Arizona

Most restaurants pack the house on Friday and Saturday nights, but there’s one charming spot in Chandler that breaks all the rules. The Hidden House, tucked away at 159 W…

I cannot be trusted around certain restaurants in Arizona. One minute I’m like, “Just grabbing a slice,” and the next thing I know it’s sunset, my phone’s at 2%, and…

Arizona locals have perfected the art of giving directions using food spots instead of boring street names. When someone tells you to turn left at Matt’s Big Breakfast or meet…

Can I let you in on a little secret? My absolute favorite way to eat out isn’t at a cozy corner booth or a table with a view. Nope. My…

I have a friend who’s always telling me about “hidden gems,” and I usually just smile and nod. So when he insisted I drive 30 minutes out of the way…

So, I found this tiny diner in Arizona, MacAlpine’s at 2303 N 7th Street in Phoenix. I swear, it’s like someone hit pause on time back in 1957. The same…

You know that feeling? It’s 6 p.m., the thermometer outside is still stubbornly hanging around 100 degrees, and you’re that special kind of bone-tired that a long day in the…

Okay, real talk? I’ve been to all the “must-visit” spots in Arizona – the fancy rooftop bars, the Insta-famous brunch places, the ones with waitlists longer than my grocery list….

Arizona’s desert highways hide some seriously popular eateries that don’t look like much from the outside. You might drive past a tiny building or weathered shack and assume nobody goes…

Let’s talk about the Welcome Diner’s superpower: making you feel like a VIP at 3 a.m. when you’re basically a zombie in chinos. You show up, bleary-eyed, and the cook…

Okay, listen, I’ll admit it. I used to think fried chicken was fried chicken. Then I moved to Arizona and discovered that some folks are this close to making it…

Okay, let me let you in on a little secret. When I’m driving through Arizona and the cacti start looking a little lonely, I don’t pull over at just any…

Okay, let’s be real: if you’ve ever left Arizona, you’ve immediately craved something greasy, cheesy, and vaguely frowned-upon by your new city’s health department. Enter Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe,…

So, I’m cruising through Arizona when I pull into this place that looks like it’s been frozen in time-Mel’s Diner. I grab a seat at the counter, ready to dive…

Hey there! Ever find yourself sweating like a baked potato in the Arizona desert, desperate for a spot that feels like a cool, shady hug? Yeah, me too. That’s when…

Okay, can I be real with you for a second? Sometimes the whole world feels like it’s moving at a million miles an hour. You’ve got your apps, your emails,…

Full disclosure: I once cried-not from emotion, but from the sheer volume of tamales consumed-during a visit to a Mesa buffet. My wife still brings it up at dinner parties….

If you’ve ever stumbled upon a restaurant that feels like it’s hiding just for you, you know that thrill, the kind that makes your heart skip a beat before you…

Let me tell you a little secret about Arizona. Some of the best meals you’ll ever have aren’t behind a flashy marquee or a slick social media campaign. They’re tucked…

There’s a moment in every Arizonan’s life when they look at their GPS, squint at the screen, and ask, “Wait… I’m driving an hour for a seafood shack in Ahwatukee?”…

If you’ve ever wondered how Arizonans survive the heat, let me let you in on a ritual older than the Grand Canyon: the sacred restaurant patio. This isn’t just about…

Let me tell you about the time I went to Kotu Korean BBQ in Arizona and accidentally ate my weight in short ribs. Okay, maybe not my weight but seriously,…

I’ve done a lot of waiting in my life. Waiting for concert tickets, for coffee after a rough night, even for my dog to finally decide which bush deserves his…

Walking into Franco’s Italian Caffè feels like stepping through a portal straight to Italy, minus the jet lag. This family-run Scottsdale treasure has been serving up authentic Italian dishes for…

Walking into The Stockyards Steakhouse feels like stepping through a time machine to 1947. This Phoenix landmark has been serving perfectly aged steaks and prime rib for over 75 years…

Let me confess something: I once drove 20 minutes out of my way just to eat a tortilla. Not a taco. Not a burrito. Just a warm, hand-pressed, golden-brown corn…

Let’s be real, Arizona isn’t just red rocks and cactus memes. It’s a flavor fireworks show where tradition and modernity throw a kitchen-party heist. I’ll never forget the first time…

Ever had a sandwich that felt like a secret handshake with the soul of a place? Arizona’s desert heat might be famous, but its sandwich counters? Wildly underrated. Picture this:…

Somewhere along N 7th Ave in Phoenix, the scent of roasted green chile drifts through the air and pulls you toward a compact spot that has become a pilgrimage site…

You know how people are always whispering, “Psst… don’t tell anyone, but there’s this little BBQ spot in Arizona…”? Yeah, I’ve heard that way too many times-usually right after someone…

Let me be real with you-I didn’t try my first sushi roll until I was 26. I showed up to that little strip mall spot in Tempe with the confidence…

Pulling into the lot at 8901 N 7th St, Phoenix I can already smell the oak and mesquite drifting from Little Miss BBQ, and my stomach starts making executive decisions…

When I left Wisconsin, I mourned two things: Friday fish fries and my neighbor’s homemade deep-dish. I assumed relocating to Arizona meant trading cheese for cholla, dairy for date shakes….

My week is now structured around one very important deadline, and it has nothing to do with work. My 10 PM curfew is all about La Frontera, the humble silver…

The first smell I ever associated with Tempe wasn’t desert rain or the citrus blossoms on the ASU campus. It was the scent of grilled onions and searing beef, wafting…

Every state has one, you know? That one food spot that exists more as a rumor than an address, a place whispered about at office water coolers and around campfires….

Let me tell you a secret about Arizona. While the snowbirds are flocking to the early-bird specials and tourists are lining up for predictable resort food, the rest of us…

In a state like Arizona, where new developments pop up faster than a monsoon storm, I often find myself asking: what’s the secret to staying power? I’m not talking about…

If you grew up in Arizona in the ’80s, you remember a very specific kind of hunger. It was the kind that came after a long day of cannonballs into…

If you think you’ve had the best enchiladas of your life, let me ruin your memory. At Mi Nidito, a weathered gem on South 4th Avenue in Tucson, the kitchen…

I’m going to be straight with you: I drove across town in 110-degree heat for a taco. But this wasn’t just any taco. This was a taco from Ta Carbon…

Full disclosure: I once stood in line at Lo-Lo’s for 45 minutes just to eat a waffle. And if you think I’m sorry about it, think again-because this Arizona soul…

Let me tell you about the best decision I made on a scorching Arizona afternoon: I ignored the big, shiny restaurants and followed the smell of sizzling bacon instead. It…

Okay, confession time: I came to Arizona for the red rocks and desert sunsets. I stayed for the food. Because somewhere between sipping prickly pear drinks and biting into a…

Let’s be honest for a second. I am so, so tired of the “experience.” I’m talking about the sandwich joints with the sleek branding, the hashtag-friendly decor, and the menu…

Lean in a little closer. I’m about to let you in on a secret. See, while tourists are busy booking overpriced tables in Scottsdale and waiting in line for the…

I’m not going to lie to you: there have been times in an Arizona summer when I’ve seriously considered if my car’s air conditioning is, in fact, my one true…

Okay, confession time. I’m a sucker for anything that makes me feel like I’ve stepped into a movie set that never got the final edit. So when I heard there…

If Phoenix were a treasure map, these 15 restaurants would be the X marks scrawled in red ink by locals who’ve sworn you can’t call yourself a “food person” until…

Let me be real with you—I didn’t plan to fall in love with a plate of enchiladas this fall. But then I walked into El Charro Café on Court Avenue,…