THE WEST
Where to Eat in Phoenix: The Top 20 Restaurants Locals Love
By Rebecca Thompson | July 16, 2025
Chilte
AUTHOR BIO: Rebecca Thompson has held many jobs over the years, from daily newspaper writer to middle-school math teacher. As a restaurant critic, she’s searched her home state of Texas for the best brisket and tacos and will gladly debate the merits of combining the two.
I came back to Phoenix in July, the time of year when the sidewalks shimmer and your rental car fuses you to the seat.
Even the air-conditioning in my hotel room gave up one afternoon, like it had finally read the forecast and decided it wasn’t worth it. But I kept going. Because the restaurant scene in Phoenix right now is that good. You brave the heat—through triple-digit afternoons and broiling parking lots—for mesquite-roasted lamb pulled from a wood-fired oven or aguachile so electric it’ll do more than your lukewarm iced coffee ever could.
Phoenix isn’t just a pit stop between Sedona and Scottsdale anymore. It’s a place where you’ll want to stay a while, especially if you’re searching for restaurants near me in Phoenix or wondering where locals are actually eating. What follows is a list of the best restaurants in Phoenix right now—places worth sweating for.
1. Course
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Course might sit between a chain restaurant and a karate studio, but once the first plate lands, you forget all that. Chef Cory Oppold, a 2025 James Beard semifinalist, serves five- and eight-course menus that read like design blueprints—precise, seasonal, and surprisingly grounded for how artful they look. It’s one of the most refined meals in Phoenix, served in a space that proves elegance doesn’t need a downtown address.
2. Pa’La
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Pa’La has grown into Phoenix’s most thoughtful restaurant, where nearly everything on the menu meets fire before it hits your plate. Chef Jason Alford draws on global coastal traditions—from Japan to the Med to South America—but grounds it all in Arizona produce and a handmade oven that does most of the talking. While there isn’t a miss on the a la carte menu, the weekly omakase menus offer a grand tour of everything that’s great here.
3. Kid Sister
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Kid Sister is the kind of wine bar that ditches the usual cheese board in favor of broccoli toast with red curry and beef tataki dressed like it’s headed somewhere better. The food’s playful but sharp, and the wine list is short, smart, and full of chillable, low-proof bottles that don’t demand a sommelier to decode. It’s the sort of place where you lose track of pours and conversations in equal measure—until someone asks if you’re more of a dog or a cat person.
4. Chilte
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Chilte is the rare place that actually lives up to the hype—wildly inventive, a little chaotic, and completely original. Chef Lawrence Smith, a former football player, cooks with chiltepins and nerve, piling marrow bones onto vampiros and pairing sautéed pears with chicharrón like it’s the most obvious combination in the world. It all unfolds inside the old Egyptian Motor Hotel, now a neon-lit mix of bold flavors and louder vibes.
5. Bacanora
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Bacanora hums with mesquite smoke and Sonoran soul, tucked inside the old Bragg’s Pie Factory like it was always meant to be there. Chef René Andrade turns out lime-bright aguachile and hulking bone-in ribeyes that feel more like a challenge than a suggestion. Scoring a reservation takes planning, but the bar’s a good bet—and just maybe where the Cardinals end up after practice.
6. Pizzeria Bianco
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Chris Bianco didn’t just elevate pizza in Phoenix—he redefined it, one charred, chewy crust at a time. The original shop might be tiny, but the pies are monumental, with ingredients so obsessively sourced he basically coaxes wheat into becoming flour himself. At the newer Town & Country location, the pizza’s joined by perfect pastas, cacciatore, and a rice pudding that’s somehow nostalgic and grown-up at the same time.
7. Sottise
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Sottise pulls off something rare in Phoenix: a French restaurant that feels cozy instead of pretentious, like someone’s stylish townhouse got taken over by people who really love butter. The baked brie arrives molten, the mussels swim in crème fraîche and white wine, and there’s always something interesting on the orange-heavy wine list. It’s the kind of place that rewards lingering—ideally with another glass and zero plans.
8. Tratto
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Tratto is Chris Bianco’s more grown-up sibling to his pizza joint a mile away—less sauce on your shirt, more duck ragu on your cavatelli. The menu changes often but always leans into soulful pastas and thoughtful sourcing, with the off-menu cacio e pepe quietly stealing the show. If you forgot to book a table, the bar’s your best bet—and honestly, it’s the best seat in the house anyway.
9. Glai Baan
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Glai Baan is the kind of place that feels like a secret, even though half of Phoenix is already in on it. Chef Cat Bunnag channels the flavors of her native Isan into dishes like mackerel fried rice and lemongrass-laced mussels that somehow taste like they’ve been simmering in memory. The brick walls, string lights, and Thai-inspired cocktails seal the deal—this is where you go when you want dinner to feel like a discovery.
