The top 50 restaurants in Phoenix right now

Welcome to our list of the best restaurants in Phoenix. You may notice that things look a little different this time around.

Every year, Phoenix New Times publishes a list of the top spots to eat in the Valley. Until now, that list has featured 100 restaurants. This year, we’ve cut that in half, selecting the Top 50 restaurants in Phoenix.

Why put 50 top-flight establishments on the chopping block? We’ve narrowed our picks to give you a more refined selection of the very best places to eat in the Valley right now. And instead of waiting a year to declare the next batch, we’ll revise this list throughout the year, removing restaurants that close and adding new ones as they rise to the top echelon of Phoenix dining. 

Selecting just 50 restaurants to celebrate has been no easy task. Phoenix is packed with superb places to enjoy a meal. Valley chefs are pushing boundaries, sharing their culture through cuisine and delighting eaters with unique flavors and techniques. 

To choose which spots would make it to the Top 50, we considered each restaurant’s ambiance, level of service and drink program (and how well it complements the food). We also weighed the intentionality of the concept and cuisine — does the menu accomplish what the chef has set out to do? And, of course, we considered the taste of the food.

Most of these restaurants excel across several of our criteria. At a few, the food is just so dang good, nothing else matters.

To help you navigate these restaurants, we’ve split our list into four categories. We start with the exciting newcomers that opened during the past year. We’ve got special-occasion eateries, perfect for a birthday or anniversary. Next up are everyday neighborhood favorites, where you’ll dine among regulars. Finally, there are casual, counter service spots that are quick, easy and memorable. 

We hope you’ll use this list to eat your way around the Valley. Any time you need a recommendation, start here. And come back often, as we update the list with the hottest new spots and our own recent obsessions.

Compiling this list takes a lot of research and intense conversations about the intricacies of what makes a restaurant truly great. All that work ensures you can find an easy answer the next time you wonder where you should go for dinner. With that — bon appétit!

Jump To:

New and noteworthy Phoenix restaurants

The top spots to open between Dec. 1, 2024, and Dec. 1, 2025.

Bar Capri
1730 E. Warner Road #10, Tempe
Despite its location in a suburban south Tempe strip mall, Bar Capri feels like something plucked from the historic district of a big city. Its curved, brick entryway leads into an oblong dining room, lined with deep green walls accented with ornate gold candelabras and picture frames. At the back of the room, a small bar cranks out stellar cocktails, pours from a small but exceptionally well-curated wine list and passes plates from the kitchen window. Those plates are stacked with hearty lasagna, fresh green salads, crisp calamari and arrancini nestled in rich marinara sauce. Finish off with a classic tiramisu or a decadent chocolate torte and linger over your last sips of wine. This spot embraces diners with its welcoming, cozy space and satisfying meals to match. 

Catch
7014 E. Camelback Road, #612, Scottsdale
Catch opened at Scottsdale Fashion Square in September 2025. It’s one of the latest high-end, out-of-town eateries to join the mall’s growing roster of luxury restaurants. It serves steak and sushi to well-heeled customers still toting Louis Vuitton shopping bags from their day at the mall. But the catch, at Catch, is that the food is exceptional. Start with refreshing raw fish such as the sweet and tart Madai Crudo with pickled green peach. Then warm up for a steak with the Wagyu Surf and Turf roll, filled with Maine lobster and topped with thin slices of flame-kissed Wagyu. The cooked side of the menu offers steaks and pastas. If you want to stick with seafood, make sure not to miss the herb-roasted branzino. This tender fish served atop creamy lemon rice was one of the best things we ate all year. Catch is not cheap. But contrary to many splashy Scottsdale eateries, it’s worth every penny. 

Indibar
6208 N. Scottsdale Road, Paradise Valley
Indian dining is booming around the Valley, especially in elevated formats. Among the newcomers, Indibar has proven to be a standout. The restaurant replaced the venerable Rancho Pinot in March 2025. The dining room is awash in desert neutrals and curved accents, mirrored by the eye-catching Art Deco-inspired bar. The space has the luxe refinement of a high-end resort and white-glove service to match. Chefs Nigel Lobo and Ajay Singh, meanwhile, have applied techniques honed at fine dining restaurants across the globe to Indian cuisine. There are modern presentations of masala fries and chaat, and the kitchen team also pays homage to tandoori and regional dishes. The Kerala-inspired Meen Pollichathu, a banana leaf-wrapped branzino, is fragrant with curry leaves when you unwrap it at your table. Indibar’s butter chicken is the platonic ideal of the curry shop classic, with tender char-grilled chicken basking in a complex, creamy sauce. The pastry and bar teams likewise have fun riffing on nostalgic Indian flavors. Their work is already showing returns. Earlier this year, Indibar was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant.

Liquor Pig
7217 E. Fourth Ave., Scottsdale
Though less than a year old, Liquor Pig has already withstood shakeups. The cozy Old Town Scottsdale tavern with viral tipples lost its founding chef, Steven “Chops” Smith, who decamped a few months after the restaurant’s opening. Guided by co-founder Scott Casey and chef CJ Kahley, Liquor Pig has continued to impress diners with playful craft cocktails, an eclectic, ever-changing menu and thoughtful service that puts guests at ease in the moody space. You could cozy up next to your date at the bar and sip olive oil-washed dirty martinis and demurely nibble arancini. But it’s just as much fun to bring a group and go hog-wild, ordering plate after shareable plate of ceviche, burrata and pasta. Among the latter selections, don’t miss the decadent mafaldine tossed in a rich duck bolognese and garlic crumble. 

Maeva
50 W. Vaughn Ave., #107, Gilbert
If you imagine a fine dining restaurant serving delicately crafted French cuisine in a tasting menu format, you may not guess it would be in Gilbert. But late last year, the team at Maeva set out to change that. The classy spot is located just off Gilbert Road amid the hustle and bustle of the Heritage District. Inside, customers find an intentional space, decorated with dark walls, a checkerboard tile floor and unique, curated artwork. Maeva is open all day, and offers many different experiences. Stop by in the morning for a latte flavored with white chocolate and fresh lavender and a breakfast sandwich or smoked salmon danish. Then make a dinner reservation, go home and get dressed up, and come back for a delightful date night. The dinner menu can be served a la carte, letting customers pick and choose from items including refreshing tuna crudo, hearty pork ragu ravioli and chocolate mousse. Or go all out with the tasting menu, a four-course meal with extra bites sprinkled in at the chef’s discretion. Knowledgeable servers walk you through each creative dish and recommend drinks to match. This restaurant whisks you away to France from start to finish. Only when you step outside do you land back in Gilbert. 

Main Burgers
161 W. Main St., Mesa
It’s no secret that restaurateur Armando Hernandez is all-in on downtown Mesa. It’s where he and his wife, chef Nadia Holguin, have an outpost of Tacos Chiwas, and where they’ve partnered with chef Roberto Centeno on the swanky surf-and-turf spot Espiritu. When the three James Beard Award semifinalists teamed up for another Main Street restaurant, they gave diners a nostalgic, everyday burger joint. The casual restaurant has a retro charm, courtesy of crisp white tiles and pastel-painted details inside and out, including a cute, anthropomorphized burger on the wall. You’ll spy cooks assembling burgers, hot dogs and loaded fries from the line to the stainless steel counter. The menu, inspired by the simplicity of a well-known California burger chain, offers just a handful of mains that can be combined with well-seasoned French fries and aguas frescas. The burgers, semi-smashed and available with one or two patties, are the stars. We’re partial to the Sonora burger, which is packed with texture and heat from griddled cheese, chiltepin and bacon. Soon the trio will open Mesa Brewing Co. on Main and make craft beer for their restaurants. A crisp Mexican-style lager paired with one of these burgers is our kind of happy meal.

Marisco Boys
2026 N. Seventh St.
Mariscos fans, rejoice! There’s a new spot in town serving stellar seafood. And contrary to many of the casual mariscos spots in town, this new restaurant is perfect for date night. The Seventh Street eatery was opened in April 2025 by the team behind Taco Boys. It’s an elevated, swanky counterpoint to the casual taco shop, where the team is letting their creativity lead the way. The large menu is split into many sections, including a cold bar, a selection of ceviches, specials, tacos and items grilled over mesquite charcoal. The yellowtail tostada is one of our favorites, with cubes of fresh fish piled high atop two crisp tortillas with rich black garlic aioli, creamy avocado and crunchy fried leeks. In the mood to try a mix of flavors and textures? Opt for either the hot or cold molcajete with shrimp, octopus and either ceviche or steak. Leave a little room for dessert and round out your meal with a fruit-forward cocktail or large-format Modelo served tableside in a champagne chiller. 

Malegria Latin Cafe
1031 Grand Ave.
Melina Ruan Serrano brought this little corner restaurant on Grand Avenue and Fillmore Street back to life last summer. Malegria Latin Cafe highlights the owner’s multicultural background through an all-day menu of Mexican, Guatemalan and Salvadoran dishes. You can pick up a drink or your to-go orders at the window, but if you step into the shaded patio behind the restaurant, you’ll have al fresco table service. It’s a tranquil space to start the day. Kick off your order with an iced latte made with nutty Salvadoran horchata or opt for a hot coffee drink with rich piloncillo. The Central breakfast sandwich is a fresh, comforting flavor bomb between sweet bolillo bread. The sandwich is layered with creamy refried beans, fried plantains, herbaceous crema verde, avocado, queso fresco and an expertly fried egg that’s studded with tender bits of onion and jalapeno. A bright, zippy Guatemalan salsa, chirmol, is served on the side. The Central sandwich, along with a side of baby potatoes bathed in a spicy-sweet macha chile oil, chiltepin honey and crema verde, is our new go-to brunch order.

Saint Pasta
100 W. Portland St.
Saint Pasta turns out dishes that take you to the cozy nostalgia of an East Coast red sauce joint while seated in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Chef and owner Racan Alhoch and his team blow the cobwebs off those staid, checkerboard tableclothed spots from an open kitchen that is bathed in the red glow of a neon sign that reads “Al Dente or Die.” You’re more likely to hear Frank Ocean than Frank Sinatra playing through the speakers, and you’ll probably find yourself staring at the reruns of “The Sopranos” projected onto the wall behind the bar. The food and service at Saint Pasta will center you amid all that exuberance. There are colorful craft cocktails and a taut selection of low-intervention wines and beer. Saint Pasta makes arguably the best Caesar salad in town from humble iceberg, peppery arugula, a creamy dressing and a generous dusting of a garlicky breadcrumb crumble. The slow-cooked vodka sauce inspired a cult following back when Saint Pasta was a food truck. That silky sauce is devilish on rigatoni, garnished with snow peas and parmesan. When it is paired with one of Saint Pasta’s chicken parms, it’s downright sinful. A lot has been made of Alhoch’s snarky social media persona, and he’s just as direct in person, saying, “We’re not for everybody.” The lines of people regularly queued up outside this no-reservations restaurant would beg to differ.

Special-occasion eateries

Bacanora 
1301 Grand Ave., #1
One man. One grill. One of our most fun places to eat, period. Bacanora has fast become one of Phoenix’s signature Mexican restaurants thanks to the skills of James Beard Award-winning chef Rene Andrade, who has cooked in well-regarded fine dining restaurants throughout the Valley. Bacanora is his sizzling, mesquite-touched, chiltepin-dusted return to the food of his home region, Sonora, Mexico. On any given night (or Sunday brunch morning), the menu offers just a handful of items, many rotating. One night there might be grilled octopus. On another, a version of the shrimp aguachiles Andrade sold in his youth. Beef is a Bacanora cornerstone, whether brick-thick steaks crusted on the grill or shards of carne asada – among the best in our carne asada-crazed town. Masterfully, seemingly effortlessly, Andrade adds the touches of an accomplished chef with diverse experience to Sonoran food, slightly elevating dishes yet somehow keeping them as humble as those of trucks and family-run taquerias. His radish-and-cucumber salad is clean and light, lifted by a tomatillo vinaigrette and queso fresco. His beans are plump and stewy; they make you marvel at how much flavor beans can contain. His caramelo is phenomenal. Built on a crisp, fragrant flour tortilla, slicked with melted cheese and heaped with shreds of wildly rich grilled beef, it’s the kind of plate that might haunt your hungry daydreams forever.

