The 16 Best Phoenix Restaurants

Looking for the best Phoenix restaurants? You’ve come to the right place. Our 2022 update to the best restaurants in Phoenix features our absolute favorite places to eat in the Valley of the Sun. Phoenix is home to a wide variety of some amazing food – from pizza to burgers to Thai, and, of course, Mexican spots. (We can’t help it if Phoenix has such great Mexican food!) Some of the best restaurants in Phoenix have a higher price point, but plenty of options are out there for casual spots that are easier on the wallet as well, so there’s something for everyone here!

16. Breakfast: Matt’s Big Breakfast

The name here is pretty self-explanatory: for a big, absolutely delicious breakfast, head to Matt’s. Don’t expect frills or fuss here – Matt delights in simple, perfectly-executed breakfast foods, and their shining star is the made-from-scratch griddlecakes. While far from fancy, these pancakes are fluffy, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Craving something savory? You can’t go wrong with the big papa burrito or an order of Matt’s thick-cut bacon served with eggs and breakfast potatoes.

15. Seafood: Chula Seafood

Chula started as a restaurant supplier, providing freshly caught seafood to some of our favorite Phoenix restaurants (re: Hush, Citizen Public House, Vecina), but after realizing how high the demand for fresh fish in Phoenix was, they opened up to the public. Stop by Chula for a fresh catch to prepare at home, or choose from a full menu featuring a wide variety of seafood prepared at their counter-service restaurant in Uptown Phoenix. Options include fresh poke and sashimi, incredible sandwiches (like an out-of-this-world tuna melt), and our absolute fave – the California burrito.  Choose from mahi-mahi or shrimp with crispy fries, guacamole, Oaxaca cheese, and a generous amount of Baja sauce – truly a heavenly combination. Save room for a side or two – we love the clam chowder and potato mac salad.

14. Mexican: Casa Corazon 

While there are plenty of Phoenix restaurants with great chips and salsa, Casa Corazon takes the cake with its extensive salsa selection. With over 10 varieties of salsa made in-house daily, this salsa bar what dreams are made of. We love all the salsas (some are tangy and fresh, some are earthy and mild, and others are just plain hot – looking at you habanero!), but we always recommend to start with the chipotle and creamy jalapeno. For your main, go with the signature red chile enchiladas – the creamy red sauce absolutely makes this dish, you’ll want to bottle it and put it on everything!

13. Mexican: Barrio Cafe

For upscale, elevated Mexican food, head to Barrio Café, one of the best restaurants in Phoenix. The unassuming location is home to two distinguished, creative (and female!) chefs. Start with their famous tableside guacamole or their decadent, creamy queso fundido with layers of oaxaca and goat cheese, chorizo, fresh avocado, mushrooms, and plenty of cream. As far as mains are concerned, go for the pescado tacos full of crispy beer-battered halibut, the conchinita pibil (achiote-sour orange marinated pork smoked for 12 hours), or the enchiladas suizas made with a classic tomatillo cream sauce and a blistered cheese crust.

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12. Burger: Paradise Valley Burger Company

Phoenix is home to a plethora of places to grab a burger, but none make a more delicious, unforgettable burger than Paradise Valley Burger Company. This hometown favorite is a bit off the beaten path, but rest assured that we’ve tried a lot of burgers in Phoenix, and this one is 100% worth the drive. Order the burger brûleè: fried egg, bacon, pickled onion, and havarti served with a juicy beef patty all on a burnt sugar bun. It’s sloppy, rich, and totally satisfying.

11. Authentic Tacos: Ta’Carbon

If you’re looking for authentic Mexican street tacos, head to Ta Carbon, one of the best restaurants in Phoenix, and our favorite place for an inexpensive, delicious Mexican meal. These tacos are simple and certainly no-frills: just delicious warm tortillas piled high with meat, dressed with onion and cilantro. And the meats at Ta Carbon are what keep us coming back again and again. Order at least one each of carne asada and beef barbacoa tacos as well as a Hazz taco (carne asada with melted cheese and green chilies). Top your tacos with copious amounts of avocado salsa and wash it all down with a glass of refreshing horchata.

10. Fancy Tacos: Taco Chelo

Looking for a taco place that’s ideal for girls’ night, date night, or just a nicer Mexican restaurant that serves absolutely killer tacos? Taco Chelo is exactly that place, and is definitely one of the best Phoenix restaurants for downright amazing tacos. The tortillas are homemade, the chips and guac are fantastic, and the tacos are truly next level. Taco Chelo’s taco menu isn’t huge – divide and conquer with a friend to try one of everything. Or, if you’re dining alone, the costra with carne asada + caramelized onions and cheese or the classic beer-battered fish taco are both musts.

