!
Wednesday is our favorite excuse to open a good bottle of w**e, especially when it’s HALF OFF!
Whether you’re in the mood for one of our wonderful pizzas, Chicken Marsala or one of our Italian specialties, there’s nothing better than sharing a good meal and a lovely bottle of w**e with people you enjoy.
We’re a little old-school here at Brugos. Think Italian supper club, a cozy Italian living room, a proper cocktail and the kind of hospitality that makes you feel right at home.

And speaking of proper cocktails, Pat’s back behind the bar and his barstools are open. Come slide into one, settle in, have a little time to visit and enjoy the evening with him.

So if you’ve been meaning to come say hello, tonight would be a very good night to do it.

50% off w**e by the glass and bottle. Dine-in only.
Call 480-575-3044 for takeout starting at 4.

Stagecoach Village, Cave Creek
Dinner 4–9 PM
Reservations on OpenTable or just come on in. Salute!

https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek
P.S. Yes, that’s our Pat in the picture. Wait until he sees this. I have a feeling the folks at the bar are going to have a field day with it. He’s probably going to make me take it down, but we all love him, so I’m taking my chances!!! Ciao!

Rainy Tuesday in Cave Creek..I don’t know about you, but after a rainy day like this, the LAST thing I want to do is go ...
09/29/2026

Rainy Tuesday in Cave Creek..I don’t know about you, but after a rainy day like this, the LAST thing I want to do is go grocery shopping for dinner.

I’ll be soaked, the cart will be cold, then I still have to carry everything in, figure out what to make and cook it. Not even vaguely appealing....
So don’t shop for dinner! Join us instead!

Come in, stay dry, settle in, and start with our little bar. Happy Hour is 4–6 PM with $8.50 cocktails and small plates. And Pat’s been getting lonely over here!

And by dinner time the rain should be clearing, and our little Italian living room will be warm, twinkly, music soft and waiting for you. A proper cocktail, something wonderful coming out of the kitchen, and absolutely no grocery-store parking lot drama required.

And let me tell you something good about picking up takeout from Brugo’s...true story too...

When I started Brugo’s almost 20 years ago, I had one little epiphany that I still stand by:

The person who has to go pick up the takeout deserves a drink at the bar if they want.

And that’s where Pat comes in. He probably already knows your name, may know your order, and quite possibly knows whether you’re staying for a drink while we finish dinner.

That’s the beauty of being a little neighborhood place instead of a pickup number on a screen.

And knowing Pat is behind the bar with a pretty cocktail waiting suddenly makes picking up dinner sound pretty darn good. Now it’s not even a chore, it’s practically a little outing.

And just like that it will be: “Honey, no problem. I’ll get dinner!” !

So call in dinner, come a little early, settle in at the bar for a cocktail while we finish it up, and then head home with dinner handled. No shopping. No cooking. No dishes. That's a pretty good rainy Tuesday!

And for our friends heading home to Carefree, Desert Mountain or North Scottsdale, dinner can come with you. Our full menu is available for takeout, and our take-and-bake pizzas are an easy way to have Brugo’s waiting at home when you’re ready for it.

Brugo’s opens at 4 PM in beautiful Stagecoach Village.
Come settle into our little Italian living room tonight… or let us take care of dinner and send it home with you. ❤️

Reservations on OpenTable:
https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek

Takeout and take-and-bake available tonight.
Call us starting at 4 tonight at: 480-575-3044.

Menu at: https://brugospizza.net/Menu.html

Brugos Pizza & Italian Bistro - Stagecoach Village.
Easy parking too! Imagine that!
7100 E. Cave Creek Rd, Cave Creek
Ciao!!!

Sunday always feels a little different to me.Maybe it’s because growing up, Sunday meant dinner. Not where are we going,...
09/27/2026

Sunday always feels a little different to me.
Maybe it’s because growing up, Sunday meant dinner. Not where are we going, not what are we picking up. Dinner.
Somebody was cooking, somebody was talking too loud, somebody was in the way and pretending they weren’t.
That somebody was usually me.

I loved “helping” from a very early age. I loved the sisterhood in the kitchen, everybody talking at once, laughing, arms flying around with French knives like this was perfectly normal and somehow nobody seemed worried about it.
There was just so much warmth in those kitchens.