Board & Batten 
4012 E. Palm St., Mesa
One of Mesa’s most unexpected special occasion restaurants is hidden down a lane, through an office park and next to a wedding venue. There, tucked behind the trees, you’ll find Board & Batten. This small restaurant with a large patio blends cozy farmhouse vibes with modern touches and the feel of an elegant garden party. Sit outside under the string lights to take it all in. Start with a craft cocktail or ask your server for their wine recommendation. Then, dig into shareable plates such as the burrata with roasted peppers, olives and grilled bread before picking an entree. The options rotate throughout the seasons, but expect steaks, fresh seafood dishes and handmade pastas. Leave room for dessert. We recommend the sticky toffee date cake topped with whiskey caramel and vanilla gelato. 

Feringhee
3491 W. Frye Road
One cliche that proves true time and time again is that some of the best dining experiences are in nondescript shopping centers. At Feringhee, which translates to “foreigner,” the award-winning chefs aim to push boundaries with Indian cuisine. Start your flavor-packed experience with a cocktail, such as the Cutting Chai made with masala chai-infused vodka or a Ghee Old Fashioned, with ghee-infused Jack Daniel’s and spiced date syrup. Then get a sampler starter of multiple chutneys or different pani puri to share. The menu is further split into small and large plates, and we recommend ordering family-style to get a taste of it all. The Kashmiri Lamb Chops are a stunner, and don’t miss the Black Dairy Dal. Many menu items are vegetarian and/or gluten-free, so there’s something for everyone. Finish your journey with sweet Gulab Jamun Cheesecake with apricot murabba.

FnB 
7125 E. Fifth Ave., Scottsdale
We probably don’t need to tell you about FnB, the Scottsdale kitchen helmed by culinary sage Charleen Badman. You probably already know she scours local markets for common and arcane ingredients from our state’s popular and marginal family farms, about how she plates food braiding gastronomic threads from the Sonoran Desert to South America to the Levant. You might not need us to tell you how into vegetables she is, or how she still cooks in her restaurant kitchen just about every night, years after starting in Old Town. And probably, you don’t need us to vouch for FnB, because the James Beard Foundation did just that in 2019. Maybe, too, you don’t even need us to tell you about FnB’s drink program. Co-owner and beverage guru Pavle Milic curates one of the more interesting wine lists in town. Filled with Arizona options, the list provides a crash course in the wondrous vintages of fermented grape juice our state is making. Maybe, too, you don’t need us to tell you that the tucked-away FnB bar might be the restaurant’s best spot to drink and eat. Maybe you know about FnB’s quirks and lore, its layers of greatness. But we’re excited to tell you anyway.

Lom Wong 
218 E. Portland St.
Regional Thai restaurant Lom Wong, set in a black bungalow at Second and Portland streets in downtown Phoenix, packs a piquant punch. Owners Yotaka and Alex Martin have firsthand experience with the robust flavors. Yotaka grew up in San Maket, Chiang Rai, a village in northern Thailand. She spent her childhood cooking traditional dishes alongside her mother and grandmother. Alex met Yotaka in Thailand, and the two began traveling the country together, returning to northern Thailand to dice shallots and stir-fry crab with Yotaka’s family whenever they had the chance. The menu at Lom Wong, which features dishes such as crispy pork belly in hand-pounded curry paste with coconut cream and makrut lime leaf, is meant to be shared. Boozy cocktails complement the food well. The restaurant’s play on a piña colada, Sahai Su-Ra, includes fresh coconut cream and fish sauce, while Madame Madame is crafted with vodka, lemongrass, lemon, lychee and soda. The Martins’ work at Lom Wong has led to accolades that include Yotaka’s selection as Best Chef: Southwest at the 2025 James Beard Awards.

Pretty Penny
509 E. Roosevelt St.
Downtown Phoenix’s Roosevelt Row is replete with places to eat and drink. Pretty Penny brings a dose of luxury, serving welcome glasses of bubbles, rich housemade pastas, bold proteins and caviar at cost from a sleek, forest green-drenched space. Downtown barmen Sam Olguin and Brenon Stuart founded Pretty Penny in 2024. The two are better known for their work at the raucous sibling bar Killer Whale Sex Club. But they’ve partnered with culinary pros to make Pretty Penny shine. Chef Steven “Chops” Smith, formerly of Scottsdale’s Liquor Pig, now helms the kitchen. Smith is mixing up the menu with a wickedly clever hamachi that takes inspiration from al pastor, and an orrechiette tossed with an astonishingly bright bolognese bianco made from clarified, charred tomato. Though Smith is adding his flair to the menu, original favorites, like the thoughtfully crafted octopus tostada, remain and continue to impress. This is the kind of celebratory meal that most folks want to savor with wine. You’re welcome to, but you’re not getting the full Pretty Penny experience without one of the team’s charred tomato martinis or tropical passionfruit negronis.

Restaurant Progress 
702 W. Montecito Ave.
Dining at this compact eatery occupying the easternmost suite of the historic Wagon Wheel building in the Melrose District is a real treat. Inside, plants and greenery mingle with natural wood and light, creating an earthy experience. On the back patio, twinkle lights and cozy two-seater tables couldn’t be any more romantic. The constantly changing, seasonally driven, five-course tasting menu from the restaurant’s early days is still available, but options are also served individually. So if you just feel like swinging by, grabbing a bottle of wine and enjoying it over a plate of steak tartare or some exceptional handmade pasta, that’s perfectly fine.

