Bacanora
1301 Grand Ave., #1
One man. One grill. One of our most fun places to eat, period. Bacanora has fast become one of Phoenix’s signature Mexican restaurants thanks to the skills of the James Beard Award-winning chef Rene Andrade who has cooked in well-regarded fine dining restaurants throughout the Valley. Bacanora is his sizzling, mesquite-touched, chiltepin-dusted return to the food of his home region: Sonora, Mexico. On any given night (or Sunday brunch morning), the menu offers just a handful of items, many rotating. One night there might be grilled octopus. Another, a version of the shrimp aguachiles Andrade sold in his youth. Beef is a Bacanora cornerstone, whether brick-thick steaks crusted on the grill or shards of carne asada — among the best in our carne-asada-crazed town. Masterfully, seemingly effortlessly, Andrade adds the touches of an accomplished chef with diverse experience to Sonoran food, slightly elevating dishes yet somehow keeping them as humble as those of trucks and family-run taquerias. His radish-and-cucumber salad is clean and light, lifted by olive oil and queso fresco. His beans are plump, stewy, and make you marvel at how much flavor beans can contain. His caramelo is phenomenal. Built on a crisp, fragrant flour tortilla, slicked with melted cheese, heaped with shreds of wildly rich grilled beef, it’s the kind of plate that might haunt your hungry daydreams forever.
Chilte
765 Grand Ave. Chilte transitioned from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the revamped Egyptian Motor Hotel on Grand Avenue in 2023. The modern Mexican restaurant helmed by couple Lawrence Smith and Aseret Arroyo caught the attention of local foodies for its birria, which is stuffed into hand-pressed squid ink tortillas and served alongside a savory miso consommé, as well as its mole de la casa and quesadilla with grasshoppers. Chilte also has generated lots of buzz outside of the Valley, with accolades from Esquire and Bon Appetit magazines. Contrary to the restaurant’s mantra of “Me vale madre,” the care and attention the team brings to their food is evident. Chilte’s menu changes seasonally, and the owners often host collaboration events with other chefs, making it worth a visit, and a revisit, regularly.
Cibo Pizzeria
603 N. Fifth Ave. For a desert town, Phoenix has a surprisingly large number of Italian restaurants. Cibo Pizzeria (it's pronounced CHEE-boh) is one of the best. The downtown restaurant serves fare like signature wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, salads, saltimbocca bread and fresh limoncello made from a family recipe by Chef Guido Saccone. But aside from the house-made pasta, killer burrata and a top-notch wine list, Cibo also boasts some next-level atmosphere. The lush garden patio is one of the finest in Phoenix — between the lights and the gentle chatter, it literally twinkles — and the 1913 bungalow, with its exposed brick, creaky hardwood floors and soft glow from the windows, doesn't hurt the vibe, either. Reservations are highly recommended.
Earth Plant Based Cuisine
1325 Grand Ave. #7 Mexican food is often heavy on the opposite of vegan food: lots of meat, lots of cheese. Earth Plant Based Cuisine on Grand Avenue has a different vision, though. This small, family-owned business packs big flavor into its menu, along with a desire to show customers what going green and being vegan is all about. The tables and ceilings are made from wood pallets, the countertops and prep tables from repurposed materials. The friendly staff is eager to guide you, but in our experience, you can't go wrong with the street-style corn, the carnitas made with seasoned mushrooms or the Baja burrito with beer-battered "shrimp." Save room for a milkshake made with soy-based ice cream and almond milk.
