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Chilte
Modern Mexican
The restaurant's unofficial motto translates roughly to "I don't give a damn," which is a curious thing to post when your birria arrives in hand-pressed squid ink tortillas with miso consommé. Chilte is a modern Mexican restaurant and bar in a revamped motor hotel on Grand Avenue, and Food & Wine named the chef one of its Best New Chefs. The seasonal menu shifts often, and the team pulls in guest chefs regularly, so the room rewards repeat visits.
Fourteen honors, in evidence:
The record strongest first
- Food & Wine Best New Chefs · Lawrence "LT" Smith
- Foodist Awards 2024 · Finalist · Emerging Restaurant of the Year
- Bon Appétit America's Best New Restaurants
- Esquire The Best New Restaurants in America
- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Hotel Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Chef to Watch · Best of Phoenix · Lawrence 'LT' Smith
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Restaurants In Phoenix
- Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Transition to Brick and Mortar · Best of Phoenix
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Emerging Chef · Lawrence "JT" Smith
- Phoenix New Times The 10 best Mexican restaurants in Phoenix
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Phoenix
- Phoenix Magazine Santa Quesadilla · Top 100 Dishes of Arizona
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Phoenix
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. West
One number, weighted & current 90
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
- Mole de la casa Phoenix New Times, 2024
- Quesadilla with grasshoppers Phoenix New Times, 2024
Nearby in the record closest first
- Underbelly Meat Co. Do · 54
- Vovomeena New American Eat · 65
- Highball Eat · 44
- Cave & Post Trading Co. Do · 45
- Wasted Ink Zine Distro Do · 54
- Sauvage Natural Wine Bar Eat · 29
- Harlem Coffee Eat · 65
- Margaret T. Hance Park Do · 55
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