Shimogamo Japanese Restaurant 
2051 W. Warner Road. Suite C, Chandler
2320 S. Santan Village Pkwy., #104, Gilbert
One of the East Valley’s hottest sushi restaurants offers a whole spread of sashimi, nigiri and maki, including sometimes hard-to-find options such as escolar, sweet shrimp and sea urchin. Crazy, modern rolls aren’t really the name of the game at the Chandler and Gilbert spots, though you can get delicious and sometimes unexpected sushi rolls, such as the Zen Roll made with spicy yellowtail, shishito peppers and yamagobo or pickled burdock root and topped with albacore tuna and spicy soy. Some tempura dishes are available, and there’s a selection of noodles and hot dishes from the kitchen, but the focus is fresh-from-the-ocean, neatly spiced and marinated raw delicacies. The original Chandler restaurant skews a little more traditional, while the newer Gilbert outpost takes a more modern approach. Both are must-visit destinations for fans of Japanese cuisine.

Sizzle Korean BBQ 
3720 N. Scottsdale Road, #200, Scottsdale
And other locations
You may be familiar with Korean barbecue, but it’s key to note that things are done a little differently at Sizzle. Yes, you can order assortments of raw meats, and yes, there is a little grill at the center of each table. But here, the servers do the cooking. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show as the servers expertly move around the space, simultaneously taking orders and bringing drinks while keeping an eye on which meats need to be flipped, doused in sauce or served. It is possible to order individual meats, but the best value – and the most fun option – is to order a sampler platter. Choose either pork or beef, and prepare for a meaty meal filled with different cuts and flavors. Each dish comes with banchan, or small veggie side dishes, along with salad and steamed egg. Pair it all with a fresh fruit-filled soju cocktail or imported Korean beer for a celebratory evening.

Sottise 
1025 N. Second St.
One of downtown Phoenix’s most special restaurants is tucked into a historic home on Second Street. A lush green lawn leads up to the covered porch filled with bistro tables. Inside, the warm buzz of conversation hums alongside whichever vinyl record is currently spinning. The tunes fill the front rooms of the house, which hold a small but welcoming dining room and a bar. Exposed brick walls surround marble tables, where couples sip French wine and nosh on the seasonal menu. At the house, Sottise’s customers make themselves at home. On warm evenings, groups of friends slurp oysters on the patio. Inside, romantics make eyes at each other over briny beef tartare and use slices of baguette to scoop up luscious bites of baked brie with poached pear, sage and honey. Whether you want to enjoy a hearty plate of beef bourguignon with a full-bodied red or enjoy a refreshing cocktail and catch up with friends, Sottise’s standout staff will make sure you are taken care of. 

The Ends
7137 E. Stetson Drive
In the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, this relative newcomer opened with big aspirations. The Ends was inspired by, and designed to pay homage to, the late chef and traveler Anthony Bourdain. His influence guided the decor, where warm lighting and cozy tables are arranged to foster conversation. And, of course, it helped shape the menu. Flavors from around the globe come together, allowing customers to enjoy handmade pasta alongside egg yolk nigiri, brisket burnt ends, or a bison ribeye with maitake bordelaise. The drinks menu combines creative flavors with scientific precision in mixing, clarifying and presenting delightful sips. Dare we say, The Ends achieved its goal.

Tratto
4743 N. 20th St.
The best Italian restaurant in metro Phoenix is Chris Bianco’s high-end but rustic trattoria, Tratto. Here, the Bianco team has crafted stunning pastas in shapes such as bucatini and rigatoncini using precise, intelligent local flours suited to the specific noodles at hand. At Tratto, the kitchen can rock out a classic cacio e pepe, sure, but arguably the more bracing gems are those that embody Arizona. Favorites from the rotating menu include the lamb ragu, the al limone (using local lemons) and the pastas entwined with the day’s local bounty. Pasta, too, is just one element of Tratto. There are thoughtful secondi, including grilled Two Wash Ranch chicken and thin-cut pork chops bathed in a sauce packed with the fruit and herbs of the season. The drink program is animated by ideas similar to Bianco’s food, leading to a beautiful ride not unlike ripping down an Italian coastal highway. We’re talking house-made liqueurs from apex local fruit and some of the most esoteric, incandescent amari Italy has to offer. Talk to your barman, and he will go as deep as you deem necessary. At Tratto, follow the menu’s lead, which is directed by Bianco and the seasons, and you’ll be in for a treat. This is a great spot to share soulful food with people you love. Everything is done with the highest intention, right down to the olive oil and bread, which is so good you could eat it until you’re completely full and go home happy.

Valentine
4130 N. Seventh Ave.
The term “farm-to-table” is bandied about in restaurants. It can be a marketing tactic or a signifier, but at Valentine, it’s a north star. The Melrose restaurant is an unadulterated celebration of Arizona. Step inside Valentine, which makes its home in the front of a midcentury modern furniture store, and you’ll find thoughtful handicraft from chef Nico Zades and his crew during every meal of the day. When your Sonoran wheat pretzel, steak or elote pasta hit the table, don’t be surprised when your server points out the local provenance of nearly everything on the plate. Though the Valentine team’s commitment borders on fastidious, the restaurant is anything but. Both it and sibling Bar 1912, hidden in the back of the building, manage to be comfortable while serving food and drink that are complex. Valentine has only been around since 2020 and has weathered changes. Yet it and owner, Blaise Faber, have come out the other side, holding their ground as a modern Arizona dining institution.  

Neighborhood favorites

Andreoli Italian Grocer
8880 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale 
At his shop-meets-restaurant in north Scottsdale, Giovanni Scorzo has assembled a wide-ranging selection of Italian food, including groceries, pastries and sweets, as well as sit-down-style dishes. Though not cheap, Italian flours, olive oils, canned vegetables and other larder gems beckon from their shelves as you wait in line. Under the glass case up front, you’ll find sweets such as chocolate-shaped tools, cannoli and more regional Italian favorites, including sfogliatelle and torrone, both strong versions and about as good as you can eat in metro Phoenix. Most people come to Andreoli, though, to eat on-site. The dining room that spills away from the ordering counter is casual but retains a formality (and an element of timelessness) you’d experience during meals in Scorzo’s native country. Though he hails from Calabria, Scorzo’s cooking often reaches from far southern Italy into the north: Orecchiette with broccoli and sausage, Branzino Alle Erbe Fini and Pizza San Francesco di Paola. Salads, sandwiches and a fleet of pastas anchor a menu that prizes tradition. A whiteboard displaying rotating specials often delves deep into the annals of Italian gastronomy. As with any Italian restaurant that looks back in time, the kitchen is at its best with regional specialties and plates closest to the earth or sea, such as the simple grilled squid with parsley and lemon.

