The Top 100 Restaurants Near Carolina's
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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 4. 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 5. 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 6. 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 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 8. 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 2024 · Winner: Hush Burger · Standout Signature Dish
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Winner: Cast Iron Concepts · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist: Hush Burger · Most Crave-Worthy Burger
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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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- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner: Genuine Concepts · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist: Genuine Concepts · Outstanding Hospitality Group
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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 17. 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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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 2025 · Best Hot Dogs · Best of Phoenix
- AZ Central 2025 · The 100 Best Metro 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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- 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 26. 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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Rank 27. MIDEAST EATS | AVA BAKERY
Persian Bakery
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Rank 29. Taco’s Javi
Mexican
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Rank 31. 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 35. 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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Rank 37. Renata's Hearth
Latin
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Rank 38. 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 39. 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 40. 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 2024 · Finalist: Thai Peanut Poke Bowl · Standout Signature Dish
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept
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Rank 41. 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 42. Pizzeria Bianco
Pizza
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Food Pioneer · Chris Bianco
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Artisanal/Fancy Pizza · Best of the Valley
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Rosa · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 43. 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 44. 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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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 47. 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 49. Taco Boys
Mexican
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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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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 53. LON’s Last Drop
Cocktail Bar
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Rank 55. 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 56. 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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Rank 61. Bobby-Q BBQ
Arizonan
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Rank 67. théa
Mediterranean
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist · Ultimate Patio Atmosphere
- AZ Central 2025 · Best bars in metro Phoenix
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- Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist · Top Chef · David Bowman
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist: After’Mac’ Mac & Cheese · Best Dish in a Supporting Role
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- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist: In-Good Spirits · Outstanding Hospitality Group
- Phoenix New Times Our top 12 favorite sushi restaurants in Phoenix
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Rank 71. Los Dos Molinos
Mexican
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- AZ Central 2025 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
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Rank 72. 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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- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best Prosciutto · Best of the Valley
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Charcuterie Board · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
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Rank 77. 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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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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- 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 86. 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
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
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Rank 88. Buck & Rider
Seafood
The Camelback Road location of this seafood spot keeps things comfortable yet polished, with booth seating and a proper bar where the happy-hour crowd lingers. Everything swims in daily from sustainable producers—Maryland crab, Alaskan oysters, Sea of Cortez shrimp—and the kitchen handles it simply, whether that's sushi rolls, smoked trout dip, or shrimp scampi risotto.
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist: Voodoo Fried Rice · Best Dish in a Supporting Role
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Happy Hour · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Happy Hour · Best of Phoenix
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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 90. Fàme Caffe
New American
A narrow storefront packed with bistro lights, fresh produce, and the warm clutter of a place that's genuinely loved by its regulars, Fàme Caffe serves excellent New American breakfasts and lunches—the Croque Madame and Frenchie Toast are standouts. The walk-up window keeps weekend brunch lines moving, and everything from the house-made hot sauce to the wooden tables topped with rosemary says this kitchen cares about the details.
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Breakfast · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Breakfast · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2026 · The 10 best brunch restaurants in Phoenix
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Rank 91. Tambayan Filipino Food
Filipino
After years as a pop-up and food truck, Tambayan finally landed a permanent home on Camelback in a bright, neon-lit dining room where everything tastes better against yellow booths and green walls. The lemongrass chicken arrives grilled and crispy on a banana leaf, the pancit overload reads like a greatest-hits sampler of lechon and lumpia, and the halo halo is a rainbow of shaved ice and ube that sends you out happy.
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Filipino Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
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Rank 92. T. Cooks
Mediterranean
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Rank 93. Vincent on Camelback
Southwestern French
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Rank 94. Tesota
Global
Doug Robson's sprawling Camelback Road spot trades his Mexican restaurant playbook for a freewheeling global menu—poke, pasta, Asian noodles, wings—all executed with the same careful hand that built his neighborhood empire. Comfortable booths and natural light make it feel less like a chef's victory lap and more like a genuinely good place to eat whatever sounds right that day.
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Rank 95. 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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- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Restaurant to Take a Geek · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Restaurant to Take a Geek · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The top 10 burger joints in Phoenix
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Rank 97. 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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- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Upscale Indian Food · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best Indian restaurants in Phoenix
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Rank 100. Persian Room
Persian
- AZ Central 2026 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Kash O'Bademjan · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
- AZ Central 2025 · The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants