If you ever find yourself in northern Arizona, Make sure you make your way up to Greer, Arizona.
Greer is located on the northeast side of the state. This small town holds Arizona’s oldest running lodge and restaurant. Molly Butler lodge has been operating since 1910 and continues to be a well-known restaurant to this day. The lodge is surrounded by the beautiful White Mountains. In the spring you can see beautiful wildflowers, in summer you can go fishing, enjoy beautiful fall colors, and in the winter you can have your white Christmas dreams fulfilled.
Greer is home to roughly 100 locals who share their home with those escaping the summer heat. The tiny mountain town thrives off those who come to visit in the summer. It only gets to about 80 degrees in the summer in Greer, so the people from Phoenix love it there.
The lodge started as a lodging for hunters. Molly Buter, an Arizona native, and her husband started the establishment by lodging and feeding hunters on their hunt. Molly would wake up early and send the hunters off with breakfast and then have dinner ready for them by the time the sun went down. Molly Butler and her husband John kept this business going until Molly passed in the 60’s. Once the family started charging for their meals the business was then called The Butler Lodge. When Molly passed away her daughter kept the business in memory of her mother.
The first meals they ever charged for were only 25 cents.
Then after Molly passed away, Molly Butler Lodge was born. To this day, it remains one of Arizona’s most beloved establishments. The lodge grew from a main cabin with lodging to an even bigger cabin with more lodging, in hope to keep the original spirit alive.
Molly Butler Lodge has had multiple owners, and all have put their own touch on the restaurant. However, they all had one thing in common–keeping the love of Molly Butler alive. The restaurant uses some of Molly’s original recipes that she used when she first started up the business.
The restaurant is widely known for many different dishes that they offer year-round. The fresh cut prime rib with mashed potatoes and gravy, and for dessert Molly’s famous mud pie. The mud pie was featured on the front of Arizona Highways magazine.
A couple summers ago former senator John McCain came in for dinner and got fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. And for dessert enjoyed blueberry pie a la mode.
Molly Butler Lodge is a very dear place for anyone who visits. It is the heart of the small town many people have grown to love. Of course, you can get good food at the restaurant, but more importantly you create a new family you did not have before. And that is exactly what Molly Butler wanted for her business.
Source: Buchanan, N. (n.d.). Molly Butler Lodge. Arizona Highways.