Beckett’s Table 
3717 E. Indian School Road
This Arcadia eatery has been open for more than 15 years, a feat accomplished thanks to the efforts of double husband-and-wife team owners: sommeliers Katie and Scott Stephens and Justin and Michelle Beckett. There’s something about Beckett’s Table that raises the profile of the dining scene along Indian School Road in this specific part of Phoenix. Maybe it’s the actual community table, which can’t be missed upon entering the restaurant. The multi-seat high-top is best enjoyed during social hour, when a number of Beckett’s signature dishes, such as the deviled egg of the week, are on special. Many menu items demonstrate the fact that Justin Beckett has been in the kitchen since he was 10 years old. Favorites include the signature fork-tender short ribs and the city-famous fig-and-pecan pie.

Cafe Lalibela 
849 W. University Drive, Tempe
No one lives in Tempe for long without hearing, “You’ve got to try Cafe Lalibela.” The husband-and-wife-run Ethiopian restaurant has occupied a strip mall suite for decades. Serving some of the best African food in metropolitan Phoenix, the eatery specializes in vegetarian dishes (though several meat items are on the menu) and is known for teaching many Arizona State University students about the importance of injera and wat. Injera, or a flat sourdough bread made with teff, is served with most orders. And wait till you try this wat. The Ethiopian stew comes spicy or not, meatless or not, but we recommend the key sega wat (spicy beef stew). Newcomers, do not fear: The menu comes with a glossary. The cozy, carpeted dining room invites guests to linger over a traditional Ethiopian coffee service.

El Chullo Peruvian Restaurant
4414 N. Seventh Ave.
On the hunt for top-tier Peruvian food? Head to the new location of El Chullo. The tiny, original Coronado district eatery recently closed. Thankfully, a new location, just a few miles away on Seventh Avenue, debuted in the summer of 2023 and now the owners are focusing their full attention on that Melrose restaurant. Menu items include lomo saltado, ceviche mixto and the arroz chaufa – a Peruvian-meets-Chinese fusion-style dish of fried rice. Another delicious dish, actually an appetizer, are the anticuchos – hot, dense, chewy cutlets of marinated grilled beef heart served on skewers. The menu also offers vegetarian dishes such as arroz chaufa veggie and veggie saltado. The bar program includes cocktails such as the Pisco Sour and Maracuya Sour, or imported Peruvian beers such as Cerveza Cusqueña and Cerveza Cristal, all of which taste better in El Chullo’s cozy, colorful dining room.

Fabio on Fire 
8275 W. Lake Pleasant Pkwy.
Too often, West Valley residents have to be satisfied with second and third locations of restaurants from other parts of the Valley. But Fabio on Fire, born and raised in Peoria, is a rare exception to the rule that can go toe-to-toe with anything on the other side of town. Hailing from Domodossola, near Italy’s border with Switzerland, chef and owner Fabio Ceschetti comes from a line of Italian bakers, and his pizza sports the kind of developed flavor, blistered char and resilient chew that you only get from a pizzaiolo who is focused on the bread. Fabio on Fire is as much a neighborhood trattoria as it is a pizzeria. Simple antipasti shine, particularly Ceschetti’s silky, fragrant house-made porchetta. His gnocchi are delicate and light, often paired with rich, cheese-heavy sauces. And his freshly made pastas, such as the lobster-stuffed tortelli and standout lasagna, are every bit as excellent as his pizzas.

First & Last
1001 N. Third Ave., #1
First & Last, the restaurant helmed by Ashley and Robb Hammond, is a place for hopeless romantics. To start, there’s the couple’s story: they fell in love with restaurants, then fell in love with each other. The duo opened their eatery in the historic Gold Spot building on the corner of Roosevelt and Third Avenue in 2022. With soaring ceilings and large windows, the space is airy and modern, letting in warm daylight. Once the sun goes down, the booths and tables become intimate, lit by candlelight. First & Last started as a neighborhood go-to for dinner, where patrons can savor buttery, herbaceous clams, a comforting brick chicken marsala or an inventive sourdough bolognese. The addition of lunchtime counter service in 2024, featuring focaccia sandwiches and grandma pizza slices, took First & Last from a local gem to a viral destination. The sandwiches, such as the chicken parm-style Little Jerry, are packed with punchy flavor and big enough to share with a lunch date. They cemented First & Last as an eatery we’ve fallen in love with.

Glai Baan 
2333 E. Osborn Road
This central Phoenix restaurant – the name translates to “far from home” – specializes in Thai street food and regional northeastern Thailand cooking. Chef and co-owner Pornsupak “Cat” Bunnag has roots in Bangkok and the Isan region of Thailand. That heritage is reflected in Glai Baan’s tight menu of small plates, noodles and street food favorites. We recommend the kao soi, a northern Thai-style chicken curry soup; kanom jeeb (steamed pork dumplings); and Silom Road Moo ping (pork skewers). And you can’t tell anyone you dined at Glai Baan without trying the larb moo salad or the son-in-law eggs – a Thai street food delicacy. Parking is tough along this stretch of Osborn Road, so it may be wise to take a Lyft — and thus to try another one of Glai Baan’s impressive cocktails. Reservations are strongly recommended for parties of two or more. If there’s a wait, simply mosey to Rewined Beer and Wine Bar around the corner for a drink; Glai Baan’s team will radio over when your table’s ready.

