Entry No. 37 — the Phoenix file — filed under: secret history
El Molino Mexican Cafe at the Scottsdale Elks Lodge (former POW Officers' Club)
This building was Building #40 of Camp Papago Park — the camp's officers' club — near where German POWs staged their December 1944 tunnel escape. It survived the camp's demolition and now houses both Scottsdale Elks Lodge No. 2148 and a modest Mexican cafe (El Molino); a map of the old prison camp hangs inside the lodge.
The story
Drive down Oak Street in South Scottsdale and you’ll pass a plain building housing Scottsdale Elks Lodge No. 2148 and a small counter called El Molino Mexican Cafe. What the neighborhood traffic ignores is that you're looking at Building #40 of Camp Papago Park—the original WWII officers' club for a massive prisoner-of-war facility.
In late December 1944, while officers spent time inside this shell, 25 German POWs—mostly U-boat personnel—were crawling through a hand-dug tunnel nearby in the largest POW escape on American soil. When the war ended, postwar Scottsdale bulldozed the barracks, guard towers, and fence lines, but Building #40 survived.
Today, you can sit down for a carne asada plate at El Molino, step inside the lodge area, and look at the framed original blueprint map of Camp Papago Park hanging on the wall. It’s an improbable survival story: eating lunch inside an intact WWII prisoner-of-war camp building that almost no one driving past realizes exists.
What it's like
Pull up to a quiet stretch of South Scottsdale and step into a space that feels half neighborhood taco counter, half low-key lodge hall. Order your plate at El Molino and ask to view the framed camp blueprint on the Elks Lodge wall. It’s unpretentious and quiet, though hours can vary, so check ahead before making the trip.
The move: Get carne asada plates at El Molino on a weekday morning, then ask to see the framed camp blueprint on the Elks Lodge wall — you're eating lunch inside a WWII prisoner-of-war camp building most of the city has forgotten existed.
- 📍 South Scottsdale
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 6398 E Oak St, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Great Papago Escape Tunnel Marker — Pair your meal with a visit to the nearby canal marker where 25 German POWs surfaced after tunneling out of the surrounding camp.
- Hunt's Tomb — Head south into Papago Park to visit the white pyramid tomb of Arizona's first governor, built just a decade before the POW camp opened.
- Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting — Continue exploring the Papago area's historical collections at this massive repository of vintage firefighting equipment.
Good to know
Was this building actually part of the WWII prison camp?
Yes. It was designated as Building #40 and functioned as the officers' club for Camp Papago Park during World War II.
Can anyone go in to see the camp map?
El Molino is open to the public for meals. To see the framed prison camp map hanging inside the Elks Lodge area, ask the staff politely when you order.
What happened to the rest of Camp Papago Park?
Most of the camp was dismantled and demolished after WWII as the surrounding Phoenix and Scottsdale area expanded, leaving Building #40 as a rare survivor.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: arcadianews.com · eastvalleytribune.com · waymarking.com
last checked: 2026-07-19