Restaurants: Ethnic & Specialty >>

• Best Gourmet Restaurant
  Mary Elaine's
  The Phoenician
  6000 East Camelback
  480-423-2530
  We know we're in for a fancy meal when our server brings cute little stools on which our purses can rest. We've got a hint of fine things to come when we peruse a multi-course chef's tasting menu, ambitiously priced at $110 per person, plus $55 additional if we'd like paired wines (and of course... More >>
• Best English Pub
  George & Dragon Pub & Restaurant
  4240 North Central
  602-241-0018
  Christened after the allegorical tale of dragon slayer St. George, a man who later became the patron saint of England, the George & Dragon pub does well upholding the honor of a contemporary English tavern. Its wood-framed walls, high ceiling and massive beams affect a Tudor-style English pub of... More >>
• Best German Restaurant
  Haus Murphy's
  5819 West Glendale Avenue, Glendale
  623-939-2480
  Tagessuppe? Bratkartoffel? Szegediner gulasch? Nein, these only look like a bunch of bum Scrabble racks. In reality, they're soup of the day; German fried potatoes; and pork and beef with pepper, sauerkraut and spätzle -- all specialties of the haus. Haus Murphy's, that is. But... More >>
• Best French Restaurant
  6th Avenue Bistrot
  7150 East Sixth Avenue, Scottsdale
  480-947-6022
  It's an inaccurate stereotype that the French are rude to Americans. Look at how they treat Jerry Lewis. Need further proof? Just drop into the 6th Avenue Bistrot, where chef-owner François Simorte will be on you like a flash, greeting you warmly, shaking your hand, inviting you into... More >>
• Best Middle Eastern Restaurant
  Middle Eastern Bakery & Deli
  3052 North 16th Street
  602-277-4927
  It isn't very pretty what a town without pita can do. Thanks to the Middle Eastern Bakery & Deli, that's one problem Phoenix hasn't had to face in more than 20 years. Much more than a place simply to buy authentic Middle Eastern manna, this exotic deli's our choice for Mediterranean treats... More >>
• Best Pacific Rim Restaurant
  Kona Grill & Sushi Bar
  7014 East Camelback, Scottsdale
  480-429-1100
  When it comes to Pacific Rim cuisine, Kona isn't coasting. Get past the spectacular decor (a 1,000-gallon aquarium, rich mahogany accents and more beautiful people than you can shake a tiki torch at) and you'll discover there's some real creativity going on in this kitchen. The Pan-Asian... More >>
• Best Italian Restaurant
  Maria's When in Naples
  7000 East Shea, Scottsdale
  480-991-6887
  Maria Ranieri charmed us back in the '80s, when she evolved as the magic behind the award-winning pasta at Tomaso's restaurant. Then she bought another Tomaso enterprise, When in Naples. That was more than a decade ago, and since then, Ranieri has developed her restaurant brilliantly. Recently... More >>
• Best Neighborhood Italian Restaurant
  That's Italiano
  3717 East Indian School
  602-778-9100
  The owners of That's Italiano pride themselves on the fact that everything in the tidy, exposed kitchen is made on the premises. In fact, they claim to do everything on-site "except butcher the chickens." But who's squawking? The tantalizing menu lists everything you'd expect to find in an... More >>
• Best Steak House
  Harris' Restaurant
  3101 East Camelback
  602-508-8888
  Have any doubts about the quality of the cuts at Harris'? You can meet your meat, proudly displayed in the aging coolers off the restaurant's entry. All the Certified Angus Beef is dry-aged on the premises for 21 days. The soothing, Southwestern motif here might not instantly scream "steak... More >>
• Best Cowboy Steak House
  Reata Pass
  27500 North Alma School Parkway, Scottsdale
  480-585-7277
  This funky cowpoke cantina has been slinging steaks since the 1950s, dished up chuck-wagon style with all the fixin's -- tossed salad, baked potato, beans and squishy rolls. In true saddle-tramp style, there's nothing fancy to speak of here, just an honest, mesquite-grilled slab of juicy,... More >>
• Best Greek Restaurant
  Greekfest
  1940 East Camelback
  602-265-2990
  The Greeks had a word for it. And after dining at Greekfest, so do Arizonans: Delicious! What makes Greekfest so great? For one thing, owners Susan and Tony Makridis don't hold back on flavors, tempting us with dishes heavily perfumed by aromatic olive oil, lemon, garlic, dill, mint, oregano... More >>
• Best Indian Restaurant
  Taste of India
  1609 East Bell
  602-788-3190
  Indian cuisine is renowned for its creative use of spices, and Taste of India doesn't hold back. The seductive scents hit us as soon as we walk in the door -- onion, cumin, garlic, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, mustard, fenugreek and ginger root. Whether we're there for the bargain-priced... More >>
• Best Healthful Eating
  Green Leaf Cafe
  4426 North 19th Avenue
  602-265-5992
  The road to health -- like that to hell -- is paved with good intentions. Not to mention scads of diet-busting restaurants and fast-food joints serving up nutritional no-no's guaranteed to steer you off course. But thanks to the good -- and good-for-you -- eats at the Green Leaf Cafe, you may... More >>
• Best Japanese Restaurant
  Hiro Sushi
  9393 North 90th Street, Scottsdale
  480-314-4215
  Yearning Japanese? Then head east to Hiro Sushi, home of the Valley's most inscrutable eats. Fourteen lunch combinations present a dizzying array of teriyaki, tempura, gyoza, katsu, sushi and sashimi. Dinner combos, meanwhile, are a veritable feast of build-your-owns, conveniently priced per... More >>
• Best Korean Restaurant
  Arisoo Korean Bar-B-Que
