CRUjiente Tacos
modern tacos
3961 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix
623-687-7777, crutacos.com
Sometimes you want cheap street tacos at a hole in the wall. Sometimes you want something schmancier. Enter CRUjiente, where chef-owner Rich Hinojosa crafts truly innovative tacos – Korean fried chicken, Thai coconut green curry shrimp and tempura avocado, to name a few – and co-owner Jason Morris helms a masterful Spanish wine program. $-$$
The Arrogant Butcher
American
2 E. Jefferson St. (CityScape)
602-324-8502, foxrc.com
This Fox Restaurant Concept in Downtown’s CityScape delivers a laid-back approach to upscale comfort food. $-$$
Bluewater Grill
Sushi/Seafood
1525 E. Bethany Home Rd.
602-277-3474, bluewatergrill.com
Surf’s up at this relaxed seafood restaurant with a daily-changing menu featuring more than 40 varieties of fresh seafood and shellfish annually. Check out the oyster bar, intimate patio, and sushi bar. Fresh seasonal seafood is also sold by the pound for takeaway. $$-$$$
Casa Corazon
Mexican
2637 N. 16th St.
602-334-1917, casacorazonrestaurant.com
With its vaulted ceilings, pretty tiled floors and frescos, this classy Mexican restaurant transcends its “barrio” neighborhood, offering Mexican classics as well as specialties of Southern Mexico. Everything drinkable – from margaritas to aguas frescas – is first-rate, as are the ceviche, guacamole, tacos al vapor, cochinita pibil and steak Mexicano. $-$$
Durant’s
American
2611 N. Central Ave.
602-264-5967, durantsaz.com
This Midtown institution has been serving beef and booze for the past 50 years. Phoenix’s movers and shakers come for Florida stone crabs, excellent lunchtime sandwiches and classic martinis. $$-$$$
El Chullo Peruvian Restaurant & Bar
Peruvian
2605 N. Seventh St.
602-225-2925, elchullorestaurant.com
Chef Omar Velarde transforms starchy staples such as corn and potatoes into tart drinks, munchable table snacks and appetizers such as papa rellena, a meat- and raisin-stuffed tuber that’s like a Coney Island knish on steroids. Main dishes of lomo saltado (beef strips in a tangy, soy-based gravy) and Peruvian fish and chips go down as easy as the educational tidbits provided with each meal. $$
Federal Pizza
5210 N. Central Ave.
602-795-2520, federalpizzaphx.com
The food is good, the drinks are better and we dig the vibe of the redeveloped circa 1969 building designed by modernist architect Alfred Beadle. The porchetta sandwich is a knockout, with roasted pork loin and belly tucked into crusty bread, and pizzas hit the spot without draining the wallet. $$
Glai Baan
Thai street food
2333 E. Osborn Rd.
602-595-5881, facebook.com/glaibaanaz
Pornsupak “Cat” Bunnag escapes the Americanized Thai restaurant tropes with her spin on classic Thailand street food and specialties from her home province of Isan. Using locally sourced ingredients where possible, Glai Baan offers a menu of small plates meant to be shared. $$
Hana Japanese Eatery
Japanese/Sushi
5524 N. Seventh Ave.
602-973-1238, hanajapaneseeatery.com
Family-owned and family-friendly, this beloved sushi restaurant captures the hearts, minds and bellies of locals who appreciate the warmth of the staff, the freshness of the fish and chef Lori Hashimoto’s inventive chalkboard menu. Expect bento, noodles, tempura, exotic vegetables and teppan-style meats and seafood. $-$$$
Indian Delhi Palace
5104 E. McDowell Rd.
602-244-8181, indiandelhipalace.com
Phoenix’s oldest Indian restaurant has been spruced up and is still going strong. Feast on Goa-style delicacies including chicken tikka masala and the palaak paneer. $-$$
Kaizen
Japanese/sushi
515 E. Grant St.
602-432-0752, kaizenphx.com
Chef Gustavo Muñoz brings a Latin vibe to this hip fusion sushi spot in the warehouse district, where you can expect to find ceviche, scallop aguachile and tiradito alongside florid sushi rolls made with striking ingredients and Japanese standards gone fancy. $$
the larder + the delta
Southern
200 W. Portland Ave.
480-409-8520, thelarderandthedelta.com
At his expanded reboot of the larder + the delta, chef-owner Stephen Jones creates his own elegant version of Southern Cuisine, featuring iconic dishes such as hoe cakes, Hoppin’ John and low country perlou, as well as envelope-pushing comfort foods such as crispy pig ears dusted with Cheetos, Buffalo wing-style cauliflower and dreamy broken rice porridge. $$-$$$
