We've swiped the best playlists from downtown Phoenix restaurants

There’s nothing more awkward than sitting in a restaurant in silence: hearing every bite of food between conversations, hearing the air conditioning rumble in the background of your meal, or overhearing awkward details at the table next to you. Which is why music at a restaurant is important: ambiance. And the better the music, the better the ambiance.

Local restaurants’ playlists tend to show a personal touch. They’re often great at balancing hit tracks with treasures from underrated artists or a glimpse of the next trending genre. Downtown Phoenix, home to restaurants galore and a hub for musicians and music-lovers, is no exception. Roosevelt Row alone has numerous restaurants offering moods for each occasion: a DJ-spun hype brunch setlist to enjoy with friends, a laid-back playlist for casual dining, or carefully curated music selections to enjoy with a craft cocktail.

Here are nine restaurants that blend distinctive music into your dining experience.

ATL Wings

330 E. Roosevelt St., #100

This Phoenix-based business created the ultimate playlist for R&B lovers, incorporating the best of R&B hits and classics from artists like Musiq Soulchild, Floetry, Janelle Monae and Thundercat. The comforting ambiance perfectly complements the comfort food on the menu. While most people take their orders to go from this fast-casual restaurant, the smooth R&B beats and affordable chicken and fries make this an easy place to hang out with a friend or take yourself on a solo lunch

A sample of ATL Wings’ playlist:

• Janelle Monae, “Lipstick Lover”
• The Code, “Avant Garde”
• Floetry, “Say Yes”
• Shakka, "No Problem, Fam”
• Yazmin Lacey, “Late Night People”
• Musiq Soulchild, “teachme”
• Yazmin Lacey, “Pieces”
• Thundercat, “Them Changes”
• Jorja Smith, “Try Me”
• Blaque (feat. *NSYNC), “Bring It All To Me”
  

Bad Jimmy’s

108 E. Pierce St.

Having established grounds in downtown Phoenix just a little over a year ago, Bad Jimmy’s has quickly become a popular spot for young and old alike. Its throwback rock and alternative tracks complete its vintage diner aesthetic (“The Sopranos” pinball machine, a Ramones poster).

You’ll hear hip-hop, R&B and pop influences sprinkled in as tracks jumped genre-to-genre: a guitar melody from The Cure, high-energy pub rock tunes from Amyl and the Sniffers and jazz and R&B-influenced rap songs from N.E.R.D. At night, Bad Jimmy’s transforms from a restaurant into a high-energy hip-hop nightclub. The restaurant also regularly hosts DJ sets and live acts, with Piazza bringing in some of his favorite rising artists, such as Xenny, a DJ based in Los Angeles.

A sample of Bad Jimmy’s tastes:

• The Cure, "In Between Days”
• Temple of Angels, “Breathless
• PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake, “Somebody Loves Me”
• Amyl and the Sniffers, “U Should Not Be Doing That”
• Amyl and the Sniffers, “Hertz”
• High Vis, “Trauma Bonds”
• N.E.R.D., “You Know What”
• N.E.R.D., “Everyone Nose”
• Clipse (feat. Ab-Liva), “Ride Around Shining”
• Babyface Ray & 42 Dugg, “Ron Artest”
• Robin Thicke, “Wanna Love You Girl”

The Churchill

901 N. First St.

An outdoor courtyard that hosts two bars, three restaurants and a store, the Churchill almost has a duty to match the sound of dozens of voices in the space with an energetic soundtrack. The Churchill switches on weekends from its normal soundtrack to live DJ sets and performers for its Saturday brunch.

One such performer is David Moroney, known better DJ Mitch Freedom, who spins at the Churchill on Sundays and for other special events. With a sound he describes as “jazz-forward,” Moroney fills the space with an ambient mix of jazz-fusion: house, R&B and pop.

“Instead of focusing on tempo like a club set that entices people to keep dancing,” Moroney says, “I love to vary the style, tempo, and all else from song to song to induce wonderment and excitement within the peaks and valleys of emotions one feels when really focusing on what’s being played.”

