The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near Dig It Gardens
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Rank 1. Kabob Grill N' Go
Armenian Middle Eastern
At Kabob Grill N' Go, Hasmik greets you warmly while her husband Tony tends the live coals in a haze of mesquite smoke, roasting marinated skewers he's perfected over years. The massive combos come loaded with over a pound of meat, basmati rice, Shirazi salad, and grilled vegetables—casual counter service that feeds two and leaves regulars genuinely evangelical.
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Takeout · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 3. Rips Bar
Dive Bar
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Rank 4. Casa Corazon Restaurant
Southern Mexican
Casa Corazon's salsa bar is a well-curated spread of a dozen house-made salsas with flavors ranging from creamy pineapple to bracingly fresh serrano, all paired with the restaurant's own tortillas chips. This gourmet Mexican spot in central Phoenix rewards multiple visits to the bar alone, and the smoky morita salsa is worth seeking out if you like heat.
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Mexican Happy Hour · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best Mexican restaurants in Phoenix
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 5. Glai Baan
Thai
Chef Cat Bunnag's tight menu pulls from her Bangkok and Isan roots, delivering kao soi, larb moo, and pork skewers that taste like street food from a Thai night market. This casual neighborhood spot fills up fast, so book ahead and expect to stand around a cocktail if you arrive walk-in—the wait is worth it.
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- USA Today 2024 · Restaurants of the Year
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southwest · Pornsupak “Cat” Bunnag
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Rank 7. Ollie Vaughn's
Bakery
Ollie Vaughn's is a neighborhood bakery and cafe tucked into a strip mall on McDowell Road, where a decade of careful cooking with local ingredients shows in things like pork chile verde with fried egg in cast iron or lemon ricotta pancakes topped with blueberry compote. Grab a pastry from the case and a cozy table inside, or linger on the small patio while the morning light stretches across.
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Restaurants In Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best breakfast spots in Phoenix
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · The Top 100 Bars in Phoenix
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best Off-Label Use of Pickles: Dill Pickle Pizza · Best of the Valley
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Rank 10. Tacos Chiwas
Chihuahua-style Mexican
A husband-and-wife operation that started as a tight counter serving Chihuahua-style street food and has grown into a proper local chain without losing its edge. The barbacoa and pastor tacos are the ones to order, though the rajas quesadilla—spicy enough to make you crave horchata—proves they're equally skilled with everything else on the menu.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southwest · Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept
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Rank 12. Dark Hall Coffee
Plant-Based
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Rank 13. Wren House Brewing
Beer Bar
A 1930s house in the Green Gables neighborhood that's been converted into a taproom where strangers become regulars around a big wooden community table and plastic dinosaurs decorate the bar. The award-winning Spellbinder hazy IPA and rotating fruit beers draw a steady crowd, and food trucks reliably park out front if you didn't bring in takeout from a nearby restaurant.
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner: Spellbinder · Favorite Local Craft Beer
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Brewery · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Brewery · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 14. Bar1
Cocktail Bar
A neighborhood gay bar with candlelit booths and pinball machines where people actually talk to each other, Bar 1 trades the usual nightlife theatrics for a genuinely relaxed vibe. The rotating drink specials (beer busts on Monday, Long Island Wednesdays, 2-for-1 Thursdays) and craft cocktail list keep things lively without the attitude.
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Gay Bar · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · The Top 100 Bars in Phoenix
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- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Thai Restaurant · Best of the Valley
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Khao Soi · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 17. Marisco Boys
Seafood
The team behind Taco Boys swapped casual for swanky with this new seafood spot on Seventh Street, where mesquite-grilled fish and ceviches get the date-night treatment. Yellowtail tostadas arrive piled with black garlic aioli and fried leeks, and the molcajetes—stacked with shrimp, octopus, and your choice of ceviche or steak—are built for sharing.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best New Mexican Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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- Eater The Best Bars in Phoenix
- AZ Central 2025 · Best bars in metro Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · The Top 100 Bars in Phoenix
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Rank 21. Authentic EthioAfrican
Ethiopian
A casual neighborhood spot on McDowell that transformed from pandemic takeout into a proper sit-down dining room, complete with Ethiopian furniture and a cocktail list. The generous combo platters are built for sharing—spicy doro wot, gomen, and meser wot arrive on one massive round plate alongside tangy stews and spongy injera that soaks it all up.
