Sedona seemed like a safe bet. One of our agents in the field reported back with both thumbs up, and Johnnie had scoped out the place in a drive-by, so we figured we’d take a better look.

Restaurants attached to bars, as this is to the Red Rock Bar & Grill, can be an afterthought. Build a loyal clientele, anesthetize their taste buds, and you can serve them batter-fried cigarette butts with a grin and get a smile right back. Upscale restaurants can coast for years on the momentum of fond memories. But Sedona, as our visit demonstrated, knows how to keep us chipper even before the pitchers of beer start pouring. A couple of no-show favorites on the menu, a goof or two in the kitchen — and still we remained happy campers.

At Sedona, you step through a separate entrance from the bar into a low-key, sombrero-free somewhat Southwestern ambience. Textured walls painted reddish as buttes at sunset, heavy leather-padded oak chairs fit for a hacienda. There’s plentiful, if artificial, greenery. Two suspended basins of water with wisps of theater smoke drifting atop are eye-catching. Are they for transition? They bracket patio doors that open to the bar, doors closed off from the smoking there on our evening but open during the lunchtime when Johnnie picked up a menu.

Before I had anything to eat, what convinced me that Sedona had its heart in the right place was the pride indicated by a plethora of signature dishes: "Rock House Wings," "Rock House Burger," "Rock House Reuben." The latter two sported the "world’s best veggie slaw" instead of coleslaw. I’d been looking forward to their lobster risotto-stuffed portobello mushroom cap ($8.95), but they were out that evening.

Their pizzas also came recommended to us, so we ordered the Rock House pizza ($9.95). About 12 inches across, it was chock-full of fresh spinach and pieces of tomato, plus black olive slices (canned), and walnuts. But the described Gorgonzola was undetectable with the plentiful cheddar, so our waiter graciously and promptly brought us some to add ourselves — pretty good. Sedona also seems to be proud of its namesake chili ($2.95/$3.95), so I tried that as well. It was dense with meat — not only ground beef, but shaved steak as well — along with kidney beans and bell pepper, all smothered under that two-tone melted cheese. They also offer New England clam chowder, baked onion soup, and a soup of the day.

Sedona is the dining room of a bar, after all, so you can count on loaded nachos, potato skins, and other snack starters as well as burgers and lots of sandwiches. Unexpected appetizers include jerked "Reggae Chicken" ($4.95) and kitchen-made Maryland-style (chunky) crab cakes ($7.95).

We were there on a Tuesday, so I could take advantage of an all-you-can-eat Mexican plate for $9.95. I did just that, and for good thematic measure also had a couple of the $2 house Margaritas offered with it that evening. I didn’t need seconds on the meal, since my first serving filled me up just fine. A small enchilada, filled mainly with bits of chicken, was cut into bite-sized pieces. The quesadilla was more interesting, covered with melted cheese and containing a shredded-chicken and cream cheese filling — we’re talking Tex-Mex (or perhaps Tex-Cranston) — but tasty. Soon arriving was a sizzling iron skillet filled with white wine-marinated chicken, onions, and red bell peppers, fajita-filling for the covered bowl of warm flour tortillas. Generous portions of salsa and sour cream came along with shredded cheese and lettuce and tomatoes. I like spicy hot, but the small bowl of Spanish rice was way too cayenne-hot for even me to take more than a few tastes.

Main dishes include the usual array of seafood, fried or baked, and a few steaks and chops. There are salads and a veggie stir-fry ($8.95), but chicken and pasta is a combined category for the red meat-averse. Johnnie had been looking forward to the Rock House chicken ($11.95), with its "Top Secret" Kokopelli sauce ($11.95). (It was our waiter’s first night, so he spilled the secret: melon liqueur. Nice guy. A pity they’ll have to kill him.) The meager taste she doled out to me indicated she was quite pleased with the pecan-encrusted chicken breast, disappointed only that there wasn’t more of that delicious sauce. There was, however, a huge mound of skin-on red bliss mashed potatoes, alongside fresh green beans. This rated a big thumb up, or two small ones.

Only one dessert is made in-house, the Toll House brownie pie, which had been highly touted to us by our enthusiastic recommender Lynn. Our shoulders drooped in unison since it wasn’t available that night. Our waiter was so encouraging about the double-chocolate chocolate cake ($3.95), however, that our spirits revived. So did our blood-sugar content after a couple of bites of the moist, rich cake with two layers of fudgy frosting. The accompanying raspberry sauce — nicely presented, swirled with chocolate sauce — was a dainty complement.

The Red Rock has karaoke night Thursdays and bands on the weekends. Get to Sedona early on weekends, before they run out of their popular items — you know how good music works up an appetite for lobster risotto.

Bill Rodriguez can be reached at bill@billrod.com.