The top 10 restaurants in Tempe

Tempe is perhaps most widely known as the home of Arizona State University. But the wonderful thing about students winding up here from all over the world is the diversity of the restaurants it inspires. Tempe is home to exceptional Ethiopian food, Punjabi and Sichuan restaurants, Italian joints and more.

Of course, you’ve also got your steakhouses and sandwich shops, and Tempe happens to have some of the best versions in the Valley.

Here are the top 10 best restaurants in Tempe right now.

Bar Capri

1730 E. Warner Road, #10, Tempe
Bar Capri, on the northwest corner of McClintock Drive and Warner Road, fills up fast, so reservations are highly recommended. But the crowd is there for a reason. The ambiance, service, drinks and food are all individually exceptional, and come together to create one of the best neighborhood dining destinations in town. Dark green paint envelops the walls, accented with brushed gold fixtures and antique-looking artwork. Every detail is measured, down to the ornate knives and forks. Start with a cocktail and pick between Italian classics or a few options with a tiki twist. If you’re feeling wine, choose from the curated selection of unique bottles. The food menu skews Mediterranean, blending Italian dishes with a few Middle Eastern influences. Share an order of lamb skewers and enjoy the spiced, ground meat dipped in a light, creamy yogurt and mint sauce before digging into a hearty yet tender lasagna. Appetizers for the table include flavor-packed arancini, creamy burrata with plenty of toasted bread, baked meatballs in a rich tomato sauce and stellar calamari. This new spot feels celebratory, but is casual enough for regular visits. It’s the type of spot everyone wishes would open in their neck of the woods.

Cafe Lalibela

849 W. University Drive, Tempe
Cafe Lalibela has introduced generations of ASU students to Ethiopian food since it opened in Tempe 30 years ago. And there’s a strong argument to be made that this welcoming, family-style spot serves the best African food in all of metro Phoenix. Stews and vegetables are served on top of fluffy injera, a bubbly flatbread made with teff flour. Tear off strips to scoop up the rich meats and fragrant veggies with your hands. This spot is a standout option for vegan and vegetarian meals, but serves plenty of meat as well. The tender stewed chicken in the berbere-spiced Doro Wat is a favorite. Stick around after your meal to enjoy a traditional Ethiopian clay pot coffee service.

Caffe Boa

398 S. Mill Ave., Tempe
On any given day at Tempe staple Caffe Boa, you’ll see a wide variety of customers. Young couples looking to impress on first dates fill tables in the cozy dining room next to ASU students celebrating milestones, groups of friends grabbing a sophisticated bite before heading to a Gammage show or professors showing off the best of Tempe to new faculty members. The restaurant serves Italian classics with a modern twist, such as lasagna with hint of cream in the rich tomato sauce, ravioli filled with butternut squash swimming in sage and garlic butter, flatbreads, salads and customizable charcuterie boards. Cocktails are served in cut-glass coupes, the wine list is extensive and there’s a selection of rakijas, which the menu describes as a Serbo-Croatian alcoholic drink made from distilled fermented fruit. Brunch is served on the weekends until it’s time for candles to cast light on the brick walls of this romantic setting.

Cocina Chiwas

2001 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe
Cocina Chiwas builds on the familial traditions of Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin, while also bringing new flavors and dishes inspired by what the couple have learned while eating and working around the Valley. They may be better known for their Tacos Chiwas taquerias, but this restaurant, which opened in 2023 in a slick contemporary building as part of Culdesac Tempe, started a new chapter in their culinary journey. Start with an order of oysters with hibiscus and jalapeno mignonette and smoked salmon caviar before diving into some carnitas tacos on heirloom corn tortillas or Korean short ribs with egg fried rice. The desserts are equally impressive. The sweet corn panna cotta is a rich and surprising treat. Fruit compote adds a tartness that cuts through the sweetness from the corn. It adds up to an experience that differs from a traditional Mexican restaurant but is true to Hernandez and Holguin.

The Dhaba

1872 Apache Blvd., Tempe
It’s easy to know when you’ve reached The Dhaba, or even when you’ve arrived in the restaurant’s general neighborhood. The warm, enticing aroma of toasted spices forms a fragrant bubble around this Tempe classic. The restaurant serves a selection of Punjabi food ranging from snackable appetizers to hearty stews and curries. Specialties come straight from the tandoor, and each dish has an accompanying wine recommendation on the menu. For an excellent cross-section of the restaurant’s offerings, order one of the three Thali options. These sampler platters offer a veggie of the day and multiple varieties of chicken or lamb, as well as yellow veggie-studded rice, cool yogurt raita and fluffy naan. They also include a warming mug of chai plus a small sweet to end the meal. The Dhaba also serves imported soft drinks, beers and lassis in flavors including mango, rose, sweet, salty and plain.