Huarachis Taqueria
814 N. Central Ave.
Huarachis Taqueria is, in some ways, a classic younger sibling. It’s always mentioned alongside James Beard Award-winning chef Rene Andrade’s first, hot-ticket Grand Avenue eatery, Bacanora. That’s in part because there is some overlap with the menu, and the two downtown restaurants are a stone’s throw from each other. But bathed in the electric pink neon hue of its sign, Huarachis shines on its own. Its menu builds on Andrade’s approach to serving Sonoran cuisine with “puro amor” while also having some fun. There are shareable snacks, including a creamy, spicy frijole dip, a gut-busting half-sheet pan of loaded asada fries and one of Phoenix’s most imaginative restaurant cocktail programs. Bring a group and plan to share one of Huarachis’ platters for the main event. Choose from ribeye, roasted chicken or smoked-and-confited pork carnitas. These meats are served with a cornucopia of accompaniments, including crispy potatoes, “world famous” pinto beans, lightly charred elote, salsas and more that can be tucked into one of Huarachis’ pliant tortillas. These festive plates, plus an energetic dining room and an engaged staff keep us coming back for more.

Hush Public House
14202 N. Scottsdale Road, #167, Scottsdale
When it opened in 2019, Hush quickly became one of the most exciting places to eat in metro Phoenix. It is the product of many melding influences. Like owner and chef Dom Ruggiero’s signature oxtail-centric riff on a Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich, molten with cheese and showered with soulful giardiniera, all the elements here come together harmoniously. Then there’s the room itself: intimate, filled with cordial chatter and nostalgic rock, cooking sounds and smells wafting out from a wide-open kitchen. It all primes you for Ruggiero’s food. The chef, who has opened other concepts in the Valley including Fire at Will, cooks New American food with finesse, character and soul. There are the crab-perfumed hush puppies to start and a chicken liver mousse with seeming miles of depth. The menu changes a lot, sure, but what doesn’t change is the kitchen’s stunning facility with vegetables, fish and meat. Reservations are recommended and can be made via Tock. Call ahead for larger parties and takeout orders.

Las 15 Salsas Restaurant Oaxaqueno 
722 W. Hatcher Road
Las 15 Salsas is a Sunnyslope gem serving exceptional Oaxacan food and delicious cocktails. Its colorful patio, complete with twinkling string lights, only adds to the appeal. Start your meal with an order of memelas, or thin corn patties topped with cheese, or a Tamal Oaxaqueño with black mole and chicken folded in a banana leaf. The moles, as the name suggests, are not to be missed, and they come in black, green, yellow, red and Estofado, or stewed, styles. The drink menu includes many cocktails made with rare agave spirits, along with aguas frescas and hot drinks, including sweet and earthy Cafe de Olla.

Old Town Taste 
1845 E. Broadway Road, Tempe
Old Town Taste is a strip mall Chinese restaurant – easily spotted by the bright-red neon sign when cruising through Tempe – with a Sichuan bent. Inside the mural-walled dining room with turquoise booths, customers slurp rich soups, chow down on bouncy noodles and enjoy spinning the lazy susans. The menu promises some exciting dishes, including the braised eggplant, Ma Po tofu clay pot and sweet and sour pork spareribs. One of our favorite plates is the Chongqing-style spicy chicken. This house special is phenomenal thanks to piping hot, tender meat coated in crunchy batter. The dish is further weighed down with sweet string beans, chiles and Sichuan peppercorns that add their characteristic tingly, tongue-numbing sensation. Anything Chongqing-style here will leave you planning your next visit. 

Pizzeria Bianco 
623 E. Adams St.
4743 N. 20th St.
Somehow, Phoenix is a pizza town, known far and wide for its innovative pies. Actually, we know how and why: It’s because of Chris Bianco, the passionate Bronx-born proprietor of his eponymous pizzeria. Bianco’s pizzas date back to 1988, but since 1996 he’s been in his Heritage Square location, serving Neapolitan-style pies to ever-longer lines and inspiring a whole generation of young American pizzaioli. Bianco won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2003 – the first pizzaiolo to ever earn the accolade. Over time, Bianco has extended his empire to include multiple locations of Pizzeria Bianco, as well as other spots like Tratto, Bar Bianco, Pane Bianco and a dizzying list of collaborations and projects that culminated in his second James Beard Award – for Outstanding Restaurateur – in 2022. Nowadays, you don’t have to travel far to find delicious wood-fired pizza in the Valley. But if you’d prefer to go to the source, Bianco’s margherita pie – tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil – at his 42-seat brick restaurant remains as vital as ever. That wood-burning oven is still very much lit.

Pizzeria Virtu
6952 E. Main St., Scottsdale
While much of Old Town Scottsdale leans into the glitz and glamor of the area and its clientele, it’s still possible to find cozy, warm and welcoming spaces to enjoy an expertly crafted meal in this East Valley city. Pizzeria Virtu is proof. This little spot inhabits a house, complete with a backyard patio. There, renowned chef Gio Osso puts a casual spin on his typical fine dining fare with wood-fired pizzas. Order a glass of wine and a crisp, flavorful salad to start, and settle in as you would at a friend’s house. Only here, those friends bring out delicious pies topped with top-notch ingredients such as San Marzano tomatoes, peppered bacon, chestnut honey or rapini pesto. The ingredients are cradled in the center of fluffy, bubbly dough that will leave you coming back for another slice.

Que Chevere 
142 W. Main St., Mesa
After four years behind the stove of the Venezuelan food truck Que Chevere, Orvid Cutler and Maria Fernanda expanded to a brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Mesa. The food is classically Venezuelan, with arepas leading the way. The thick griddled corn flatbreads come as sides with plate-style dishes of shredded beef, rice and beans. Loaded with fillings such as shredded chicken and black beans, they come as main dishes. Plenty of sleeper hits fill out the menu. These include the Patacon, a sandwich “bunned” with fried plantains, and the Cachapa, a corn pancake packing hauntingly nuanced sweetness. A bar mixes tropical drinks. The kitchen rolls out hot, stretchy tequenos, Venezuelan cheese sticks, every morning. And yes, there is still a Que Chevere at various outdoor events.

