The Best Places in Phoenix

1. AZ Central The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
2. Phoenix New Times The Top 100 Bars in Phoenix
3. Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best Off-Label Use of Pickles: Dill Pickle Pizza · Best of the Valley

A tamale shop that sells exactly one thing, in more than twenty flavors. The family operation skips lard, gluten, and preservatives, and the masa shows it. Standards like beef red chile sit alongside spinach and cream cheese, a rotating monthly special, and dessert tamales for when you've already committed. Find them at the North Phoenix storefront on Cave Creek Road or at area farmers markets if the drive feels ambitious.

1. AZ Central The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
2. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Tamales · Best of Phoenix
3. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Tamales · Best of Phoenix

1. AAA Four Diamonds

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Winner: Vegan Bahn Mi · Best Vegan Delight
2. Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist: Refuge IPA · Favorite Local Craft Beer
3. AZ Central Best bars in metro Phoenix

1. AAA Four Diamonds

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved
2. Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist · Uniquely Arizona

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. Phoenix New Times The 10 best Chinese restaurants in Phoenix
2. Phoenix Magazine Szechwan Prawns · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

Nobuo Fukuda, a James Beard Award winner, runs this intimate Japanese small-plates bar in Scottsdale, where the menu reads like a quiet argument against doing anything halfway. Most dishes land under twenty dollars, from panko-fried tofu with green papaya curry to sunomono with watermelon radish. The sashimi spoons have their own cult following, and an omakase is available by reservation for when you're feeling like committing to the evening.

1. Eater Sashimi Spoons · The Most Iconic Dishes in Phoenix
2. Phoenix Magazine Sashimi Spoons · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
3. Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Phoenix

1. Phoenix New Times The 10 best Indian restaurants in Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times Tellicherry Lamb Fry · The 10 best bites we tasted at Phoenix restaurants
3. Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best Indian Cuisine: West Valley · Best of the Valley

1. Phoenix New Times The 10 best Indian restaurants in Phoenix
2. Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best Indian Cuisine: West Valley · Best of the Valley

The lines at this Mesa plate lunch counter are long because the menu is short and the food moves. Hapa is one of the few independent Hawaiian spots holding its own against the chains in Phoenix, and it earned a Phoenix New Times Best Hawaiian Restaurant nod for the effort. Check their Instagram before you go since daily specials rotate fast. Save room for the malasadas, fried to order and stuffed with vanilla custard or ube cream.

1. AZ Central The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
2. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Hawaiian Restaurant · Best of Phoenix

The rice comes out burgundy, not white, because Harumi uses Forbidden black rice, and that detail alone tells you this is a modern sushi spot with a point of view. It sits in downtown Phoenix, small and lively, with an omakase option that won't require a financial intervention. The fish is clean and familiar rather than obscure, which suits the pre-show crowd it draws. Phoenix New Times named it a top pick for eating before a downtown event.

1. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Place to Eat Before a Downtown Event · Best of Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times Our top 12 favorite sushi restaurants in Phoenix
3. Phoenix Magazine Japanese Caesar Salad · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

The chef here trained at Tsuji Culinary Institute and cooked at Nobu before settling into a ramen shop in Ahwatukee, which is either a surprise or exactly what someone like that would do. The menu runs classic: tonkotsu, miso blended from Hokkaido pastes, rice bowls, takoyaki. The broth is unhurried and clear in its intentions, the kind of ramen that makes the fast-food versions feel a little embarrassed about themselves.

1. AZ Central The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
2. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Ramen · Best of Phoenix

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Winner · Uniquely Arizona
2. Phoenix Magazine Stromboli Siciliano · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona

The green chile burro is what people are actually here for, and on busy days the line confirms it. Rito's is an old-school Mexican counter-service spot, been around forever, run by the same family across a handful of Valley locations. The move if you're feeling committed is to get any order done chimichanga-enchilada style, deep-fried and drowned in red sauce with cheese, lettuce, and tomato piled on top.

1. AZ Central The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
2. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Burritos · Best of Phoenix
3. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Burritos · Best of Phoenix

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. Phoenix New Times Our top 12 favorite sushi restaurants in Phoenix
2. Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best West Valley Sushi · Best of the Valley

1. AAA Approved

The horchata here comes with fresh-diced apple, which sounds like a gimmick until it tastes like cold apple pie through a straw. This casual taco shop on 32nd Street does familiar Mexican comfort food with small, quiet twists: carne asada topped with nopales, fried shrimp with mango slaw. The kind of neighborhood spot where you figure out your order fast and eat faster.

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept
2. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Horchata · Best of Phoenix

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. Phoenix New Times Our top 10 favorite restaurants in Tempe
2. Phoenix Magazine Curry Lamb Pot Pie · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona

1. Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist · Emerging Restaurant of the Year
2. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Top Chef · Angelo Sosa
3. Phoenix Magazine Ember-Roasted Purple Yam · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona

1. AAA Three Diamonds

Tijuana-style street food from a truck usually parked outside Cobra Arcade Bar on Second Street, running until 2 a.m. on weekends for a reason. The chef behind the counter built a menu around classics like tacos al pastor and vampiros, then added birria ramen for anyone who wants to confuse their stomach in the best way. Phoenix New Times named it the top late-night Mexican food truck two years running, which tracks with the crowd spilling out of nearby bars.