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Rank 22. pa'la wood-fired cooking
Wood-fired Mediterranean
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Exceptional Culinary Experience
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Navarro Grain Bowl · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Phoenix
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Rank 23. Asi Es La Vida Restaurant
Upscale Mexican
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Rank 25. The Boom Boom Room
Cocktail Bar
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Rank 26. China Chili Restaurant
Chinese
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best Chinese restaurants in Phoenix
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Szechwan Prawns · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 27. Tatemados Tacos al Carbon
Sonoran Mexican
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Rank 29. Old Heidelberg Bakery
German Bakery
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- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Emerging Restaurant of the Year
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Pizza With Puppies · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · 20-Layer Short Rib Lasagna · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 32. Chopper John's
Dive Bar
This black-and-red dive off Indian School Road has dollar bills papering its walls up to a ceiling strung with Christmas lights, and a regular crowd that feels like the place's natural furniture. Local rock bands play the intimate stage most nights, and the pool tables, bar stools, and patio smokers keep things humming whether you're here for the music or just the company.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Dive Bar · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Rock Bar · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · The Top 100 Bars in Phoenix
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Rank 33. Nami
Vegan Dessert
A converted house in downtown Phoenix where Damon Brasch serves decadent vegan ice cream and espresso drinks—the affogato here, with organic soy base and chocolate syrup drowned in shots, is a casual sweet spot that takes its craft seriously. The Tsoynami, his housemade ice cream loaded with mix-ins, comes in over 20 rotating flavors, and the pastry case fills with vegan cupcakes and cookies that won't remind you what they're missing.
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Rank 34. CC's On Central
Cajun & Creole
Sharon and Devan Cunningham run this cozy neighborhood spot where Louisiana and Mississippi roots show up in a shrimp étouffée that's light and bright, and beef debris so tender and rich it demands grits underneath. The menu moves restlessly between Southern breakfast classics and creative left turns—cardamom-spiced French toast, Hong Kong-style pralines, whatever they feel like cooking that day—and it all lands.
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Southern Food · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Southern Food · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Southern Food · Best of Phoenix
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Bar Team
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · U.S. Bartender of the Year · Libby Lingua
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
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Rank 36. Bagelfeld's
NY-Style Bakery
- Bon Appétit The Very Best Bagels in the US (Yes, Outside New York)
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Bagels · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 37. Lom Wong
Regional Thai
In a black bungalow downtown, Lom Wong serves northern Thai food rooted in owner Yotaka Martin's childhood in Chiang Rai—hand-pounded curry pastes, charcoal-grilled sausage, and dishes meant for sharing. Boozy cocktails spiked with fish sauce and rose water pair beautifully with the bold, layered flavors.
- Food & Wine 2025 · Yotaka Martin · Best New Chefs
- Esquire 2023 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southwest · Yotaka and Alex Martin
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Rank 38. Tratto
Italian
Chris Bianco's trattoria pairs handmade pastas shaped with obsessive precision—bucatini, rigatoncini—with Arizona ingredients like local lemons and seasonal foraged bounty. The wine list leans into esoteric Italian amari and house-made liqueurs, and the whole enterprise has the refined-but-unstuffy feel of a place that takes every detail from bread to olive oil seriously.
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Food Pioneer · Chris Bianco
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 39. Pizzeria Bianco
Pizza
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Food Pioneer · Chris Bianco
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Artisanal/Fancy Pizza · Best of the Valley
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Francesca's Meatball Sandwich · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 40. Mariscos Playa Hermosa
Sinaloan seafood Mexican
Bright pink and blue chairs face walls painted with Mexican landscapes at this Sinaloan seafood spot, where the dining room is almost as much fun as the food itself. The multipage menu spans grilled shrimp Micheladas, aguachiles, and seafood towers, best paired with a Serrano margarita on the colorful patio.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Mexican Seafood · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Mexican Seafood · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Mariscos · Best of Phoenix
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- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Coffee Flavors · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central Best Uptown Phoenix coffee shops for working or studying · The ultimate guide to the best Phoenix cafes
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best Music Playlist · Best of the Valley
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Rank 42. Rosita's Place
Sonoran Mexican
A modest storefront hides a dining room of colorful tile and weathered wood, where a small waterfall burbles in the corner while you eat some of the best tacos in the Valley. Rosita's has been serving Sonoran classics for over three decades—the albóndigas are impossibly tender, the flan is pure caramel cream—and the place still runs circles around younger competitors.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Chimichanga · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Chimichangas · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 43. Carry On
Cocktail Bar
Step into a meticulously designed 1970s first-class cabin where flight attendants in vintage uniforms serve martinis and roving beverage carts dispense cocktails crafted by award-winning bartender Jax Donahue, all while the city vanishes from the cabin windows. It's an immersive splurge that requires advance reservations and a willingness to suspend disbelief—think Mad Men luxury without the turbulence.