  3002 North Arizona Avenue, Chandler
  480-632-5655
  What's a nice grill like you doing in a place like this? At Arisoo, the grill is installed in a table, cooking up some sensational meats over gas flames. Treats like gal bi (short ribs marinated in soy), bul gogi (thinly sliced marinated beef tenderloin), dak bul gogi (chicken) and deaji bul... More >>
• Best Seafood Restaurant
  Restaurant Oceana
  8900 East Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale
  480-515-2277
  Restaurant Oceana prides itself on serving just-caught seafood on a daily changing menu. For us, this means sparkling ahi, Maine day boat scallops, Atlantic salmon, Hog Island oysters, Dungeness crab, Alaskan halibut and more. And though such seafood is available at many other places around... More >>
• Best Vegetarian Restaurant
  In Season Deli
  414 South Mill, Suite 112, Tempe
  480-966-0334
  We were good kids and always ate our vegetables. We'll never refuse a radish, sneer at a squash or thumb our noses at a tomato. Particularly not when they're crafted into such decadent creations such as the blue corn tamales served at In Season Deli. Seven different garden-fresh veggies are... More >>
• Best Upscale Southwestern Restaurant
  Vincent Guerithault on Camelback
  3930 East Camelback
  602-224-0225
  Chef Vincent Guerithault long has reigned supreme as master of high-end Southwestern cuisine. When he first introduced the concept in the mid-'80s, he was considered radical for his innovative combination of classic French cooking and flavors of Mexico and the American Southwest. A decade and... More >>
• Best Casual Southwestern Restaurant
  Coyote Grill
  7077 East Bell, Scottsdale
  480-922-8424
  Coyote Grill shows us why good Southwestern food will never be the flash-in-the-pan trend critics thought it would be back in the '80s. Who could turn their nose up at citrus-crusted catfish in spicy orange chipotle sauce; or Southwestern beef Wellington, stuffing filet mignon in puff pastry... More >>
• Best Bargain Sushi
  Ichi Ban
  668 North 44th Street
  602-914-9221
  Good sushi needn't cost an arm and a tentacle, although it usually does. Happily, Ichi Ban turns the tide on steep-priced swimmers with its buffet-style sushi spread, a staggering array of Pisces-in-the-raw that will set you back just $13.95 at lunch, and $20.95 at dinner. Except for the... More >>
• Best Dim Sum
  C-Fu Gourmet
  2051 West Warner, Chandler
  480-899-3888
  C-Fu's got excellent Chinese food, and then some. It's got meals on wheels, and dim sum. The huge restaurant becomes an autobahn during lunch seven days a week when the dim sum carts come careening out, their drivers dodging giant tanks full of fish, clusters of tables and quick-footed waiters... More >>
• Best "New American" Restaurant
  Lon's at the Hermosa
  5532 North Palo Cristi, Paradise Valley
  602-955-7878
  Executive chef Patrick Poblete does a Southwestern-accented American comfort cuisine that is pure, rich indulgence with lots of heavenly fat. This is Arizona luxury at its best, with surroundings to make every meal special. The gorgeous "cowboy" hacienda with its upscale dining room is tucked... More >>
• Best Place to Eat Cheap and Fast
  Bombay Grill
  27 West Van Buren
  602-258-0080
  Tired of paying too much for junk food? Head to Bombay Grill, where, Monday through Saturday, you can enjoy a marvelous, all-you-can-eat feast for just $6.95. The buffet makes it a quick operation to fill your plates, stuff yourself and get back on the road. Bombay Grill doesn't try to trick... More >>
• Best Vietnamese Restaurant
  Pho Bang Restaurant
  1702 West Camelback
  602-433-9440
  Friend of pho? Then you'll find plenty to like in this Third World hideaway specializing in the namesake soup that's a staple of Vietnamese cuisine. The menu lists 15 different varieties -- huge, steaming bowls of broth chock-full of rice noodles, a variety of cuts of beef, bean sprouts,... More >>
• Best Chinese Restaurant
  Gourmet House of Hong Kong
  1438 East McDowell
  602-253-4859
  We admit it: Chinese calligraphy is Greek to us. That said, that's the part of the menu we immediately go to when feasting at Gourmet House of Hong Kong. Sure, the funky, fluorescent-lighted, coffee-shop-style restaurant offers the usual "one from Column A, one from Column B" suspects --... More >>
• Best Contemporary Chinese Restaurant
  Flo's -- An Experience in Chinese Cuisine
  14850 North Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, Scottsdale
  480-661-8883
  Forget about red lanterns, lacquered screens and laughing Buddhas. True to its adage, Flo's is "an experience in Chinese cuisine" -- and one unlike any other in town. Instead, this high-tech eatery turns the stereotyped notion of a Chinese restaurant on its head with gray varnished concrete... More >>
• Best Spanish Restaurant
  Altos Latin Bistro
  5029 North 44th Street
  602-808-0890
  Altos Latin Bistro reminds us that authentic Spanish dining is a romance of flavors; a cuisine built on vibrant spices; a food celebrating the bounty of the Mediterranean. How do we know? Hey, it says so right on its decorative, leather-bound menu. Not that you'll have any doubts after... More >>
• Best Creole/Cajun Restaurant
  Justin's Ragin' Cajun Cuisine
  13416 North Cave Creek Road, Phoenix
  602-404-2900
  We like this spicy Cajun stuff. Like grilled shrimp dipped in rémoulade, an infernal mix of mustard, mayonnaise and horseradish. Or hot boiled Louisiana crayfish, bobbing with new potatoes and corn in fiery spiced broth. Other Cajun places around town may not believe how much we like... More >>