El Chorro Lodge

El Chorro Lodge, situated on 11 acres at 5550 E Lincoln Dr., was originally built by John C. Lincoln in 1934 as the Judson School for Girls and was converted to a restaurant and lodge in 1937. Clark Gable, Milton Berle and other prominent figures visited the lodge in its early days. In the 1950s, the lodge became a favorite of Arizona families and local celebrities.  It remains a local favorite today.


First owned by the Gruber family, El Chorro was purchased in 1973 by Joe Miller (who started as a bartender at El Chorro in 1952) and his wife.  Over the years, they expanded the restaurant's capacity from 70 to 200 seats and started keeping the restaurant open year-round instead of closing in the warmer months.

Noted Valley philanthropist and long-time Paradise Valley resident  Jacquie Dorrance, acquired El Chorro Lodge in 2009.  She and operating partners Kristy Moore and Tim Moore restored the restaurant, maintaining the original building while updating it with the latest technologies and working to meet "green" standards for sustainability.