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
$$$$=$26 and over
At My Place Café
Filipino
3450 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler
480-838-1008,
facebook.com/atmyplacecafeaz
As casual and welcoming as its name, this cute Filipino café draws loads of Asian cuisine lovers who show up for lechon kawali, adobo,
beef caldereta, breakfast silogs (offered all day), pork sisig, lumpia, empanadas, buko pandan and more – basically, all the Filipino classics, deliciously prepared. $-$$
Ban Chan
Korean
2909 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa
480-414-2525
This pleasant little addition to the Valley’s Korean dining scene features excellent dishes such as spicy pan-fried octopus and squid, Korean-style pork belly and monkfish stew, a favorite among regulars. $-$$
Best Hong Kong Dining
Chinese
1116 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa
480-655-8262, besthongkongdining.com
This Hong Kong-style barbecue and noodle restaurant is a lot of fun and dirt cheap. Try the roasted duck, pork or chicken, the shrimp
with scrambled egg chow fun or the spicy Singapore-style fried rice vermicelli. $-$$
Café Lalibela
Ethiopian
849 W. University Dr., Tempe
480-829-1939, cafelalibela.com
Eating with your hands is not only acceptable but expected at this friendly Ethiopian restaurant, where injera (spongy tortilla-like bread) functions as silverware. $-$$
Daruma
Japanese/Sushi
1116 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa
480-590-7979, darumabyrie.com
This unassuming charmer offers a big bang for the buck, turning out noodle dishes, classic entrées and traditional sushi standards as well as edgier selections such as tuna carpaccio with creamy onion sauce and a California roll with poke on top. $-$$
El Sol Mexican Café & Bakery
Mexican
760 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler
480-786-0811
You’d never guess that inside this bakery is some of the best down-home Mexican food you’ll find anywhere. Made-on-the-premises tortillas are killer. $
Four Peaks Brewing Co.
Burgers/Pizza
1340 E. Eighth St., Tempe
480-303-9967, fourpeaks.com
Award-winning ales may be the draw for the college folks who keep this cavernous but friendly place humming, but the food is terrific, too. Great burgers, pizza and wraps, and when you don’t feel like drinking per se, try the amazing beer shakes. $-$$
Ghost Ranch
Southwestern
1006 E. Warner Rd., Tempe
480-474-4328, ghostranchaz.com
Sure, you could eat a juicy, outrageously good green chile burger at this elegant ode to Southwestern cuisine, but then you’d miss out on wonderful dishes that redefine the genre. If you’re willing to fork out the cash, the grilled trout is sensational, as are the pollo asado and the ceviche (technically an aguachile), one of the best in town. $$-$$$
The Hidden House
New American
159 W. Commonwealth Ave., Chandler
480-275-5525, hiddenhouseaz.com
Tucked away on a quiet street behind the bustle of Chandler’s historic square, this sweet gastropub is a stone-cold gem, offering crowd-pleasing food, a terrific patio, cool bar and great cocktails. $$-$$$
Joe’s Farm Grill
American
3000 E. Ray Rd., Gilbert
480-563-4745, joesfarmgrill.com
Gilbert serial entrepreneur Joe Johnston converted the house in which he grew up into a flashback-to-the-’60s restaurant, featuring excellent hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken baskets, fries and milkshakes – all made with fresh, top-notch ingredients. $-$$
Kai
Contemporary Native American
5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd. (Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass), Chandler
602-225-0100, kairestaurant.com
Explore contemporary, seasonal spins on indigenous regional cuisine at Arizona’s only AAA Five Diamond, Forbes Five Star dining destination. The impeccable service and remarkable desert vistas overlooking the Estrella Mountains only bolster this high-end resort
restaurant’s natural charms. $$$$
La Tiendita
Colombian
456 W. Main St., Mesa
480-898-5546
Owner German Prado runs a Colombian grocery and restaurant featuring traditional dishes from the old country. He’ll insist you try small fried empanadas served with a thin cilantro and jalapeño sauce, and arepas – thick, griddled corn cakes filled with oozy, salty white cheese. And you should. $-$$
Med Fresh Turkish Grill
Middle Eastern
414 S. Mill Ave., Tempe
480-642-9709, medfreshgrill.com
Owned by Mustafa San (of Efes Turkish Cuisine fame) and his three brothers, this cheerful, fast-casual concept turns out terrific Middle Eastern specialties at reasonable prices. Try the Greek salad, smoky baba ghannouj, excellent grape leaves, tender kabobs and wonderful chicken or beef doner. $$-$$$
Nello’s
Pizza
2950 S. Alma School Rd., Mesa
480-820-5995, nellospizzamesa.com
Back in the ’80s, this Chicago-style pizzeria was the hottest thing going. Nello’s still turns out imaginative pizzas, Italian appetizers, salads, pastas and sandwiches. $-$$
Pita Jungle
Vegetarian/Middle Eastern
4 E. University Dr., Tempe
480-804-0234, pitajungle.com
These hip little havens for health nuts offer tofu, tempeh and veggie burgers, plus Middle Eastern dishes such as chicken shawarma and heavenly hummus. Great deals on tapas at happy hour. $-$$
Shimogamo
Japanese
2051 W. Warner Rd, Chandler
480-899-7191, shimogamoaz.com
Traditionalists and iconoclasts will both be happy at this serenely elegant Japanese restaurant, which offers everything from saikyo-yaki and chirashi-zushi to seafood wonton wraps and portobello beef rolls. $$-$$$$
Source
Italian
3150 E. Ray Rd., Gilbert
480-687-7732, eatatsource.com
Chef and co-owner Claudio Urciuoli is quickly becoming a neighborhood fixture at this sleek but unpretentious fast-casual, where the Italian menu has a Mediterranean accent. Eat anything involving bread (bruschetta, flatbread, sandwiches) and don’t miss the extraordinary pizza. $$
Tao Garden
Chinese
2050 N. Alma School Rd., Chandler
480-857-4188, taogardendining.com
Seafood is the specialty at this friendly Hong Kong-style restaurant, so expect to find everything from oysters, crab and lobster to tilapia and catfish. The gigantic menu also features soups, noodles and hot pots. $-$$
Venezia’s New York Style Pizzeria
Pizza/Italian
5 East Valley locations; 6th coming soon to ASU’s Main Campus
venezias.com
This family-owned and operated joint gives loyal diners a New York feel with a touch of Italy. Enjoy award-winning pizza, along with delicious calzones, stromboli, sandwiches and wings. $$