9. Pizza: Lamp Pizzeria 

For the best pizza in the valley, head straight to Lamp.  Their style is not strictly Neapolitan or strictly anything for that matter; it is just Lamp, and – spoiler alert – it works. The crust is just the right amount of chewy, the sauce is flavorful without being overpowering, and with well-thought-out, high-quality topping combinations, you’ve got yourself a ridiculously tasty pizza. The classic Margherita is simple but perfectly executed. Another favorite is the Gem – house-made sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, and ricotta take a traditional favorite to the next level.

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8. Sandwiches: Worth Takeaway

If you’re looking for a dang good sandwich or burger in Phoenix, or perhaps a great spot to eat in Mesa, Worth Takeaway is one of our must-try Phoenix restaurants. Worth serves a dozen or so homemade sandwiches along with choice sides and house made desserts. A small but mighty brunch menu is available on Saturdays and Sundays as well. The crispy chicken sandwich is so satisfying, with crispy chicken breast, house-made pickles, lettuce, sriracha honey, and mayo on ciabatta. Or try the Worth burger, our pick for the best burger in Phoenix, or the BLT with siracha candied bacon. Order a side of fries or house-made sea salt potato chips, and the banana cream pudding for dessert is a must. #worthit

7. Sonoran-Style Mexican: Bacanora

With several other Mexican food options on this guide, we weren’t kidding when we said Phoenix offers a lot of great Mexican food (for even more Mexican, check out our full guide here!), but for the very best Mexican in Phoenix, head to Bacanora. With only a few items on their permanent menu, Bacanora focuses more on creative daily specials. Start with the elote (which is thankfully always on the menu), and if there’s a ceviche on the menu, you’re going to need an order of that as well. Whatever you decide on, though, save room for their goat cheese flan. With a cookie crumble, fresh raspberry sauce, and a drizzle of caramel, Bacanora’s unique spin on a classic flan is simply divine.

6. Barbecue: Little Miss BBQ

5. Salad: Citizen Public House/ The Gladly

We rarely find salads that are truly noteworthy, but if you’re looking for one of the best salads you’ve ever eaten, then The Original Chopped Salad, located at two of our favorite Phoenix restaurants, Citizen Public House and The Gladly, is a must. On days when a gorgeous pile of wholesome ingredients is the only thing that will satisfy, this salad absolutely fits the bill. With juxtaposing layers of smoked salmon, freeze-dried corn, arugula, couscous, and diced tomato, all topped with a homemade buttermilk dressing, it’s no wonder this salad has its own Facebook page. If you are looking for something a little more hearty to accompany your dreamy greens, we also love the seared scallops with sweet corn grits.

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4. Latin American: Vecina

Phoenix is known and loved for its incredible Mexican food, but there’s also a thriving scene for other Latin cuisines. Vecina, with its Peruvian-inspired cuisine, is one such example, and one of the best Phoenix restaurants. At Vecina you can expect beautifully plated dishes with perfectly paired sauces that will tempt even the most well-mannered diner to lick their plate clean. We love the coconut milk ceviche and the pork confit empanada, but the absolute must-order here is the chicken karaage, pictured here. This creative dish consists of lightly fried and oh-so-tender chicken paired with an aji amarillo (yellow pepper) sauce that is out of this world.

3. Thai: Glai Baan

Stepping into Glai Baan feels like being transported to Thailand (the vibe is spot-on!), and the food continues the illusion with a focus on authentic Thai street food. This cozy spot is decorated with the owner’s family photos and memorabilia from their home country and is strung with twinkling, colorful lights. Start your journey with the Kanom jeeb steamed pork dumplings – paired with a ginger soy sauce, these dumplings are practically perfect. For the main dish, order the Panang curry, a rich and creamy curry with melt-in-your-mouth braised beef, which somehow manages to outshine the dumplings. Order both for a truly phenomenal dining experience – we promise you won’t regret it.

2. Farm to Table: FnB

1. Best Overall: Hush

For the very best dining in Phoenix, head straight to Hush. This unassuming spot in North Scottsdale is the best restaurant in Phoenix, period. Their menu is bold, featuring dishes from many different cuisines, but each dish, no matter the category, is some of the best in its class. The duck fried rice? Amazing. Seafood, from grilled octopus to mussels? Perfectly cooked. The pasta? Always al dente and bursting with flavor. The menu changes regularly, but we have never tasted anything less than exceptional at Hush. Order a few different plates to share, and if you have trouble deciding, trust your waiter’s recommendations. Or, if you’re lucky enough to sit at the bar/open kitchen, ask one of the chefs!