Sometimes it’s more the people and places that make the food experience better. This is our editorial roundup of those favorites.

Best Clean Place to Get Local Celeb Dirt 
YC’s Mongolian Grill

Typically, you notice a restaurant’s cleanliness only when it’s subpar. So, it says a lot that we are continually wowed by the shining surfaces and pristine floors at this Mongolian grill chain. There’s always at least one employee wiping, sweeping or mopping up the mere threat of a mess. And, if you hit the Scottsdale location, you’ll likely see a high-profile chef or news anchor noshing on noods with their fam. We spot one almost every time we go. Three Valley locations, ycs-mongoliangrill.com

Best Place to Drink Beer on a Swing Set
The Porch 

The scene on the patio at The Porch – now with locations in Gilbert and Tempe after debuting in Arcadia in 2017 – is like a backyard bash with beer on tap. A few tables feature giant swing seats, bolstering the backyard vibe that includes astroturf, cornhole and giant Connect 4 games. Add to the fun with a towering gallon of beer for the table. Multiple locations, porchrestaurants.com

Best Bar Merch  
The Dirty Drummer

Show your loyalty to this legendary Phoenix dive with its iconic merch line: sweatshirts, satin jackets and – our favorite – the classic Dirty D T-shirt ($30). Available in black or white, the soft tee sports a throwback design from the bar’s 1980s heyday: the Drummer’s logo on front and its jolly, beer-drinking mascot on back. 2303 N. 44th St., Phoenix, 602-840-2726, thedirtydrummer.com

Best Food Obsession
Hank Murphy’s Refried Bean Fetish

In 2013, Phoenix native Hank Murphy (pictured right)  was leading a kayaking trip in Alaska when he had a hunger-triggered epiphany: bean and cheese burritos. By and by, Murphy abandoned his career as an operations hotshot for the likes of Walmart and Amazon to launch Bad Hambres, an Arcadia-based startup that’s made major waves delivering frozen craft burritos to doorsteps across the land, backed up by Murphy’s articulate, impassioned praise of the pinto bean. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call him America’s leading bean-burrito evangelist. badhambres.com

Best Over-the-Top Restaurant Decorations
The Fluff at Mon Chéri 

Mon Chéri guests are ceremoniously greeted by a pink carpet and tower of artificial flowers. Once inside the Insta-friendly Scottsdale spot, you’re surrounded by ceilings and walls swathed in a multi-hued overlay of synthetic roses. The vibe has all the feels of a floral fever dream and Alice in Wonderland mash-up. 7014 E. First Ave., Scottsdale, 480-664-0222, moncherirestaurants.com

Best Use of a Former Applebee’s
The Henry Uptown

Don’t look now, but The Henry has become kind of a big deal since restaurateur Sam Fox sold the farm a few years ago. There are now 11 extant or in-the-works Henrys spread across five states. So: massive upgrade when the new Uptown location opened on Central Avenue. Out: Bacardi Buckets. In: our favorite Bolognese. 2 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 480-393-4878, thehenryrestaurant.com

Best Makeover
Glenrosa 

The restaurant connected to Tempe’s Rolling Hills golf course – now known as Grass Clippings Rolling Hills – long had a pleasant view and edible but forgettable food. It reopened this spring with hip décor, a visible kitchen and a lively but still-affordable menu headlined by a hearty Sonoran hot dog and a good selection of tacos. The view is still lovely. 1415 N. Mill Ave., Tempe, 480-530-9875, glenrosarestaurant.com