Phoenix restaurant celebrates 15 years as a community favorite

When guests enter Beckett’s Table, the door handles invite them to “come together.” That was the vision when the restaurant opened in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood in 2010, and it has remained part of the restaurant’s ethos for 15 years.

“Over the years, the restaurant has become a community gathering space. We have people who came here on a first date and now they bring their kids or come to celebrate their anniversary. We have lots of great customer stories like that,” says chef Justin Beckett, who owns the restaurant with his wife Michelle and their friends and sommeliers Scott and Katie Stephens.

Over the years, Beckett’s namesake restaurant has become a beloved neighborhood staple where many customers have become friends. This fall, it celebrates its milestone anniversary.

Beckett’s love for food and the restaurant industry started at an early age. The son of a pastry chef, he got his first restaurant job in eighth grade.

“I loved the energy in the kitchen and had a great mentor,” he says.

After high school, Beckett attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. He worked for Roy’s, a restaurant group known for Hawaiian fusion cuisine from award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi, for several years in a variety of roles from chef to trainer. He opened several Roy’s restaurants, which is what brought him to Arizona. After working at Roy’s, Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale and a few other places, Beckett decided to open a restaurant with his wife and their friends.

“We spent a few hours over a few bottles of wine writing down everything we thought a restaurant should be,” Beckett recalls. “We wanted to throw a dinner party every night where people in the neighborhood feel at home.”  

It took several months to find the right location, get permits and complete renovations. In October 2010, Beckett’s Table opened its doors, inviting the community to come together with upscale yet casual and comfortable decor and a warm and welcoming ambiance. Wooden tables fill the open-plan dining room, surrounded by a small, shaded patio. Customers can also pick a seat at the long community high-top tables while they watch plates fly out of the window to the kitchen.

Beckett describes the menu as American comfort food, featuring staples like salmon and chicken, complemented by vegetables and accompaniments that highlight the season’s best ingredients.

“It’s an approachable concept,” Beckett says. “Our menu offers something for everyone with a focus on freshness and creativity.”

While the menu changes seasonally, some items have been available since the beginning, including the short ribs, Brussels sprouts, grilled cheese and chocolate-dipped bacon s’mores. 

“A lot of the dishes have stories,” Beckett says. “The s’mores are a twist on a treat I loved when my grandparents took me camping as a kid.”

While some dishes remain constant, the whole menu reflects seasonal ingredients and input from customers. The community aspect of Beckett’s Table extends to its suppliers. 

“I’ve learned that the menu should change based on seasonality and availability of vegetables, as well as feedback from diners,” Beckett says. He works with several local farmers, including McClendon’s Select. 

“Getting to know the McClendons has been a joy. They educate me and I consider them friends,” the chef says. “I know they are invested in this restaurant.”

Beckett’s Table also features local producers on the drinks list, which includes several Arizona wines. 

“We’ve been growing our Arizona wine program and our relationships with Arizona wineries for a long time,” Beckett says. “It’s important for us to showcase and support local suppliers.”

Like many restaurants, Beckett’s Table has experienced lows and highs over the years, from rising food and labor costs and the pandemic to nurturing young chefs and growing a loyal customer base.

“I’m really proud of the culinary talent that has come out of this kitchen,” Beckett says. “Another rewarding part of owning the restaurant for 15 years is the regular guests that I’ve come to know, some that come in weekly or monthly. I’m always waving to them from the kitchen.”

It all comes back to the concept of coming together for Beckett. 

“When we started Beckett’s Table in 2010, we believed that if people came together with good food, good drinks and friendly service, they are bound to have a good time whether it’s a business meeting, first date, anniversary or girls’ night out,” he says. “Fifteen years later, that remains true.”

Beckett’s Table

3717 E. Indian School Road