- 50 Best 2025 · Best Bar Design Award
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Top 10 U.S. Nominee · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service · Jax Donahue
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Rank 44. Harvey's Wineburger
Dive Bar
A decades-old Phoenix dive with billiards and a jukebox, Harvey's draws a neighborhood crowd with seven-dollar burgers seared on the flat top with red wine and a reliably friendly bar staff. The bright green walls, generous weekend happy hours, and late-night hours until midnight make it an easy place to settle in for a drink and something to eat.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Hamburgers · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- Phoenix New Times The top 10 burger joints in Phoenix
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Rank 45. Little Rituals
Cocktail Bar
Ascend to this fourth-floor hotel bar where a metal beaded curtain announces your arrival at a glittering den of upholstered luxury, and order a cocktail from a menu illustrated like a picture book with drinks you won't find elsewhere. The sophisticated crowd here ranges from hotel guests to locals making a night of it, and the bar snacks run from small bites to proper meals.
- The Pinnacle Guide 1 Pin
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service · Ross Simon
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
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Rank 46. Kid Sister
Wine Bar
Kid Sister is an intimate wine bar on Seventh Street where Progress alumni and friends have created a vibrant, airy neo-bistro inspired by travels across Europe and the U.S. The condensed, evolving wine list offers plenty by the glass alongside chef Isaac Mendoza's small bites, and don't sleep on their spritzes.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service · Zac Adcox
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best New Bar
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Small Plates · Best of Phoenix
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- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best New Coffeehouse · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best New Coffeehouse · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The 10 Best Coffee Shops in Phoenix
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Rank 48. Valentine
Southwestern
A cozy Melrose spot in a midcentury furniture store where chef Nico Zades builds the entire menu around Arizona ingredients—Sonoran wheat pretzels with guinea hen butter, elote pasta with local cheese, grass-fed beef at brunch. The adjacent Bar 1912 speakeasy leans into the same hyperlocal obsession with cocktails built on foraged pine liqueur and Arizona-sourced spirits, all served in a sophisticated but entirely unsnobby room.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Crystal Kass
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Crystal Kass
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Crystal Kass
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Rank 49. Platform 18 at Century Grand
Cocktail Bar
Platform 18 at Century Grand recreates the interior of a Prohibition-era Presidential train car with wood paneling and digital windows showing mountain vistas, making it easy to forget you're in downtown Phoenix. The bar specializes in reimagined classic cocktails and original drinks inspired by 1920s New York—try the Film Star, a Vesper variation with olive oil-washed gin and lemon Lillet served with orange and thyme caramel corn, though you'll need a reservation to board.
- The Pinnacle Guide 2 Pins
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 10 Nominee · U.S. Bartender of the Year · Nicole Giampino
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 4 Finalist · Best U.S. Bar Team
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Rank 50. Sidewinder
Diner American
A Garfield diner swaggering in neon and Marlboro signage, all cow skulls and dive-bar swagger, where the kitchen turns out hot chicken and five-dollar sloppy joes with equal conviction. It's the kind of place that doesn't apologize for what it is, or what it serves.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Trendy Diner · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Trendy Diner · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Trendy Diner · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 51. Pretty Penny
International
A sleek Roosevelt Row dining room draped in forest green where two bartenders known for rowdy nightlife pivoted to cooking serious food—think hamachi al pastor and orecchiette with charred-tomato bolognese, plus caviar service if you're splurging. The cocktails (charred tomato martini, passionfruit negroni) are built to match the boldness on the plate, making this an upscale celebration of a meal.