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Best Food Truck Experience
2. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Late-Night Mexican Food · Best of Phoenix
3. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Mexican Food Truck · Best of Phoenix

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist: Voodoo Fried Rice · Best Dish in a Supporting Role
2. Phoenix Magazine New Orleans Shrimp and Grits · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona

A wood-fired pizzeria in the middle of Old Town Scottsdale that leans into the craft-beer-bar half of its personality as much as the pizza half. The dough is thin but sturdy enough to carry generous toppings without folding, and the homemade mozzarella shows up like it has something to prove. A serious Arizona craft beer list keeps the mood convivial. Ranked 29th on 50 Top Pizza USA, which is a lot for a place with a patio and wooden tables.

1. 50 Top Pizza #29 · 50 Top Pizza USA
2. Phoenix Magazine Honey Bee Pizza · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona

1. Phoenix Magazine 2025 · Best Nutty Croissants · Best of the Valley
2. Eater The Best Bakeries in Phoenix, Arizona

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Top Chef · Alex Trujillo
2. Phoenix Magazine Carpaccio · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona

The line at this cash-only Mexican bakery in Glendale moves slowly because everyone freezes in front of the cases. Giant pink pig-shaped cochinitos glazed with molasses, chamoy-dipped apples, tamales, fresh tortillas, and trays of pan dulce all compete for your attention at once. Phoenix New Times named it the best Mexican bakery in the city, and the regulars waiting ahead of you look like they already knew that.

1. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Mexican Bakery · Best of Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Mexican Bakery · Best of Phoenix
3. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Mexican Bakery · Best of Phoenix

1. AAA Approved

1. Eater The Best Bakeries in Phoenix, Arizona
2. Phoenix Magazine Tuna Sandwich · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Exceptional Culinary Experience
2. Foodist Awards 2023 · Finalist · Top Chef · Jason Alford

A tiny pink-and-white bungalow in West Phoenix, family-run since the parents first opened it, now in the hands of their five kids. The pho here is the reason to show up, arriving in oversized bowls with the full spread of garnishes, and the broth is the kind that takes all day. Closes at five, shut on Tuesdays, and full of regulars who know better than to overthink the menu.

1. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Pho · Best of Phoenix
2. Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Phoenix

A private cottage across the street from its louder sibling, Reserve runs on dress codes, flickering candles, and soft piano, which tells you exactly what kind of evening this is. The tasting menu leans into caviar, dry-aged duck, and wagyu, while an enormous wine cellar offers options at most price points. The service team controls the pace deliberately, so no one is rushing you anywhere. Note that it operates seasonally.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved

1. Phoenix Magazine Date Shake · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
2. Eater Date Shake · The Most Iconic Dishes in Phoenix

1. AAA Approved

Sundubu jjigae arrives at the table still at a full boil, in a black earthenware bowl that stays screaming hot long after it lands. This Korean tofu house in Mesa's Asian District is the kind of place where a server drops off a raw egg and you crack it straight into the broth. The house-made tofu is silky, the broth is deeply red, and the white-shirt warning is sincere. Bulgogi and bibimbap round out the menu for anyone not ready to commit to the fire.

1. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Korean Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
2. Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Phoenix

The team once competed on Food Network's Cupcake Wars under a different name and won, which tells you something about what's happening at this bright, family-run bakery near Seventh and Camelback. Frosted cupcakes and cookies rotate with the seasons and holidays, so there's almost always a reason to stop in. The signature brown boxes travel well and double as a gift when flowers feel lazy.

1. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Cookies · Best of Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Cookies · Best of Phoenix
3. Eater The Best Bakeries in Phoenix, Arizona

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Winner · Exceptional Culinary Experience

The banchan arrives before you've ordered anything, which tells you what kind of place this is. Ban Chan is a small, grandma-style Korean restaurant in Mesa where the menu leans hard into soups, stews, and hot pots built for sharing. The chef has been running Korean restaurants since forever, and that depth shows in broths that take time. A new generation found it recently, but the regulars who've been coming for years never left.

1. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Korean Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
2. Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Phoenix

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Winner: Barrio Blonde · Favorite Local Craft Beer

The coffee here traveled from a family farm in Colombia to a mural on the wall mapping the whole journey, and eventually into your cup. This Tempe coffee shop serves arepas and pandebono alongside the usual avocado toast, and regulars at the counter tend to get greeted by name. The seasonal menu turns over often enough to reward repeat visits, and the vibe leans comfortably toward long mornings with homework or nowhere particular to be.

1. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Coffee Shop · Best of Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times The 10 Best Coffee Shops in Phoenix
3. Phoenix New Times The 10 best coffee shops in Phoenix

A steak-and-sushi restaurant inside Scottsdale Fashion Square, which tells you exactly who the room is built for. The menu runs from raw fish and specialty rolls through wagyu and pasta, so you can arrive with shopping bags and leave with a bill to match. The herb-roasted branzino, served over lemon rice, has drawn particular attention from local critics. Not cheap, but the kitchen takes the food more seriously than the setting might suggest.

1. Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
2. Phoenix New Times Herb-Roasted Branzino · The 10 best bites we tasted at Phoenix restaurants
3. Phoenix New Times The 12 best restaurants in Scottsdale

Fried chicken and Champagne share a menu at this retro-glam bowling lounge off Roosevelt Row, which tells you most of what you need to know about its vibe. A handful of lanes, a circular bar, pool tables, and DJs make it more of a night out that happens to involve bowling than the other way around. Sushi and nachos cover the snacking spread. Dress accordingly, because the decor is very much meant to be photographed.

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Outstanding Bar/Nightlife Experience
2. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Bougie Bowling · Best of Phoenix

Sonoran white wheat, no oil, no sugar: Don Guerra's bagels are stripped down to grain and craft, and the lines in Gilbert form accordingly. This pop-up bakery at Hayden Flour Mills, where Guerra sources his flour, sells boules, loaves, and Sonoran bagels, with a preorder form online so you don't drive out empty-handed. Guerra holds a James Beard Award, and the crowd that shows up on bake days acts like it knows exactly why.

1. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Tucson Import · Best of Phoenix
2. Eater The Best Bakeries in Phoenix, Arizona

A coffee shop tucked among antique stores and auto garages in Old Town Peoria, which tells you something about the neighborhood and something about the owners' confidence. Driftwood keeps things bright and unhurried, pulls from both local and national roasters, and runs a menu that ranges from straightforward espresso drinks to things called Cereal Killer Lattes. A small shelf of local ceramics and art lines one wall, in case the matcha wasn't enough.

1. Phoenix New Times The 10 Best Coffee Shops in Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times The 10 best coffee shops in Phoenix
3. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Matcha · Best of Phoenix

Sandwiched between carburetor and machine shops on Buckeye Road, this cash-and-linoleum Mexican diner has been feeding the neighborhood long before the concept of "hole-in-the-wall chic" existed. Breakfast is the reason to show up: chilaquiles drowning in red or green salsa, Sunday menudo, and hearty caldo stews that have no interest in being photogenic. Phoenix New Times has named it Best Mexican Diner, and Eater flagged the machaca as one of Phoenix's most iconic dishes.

1. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Chilaquiles · Best of Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Mexican Diner · Best of Phoenix
3. Eater Machaca · The Most Iconic Dishes in Phoenix

1. AAA Approved
2. Phoenix Magazine Ankimo · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Food Pioneer · Matt Carter

Baby pink tiles and floor-to-ceiling windows set the mood at this Mexican coffee shop inside Tempe's car-free Culdesac community. Daytime runs on carajillos, mazapan lattes, horchata, and breakfast bites; Thursday through Saturday it pivots to wine, amari, and ceviche. The team behind Tacos Chiwas brought the same ease here, and the cozy booths fill with people who seem in no particular hurry to leave.

1. Phoenix New Times The 10 Best Coffee Shops in Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times The 10 best coffee shops in Phoenix

The curved brick entryway opens into an oblong room of deep green walls, gold candelabras, and picture frames, which is a lot to pull off inside a Tempe strip mall. Bar Capri is an Italian restaurant and bar with the bones of a big-city neighborhood spot: cocktails and a tight wine list from a back bar, lasagna and arancini coming through the kitchen window. Tiramisu closes things out, and nobody seems in a hurry to leave.

1. Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
2. Phoenix New Times Our top 10 favorite restaurants in Tempe
3. Phoenix New Times The 10 best new Phoenix restaurants of 2025

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Uniquely Arizona

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Uniquely Arizona

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Uniquely Arizona

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist: Genuine Concepts · Outstanding Hospitality Group

A roll-up garage door on a repurposed corner house sets the tone for this tiny Old Town Scottsdale coffee shop, which doubles as a weekend car show venue. The counter fits maybe two people standing, but a shaded patio and a quiet garden out back absorb the overflow. Weekend mornings bring themed gatherings of Porsches or vintage off-roaders, which pairs better with a lavender honey latte than you might expect.

1. Phoenix New Times The 10 Best Coffee Shops in Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times The 10 best coffee shops in Phoenix

1. Wine Enthusiast Top 50 New Restaurants

White tiles, pastel trim, and a cartoon burger grinning at you from the wall set the tone at this retro counter-service burger joint on downtown Mesa's main drag. The team behind Tacos Chiwas and Espiritu kept things deliberately simple: a short menu of semi-smashed burgers, hot dogs, loaded fries, and aguas frescas. The Sonora burger, stacked with griddled cheese, chiltepin, and bacon, is the one people talk about.

1. Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
2. Phoenix New Times Sonora Burger · The 10 best bites we tasted at Phoenix restaurants
3. Phoenix New Times The 10 best new Phoenix restaurants of 2025

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist: Day Drinker · Favorite Local Craft Beer

1. Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist: Day Drinker · Favorite Local Craft Beer