Old Town Taste

1845 E. Broadway Road, Tempe
Though Old Town Taste offers food from a few regions of China, plus some Americanized eats, most of its greatest hits are Sichuan. An instant classic is the Chongqing-style chicken, a pile of crisp-fried chicken charged with mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns. We also love the piping-hot spicy fish and tofu soup, which features hunks of fish so soft they fall apart the second you nudge them with a spoon. Bring a group of friends and grab a table with a Lazy Susan, perfect for spinning as you taste your way across the menu, or settle into a turquoise booth at this Tempe staple.

The Peppermill

7660 S. McClintock Drive #104, Tempe
The Peppermill is a perfect example of how metro Phoenix gems can be hidden in unsuspecting strip malls. From the outside, this joint looks just like its neighbors, including a nail salon and a UPS store. But inside, the chefs are doing some seriously outstanding work. The narrow space includes a high-top bar, one row of tables and a row of booths. An open kitchen spans the length of the room, giving customers a first-row seat to the action. Flames periodically shoot up to kiss giant steaks and grilled veggies. The Peppermill technically is a steakhouse, but it surely isn’t the crusty kind. The steak frites and a massive, juicy burger come with thick-cut, piping hot crispy potato wedges. Roasted duck is cooked two ways, with duck breast and a confit duck leg served with creamed spinach gnocchi and a rack of lamb is elevated with a Moroccan honey spice rub. Wash it all down with a top-notch cocktail, a local or imported draft beer or a strong pour of wine. The plates are huge, so bring a big appetite and prepare to leave stuffed and happy.

Perfect Pear Bistro

603 W. University Drive, Tempe
9845 S. Priest Drive, Tempe
Perfect Pear Bistro has been a destination for fresh salads, well-stacked sandwiches and massive bowls of pasta for more than a decade. The rustic eatery has two Tempe outposts — one right by campus and the other on the south end of town. No matter which location you visit, you’ll find an ample all-day menu and a full bar, making it the kind of neighborhood spot you can duck into solo for a casual lunch or meet a group for dinner. The strawberry, bacon and gorgonzola-loaded Strawberry Fields salad and brie-stuffed Perfectly Grilled Cheese are popular picks at the bistro. Still, we’ll often opt for the namesake Perfect Pear, a customizable combo of soup, salad or pasta. The restaurant’s Creamy Mushroom Marsala packs comfort and umami into every bite thanks to roasted garlic and caramelized onions. We crave this rigatoni dish in the cooler months, but it’s the kind of cozy staple that Perfect Pear serves year-round.

Sala Thai

1740 E. Broadway Road, #106, Tempe
The tiny dining room at Sala Thai serves big flavor. The restaurant is the most recent addition to the local mini-chain owned by the Pluemjit family and its menu puts a twist on tradition. This is the only location that offers a street food menu with skewers and fried bites perfect for late-night eats. Start with an order of Khao Moo Dang, or barbecue red pork. Tender strips of pork are threaded onto skewers and grilled to perfection, with just the right amount of char. They’re served with white rice with a fried egg on top. The creamy yolk offers some respite from the spicy vinegar dipping sauce. For something fresh and bright, try the Som Tum, or papaya salad with shredded papaya, carrots, tomatoes, green beans and crushed peanuts. Order the salad E-San style to add a little funk with fish sauce and fermented crab. Sala Thai also offers exceptional curries and noodle dishes, such as a Panang Curry that tastes of fresh makrut lime leaves and Khao Soi, a yellow curry noodle bowl that will leave you slurping up every drop. 

Wild Barbecue

601 W. University Drive, Tempe
You’ll know you’ve found Wild Barbecue before you see the red brick smokehouse. The warm aroma of slow-burning post oak tips you off. The Texas-style barbecue joint founded by brothers Ahmad and Mo Abu Ghazal has settled into Tempe since opening in 2025. Now, customers line up to sample the brothers’ take on Lone Star ’cue that’s infused with their Jordanian heritage. While traditionalists will be pleased to find moist brisket, gargantuan beef ribs and snappy jalapeño-cheddar smoked sausages, don’t miss Wild Barbecue’s boldly spiced, juicy tandoori turkey or tender smoked lamb. Round out your plate with Mediterranean rice or a Mexican corn salad inspired by esquites. Wild Barbecue brings patiently smoked meats to an area where it was lacking, and they’re adding a fresh perspective to barbecue that we hope to see more of in the Valley.