Of course there was a downside to volunteering yourself as a child kitchen assistant and that was the dishes.

Because in my family there was a rule and trust me, it had no age limit.
Good cooks clean as they go.
And apparently neither does being the youngest.
To this day, when we have one of our big Italian family dinners, I can still somehow end up doing dishes because I’m the youngest.
Folks... I own the restaurant.
And in my family that has no bearing on the subject!!!
I’m still low on the food chain here...

And the really funny part is I’m not expecting a promotion anytime soon....

A lot of Brugos came from those kitchens. My Mom learning from Aunt Ida when one didn’t speak English and the other didn’t speak Italian, recipes getting passed along without anybody announcing they were preserving family history.
They were making dinner.
And tonight happens to be Mom’s Chicken Piccata starting at 5, which somehow feels exactly right for a Sunday.

The big bar doors are open, the patio lights come on, the fountain is doing its thing over in beautiful Stagecoach Village and people start relaxing before they even realize they’re doing it.

Shoulders drop. Somebody smiles. Somebody leans back in their chair. The conversation gets easier.

That part means more to me than I can explain without getting all sappy and embarrassing myself, so I’ll stop there.

Brugos just feels like home.
Brugos Pizza & Italian Bistro in Cave Creek is open for dinner 4–9 tonight. Happy Hour at the BAR is 4–6 with our $8.50 Premium Happy Hour.
If you’re in Cave Creek, Carefree, Desert Mountain or North Scottsdale, come over to our house for Sunday dinner.
Walk-ins welcome. Reservations appreciated.
https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek
https://www.brugospizza.net

Takeout and Take-N-Bake start at 4. IT IS FOOTBALL SEASON YA KNOW!!!

480-575-3044
Ciao and love,
Chrissy

I was thinking this morning about how absolutely terrible I’ve become at waiting for anything...I want the computer to l...
09/26/2026

I was thinking this morning about how absolutely terrible I’ve become at waiting for anything...
I want the computer to load NOW. I want the package tomorrow. If I send somebody a text and those little dots sit there too long I’m already wondering what on earth they could possibly be writing.

And yet somehow I’ve owned Brugos for almost 20 years where most of the things I love refuse to hurry up for anybody.
Pizza dough has to proof.
Sauce has to cook.
Garlic has to roast.
Dinner gets made when you order it and, believe me, I’ve spent enough years around those ovens to know they could not care less what time anybody thinks it should be ready.
When we’re really moving I’ll run back into the kitchen waiting for something to come out and Troy will literally be standing there with his arm against the oven handle glaring at all of us.
“I am NOT opening that oven until it’s ready.”
And of course he’s right, which is irritating.
Every time somebody opens the door to check, the heat escapes, and when there are a bunch of pizzas in there those ovens pretty much decide for themselves how long this is going to take.
Real food takes time.
I’ve tried staring at the ovens. I’ve tried looking impatient. I’ve probably tried willing things to cook faster with my mind.
The ovens don’t care.
So this is where I think maybe the Italians had it right all along.
Have an appetizer. Order one of our beautiful salads. Have a glass of w**e. Talk to the person you came with. Look around. Listen to the music. Let dinner take a minute.
There are even cards on the tables because dinner doesn’t have to be a race.
And one of my favorite lines will always be... Hey trying playing cards with your girl and see if you can get lucky tonight!!! Then I push the cards and chips forward...Yes, I know...but hey, I can say that now at my age. I’m 66. I’m allowed!
That’s really what I want Brugos to feel like anyway. Not somebody rushing you through dinner so they can get to the next thing.
More like you came over to our house.
The big bar doors are open, the patio lights start twinkling when the sun goes down, you can hear the fountain over in beautiful Stagecoach Village, there’s a little music playing and hopefully for an hour or two nobody particularly cares what time it is.
And because it’s Saturday, our Mama Mia Spicy Shrimp over Angel Hair starts at 5, which is basically what happened when one of our favorite pizzas wandered into the pasta department and nobody stopped it.
I’m glad they didn’t.
Happy Hour at the BAR is 4–6 with our $8.50 Premium Happy Hour and dinner is 4–9.
If you’re down in Desert Mountain or North Scottsdale, it really is an easy little drive up to Cave Creek and next thing you know you’re sitting in our little Italian household for the evening.
Walk-ins welcome. Reservations appreciated.
https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek
https://www.brugospizza.net
And if tonight is a pajamas night, I completely understand those too. Takeout and Take-N-Bake start at 4.
480-575-3044
Come over to our house for dinner... or take a little of our house home with you!!!
Ciao and love,
Chrissy

Friday already… I swear I have no idea how this keeps happening!! Tonight at Brugos we’ve got our House Roasted Garlic S...
09/25/2026

Friday already… I swear I have no idea how this keeps happening!!

