The Top 35 Restaurants in Tempe
The best restaurants in Tempe, by the professional record: USA Today, Phoenix New Times, and Foodist Awards have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Cocina Chiwas comes out on top.
The Chuckbox and Cafe Lalibela hold the next two places. Phoenix New Times shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Foodist Awards next.
-
Rank 1. Cocina Chiwas
Mexican
Mesquite and pecan wood smoke drifts out of the open kitchen at this Chihuahuan-rooted restaurant inside Tempe's Culdesac neighborhood, where the grill does serious work on meats, peppers, and open-faced quesadillas. The team behind Tacos Chiwas built something more personal here, moving from taqueria to family table. Moles, micheladas, and brunch dishes like concha French toast fill out a menu that runs morning to night. A James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist in 2024.
- USA Today Restaurants of the Year
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Chiles Rellenos · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times Our top 10 favorite restaurants in Tempe
-
Rank 2. The Chuckbox
Southwestern American
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Finalist: The Great One · Most Crave-Worthy Burger
- AZ Central The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- Phoenix New Times The top 10 burger joints in Phoenix
-
Rank 3. Cafe Lalibela
Ethiopian
The injera arrives with every order, a spongy sourdough flatbread that doubles as plate and utensil, and first-timers get a menu with a glossary to help them figure out what they've just ordered. This Ethiopian restaurant has been an ASU rite of passage for what feels like forever, a family-run strip mall spot that leans hard into vegetarian dishes and fragrant stews. The dining room is cozy and carpeted, and the coffee ceremony is not decorative.
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
- AZ Central The 100 Best Metro Phoenix Restaurants
- Phoenix New Times Our top 10 favorite restaurants in Tempe
-
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner: Double Burger · Most Crave-Worthy Burger
- Phoenix New Times The top 10 burger joints in Phoenix
-
Rank 5. Taco Chelo
Mexican
- Foodist Awards 2025 · Winner · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept
-
Rank 6. Old Town Taste
Sichuan
A bright red neon sign marks this Sichuan restaurant tucked into a Tempe strip mall, where turquoise booths and mural-covered walls set the scene for lazy Susans loaded with mapo tofu, braised eggplant, and the Chongqing-style spicy chicken that Phoenix Magazine named one of Arizona's top dishes. The batter is thin and shatters, the peppercorns do their characteristic lip-numbing work, and the portions are large enough to make you reconsider your afternoon plans.
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Traditional Chinese Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
-
-
- Phoenix New Times Our top 10 favorite restaurants in Tempe
- Phoenix Magazine Curry Lamb Pot Pie · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
-
Rank 9. Taco Boys
Mexican
-
Rank 9. Taco Boys
Mexican
-
Rank 11. Bar Capri
Italian
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.
- Phoenix New Times The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best new Phoenix restaurants of 2025
- Phoenix New Times Our top 10 favorite restaurants in Tempe
-
-
Rank 11. Pita Jungle
Mediterranean
-
-
-
-
Rank 14. The Dhaba
Punjabi
Named for the roadside pit stops where Indian truck drivers fuel up on cheap, filling food, this casual Punjabi restaurant in Tempe takes the concept seriously: long menu, affordable prices, homemade breads, and tandoori meats that smell like someone's actually cooking back there. The thali is the move if you want the full picture, chai and dessert included. Street snacks, deep-fried things, and curry round out a menu that rewards indecision.
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Neighborhood Indian Spot · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best Indian restaurants in Phoenix
-
-
-
- Foodist Awards 2023 · Winner: The Joy Bus · Favorite Local Craft Beer
- Eater The Best Bars in Phoenix
-
Rank 18. Haji-Baba
Middle Eastern
-
-
-
Rank 18. Mandi House
Yemeni Middle Eastern
-
-
-
Rank 27. Feta Cowboy
Mediterranean
-
Rank 27. Golden Restaurant & Bakery
Levantine Middle Eastern
The flatbread menu alone runs past thirty varieties, which tells you something about priorities at this Levantine restaurant and bakery in Tempe. Manakeesh, slow-cooked meats, hummus, and baba ganoush fill out a menu rooted in the kind of food that takes real patience to make. The kenafa, a cheesy semolina pastry dessert, is the thing people come back for. Casual, inexpensive, and easy to overorder.
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Middle Eastern Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Middle Eastern Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Rank 34. Ted's Hot Dogs
American
Charcoal-grilled hot dogs at a counter where the walls are buried in memorabilia: Ted's is an old-school hot dog shop with roots in upstate New York. The White Hot, dressed with sauerkraut and mustard, is the move, but the real sleeper is the fries with gravy, a combination rare enough in Phoenix that people drive across town for it. The buns come toasted or plain, which feels like a small thing until you're asked.