Mariscos Playa Hermosa
Mexican Seafood
1605 E. Garfield St.
602-462-1563, mariscosplayahermosa.com
Painted blue and decorated with fishy accents, this clean, pleasant restaurant does an amazing job with Mexican seafood. Try anything with shrimp, including botana de camaron, ensalada de camaron and camarones fantasia. $-$$$
Mochilero Kitchen
Regional Mexican
6791 W. Happy Valley Rd., Peoria
623-440-5588, mochilerokitchen.com
This colorful Latin chic restaurant is the brainchild of siblings Jorge Cota and Meliza Miranda, who had the dandy idea to bring regional Mexican cuisine to an underserved area of town. Even those farther afield should visit to feast on Yucatán-inspired guacamole with crispy plantains, Michoacán’s succulent carnitas and Baja’s famed fish tacos, all in one place. Bring it all home to the Sonoran Desert with a prickly pear paloma. $$
Neighborly Public House
Modern American
5538 N. Seventh St.
602-675-1852, neighborlypublichouse.com
Airy, open and infinitely comfortable, this Uptown modern eatery may be serial restaurateur Chris Collins’s best restaurant so far, a casual but sophisticated spot for happy hour, weeknight dinner or date night, offering inspired takes on standbys such as Brussels sprouts, oysters Rockefeller, tuna poke, crab cakes and rotisserie chicken. $-$$$
Oven + Vine
American
14 W. Vernon Ave.
602-687-7632, ovenandvine.com
This cozy neighborhood gathering spot in the Willo Historic District serves oven-baked comfort food, flatbreads, salads, sandwiches, plenty of draft beers and a sizeable list of wines by the glass. The restaurant also features an outside bar and patio. $-$$
Pane Bianco
Italian/Sandwiches
4404 N. Central Ave.
602-234-2100, pizzeriabianco.com
This wildly popular lunch spot from Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco now serves dinner, too, adding hearty, locavore Italian fare such as Schreiner’s sausage with polenta to its small selection of wood-fired sandwiches. $
Quiessence at the Farm
American
6106 S. 32nd St.
602-276-0601, qatthefarm.com
It doesn’t get more charming – or romantic – than this legendary farmhouse restaurant, cozily set at the end of a lane on a sprawling 10-acre farm boasting flowers, lush lawns and an old pecan grove. Chef-owner Dustin Christofolo has enhanced the restaurant’s farm-to-table cuisine with flashes of Italian virtuosity, turning out some of the city’ best bread and pasta. $$$-$$$$
Rice Paper
Vietnamese
2221 N. Seventh St.
602-601-7621
This bright, modern space makes exotic Vietnamese food accessible with an array of imaginative rolls, including soft-shell crab with mango and avocado. Classics like pho and banh mi are stellar. $$
Seydi’s Pupuseria & Grill
Salvadoran
2625 E. Greenway Pkwy.
602-404-7634, seydis-pupuseria-grill.business.site
Painted the bright blue of the Salvadoran flag, this friendly mom-and-son restaurant hangs its hat on cheesy, melty pupusas, but everything is well-prepared and remarkably inexpensive. $
Thai Rama
1221 W. Camelback Rd.
602-285-1123, thai-rama-az.com
Check out this low-key spot for an authentic and inexpensive meal. Satay, mee krob, thohd mahn, soups, stir fries, curries… it’s all here. Other locations: Chandler (480-855-8989), Tempe (480-967-6013). $-$$
Valentine
Global
4130 N. Seventh Ave.
602-612-2961, valentinephx.com
This hip hangout is a brunch/lunch/dinner go-to for grazing on chef-owner Donald Hawk’s wildly creative menu, which draws from his Korean upbringing, his past life as the raw bar chef at The Gladly and his commitment to local ingredients. Imagine churro waffles, molasses-glazed hushpuppies and crispy cauliflower with native seed tahini, laved with tangy raisin escabeche. $$-$$$
Windsor
American/eclectic
5223 N. Central Ave.
602-279-1111, windsoraz.com
Come to Windsor for the cool uptown crowd and stay for elevated comfort dishes like cheddar fondue for dunking Schreiner’s sausage, apples, and pretzels made by MJ Bread. $$
Yasha From Russia
Deli/Sandwiches
10240 N. 32nd St., 602-347-6055
A tidy market and deli that’s home away from home for Russian expats who drop by for Eastern European sausages, cheeses, canned goods, smoked fish, sandwiches and fabulous piroshki (dirt cheap, too). Lunch and dinner daily. $
Zinburger
2502 E. Camelback Rd. (Biltmore Fashion Park)
602-424-9500, zinburgeraz.com
Relaxed and cheeky, Zinburger pioneered the Valley’s upscale-burger scene. Enjoy a deliciously stacked Zinburger, with manchego cheese and zinfandel-braised onions, while sitting opposite a giant mural of ruminating cows. Other location: Scottsdale Quarter (480-285-0690). $$
About this guide
The restaurants listed are noteworthy and randomly selected from our rotating master list. We suggest that you confirm information, and we solicit your help in correcting any errors in the guide. We also ask readers to send us complaints in writing when one of the listed restaurants fails to meet expectations. Please note that, unless otherwise indicated, the listed restaurants offer free parking and recommend reservations for peak hours and large groups. Price categories reflect average dinner entrée prices; drinks, tax and tip are extra.
$=under $10
$$=$11-$15
$$$=$16-$25
$$$$=$26 and over