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist · Top Mixologist/Bartender · Brenon Stuart
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
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Rank 52. Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour
Cocktail Bar
- The Pinnacle Guide 2 Pins
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Hotel Bar
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
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A locally owned wine and beer bar with the vibe of a friend's living room, where the staff has actually tasted everything they stock and can talk you through a bottle with real enthusiasm. The kind of place where you'll find natural wines and small-batch beers you won't see anywhere else, arranged by people who genuinely care about what they're pouring.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Wine Bar · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Place to Take a Wine Geek · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Place to Take a Wine Geek · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 54. Chilte
Modern Mexican
LT Smith and Aseret Arroyo run this modern Mexican restaurant in a converted motor lodge on Grand Avenue with a swagger that matches the food—birria stuffed into hand-pressed squid ink tortillas, mole de la casa, grasshopper quesadillas. The seasonal menu and frequent chef collaborations reward repeat visits from people who take their eating seriously but refuse to take themselves too seriously.
- Food & Wine 2024 · Best New Chefs · Lawrence "LT" Smith
- Bon Appétit 2023 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Esquire 2023 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 55. Killer Whale Sex Club
Cocktail Bar
A moody Roosevelt Row cocktail lounge decorated with beautifully smutty polaroids shot inside the bar—a cheeky visual joke that somehow feels democratic rather than sleazy. The veteran mixologists behind the counter match the playful irreverence with inventive, experimental drinks that taste like intimate treats.
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist · Top Mixologist/Bartender · Brenon Stuart
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Cocktails With a Side of Tasteful Nudity · Best of Phoenix
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Vayals Indian Kitchen moved from a food truck into a strip-mall brick-and-mortar where servers steer you right and booths fill up fast with neighborhood regulars seeking rich curries and tender flatbreads. The dal makhani is chunky with whole black lentils, and the kothu parotta—a pan-grilled flatbread chopped up with spicy vegetables and your protein of choice—hits hard.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Neighborhood Indian Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best Indian restaurants in Phoenix
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- Foodist Awards 2023 · Winner: Barter & Shake · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- Eater The Best Bars in Phoenix
- AZ Central 2025 · Best bars in metro Phoenix
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Rank 58. Huarachis Taqueria
Sonoran Mexican
Under the electric pink glow of its neon sign, this casual Sonoran spot serves family-style platters of charred meats—ribeye, roasted chicken, carnitas—with an abundance of sides meant for sharing and tucking into soft tortillas. Chef René Andrade's approach balances earnest technique with playfulness, backed by shareable snacks like loaded asada fries and one of Phoenix's more inventive cocktail programs.
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Massive Portions · Best of Phoenix
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Restaurants In Phoenix
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Rank 59. Barcoa Agaveria
Mexican
A converted warehouse on First Avenue houses two agave-focused bars run by the Phoenix food-festival producer David Tyda: the energetic main-level cantina opens onto a patio where you can sip mezcal cocktails among local artists' work, while the basement bar downstairs trades volume for intimacy and an encyclopedic selection of spirits. Provecho food truck camps outside if you want tacos with your tequila.
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner · Outstanding Bar/Nightlife Experience
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Most Creative Handcrafted Cocktail Program
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Agave-Based Cocktails · Best of Phoenix
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- USA Today 2026 · Restaurants of the Year
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 61. Gallo Blanco
Mexican
Gallo Blanco occupies a historic brick building in Garfield with big windows and an airy feel, serving straightforward Mexican food across breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Start with the guacamole and chips, then move on to something like the barbacoa burrito or Taco Dorado, ideally chased with a house Paloma.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Paloma · Best of Phoenix
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Restaurants In Phoenix
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Phoenix
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Rank 62. Taco Chelo
Mexican
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Restaurants In Phoenix
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Greenwood Brewing's bright, marble-and-brass taproom on Roosevelt Row feels nothing like a typical brewery, which makes sense since it was built by a former home brewer intent on welcoming everyone to craft beer. The pale ale called Herstory anchors a rotating lineup of thoughtful brews, and you can settle into one of two courtyards with a food order from nearby restaurants.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Unusual Beer: Mango Lassi · Best of Phoenix
- Imbibe Where to Drink in Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · The Top 100 Bars in Phoenix
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Rank 64. Across the Pond
Japanese
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Top Sushi Restaurant
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Most Creative Handcraft Cocktail Program
- Phoenix New Times Our top 12 favorite sushi restaurants in Phoenix
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Rank 65. Durant's
Steakhouse
A midcentury chophouse on Central Avenue where the red-leather booths, dim lighting, and Rat Pack atmosphere have barely budged since 1950, and the kitchen still turns out a serious 48-ounce porterhouse and slow-roasted prime rib. Power players and old-school types go here for the kind of martinis they still pour strong, the complimentary relish tray, and the unironic sense that you've stepped into Phoenix's golden age.
