The Arizona Republic’s 100 essential Phoenix restaurants: Inspiration to get out and explore the dining and drinking experiences that shape the Valley.
Every year we at The Arizona Republic decide on a list of 100 essential restaurants in metro Phoenix, and every year, I think about what that means. This year, in culling and combing over the list, I’ve realized that each essential fall into one of three categories.
The first are new places I’d consider instant icons, the spots all the food lovers in town are talking about, the restaurants sometimes written up in national media and always lauded locally. They are the restaurants you can’t wait to try with a group of hungry, like-minded individuals.
Then there are the standbys, the places you keep going back to, not because they are exciting and new, but because they consistently deliver. These are your neighborhood spots. Or, in the case of my go-to shawarma joint, comfort food destinations. They might not be the first place you think of when making reservations for an out-of-town guest, but they are likely top of mind for date night or a random Tuesday.
There are 3 ways a restaurant becomes essential
Finally, there are the classics. Longtime restaurants with history as important as the cuisine. These are our culinary landmarks, connections to the past that are still delivering. We lost several such restaurants in 2024, like the iconic Barrio Cafe, pioneering fine dining restaurant Binkley’s and 73-year-old Mary Coyle Ol’ Fashion Ice Cream. But other vanguards of the past remain, and many made our list.
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I love finding out which restaurants are essential to Republic reporters and columnists, seeing the same restaurants through a different lens and learning about places that weren’t on my radar before. An essential restaurant is a deeply personal thing, revealing of both the culinary fabric of our city and of our own journeys.
What Phoenix restaurants are essential to you?
That’s why we’re inviting you to tell us about the restaurants that are essential to you. Tell me about them and your recommendations could be featured in our readers’ choice list later this year.
As far as our picks, we’re rolling out our list in courses. Each week, 25 restaurants will be revealed. At the end of January, the list will be published in its entirety.
We hope our recommendations from communities across the metropolitan area will inspire you to explore dining options beyond your neighborhood and beyond the cuisines you usually gravitate toward so you might discover places that become new go-to dining for you too.
Best Phoenix restaurants 2025:100 essential dining experiences
We want to hear from you! Use the subject line “My essential restaurants” and tell the dining editor about your favorite restaurant and what it means to you. Reach her at felicia.campbell@azcentral.com.