SugarJam The Southern Kitchen
15111 N. Hayden Road, #170
If this were a list of the best brunch spots in the Valley, SugarJam A Southern Kitchen would be at the very top. On weekends, this place is a party complete with brunch cocktails and a DJ. But our favorite time to enjoy chef Dana Dumas’ exceptional cooking is during the week. The cafe is a little quieter, and there’s a shorter wait for a table, but the brunch experience is no less delicious. One outstanding dish is the SugarJam French toast. Sure, many brunch spots serve this classic, but none do it like this. Dumas soaks thick slices of challah bread in Grand Marnier, which when cooked, creates a crisp shell almost like the crackly top of a creme brulee. Add a spread of vanilla butter and drizzle on warm rum pecan maple syrup for a decadent bite. Don’t have a sweet tooth? Don’t worry. There are plenty of savory options that will satisfy. Pick from catfish and grits, buttermilk fried chicken and waffles or applewood smoked pulled pork hash. 

Vecina 
3433 N. 56th St.
Vecina, a fiercely original restaurant that opened its heavy front door in Arcadia in 2019, is a gem from start to finish. A one-of-a-kind menu is driven by vegetables, rooted in Latin America and laced with countless dimensions of chile heat. It also drills down to molecular details like few other places in Arizona. For instance, elote, simple street corn, contains some 40 ingredients. Other dishes include unlikely elements, such as a beautifully pepper-centric habanero salsa that gains its creamy X-factor from butter. When you enter the minimal restaurant with a bar in the middle, you don’t expect such a nuanced approach. What you sense when you enter is smoke – grill smoke that perfumes the restaurant from the rig in the kitchen, where mesquite burns and plays a role in almost every dish on the menu. Most of those dishes are small: potatoes with green chorizo, Peruvian-style Japanese amberjack ceviche with an unspeakably lush coconut-based sauce, a pepper-kissed romaine salad with Mexican Sriracha. Large-format plates go big. They’ve included a blackened pork chop with dazzling escabeche and a carne asada ribeye with thick ribbons of mesquite-perfumed fat. The beer, wine and cocktails menus have options for every diner and every dish.

Casual, counter-service spots

Caldwell County BBQ 
18324 E. Nunneley Road
And other locations
Caldwell County BBQ started in Gilbert, with a counter-service spot just northeast of Mesa Gateway Airport, serving some of the best barbecue in the Valley. In recent years, the stellar smokehouse has expanded to Queen Creek and Peoria, with a fourth location in the works for the north Scottsdale area. Each of the outposts serves Caldwell’s mesquite-smoked prime brisket encrusted with large-ground peppercorns. The juicy turkey breast, marinated in apple juice and butter, is another must-try. Meats are served by the pound – in sandwiches such as the monster El General Patton that includes brisket, pulled pork and sausage all on one roll, and on sampler platters that allow customers to try a little of everything.

Da Vang 
4538 N. 19th Ave.
The moment you’re seated and handed the cracked-laminated menu at Da Vang, relief follows. Good, aromatic, hearty Vietnamese food is on the way. Most dishes are priced around $15 and usually require a to-go container or an afternoon nap – or better yet, an order of café sua nong (hot coffee with sweetened condensed milk). The pho choices are versatile, 14 varieties in all, but the pho tai nam may be your best bet. If you really want to go nuts, the com tam dac biet is – get ready – broken steamed rice with barbecue pork, shrimp, a pork meatball, an egg cake, shredded pork and a fried egg with fish sauce. Da Vang, in its multi-roomed strip-mall setting, also offers banh mi (sandwiches), lau (hot pot) and bun (vermicelli). This spot has no frills, no pretenses, just excellent, comforting food.

Eric’s Family Barbecue 
12345 W. Indian School Road, Avondale
Hungry for ‘cue in the West Valley? The meats smoked in salvaged propane tanks behind Eric’s are the best you’ll find. The chefs at this joint smoke the old-fashioned way, meaning without the assistance of gas, a labor-intensive method that raises the ceiling for how good marquee cuts, such as brisket, can be. Inside the spacious cafeteria-style dining room or out on the homestyle patio, that brisket adorns just about every platter. Slices come thick, broad folds pungent with the deep smoke of mesquite. They almost dissolve on your tongue. This is one of the best briskets and some of the most impressive barbecue in the Valley. At Eric’s, smoked turkey (one true test of a pitmaster’s skill) is subtly flavored and tender as can be, thanks in part to an infusion of sweet tea. Aggressively dry-rubbed ribs tingle with pleasantly warm spicing. Pulled pork is a more standard but still admirable version, everything you’d want in a shredded pile. Low-key sides and desserts, such as cheese-dusted elote and banana pudding, call to mind the backyard barbecue fiestas from which this West Valley gem was born.

Happy Bao’s 
66 S. Dobson Road, #112, Mesa
4330 W. Union Hills Drive, B011, Glendale
Restaurants come and go from the food court inside Mekong Plaza in Mesa. But Happy Bao’s, a little eatery with its own space just off the main dining area, is a mainstay. It’s become so popular that its owners opened a second location in Glendale in 2025. This spot, as the name suggests, specializes in bao and dumplings. We’re partial to the satisfyingly chewy handmade dumplings, and you can try them all with the 20-piece Dumplings Combo that features five of each of the different fillings. This spot also offers plump steamed buns and soup-filled xiao long bao. Outside of the steamed and fried parcels, don’t miss the Dan Dan Noodles topped with crunchy peanuts or the fresh and savory cucumber salad.

Kabob Grill N’ Go
3050 N. 16th St.
If you’ve never been to Kabob Grill N’ Go and don’t know what to order, don’t worry, you’re in good hands. Because chances are that co-owner Hasmik Chilingaryan will be at the front counter to greet you with a warm smile. She’ll assure you that everything is made fresh in-house and that her husband, Tony, the recipe master, is a culinary perfectionist. It’s not hard to believe given the meaty marinated skewers on display in the case just waiting their turn to be roasted over live coals. You may even get a glimpse of the grill as Tony enters the restaurant from the kitchen in a haze of mesquite smoke. Regulars will happily chime in with passionate assurances to promise that this is the best chicken, like, ever. The combos, which are big enough to easily feed two, come with more than a pound of meat, basmati rice, Shirazi salad, grilled veggies and a choice of dip. The restaurant also offers wraps, but the combos are the way to go. And next time, you’ll be the one telling the new guy that this is the best beef, like, ever.