A sample of the Churchill’s sounds:

• Little Dragon (feat. Agge), “Celebrate”
• Natema & Enzo Gomes (feat. Jeremy Goddard), “BMW”
• Bad Bunny, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”
• Balil, “Sunshine”
• Muzi, “Queen (Dan Kye Remix)”
• Michi, “Snoobie (Knxwledge RMX)”
• Phoelix, “Home (You)”
• JD. REID, “what if?”
• Mad Keys, “Great Things Take Time”
• Bruno Berle, “Som Nyame”

Industry Standard

128 E. Roosevelt St.

Since its soft opening two months ago, Industry Standard has captured a neighborhood feel. The restaurant maintains a clean, elegant and minimalist aesthetic and its several playlists made by co-owner Mike Cheatum, encompassing rap, jazz, EDM, and classic rock is a hint at the restaurant’s range. Cheatum’s playlist helps to create whatever specific vibe they want to create at that moment, whether it's an intimate dinner or a busy late First Friday night.

“Dark lights and loud music feels sort of like a hug,” Cheatum says. “We want to play music that everyone can bob their head or sing along to.”

The bar also serves as a platform for local performers and musicians, particularly on busy nights such as First Friday. They’ve already had a recent performance by Joseph Torres, and have an upcoming show with Ray Wimley, better known as RAY, known for his street freestyles.

A sample of Industry Standard’s vibes:

• ODESZA (feat. The Knocks), “Love Letter”
• Roosevelt, “Montreal”
• Kenya Grace, “Strangers”
• Myd, “The Sun”
• Aluna & Jayda G, “Mine O’ Mine”
• Remi Wolf, “Disco Man (Little Dragon Remix)”
• G Flip, “About You”
• Calimossa, “Planet X”
• Sudan Archives, “Selfish Soul (ODESZA REMIX)”
• Brother Ali, “Never Learn”
• Martin Garrix (feat. Macklemore & Patrick Stump), “Summer Days”

Palma

903 N. Second St.

Known for its Asian-inspired brunch dishes and an oasis of an outdoor patio, Palma’s goal is to transport its attendees to an island-like state of mind. Through brunch, Palma features a DJ who sets the mood with “a sun-soaked fusion of uplifting reggae rhythms, soulful melodies, and feel-good anthems,” says Phillip Quinaz, the director of Gray V, and the curator of Palma’s music.

During the restaurant’s regular hours, deep house sounds and house remixes of pop and R&B tracks provided an upbeat atmosphere. Remixes of tracks by Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Aluna and Sofi Tukker balance familiar and new sounds.

A sample of Palma's jams:

• Beyoncé, “All Up in Your Mind”
• Oliver Tree (feat. Super Computer), “Essence”
• Miley Cyrus (feat. Stevie Nicks), “Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)”
• Aluna & Paul Woolford, “Heatstroke”
• Tate McRae, “It's OK I'm OK”
• Philip Cecil (feat. Jonas McDonnell), “Dance the Night Away”
• Molella & Tim Grand, “Locked in Your Love”
• Sofi Tukker, “Purple Hat”
• Bebe Rexha, “Call on Me”
• Sunday Scaries & PiCKUPLiNES, “Chill Like That”
• EMELINE, “feelings”
• Shooting Stars, “Bag Raiders”

POMO Pizzeria

705 N. First St., #120

The music selection at this Italian restaurant has a distinctly American flavor: popular and fresh R&B and soul tracks are easy on the ears. Played at whisper levels during the day, the music creates an intimate vibe that crescendos as more people traipse in for dinner.

“It fits the vibe of the restaurant,” says Hannah Joffs, one of the restaurant’s bartenders. “Nothing too popular, not too loud. It fits well.”

POMO takes the vibe up another step on Fridays with live performers, usually local Phoenix acts such as the Hourglass Cats.