10. Latha
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Latha feels like the house party you always wished your cooler friend would throw—complete with rum cocktails, a front porch stage, and zero pressure to rush. The menu leans global but grounded, with moqueca, oxtail barbacoa, and vegan criollo mushrooms that feel just as vibrant as the live Afrobeats set outside. Even if your friends show up fashionably late, the passion fruit caipirinhamojito makes the wait feel intentional.
11. Christopher's at Wrigley Mansion
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This is where diners go when they’re looking for a certain level of sophistication: a glass-walled modernist space perched above the city, with French tasting menus that match the view. Chef Christopher Gross delivers quiet perfection, from caviar-topped scallops to A5 Wagyu, each dish a study in precision rather than performance. Even the servers are chefs, guiding you through a meal that feels personal, deliberate, and entirely worth the reservation.
12. Taco Chelo
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Taco Chelo nails that sweet spot between neighborhood hangout and tequila-fueled taco binge, with rolled tacos and barbacoa worth elbowing your way to the counter for. It came about from a collaboration between chef Sunny Santana, artist Gennaro Garcia, and restaurateur Aaron Chamberlin, who conspired to bring their own flair to the food, the ambiance, and always-on-the-ball service. The margaritas are strong, the chicharrones snap like firecrackers, and the move is always to order way too much with a group. Snag a patio seat during First Friday and you’ve basically got dinner and a show.
13. Lom Wong
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Lom Wong feels less like a restaurant and more like you’ve been welcomed into someone’s home—if that someone happened to cook family recipes from northern Thailand and had a killer wine list. The green mango salad is bright and punchy, the fried chicken comes with a dunk of red chile sauce, and the patio’s rigged for year-round lingering. After dinner, slip around back to Mr. Baan’s Bar & Mookata for Thai cocktails and grilled meats under the string lights.
14. DiMaggio’s
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DiMaggio’s feels like the kind of red-sauce joint a New York transplant swears by—moody lighting, Sinatra on the speakers, and clams in the linguine just like they should be. Owners Brandon and Michele Gioffre pull ingredients from Italy and the East Coast to keep the flavors honest, from crisp chicken Parm to fresh-pulled mozzarella and Michele’s knockout pistachio cream. It’s classic Italian-American done with precision and zero pretense.
15. Bad Jimmy’s
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Bad Jimmy’s is the burger joint you hit after a few too many on Roosevelt Row—tattooed, a little rowdy, and exactly what you need at 10 p.m. The menu doesn’t waste your time: criss-cut fries, a sharp little side salad, and burgers like the L.A. Burg that show someone’s actually paying attention back there. Grab a swirl soft serve on your way out and try not to make eye contact with the bartender while you eat it.
16. Proof Bread & Wine
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Proof Bread is the kind of place you’d swear snuck in from Europe—already beloved at farmers’ markets, and now with a second location in North Phoenix that feels like a community hub, complete with a kids’ play nook and patio dreams in the works. Owners Jon Przybyl and Amanda Abou-Eid mill their own heritage grains on-site and are cooking up test-batch loaves in a creative kitchen that just oozes craftsmanship. It’s not just bread—it’s a locally grown project that flourishes because the city showed up, and now the rest of Phoenix is finally catching on.
17. The Arrogant Butcher
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The Arrogant Butcher is downtown Phoenix’s answer to the power lunch—big space, big cocktails, and an unapologetically sprawling menu. Some dishes hit harder than others (skip the fries, trust the pâté), but the nightly specials, like prime rib Wednesdays, keep regulars filing in. It’s not subtle, and it’s not trying to be—and in this part of town, that’s kind of the point.
18. The Gladly
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The Gladly is that rare case where ambition meets swagger—a whiskey-forward American eatery that sometimes hits closer to a well-oiled fine-dining machine than a neighborhood hangout. Sure, some dishes stumble (looking at you, five-spice duck), but the Original Chopped Salad—the “unofficial salad of Arizona” that’s been amassing cult status for over a decade—alone makes a detour worth the trip. And with service that glides and cocktails that land, this place still feels like one of Phoenix’s heavyweight contenders.
19. Fry Bread House
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Fry Bread House isn’t just a Phoenix institution—it’s a James Beard–recognized celebration of Indigenous cooking, with roots in Tohono O’odham tradition and flavors that stick with you. The fry bread arrives golden, blistered, and just a little greasy in the best possible way, folded around meats, beans, and melted cheese or dusted with sugar and honey for dessert. You come for the classics, like the red chile stew with chumuth, and leave wondering why more restaurants haven’t followed its lead.
20. The Market by Jennifer’s
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The Market by Jennifer’s feels like stepping into an Arcadia farm‑to‑table dream—crystal chandeliers overhead, rustic wood counters lined with bright salads, pastries, and grab‑and‑go meals for the on‑the‑move crowd. Chef Jennifer Russo leans hard into seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, turning everyday proteins into thoughtful dishes that straddle casual elegance and kitchen precision. Whether you’re popping in for a steak-and-eggs brunch, a polished dinner, or just a rye sour and a cheese board, this place proves Phoenix is ready for something as tasteful as it is grown-up.