Little Miss BBQ 
4301 E. University Drive
8901 N. Seventh St.
Little Miss BBQ is a popular barbecue restaurant – a very popular barbecue restaurant. It is the kind of joint where, while waiting in line, a piece of tape may get slapped over an item on the large displayed menu, exacerbating your order anxiety. But that’s all part of the experience. If you’re not on your feet, standing with strangers waiting patiently to order, your nose filled with the fumes of smoked meat, your stomach sucking up against your spine — well, you’re not doing it right. Little Miss BBQ was started by a competitive barbecue team who were inspired by the barbecue joints of the Texas Hill Country. Sides range from the expected to the inventive — anything from creamy mac and cheese and coleslaw to jalapeño cheddar grits — but the meat is straightforward and top-tier. When you finally get to the counter, you speak first with your meat man, ordering your chopped brisket or pulled pork or turkey breast. Then it’s on to sides and add-ons, such as slices of white bread. Spot the blue-and-yellow midcentury modern sign of the original restaurant off University Drive, and you know you’ll soon be in barbecue heaven.

Mister Pio
4502 E. Thomas Road
Mister Pio’s menu is evident from the parking lot. As soon as you open your car door, the aroma of roasting chicken hints at what’s to come. Step inside this small, modern spot and smoke from the gargantuan rotisserie oven hits you in a wave and then swallows you whole. Slide up to the counter and order a whole or half chicken, which comes with a fresh, lightly dressed salad and Peruvian sauces and salsas on the side. Grab a neon yellow Inca Kola to drink, and make sure to add an order of French fries. These thick-cut wedges are crisp and fluffy and pair perfectly with the juicy, expertly seasoned and roasted chicken. This spot will leave you coming back for more.

Ta’Carbon
2929 N. 43rd Ave.
Phoenix is filled with numerous casual counter-service joints that sling tacos and burritos. But Ta’Carbon stands out in the crowd thanks to its high-quality meats. Take a look at the menus hanging overhead and slide up to the counter to place your order. Everything’s a la carte, so order a selection of items. The carne asada is cut small, tender and smoky. The al pastor is the perfect mix of tangy and rich. And the signature Hazz blend is a decadent mix of carne asada, mild green chile and melted cheese. These ingredients can top tacos and papas locas, stuff burritos or fill entree plates. After ordering, set your bucket-sized styrofoam cup of horchata on a table and head to the salsa bar. Fill up little plastic cups with a rainbow of fresh green, roasty red and piquant orange salsas and get ready to dress up each bite as you work your way through the feast of tacos ahead.

Tacos Chiwas 
1028 E. Indian School Road
127 W. Main St., Mesa
What started out as a small counter-service restaurant offering a tight menu of Chihuahua-style street food has expanded to include two locations across the Valley, with a new outpost now open at Phoenix Sky Harbor. Through it all, the food’s excellent quality has remained consistent. Husband-and-wife team Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin are behind the local chain, which remains one of the best spots in Phoenix to enjoy an afternoon taco – barbacoa, pastor and lengua are our picks. Burned out on tacos? Go with the deshebrada roja gordita or asada burrito. For a spicy kick, try the rajas quesadilla, which always leaves us wanting a tall glass of horchata and another bite.

Tacos Veganos 
3301 E. Indian School Road
1579 N. Dysart Road, Suite H, Avondale
If you typically avoid meat and other animal products, and you’ve lived in the Valley for any length of time, you’ve probably heard of Tacos Veganos. This spot is often recommended as a must-try for vegetarian and vegan diners. But carnivores won’t miss anything either. Both the Arcadia and Avondale locations of the restaurant serve flavor-packed tacos, burritos and combo plates that are every bit as delicious as their meat-filled inspirations. Try the jackfruit quesabirria tacos topped with plant-based mozzarella for a veggie twist on a classically rich and greasy dish. This option has all of the flavor without any of the heartburn. We’re also fans of the hearty Arizona Burrito, which comes stuffed with rice, beans, “meat” of choice and French fries. Make sure to wash it all down with an agua fresca, or share a bucket of Modelos.

Tambayan Filipino Food
1534 W. Camelback Road
Over the years, Tambayan Filipino Food has existed in the Valley as a pop-up, a cloud kitchen tenant and a food truck. In June 2024, it opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant on Camelback Road, providing fans a permanent spot to enjoy its delicious Filipino fare. The colorful dining room, decorated with bright yellow booths, green walls and neon lighting, is the perfect backdrop for the vibrant food. Start with a purple ube horchata before digging into the Pancit Overload. This dish functions somewhat like a sampler platter, as the stir-fried noodles are topped with lechon and lumpia. The Chicken BBQ is another standout. The skewered chicken is grilled and crisped to perfection and served on a banana leaf. And to finish off your vibrant meal, opt for the rainbow-colored Halo Halo made with shaved ice, tapioca, banana, red mung beans and ube ice cream.

Testal Mexican Kitchen 
1325 Grand Ave. #1
When “Mexican food” and “Grand Avenue” get mentioned in the same sentence, most people probably think of Sonoran sweetheart Bacanora or the trendy hotel eatery Chilte. But just up the street sits Testal. This small, casual counter-service spot offers intense flavors and soul-satisfying dishes from Chihuahua – as well as some of the most unusual burritos in town. The first thing to know is that you’ll probably want to order two for lunch. These burritos are quite small and come open on both ends, like overstuffed rolled tacos. But the beauty of their size is that you can try a variety of the exceptional fillings on any given visit. The bright red, rich birria is a must, and the spicy, cheesy rajas are some of the best in Phoenix. Thin slices of roasted poblano peppers add a slight crunch to the silky sour cream-based sauce and fluffy flour tortilla. This spot also serves bowls, tacos and breakfast. But the burritos are essential to the Testal experience.