Summer dining bucket list: The best restaurants and bars to try now in metro Phoenix
It's that time of year when we crank the air-conditioning and enjoy having metro Phoenix a little bit more to ourselves. With most of the snowbirds gone, plenty of families taking summer breaks and a dearth of sun-hungry tourists coming our way, traffic is just a bit lighter, lines shorter and reservations a little easier to obtain.
That means when you're not cooling off in the pool or hiking at high altitudes, the summer is a great time to start checking restaurants and bars off your must-try list.
There's our list of 100 essential Phoenix restaurants, with recommendations from everyone from movie critics to dining critics. There's our list of the best burrito destinations. We've got our list of the most anticipated openings (more than half of which have opened!). There are ice cream shops to visit and espresso martinis to sip.
There are so many great things to eat and drink this summer, you might just forget about the heat.
— Felicia Campbell, Food, dining and nightlife editor of The Arizona Republic
The best bars, breweries and boba to try this summer
Whether your preferred sip is boba or beer, we have a bevy of new spots to grab a cold one.
Slip into a speakeasy. It just feels cooler inside a semi-hidden drinking den, whether slipping around back to access 1912 behind Valentine, pushing through just the right unmarked door to get inside Pigtails downtown or following the neon pink sign to the tequila lair Barcoa. Two such hidden spots flew under our radar until Yelpers started singing their praises. How could you not feel a slight chill in the air when stepping into a '40s-era Tahitian sailor bar?
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Crack open an award-winning brew. Arizona breweries brought home two gold medals, one silver and two bronze at The 2023 World Beer Cup, which recognized 103 styles of beer at the ceremony in Nashville during the Craft Brewers Conference. Prescott's Sunshine Blonde from LazyG Brewhouse feels particularly appropriate for a hot summer day.
Turn off your phone and order a cocktail. The Trophy Room downtown has a no-phones rule that will keep you focused on the drink at hand and the company you're with. A refreshing idea.
Raise a glass Miami-style. Vintage rattan, pops of green, elaborate tiles and murals set the scene at Coabana, where the tropical menu of rum cocteles will make you feel like you're on vacation somewhere even hotter.
Judge for yourself. This year, five Phoenix bars were named on Tales of the Cocktail "Best of the U.S." shortlists for creative, sometimes over-the-top tipples. Bitter and Twisted in downtown Phoenix, Century Grand, Khla, Little Rituals and UnderTow Gilbert made the cut. We suggest going to see for yourself what all the fuss is about.
Sip what should have been our State drink. Is it even summer without a margarita? We've got a few suggestions for places to get a good one.
Go for the fandom, stay for the boba. While there are many great boba shops in metro Phoenix, including two that make their own boba pearls — Mochi Fresh and Aloha Tea, many of the cafes have become destinations for another reason altogether. Fans from Swifties to BTS Army gather at tea shops on the weekends, turning parking lots into block parties. It's a wild experience to pair with an elaborate drink.
Your guide to must-try ice cream, raspados and shave ice
Desert dwellers know that the quickest way to cool down is with an ice-filled beverage or frozen treat.
I scream, you scream: Nothing beats the heat quite like ice cream, and there are plenty of shops to choose from serving everything from traditional scoops and shakes to over-the-top sundaes and ice cream sandwiches. Cool down at these must-try ice cream parlors.
Serve a scoop of ice cream float. Blue Bell teamed with Dr. Pepper to create a new Dr. Pepper Float flavored ice cream. Even if you don't love it, taste-testing a pint is a fun way to chill out.
The ultimate iced treat: Loaded with fresh fruit and stacked with peanuts and spicy tamarind candies, the raspado — think Mexican snow cone — has always been made with whimsy and seemingly endless options to customize your order with ice creams, fruit-flavored syrups, candies and over-the-top snacks like tortilla chip tostilocos covered in pickled fruit Chamoy sauce. The staggering amount of choices can be thrilling, but also overwhelming. Here's our guide to some of the Valley's best raspados shops and the delicious treats you should order at each one.
A taste of the Islands: Desmond Martin and his crew operate Happy Honu Shave Ice, where you'll find one of the most iconic Hawaiian snacks: shave ice. The food trailer boasts more than 30 flavors, including lychee, dreamsicle, guava and pineapple habañero. Here's how this Glendale shop makes the treat just like they do in the Islands.
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Eat through your metro Phoenix restaurant bucket list
Dining out is our all-time favorite summer activity and there are plenty of new places, including almost all our most anticipated restaurants of 2023, along with a few classics you might not have tried yet to keep you busy.
Explore a new food neighborhood. This year, our 100 essential restaurants ran the gamut from Chicago-style hamburger joints to white tablecloth-tasting menus. Our picks are arranged by neighborhood, making it super easy to navigate dining adventures in other zip codes.
Leave the hot work of barbecuing to the professionals. We've got some serious pitmasters in metro Phoenix, and nearly 20 BBQ joints where you can taste their handiwork. So step away from the grill and leave the smoking to the pros.
Join the flock. What is the deal with all the new fried chicken restaurants opening around the Valley? We don't know, but we're here for it. From spicy Thai to buttermilk, there's a bird for every taste. Here's a look at some of the newest spots to try.
Try the new guys. With so many new restaurants opening every month, it can be hard to narrow down where to start. We've checked out a number of them to let you know what to expect at a modern African restaurant in Heritage Square, the new Scottsdale digs of former Heritage Square icon Nobuo Fukuda, a shop serving the most Italian of sandwiches in Peoria, a brunch tasting menu and a cheerful new ode to Teddy Roosevelt.
Host a rematch of the Phoenix Burrito Bowl. We asked readers to vote in a bracket-style runoff to determine which burrito maker reigns supreme. Every round was contentious, with readers fiercely advocating for their favorites. There was not a bad burrito in the bunch, so if you were so inclined to call for a rematch among friends, those friends will surely thank you for the excuse to eat them all.
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Food crawl through these dining hubs
From outdoor malls where you can now legally sip and stroll, to one of the largest Asian food courts in the country, there's no reason not to make a day of eating your way through these dining hubs.
Air-conditioned Asian street food? Yes, please. Taking up nearly a city block in Mesa, Mekong Plaza has the largest selection of Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino and Taiwanese restaurants under one roof in the Valley. And this year, even more vendors joined the ranks, including the only place to get savory Chinese crepes. Here's a guide to every dining option in the plaza.
Drink your way through Desert Ridge Marketplace. The sprawling outdoor shopping area has a plethora of dining options, live music venues and, thanks to the new Sip and Stroll program, bars where you can take your drink to-go to enjoy while window shopping for your next bite. With half a dozen new restaurants opening over the next few months, there are plenty of new places to try. Here's a look at what's open and coming soon.
Eat your way through Agritopia. Founded by Joe Johnston, the 160-acre planned community in Gilbert that's modeled after a traditional, walkable village has made Epicenter its urban center. As any good urban center would be, it's home to restaurants, cocktail spots and beer bars, many of which are outposts of popular Phoenix bars and restaurants, with a few notable exceptions. Here's your guide to all the bars and restaurants at Epicenter.
What's your favorite way to savor the summer? Let us know! Reach the food, dining and nightlife editor at felicia.campbell@azcentral.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Best summer dining in Phoenix: Your guide to restaurants, bars to try
