The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near The Tamale Store
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The Tamale Store is a no-frills counter where tamales—hand-filled with everything from beef and chile to spinach cream cheese—are the only thing on the menu, made without lards, preservatives, or shortcuts. A twenty-year family operation that rotates seasonal flavors and dessert varieties alongside the classics, so there's always something new to try alongside the standards.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Tamales · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Tamales · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 2. Original Breakfast House
Californian
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best Sweet-Savory Breakfast: Fried Chicken with Deep-Fried French Toast · Best of the Valley
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Chicken-Fried Chicken with French Toast · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 6. Los Reyes De La Torta
Mexican
A casual counter spot where enormous tortas—layered with fried beef, chorizo, egg, avocado, and more on soft telera bread—arrive as genuine meals for two. The juice bar pulls fresh aguas frescas and wild fruit bombas topped with paper umbrellas, turning a sandwich run into something celebratory.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Tortas · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Tortas · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best Mexican restaurants in Phoenix
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Rank 7. City of Spice
Indian
The owners opened City of Spice after tiring of mediocre Indian food around Phoenix, and their families' restaurant pedigree shows in every plate—there are shatteringly crisp dosa, silky malai kofta, and expertly balanced biryanis, with explanatory slides overhead encouraging you to try something unfamiliar. The staff guides you through the menu with genuine warmth, making this a casual neighborhood spot where you feel welcomed whether you're ordering your go-to dish or taking a chance on something new.
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Halal Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Halal Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best Chai High · Best of the Valley
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Rank 10. Las 15 Salsas Restaurant Oaxaqueño
Oaxacan Mexican
A colorful patio strung with lights sets the scene for serious Oaxacan cooking at this Sunnyslope spot, where memelas and tamales wrapped in banana leaves are just the warm-up act. The five styles of mole are the real draw, paired with cocktails built from rare agave spirits and earthy café de olla.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Oaxacan Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Mole · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Mole · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 11. Kitsune Brewing
Beer Bar
Owner Tyler Smith's infectious energy fills this neighborhood craft brewery, where a rotating sour program spins out nostalgic riffs like margarita and Star Wars–inspired Bantha Milk alongside their core IPAs and brown ales. Food trucks park outside to fuel another round while you wait for the adjoining ramen bar to finally open.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Place to Take a Geek Who Loves Beer · 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 New Times The 10 best Indian restaurants in Phoenix
- AZ Central 2025 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 14. Little Miss BBQ
Southern Barbecue
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southwest · Scott Holmes
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Pastrami · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
- AZ Central 2025 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Top Sushi Restaurant
- Phoenix New Times Our top 12 favorite sushi restaurants in Phoenix
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- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist: Hush Burger · Most Crave-Worthy Burger
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Winner: Hush Burger · Standout Signature Dish
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Winner: Cast Iron Concepts · Outstanding Hospitality Group
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Rank 18. Yuzu Omakase
Sushi
Chef Yusuke Kuroda, who runs the popular Origami Ramen Bar, tucked this intimate six-seat sushi counter into a north Phoenix shopping center between a frozen custard shop and a hearing aid store, where he serves a precise 12-to-14-piece nigiri tasting menu for $85. The fish—buttery tuna, citrus-bright roe, sweet shrimp, marbled Wagyu—reflects a steady hand, and while reservations are essential for the bar experience, walk-ins can grab rolls at the few surrounding tables or take an omakase to go.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best High-End Takeout · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times Our top 12 favorite sushi restaurants in Phoenix
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Rank 20. The Dubliner Irish Pub
Irish Dive Bar
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- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner: Genuine Concepts · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist: Genuine Concepts · Outstanding Hospitality Group
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Rank 23. Balkan Bakery
Eastern European Bakery
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Rank 25. Butler’s Easy
Cocktail Bar
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- AZ Central 2025 · Best bars in metro Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · The Top 100 Bars in Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Chicken Tecolota @ Requinto · The 10 best bites we tasted at Phoenix restaurants
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- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Chicken Wings · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Chicken Wings · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 30. MIDEAST EATS | AVA BAKERY
Persian Bakery
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Rank 31. Richardson's
Mexican
Richardson's is a swanky New Mexican dining room with leather booths, copper accents, and a massive marble bar—nothing dusty about it, despite the Southwestern setting. The kitchen does hearty stuff well, from carne adovada eggs Benedict at brunch to rack of lamb basted with green chile jelly and pecan-wood-grilled burgers at dinner.
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Uniquely Arizona
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best New Mexico Cuisine · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best New Mexico Cuisine · Best of Phoenix
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- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner · Exceptional Culinary Experience
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Restaurant Views · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Restaurant Views · Best of Phoenix
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- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner: Double Burger · Most Crave-Worthy Burger
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- Phoenix New Times The top 10 burger joints in Phoenix
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Rank 34. Taco’s Javi
Mexican
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- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Aguas Frescas · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Neveria · Best of Phoenix
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- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Hot Dogs · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central 2025 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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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
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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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- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Canto-American Chinese Food · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Canto-American Chinese Food · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best Chinese restaurants in Phoenix
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Rank 46. Otro Cafe
Mexico City-Style Mexican
A colorful, modern neighborhood spot in uptown Phoenix where weekend brunch tables go fast and the salsas pack real heat. Chef Doug Robson's Mexico City-style menu shines with crispy papas fritas and cajeta pancakes topped with banana, crème fraîche, caramel, and candied peanuts.
- Phoenix New Times 2026 · The 10 best brunch restaurants in Phoenix
- Eater Chilaquiles · The Most Iconic Dishes in Phoenix
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Chef Cory Oppold's stripped-down fine-dining room sits anonymously in a Scottsdale strip mall, but the tasting menu inside is where he stakes his claim after years working some of the Valley's best kitchens. Expect five courses on weeknights or eight on weekends, with small bites that shift with the seasons.
