Dining Guide: Where to Eat and Drink Near Chase Field in Downtown Phoenix

Welcome to Dining Guides, an intermittent series on the many dining hubs around the greater Phoenix area and what it has to offer. Breakfast to happy hour, quick coffee to sit-down dining, we break down some of our favorite places in each neighborhood. Today, we want to zero in on what's surrounding Chase Field.

These days, you'll have no shortage of options when it comes to dining and drinking around Chase Field. Whether you're looking for the perfect sports bar for a beer before the first pitch or a great spot for dinner after the action's over, we've got your complete guide to dining and drinking around this particular part of downtown Phoenix.

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Cartel has a simple yet modern location in downtown Phoenix.

Jacob Tyler Dunn

COFFEE

The downtown location of Cartel Coffee Lab has a quick walk-up window for those in a hurry to get to their seats or a casual seating area in the neighboring hallways. Grab an espresso, filter drip, latte, or something crazy like a regular coffee or tea. There are also pastries if you're not in the mood for peanuts.

Dapper & Stout Coffee Company is good for a quick espresso to ramp up your energy before cheering on the D-backs. There are sweet and savory options like the spicy Italian panini or the banana Nutella french toast. There are fruit smoothies, protein shakes, oatmeal, and muffins for light starters. You can grab a cold brew or an Americano, or give the Mexican Mocha or the Bowtie (amaretto, dark and white chocolate, espresso, and cream) a try.

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The lunch counter at Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe.

Jacob Tyler Dunn

LUNCH

Inside and out, Mrs. White's Golden Rule Café is a throwback, from the painted-on sign to the tight wooden booths and lunch counter. Mrs. White's (named for founder Elizabeth White) serves utterly timeless Southern food. The writing on the wall — literally — informs you this 50-year-old restaurant is where you'll find one of Phoenix's most famous Southern dishes: the golden-brown Southern fried chicken (with suggested sides of cabbage and black-eyed peas). You'll find other homestyle staples here that are relatively rare in Arizona, like fried catfish (tartar sauce not needed), red beans, and cobblers. 

Willie's is perfect for a weekday game due to its daily lunch combo specials, where you pick from the likes of Sloppy Jose Tacos or Mini Chimis. There's also the "Big Fatty" Burrito, and bowl-ritos for those on the low-carb kick. There are also beer, margaritas, and signature cocktails like the Blue Collar Suicide. Springing for the Coronita Bucket is also an option. Chase Field is right behind you, you can't miss it — though you might miss the National Anthem.

This place is also right at Chase Field, directly across from the Third and Jefferson streets metro rail station. Show up early to the game, concert, whatever to sit and sip on the Crown Public House patio and watch people emerge from the light rail in droves. There's a full menu and full bar, plus draft beers and imported craft cans and bottles.

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Hundreds of bottles of mead, cider, etc. are lined up behind the bar at Superstition Downtown.

Lauren Cusimano

DRINKS

Hailing from Prescott and established by Jeff and Jen Herbert, Superstition Downtown is a multi-roomed indoor-outdoor restaurant and mead bar in the former Jim Ong’s Market building. Inside, there are hundreds of bottles of mead, cider, etc. are lined up behind the bar. There are 24 taps. And there is a damn good food menu of mains and tapas. Meads and ciders are also offered by the 1-ounce pour, so you can sample your way through much of the menu and feel pretty good doing so.

In the second story of CityScape, Copper Blues makes a more casual destination. Beer lovers will find more than 50 options on tap, ranging from local favorites such as Papago Orange Blossom and SanTan Hop Shock IPA to national and international names including Odell brewing, Sleepy Dog, and Chimay. Non-beer fans will have a decent selection of affordable wines from which to choose, plus a full bar. The real draw, however, is the live music: You can almost always find a band or musician on the stage at this self-described "rock pub." 

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Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails has dinner waiting.

Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix

DINNER

This handsome dining spot is one of downtown Phoenix's favorite destinations. Located at the trendy Hotel Palomar at CityScape, Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails serves elevated gastro-pub fare such as shrimp and grits, handmade pasta, and braised pork shank. Dinner service is 5 to 10 p.m. nightly except on Friday and Saturday when service runs an hour longer. And the bar is open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight.

This English-style pub is where you'll find wings to wraps to pan-seared scallops (yeah, not too many options for British food) but also cocktails, wine, and beer. Kettle Black Kitchen & Pub has a row of seats facing the open windows to watch all the game-day people heading to the ballpark or be real, leaving since you bailed during the seventh-inning stretch to grab a pint. It gets pretty rowdy in there before, during, and after D-backs home games, but with a Guinness in hand, you can handle any crowd.

Set in CityScape, the Arrogant Butcher is one of those Fox Concept Restaurants with an impossible menu — meaning, everything looks really good. There's a sunny patio and a good menu of appetizers and dinner entrees. Pick at the Butcher's Platter before ordering the beef short rib stew, one of those massive salads, or go straight for the raw bar.

Duck Bath Punch at Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour.

Shelby Moore

LATE NIGHT

Located inside the historic Luhrs Building, about an eight-minute walk from Chase Field, Bitter & Twisted offers one of the most inventive cocktail menus in town. Whether you want the perfect martini or something a little more playful — like the Duck Bath Punch, which comes in a miniature porcelain tub — the talented bartenders at this spot will be able to shake up a satisfying drink. As a bonus, the food menu includes one-of-a-kind dishes such as the Dragon Dumpling Burger, made with a beef-and-pork patty and served on an English muffin. 

There's always Hanny's, downtown's popular spot for a classic martini. The food menu here is decent, but you can always count on a lively but grown-up crowd at this department store turned bar and restaurant. The drink menu includes a few specialty cocktails (mostly classics including a Negroni, Moscow mule, and mojito), plus a solid list of wines and a small list of beers both on tap and by the bottle. Hanny's is just about a 10-minute jaunt from the ballpark.

One of the newest cocktail lounges downtown, Little Rituals is found on the fourth floor of the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott. It offers 30 custom cocktails (not that you have to go for one of the signature drinks but if you're looking to spend they're pretty inventive), plus beer and wine, and gourmet bar bites like the "Pho" French Dip. The view from the fourth floor is pretty fun, too.

Editor's note: This story was originally published on April 1, 2016. It was updated on March 23, 2021.

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