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- Phoenix New Times Our top 12 favorite sushi restaurants in Phoenix
- AZ Central 2025 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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A casual burger joint in Scottsdale that borrows In-N-Out's stripped-down playbook but trades it for higher-end beef and a taco menu that justifies the upgrade in price. Most dishes hit hard enough to make you a regular, even if a few menu items don't quite earn their place.
- USA Today 2026 · Restaurants of the Year
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Milkshakes · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 68. Sottise
French
A converted white bungalow on Second Street draws crowds who settle into marble-topped tables under exposed brick to work through the wine list and oysters on the porch. The French bistro moves easily from casual (baked brie with pear and sage) to splurge-worthy (caviar by the gram), backed by a soundtrack of vinyl records and the warm hum of people having a genuinely good time.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Date Night Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best French Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best French Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
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- Esquire 2023 · The Desert Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Most Creative Handcrafted Cocktail Program
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best One-Two Punch · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 70. Bad Jimmy's
American
Bad Jimmy's is a casual downtown burger joint with a cocktail bar tucked in, where a pop-up concept has solidified into a breezy hangout slinging smash burgers and rotating specials. The waffle fries are properly crisp, the wings move fast, and the vanilla soft serve finished with olive oil is the kind of small flourish that keeps people coming back.
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner: Double Burger · Most Crave-Worthy Burger
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Smashburgers · Best of Phoenix
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Restaurants In Phoenix
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Rank 71. Chula Seafood
Seafood
The owners of this seafood counter in Uptown Plaza catch their own swordfish and deep-sea buoy fish off California waters aboard their harpoon boat, then sell it never-frozen by the pound or in composed dishes. Poke bowls, confit tuna sandwiches, and swordfish tacos anchor the menu, with grilled oysters and Mexican wild shrimp filling out a rotation that takes sustainability seriously without sacrificing flavor.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southwest · Kyle Kent
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist: Thai Peanut Poke Bowl · Standout Signature Dish
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A brewpub in a converted warehouse on Roosevelt Row with an outdoor bar built into a shipping container, where the rotating seasonal beers are matched by serious bar food—massive burgers that change monthly, duck fat fries, and a hot fried chicken sandwich. The vibe is relaxed and social, with long communal tables perfect for an evening of drinks and eating well under the Phoenix sky.
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Winner: Vegan Bahn Mi · Best Vegan Delight
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist: Refuge IPA · Favorite Local Craft Beer
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Birthday Beer Deal · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 73. Lovebite Dumpling
Chinese
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Affordable Downtown Lunch · Best of Phoenix
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Restaurants In Phoenix
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Phoenix
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Rank 74. Pizzeria Bianco
Neapolitan Pizza
Chris Bianco's compact brick room in Heritage Square has been the reason Phoenix became a pizza town—his Neapolitan pies, built on tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil, inspired a generation of American pizzaioli since 1996. Lines still wrap around the block for wood-fired pizza from a man who won two James Beard Awards and fundamentally changed how Americans think about pizza.
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Food Pioneer · Chris Bianco
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Restaurants In Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
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Rank 75. Rough Rider
Cocktail Bar
A hidden basement speakeasy in downtown Phoenix where you take the elevator down to a moody, wood-lined room that feels plucked from another century, all dark corners and cozy nooks. Cocktails carry cheeky Victorian names and the kitchen matches the mood with chicory-rubbed duck, black garlic pork chops, and fried cauliflower that tastes like upscale fish and chips.