A sample of Pomo’s sounds:

• NIKI, “Every Summertime”
• Erykah Badu, “On and On”
• Dixson (feat. Tinashe), “Heat”
• KOLA, “Love Myself”
• Kyle Dion, “That Don’t Mean a Thing”
• Winston Surfshirt (feat. Talib Kweli), “Maybe I’m in Love With You”
• Steve Lacy, “Some”
• HONNE (feat. Pink Sweats), “WHAT WOULD YOU DO?”
• M.I.L.K. (feat. Benny Sings), “French Girl Effect”
• Joe Hertz (feat. Pip Millet), “Goodbye Kisses”
• 53 Thieves, “Lockdown"

Pedal Haus Brewery

214 E. Roosevelt St., #4

With his hand in numerous restaurants and bars across the Valley, including the neighboring Sake Haus, Pedal Haus owner Julian Wright knows how music sets a mood. His music selections for Pedal Haus are, he says, “beer-drinking music,” a genre that is seemingly all-encompassing: reggae, R&B, country and even a little house music.

“Music is all about creating a feeling,” Wright says.

The bar also has regular live performances from local artists and bands. At the restaurant’s recent Mardi Gras event, the multi-genre group Bad Cactus Brass Band took to the stage with a jazzy performance. Rio Grande ended the night with funky blues and rock melodies, bringing classic NOLA flavors to the restaurant’s Americana vibe.

A sample of Pedal Haus’ tracks:

• Peter Bjorn and John, “Money"
• The Rosewood Thieves, “Mad Man Blues”
• HIRIE (feat. Innie Vision), “I’m High”
• Chastity Belt, “Hollow”
• Classixx (feat. Passion Pit), “Safe Inside”
• Deer Tick, “Spend the Night”
• The Delta Riggs, “Out of Place”
• The Weeknd, “Save Your Tears”
• Eddie Money, “Baby Hold On”
• Mungo’s Hi-Fi (feat. Charlie P), “Skidip”

Sake Haus

214 E. Roosevelt St.

A modern take on Japanese cuisine with a self-dubbed “Tokyo street vibe,” Sake Haus ranges widely in its musical tastes. “We really just try to make everyone comfortable,” says general manager Kimberly Hayashi. “We play a little bit of everything, J-pop to American rap to EDM. We’ve even added some reggae in there recently.”

The restaurant’s playlist (another Wright curation) is nearly a full day’s worth of tracks, totaling 20 hours and swaggering across genres and eras. You’ll hear early rock tracks from Blondie and the Rolling Stones; hip-hop by Lauryn Hill, Lupe Fiasco and Ice Cube; and modern R&B tracks with the likes of Steve Lacy, Kaytranada and Kali Uchis.

A sample of Sake Haus’ sounds:

• Griz (feat. The Floozies), “Simple”
• The Kills, “Impossible Tracks”
• Twin Shadows, “Is There Any Love”
• Chanmina, “A Present From Him”
• Ruck P, “Vibin’ Out”
• Eric B. & Rakim, “In the Ghetto”
• Latto, “Big Energy”
• MC Lyte, “Poor Georgie”
• Public Practice, “Cities”
• Little Simz, “might bang, might not”
• Hotel Ugly, “The Ballad of Eddie Jabuley”

Ziggy’s Magic Pizza Shop and Stardust Pinbar

401 W. Van Buren St., Suite B

Ziggy’s is known best for its affordable New-York style slices and its ’80s aesthetic, but its musical selections are present-day: alternative R&B, indie rock and rap. This is where Steve Lacy, Mac Miller and Tame Impala fill the air alongside the smell of fresh dough.

“Our aesthetic is an extension of the staff that makes our pizza,” says general manager Daniel Gonzales. “We have them play their favorite music.”

Also nestled inside the restaurant is Stardust Pinbar, which offers another world of music. DJs play four nights a week. Karaoke locks down on Wednesday. “Motown Monday” offers discounted drinks to service industry workers. Thursday, ladies' night, tees up throwback R&B and hip-hop tracks.

A sample of Ziggy’s stardust:

• Steve Lacy, “C U Girl”
• Free Nationals (feat. Kali Uchis and Mac Miller), “Time”
• Tame Impala, “Nangs”
• Mac Miller, “Jet Fuel”
• Gorillaz, “November Has Come”
• Drake (feat. Sampha), “4422”
• Steve Lacy, “Dark Red”
• Travis Scott, “Skeletons”
• Mac Miller, “Objects in the Mirror”
• Wiz Khalifa,“The Thrill of It”
• Tame Impala, “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”
• Lucy Pearl, “Dance Tonight”