- The Pinnacle Guide 2026 · 1 Pin
- USA Today 2025 · Restaurants of the Year
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Antonia Kane
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Rank 48. Dick's Hideaway
New Mexican New American
A neighborhood New Mexican spot on 16th Street so unmarked you'll need to know where you're going, but once you're squeezed into the tiny dining room you'll understand why Friday nights require divine intervention—excellent red and green chile plates, a serious bar program, and that open-flame grill's heat reaching your barstool. The Taos tenderloin and green chile burger are the kind of food that makes a small, crowded room feel exactly right.
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Rank 50. Hush Public House
New American
Chef Dom Ruggiero's intimate spot in Scottsdale serves New American food with real soul—think an oxtail-laden riff on Italian beef with molten cheese and giardiniera, or crab-perfumed hush puppies that set the tone for what follows. The open kitchen fills the room with cooking sounds and smells while a house playlist of nostalgic rock plays to a crowd of cordial regulars, all of whom seem to understand they're in on something special.
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Winner: Cast Iron Concepts · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
- Phoenix New Times The 12 best restaurants in Scottsdale
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Rank 51. Cool Vybz Jamaican Restaurant
Caribbean
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Caribbean Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Caribbean Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
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- AZ Central Best Uptown Phoenix coffee shops for meeting friends or making new ones · The ultimate guide to the best Phoenix cafes
- AZ Central 2025 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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A proper Italian deli in West Phoenix where the meat and cheese counter takes center stage and sandwiches like the Italian Stallion arrive loaded with cold cuts, provolone, and house dressing on crusty Italian bread. Beyond takeout cuts, there's an antipasto bar, homemade pasta dishes, gelato, and cannoli that deserve a trip on their own.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Italian Deli · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Italian Deli · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Italian Deli · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 58. Swizzle Inn
Dive Bar
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Rank 64. Taco Boys
Mexican
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Rank 66. Renata's Hearth
Latin
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Rank 67. 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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Rank 70. Mr. Sweets Bakery
Middle Eastern Bakery
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Rank 71. Tell Your Friends
Cocktail Bar
Descend into this velvet-draped speakeasy beneath The Americano for cocktails that blend unexpected flavors—chile liqueur with goat cheese, vanilla pudding stirred into spirits—while live musicians set the mood. It's a splashy, gold-trimmed kind of place where the drinks are inventive and the bill reflects the glamorous underground atmosphere.
- Industry Excellence Awards Bar of the Year
- Sunset 2025 · Better Bars · Where to Eat and Drink
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner · Iconic Speakeasy Experience
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Rank 72. West African Cuisine
West African
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best West African Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best West African Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 73. Hana Japanese Eatery
Japanese
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Sushi/Japanese · Best of the Valley
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Honeymoon Shooter · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 75. Rito's Mexican Food
Mexican
A Phoenix institution since 1977, Rito's is a casual counter spot where the green chile burro draws lines out the door, and you can get virtually anything deep-fried chimichanga-style and smothered in red sauce and cheese. The Salinas family also does a mean guacamole taco and refried pinto beans, making this a go-to for no-frills, craveable Mexican food.
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Burritos · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Burritos · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 76. JL Patisserie
French Bakery
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best breakfast spots in Phoenix
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 79. 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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- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Farmers Market · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Farmers’ Market · 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 Breakfast Burrito · Best of the Valley
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Rank 83. 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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Rank 85. Alzohour Restaurant
Moroccan Middle Eastern
Zhor Saad single-handedly runs the Valley's only Moroccan restaurant from her combined dining room, market, and boutique, moving between host and kitchen with practiced grace since 2008. Steaming tagines of saffron lamb or fish, pillowy couscous, and her signature bastilla—a phyllo pie of chicken and nuts dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar—arrive when they're ready, and they're worth the wait.
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best North African Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best North African Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
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Rank 86. 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 87. 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 89. Bobby-Q BBQ
Arizonan
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Rank 90. Zinc Bistro
French
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Food Pioneer · Matt Carter
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Dungeness Crab Salad · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 91. 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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A Phoenix rarity: a kosher deli where the corned beef and pastrami arrive on double-baked Jewish rye that actually tastes like something. The matzo-ball soup is bracingly seasoned with celery and dill, and the New York cheesecake tastes like someone's grandmother knew what she was doing.
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Rank 94. Kembara
Asian
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist: Beef Rendang · Standout Signature Dish
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Chili Crab · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 95. LON’s Last Drop
Cocktail Bar
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The patio at Lon's—shaded by olive trees and towering cactuses, dotted with cream umbrellas and the sound of a fountain—is where Phoenix does brunch on weekend mornings, the kind of place where sticky monkey bread and blood orange mimosas feel like the only reasonable choice. The kitchen splits the difference between Southwest classics like chilaquiles and coastal leaning plates like salmon Benedicts, all bright enough to match the serene desert setting.
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Rank 97. Steak 44
Modern Steakhouse
A dark, polished steakhouse on Phoenix's north side that somehow feels as comfortable for a casual bar dinner as it does for celebrations, with a modern menu that ranges from hand-cut wet-aged beef to soft shell crabs in vanilla bean tempura. The 12-ounce Delmonico arrives butter-drenched with beautiful marbling, or you can splurge on truffle butter if you're feeling it.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Steakhouse · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Steakhouse · Best of the Valley
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- AZ Central Best Uptown Phoenix coffee shops for curling up with a book · The ultimate guide to the best Phoenix cafes
- AZ Central 2025 · Best bars in metro Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · The Top 100 Bars in Phoenix