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Underground Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Imbibe Where to Drink in Phoenix
- Eater The Best Bars in Phoenix
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Rank 76. Saint Pasta
Italian
Chef Racan Alhoch runs a boisterous downtown pasta spot that channels East Coast red-sauce nostalgia through a neon-lit open kitchen playing Frank Ocean and the Sopranos on loop. The rigatoni in vodka sauce and Caesar salad are worth the wait at this no-reservations room where the food stays composed even as the energy around you doesn't.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Sauce · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 77. JL Patisserie
French Bakery
A European bakery where owner Jenna Leurquin turns out exceptionally flaky croissants, kouign-amann, and pain au chocolat alongside thick slices of quiche. The seasonally rotating coffees and buttery viennoiserie justify a morning detour, and the macarons and fresh bread travel well for later.
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Pastries · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Pastries · Best of Phoenix
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A white-tablecloth Southwestern restaurant in a tucked-away Paradise Valley inn, Lon's commands views of ruddy mountains from its broad patio and a stellar bar, with seasonal menus that might bring parsnip ravioli with elk shank ragout or buttered prawns in red curry coconut milk. The weekend brunch is the move—huevos rancheros and a yeasty monkey bread loaded with cream, caramel and chocolate that could be a meal on its own.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner · Ultimate Patio Atmosphere
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist: Sticky Toffee Pudding · Most Delectable Dessert
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Rank 79. Tacos Veganos
Vegan Mexican
A casual counter where vegan Mexican food tastes as indulgent as the real thing, with jackfruit quesabirria tacos and loaded burritos that won't leave you feeling deprived. Carnivores and plant-based eaters alike come back for the bold flavors and cheap thrills.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Vegan Mexican Food · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Vegan Mexican Food · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Vegan Mexican Food · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 80. Melindas Alley
Cocktail Bar
Duck into the alley beside the Renaissance Downtown and descend into a crimson cocktail lounge that swallows all other colors whole, its low velvet seating and rotating chalkboard of drink specials designed for lingering. Open just two nights a week, this moody basement spot rewards the effort to find it with glamorous coupe glasses and the sense that you've stumbled onto something truly private.
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Top Mixologist/Bartender · PJ Vader Baron
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Speakeasy · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · The Top 100 Bars in Phoenix
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Rank 81. Boycott Bar
Cocktail Bar
A welcoming lesbian bar in the Melrose District marked by a pink light, Boycott pours cold beers and well-made cocktails alongside drag shows and dancing. The event calendar rotates through Pride parties, Latin nights, and country dance floors, making it equally good for a casual drink or a full night out.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Lesbian Bar · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Lesbian Bar · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Lesbian Bar · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 83. Sauvage
Natural Wine Bar
Sauvage is a natural wine bar tucked into a historic cottage on McDowell Road, where owner Chris Lingua pours only wines from lesser-known producers and chats up customers about fermentation and terroir over charcuterie and tinned fish. Occasional pop-up dinners from local chefs turn the space into something more ambitious, but the everyday draw is the chance to taste wines that taste like nothing else on a mainstream wine list.
- Esquire 2024 · The Best Bars in America
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Place to Find a Pop-Up · Best of Phoenix
- Eater The Best Bars in Phoenix
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Rank 84. First & Last
New American
The Gold Spot building's soaring ceilings and candlelit booths make this a date-night spot where the Hammonds' rotating menu swings from buttery clams to inventive sourdough bolognese, anchored by craft cocktails with real backbone. By day it's a counter operation slinging focaccia sandwiches and grandma pizza slices that draw lines, though dinner is when the romance kicks in.