Tonight at Brugos we’ve got our House Roasted Garlic Shrimp Scampi over Fettuccini starting at 5 and this is one of those dishes that pretty much speaks for itself because once one goes by the table everybody starts looking at it.

Garlic, shrimp, pasta… I’m Italian. This pretty much checks all my boxes.

And FINALLY this weather is acting the way Arizona is supposed to act, so those big bar doors will be open again tonight and I love that. The patio lights come on, you hear the fountain over in beautiful Stagecoach Village, there’s music playing, people settle in with a glass of w**e and suddenly nobody seems to be in quite such a hurry anymore.

That’s the Brugos I have loved for two decades…

A little Italian household, a little supper club, somebody talking across the room to somebody they know, somebody laughing at the bar, dinner coming out of the kitchen and me still wandering around after almost 20 years thinking… okay, maybe this crazy idea wasn’t so crazy after all.

And for those of you down in Desert Mountain or North Scottsdale, it really is an easy little drive up to Cave Creek and next thing you know you’re sitting here with a cocktail in front of you.

Happy Hour at the BAR is 4–6 with our $8.50 Premium Happy Hour, dinner is 4–9 and the Shrimp Scampi starts at 5.

Walk-ins welcome. Reservations appreciated.

https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek

https://www.brugospizza.net

And if home wins tonight, take Brugos home with you. Takeout and Take-N-Bake start at 4.

480-575-3044

Come over to our house for dinner… or take a little of our house home with you!!!

Ciao and love,
Chrissy

Cave Creek... I think we made it. I’m almost afraid to say that because Arizona will hear me and do something ridiculous...
09/24/2026

Cave Creek... I think we made it. I’m almost afraid to say that because Arizona will hear me and do something ridiculous, but FINALLY the weather is acting like the KIND AND BEAUTIFUL Arizona we know again and tonight should be beautiful.

The big bar doors at Brugos will open, the patio lights will be twinkling, you can hear the fountain over in beautiful Stagecoach Village and a little Diana Krall will be playing somewhere in the background. That right there is my happy place folks.

A little Italian living room, a little supper club, somebody having a cocktail at the bar, somebody waving to somebody they know, people talking way longer than they planned to and that gorgeous Arizona night sky over everything. This is why I love this time of year...!

And yes, because it’s Thursday... Chicken Parmesan starts at 5.

I know I talk about it all the time but people LOVE it, and after all these years I’ve learned when people love something this much, you leave it alone.

So come over, have a cocktail, sit outside, order dinner and enjoy the fact that for one night we’re not discussing 110 degrees, monsoons, flooding or lawn furniture leaving the property without permission.

YES!!! We made it!!! And it wasn't so easy..but like pregnancy we forget the pain as time goes on...thank goodness!

So Happy Hour at the BAR is 4–6 with our $8.50 Premium Happy Hour. Dinner is 4–9 and Chicken Parmesan starts at 5.
We’re tucked inside beautiful Stagecoach Village in Cave Creek.

Walk-ins welcome. Reservations appreciated.
Reservations:
https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek
See the menu:
https://www.brugospizza.net

If home wins tonight, take Brugos with you. Takeout and Take-N-Bake start at 4. 480-575-3044

Come over to our house for dinner... or take a little of our house home with you!!!
Ciao and love,
Chrissy

Address

7100 E. Cave Creek Road Ste 150
Cave Creek, AZ
85331

Opening Hours

Tuesday 4pm - 9pm
Wednesday 4pm - 9pm
Thursday 4pm - 9pm
Friday 4pm - 9pm
Saturday 4pm - 9pm
Sunday 4pm - 9pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Brugos Pizza & Italian Bistro posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Brugos Pizza & Italian Bistro:

Shortcuts

Share

Category