Chilte
765 Grand Ave. Chilte transitioned from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the revamped Egyptian Motor Hotel on Grand Avenue in 2023. The modern Mexican restaurant helmed by couple Lawrence Smith and Aseret Arroyo caught the attention of local foodies for its birria, which is stuffed into hand-pressed squid ink tortillas and served alongside a savory miso consommé, as well as its mole de la casa and quesadilla with grasshoppers. Chilte also has generated lots of buzz outside of the Valley, with accolades from Esquire and Bon Appetit magazines. Contrary to the restaurant’s mantra of “Me vale madre,” the care and attention the team brings to their food is evident. Chilte’s menu changes seasonally, and the owners often host collaboration events with other chefs, making it worth a visit, and a revisit, regularly. Cibo Pizzeria
603 N. Fifth Ave. For a desert town, Phoenix has a surprisingly large number of Italian restaurants. Cibo Pizzeria (it's pronounced CHEE-boh) is one of the best. The downtown restaurant serves fare like signature wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, salads, saltimbocca bread and fresh limoncello made from a family recipe by Chef Guido Saccone. But aside from the house-made pasta, killer burrata and a top-notch wine list, Cibo also boasts some next-level atmosphere. The lush garden patio is one of the finest in Phoenix — between the lights and the gentle chatter, it literally twinkles — and the 1913 bungalow, with its exposed brick, creaky hardwood floors and soft glow from the windows, doesn't hurt the vibe, either. Reservations are highly recommended. 
Earth Plant Based Cuisine
1325 Grand Ave. #7 Mexican food is often heavy on the opposite of vegan food: lots of meat, lots of cheese. Earth Plant Based Cuisine on Grand Avenue has a different vision, though. This small, family-owned business packs big flavor into its menu, along with a desire to show customers what going green and being vegan is all about. The tables and ceilings are made from wood pallets, the countertops and prep tables from repurposed materials. The friendly staff is eager to guide you, but in our experience, you can't go wrong with the street-style corn, the carnitas made with seasoned mushrooms or the Baja burrito with beer-battered "shrimp." Save room for a milkshake made with soy-based ice cream and almond milk. The Farish House
816 N. Third St. Opened in spring 2019 on the offshores of Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix, The Farish House is a self-proclaimed neighborhood bistro, ideal for a date night or a quiet family dinner. Seated inside this 1899 brick home, you often feel as though you're dining behind the velvet ropes of a historic museum. The signature craft cocktails (we like the Farish Cup and the Cuba Libre) each have their own story explained on the menu. Recommended dishes include the Farish House Brussels with bacon and Le Mac — perhaps the finest bowl of gourmet mac and cheese in town. If the burrata cheese ball is on special, order it. Farish House has a large patio and inside seating. Lom Wong
218 E. Portland St. Regional Thai restaurant Lom Wong, set in a black bungalow at Second and Portland streets in downtown Phoenix, packs a piquant punch. Owners Yotaka and Alex Martin have firsthand experience with the robust flavors. Yotaka grew up in San Maket, Chiang Rai, a village in northern Thailand. She spent her childhood cooking traditional dishes alongside her mother and grandmother. Alex met Yotaka in Thailand, and the two began traveling the country together, returning to northern Thailand to dice shallots and stir-fry crab with Yotaka’s family whenever they had the chance. The menu at Lom Wong, which features dishes such as charcoal-grilled Thai sausage and eggplant in hand-pounded curry paste, is meant to be shared. Boozy cocktails complement the food well. 
Matt's Big Breakfast
825 N. First St. Never again will we see the days of the old Matt's Big Breakfast, with the wraparound line of hungry breakfasters at the original 800-square-foot red brick building at First and McKinley streets. The breakfast was simply too good, and the deserved accolades sent Matt's to a bigger location a block north, then on to additional Valley locations. But the menu has stayed true. The beloved Chop & Chick is waiting here for you, as are the scratch-made waffles topped with real butter, the cheese omelet, the salami scramble and bottomless coffee from the Roastery of Cave Creek. And lunch-minded diners need not despair: The Big Butter Burger and tossed Cobb salad are superb options for the breakfast-averse. MBB seats guests on a first-come, first-served basis. 
Pizzeria Bianco, Chris Bianco's storied restaurant is located in downtown Phoenix's Historic Heritage Square.
Jacob Tyler Dunn