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Winner · Emerging Restaurant of the Year
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Sandwiches · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
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Rank 85. Restaurant Progress
European
A corner of the historic Wagon Wheel building in Melrose has been transformed into a lush, intimate dining room where plants and twinkle lights set a quietly romantic mood. Chef-driven European cooking arrives as a five-course tasting menu or à la carte—handmade pasta and steak tartare are equally at home whether you're committing to the full experience or just dropping in with a bottle of wine.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southwest · TJ Culp
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Date Night Spot · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Date Night Spot · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 86. Arizona Wilderness DTPHX
Arizonan
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Winner: Vegan Bahn Mi · Best Vegan Delight
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist: Refuge IPA · Favorite Local Craft Beer
- AZ Central 2025 · Best bars in metro Phoenix
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Rank 87. The Fry Bread House
Native American
The Fry Bread House has been a Melrose institution since 1992, serving Tohono O'odham dishes in a family-run spot that predates the neighborhood's current wave of trendy arrivals. The pillowy namesake fry bread — whether stuffed with beef and beans or topped with chocolate — is why people keep coming back.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Authentic Arizona Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Authentic Arizona Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Authentic Arizona Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
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- Eater The Best Bakeries in Phoenix, Arizona
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Tuna Sandwich · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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A brightly lit neighborhood bakery near Seventh and Camelback where owners Brady and Shaun Breeze—who won Food Network's Cupcake Wars as Ollie Cakes—turn out seasonally rotating, prettily frosted cupcakes and cookies without formal pastry training. Their signature brown boxes work as gifts, and the whole place has a fun, family-friendly vibe that keeps people coming back.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Cookies · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Cookies · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Cookies · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 90. Bacanora
Sonoran Mexican
Rene Andrade mans the grill alone at this bare-bones Sonoran spot, rotating a tight menu of mesquite-charred beef, grilled octopus, and shrimp aguachiles that nod to his childhood street food while reflecting years in fine dining kitchens. His caramelo—a crisp flour tortilla layered with melted cheese and impossibly rich carne asada—is the kind of plate that lingers in your head long after.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Winner · Best Chef: Southwest · Rene Andrade
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southwest · Rene Andrade, Roberto Centeno, and Derek Christensen
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Winner: Tomahawk Steak · Standout Signature Dish
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Rank 91. Stoop Kid
American
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Hamburgers · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Hamburgers · Best of Phoenix
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Restaurants In Phoenix
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Rank 92. Gracie's Tax Bar
Beer Bar
A faded pink building tucked off Seventh Avenue conceals a dive bar that's part neighborhood living room, part rotating nightclub, where cheap beer and a jukebox set the tone for games of Scrabble and late-night DJ sets on the patio. Gracie's Tax Bar, housed in a former tax office since 2017, keeps things loose with themed watch parties and tournaments, the kind of place where strangers become drinking buddies by closing time.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Jukebox · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Jukebox · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Jukebox · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 93. Grey Hen Rx at Century Grand
Chinese-American
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 4 Finalist · Best U.S. Bar Team
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Winner: Barter & Shake · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
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Rank 94. UnderTow
Tiki Cocktail Bar
You're in the cargo hold of a 19th-century ship, complete with portholes and ambient sound effects, ordering rum-forward tiki drinks that range from classic to inventively modern. UnderTow has been Phoenix's best bet for that kind of theatrical, immersive cocktail experience since 2016, and it's still worth the visit.
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 4 Finalist · Best U.S. Bar Team
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Winner: Barter & Shake · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Winner · Most Creative Handcrafted Cocktail
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Rank 95. The Gladly
New American
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist: In-Good Spirits · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Original Chopped Salad · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 96. George & Dragon
British
George & Dragon wears its Anglophilia unabashedly—portraits of the Queen, Buckingham Palace photos, and football kits crowd every wall, while matches play on the screens above the bar. The kitchen turns out proper bangers and mash, pasties, and fish and chips, the beer selection ranges well beyond Guinness, and owner David Wimberley, a native Englishman, holds court on the patio with stories that tend toward colorful language.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best British Pub · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best British Pub · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best British Pub · Best of Phoenix
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- Phoenix New Times The 10 Best Coffee Shops in Phoenix
- AZ Central Best Uptown Phoenix coffee shops for working or studying · The ultimate guide to the best Phoenix cafes
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop: Phoenix · Best of the Valley
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Rank 98. Stardust Pinbar
Cocktail Bar
You yank open a freezer door at Ziggy's Magic Pizza and slip into Stardust, where a glowing dance floor, pinball machines, and disco ball await behind the speakeasy's barely-concealed entrance. It's the kind of place where goths, Disney adults, and whatever just-released concert crowd is nearby converge most nights to sing in English and Spanish until the small hours.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Dance Floor · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Hidden Bar · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central 2025 · Best bars in metro Phoenix
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- Imbibe Where to Drink in Phoenix
- AZ Central Best Uptown Phoenix coffee shops for meeting friends or making new ones · The ultimate guide to the best Phoenix cafes
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- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner: Genuine Concepts · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist: Genuine Concepts · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- AZ Central 2025 · Best bars in metro Phoenix