Phoenix Area Restaurants

Abacus Inn — Chinese
3509 West Thunderbird Road
This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Phoenix. Everything here is good. The family meals are especially great, as is the Pu Pu platter.

Anzio's — Italian
12418 North 28th Drive
Anzio's has the best Buffalo wings I've ever tasted, and I've tried a lot of them. The pizza is outstanding — it was voted Best of Phoenix by the New Times. The steak sandwich is also great. You can't go wrong with the Italian entrees either. They're great for catering too (they did my wedding).

Bahama Breeze — Caribbean
21001 North Tatum Boulevard
If you like exciting, flavorful food, this is the place for you. The emphasis is on spicy flavor, not spicy heat. Everything here is awesome, from the appetizers to the desserts. You can start with Jamaican Grilled Chicken Wings or Calamari Sofrito, then have West Indies Ribs or Tropical Tiger Prawns, and finish off with Bananas Supreme or Rebecca's Key Lime Pie.

Carlsbad Tavern — Southwestern
3313 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ
This is a great place to go to satisfy your eclectic Southwestern taste buds. Their Mexican dishes and other entrees are very tasty and done up with Southwestern flair. They also have awesome sandwiches and burgers. The atmosphere is also comfy and Southwestern.

Claim Jumper — American
3063 West Agua Fria Freeway
Everything here is great — and huge! They have an amazing array of appetizers, a stunning supply of burgers and sandwiches, a plentiful plethora of steaks, chicken, BBQ, and other entrees, and a decadent display of desserts. You really can't go wrong with anything on this menu, and you definitely won't go away hungry.

Hap's Real Pit Barbecue — BBQ
3201 West Indian School Road
If you want real, smoked BBQ at an affordable price, this is the place to go. It's small and no frills, but it's some of the best smoked meat you're ever going to eat. The Meat Sampler is an incredible value, and the pulled pork sandwiches are quite tasty.

Havana Patio Cafe — Cuban
6242 East Bell Road
This is a nice place to go for a romantic dinner. They even have a special menu for Valentine's Day that's a real feast. They have a great selection of tapas (appetizers) — try the sampler platter. The black bean soup is especially tasty too. The entrees are great in quality and proportion.

Mike's Rigatoni Bistro — Greek/Italian
8215 West Bell Road, Suite 125, Peoria, AZ
This is the third incarnation of Mike's. First there was Mike's Golden Crust, then Mike's Grill, now Mike's Rigatoni Bistro. Everything on the menu is excellent. I'm especially fond of the rigatoni carbonara. Start with the Athenian wings, and finish the meal off with any of the fabulous, freshly made desserts. For lunch you have to try the excellent Mufaletta sandwich and Athenian pasta salad.

Steamers — Seafood
2576 East Camelback Road
Steamers is a great place to go for a special occasion or splurge. Everything here is top notch, from the rolls to the dessert. Try the shrimp, cream cheese egg rolls and the three shrimp sampler. This is my favorite seafood in Phoenix.

back to top

Restaurants Abroad

Bayou Bar & Grill — Cajun
329 Market Street, Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego, CA
This place is fantastic! They have a fantastic selection of Cajun food. Their menu includes: 11 appetizers (try the crayfish hushpuppies), 9 Po Boys & sandwiches, 19 entrees, and 7 scrumptious desserts (praline cheesecake, yum!). They even have a selection of pizzas. Everything I've eaten here's been great.

Brockton Villa Restaurant — Breakfast, Steak & Seafood
1235 Coast Blvd, La Jolla, CA
I've really only eaten here for breakfast, but it's a must when visiting the San Diego area. Their version of French toast, Coast Toast, and their steamed egg dishes are awesome. They also have excellent crab cakes.

Empress Pavillion — Chinese/Dim Sum
988 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA
This is the place to go for Dim Sum in LA. The carts full of appetizers and finger foods are constantly circling this giant dining room. Before you know it, your table will be full of little plates of lovely food. The constant bustle in this place is a testament to the quality of the food.

Hash House A Go Go — American
3628 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA
This is one of those places that is like no other. They add their own special touch to every dish. They have a full menu of wonderful breakfast items (and yes, 6 kinds of hash), great salads and sandwiches, and a wide variety of interesting entrees. Oh, and you must try the mac and cheese!

Mike Anderson's Seafood Restaurant — Seafood/Cajun
215 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA
This is a great place to eat in the French Quarter. Their combo meals are unbeatable. Try crawfish, shrimp or crab prepared 7 different ways. Nice!

NOLA — "New New Orleans Cuisine"
534 St. Louis Street, New Orleans, LA
Emeril Lagasse has created a wonderfully eclectic menu based on Cajun/Creole cuisine. The selections are layered with many flavors, and brings the tastebuds alive. ie. Savory shortbread of chipped fillet mignon with wood fired mushrooms and a creamy tasso (spiced ham) sauce over a white cheddar biscuit. YUM!

The Stinking Rose — American/Italian
325 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA (also in LA)
Garlic, garlic and more garlic! Everything here is loaded with garlic, even the ice cream (it's better than it sounds). Try the Forty Clove Garlic Chicken, the Garlic Encrusted Baby Back Ribs and the Killer Crab. Vampires beware.

Valentino's — Pizza/Italian
Locations across the Midwest
Valentino's has absolutely the best pizza I've ever eaten. Their pizza, pasta, and salad buffet is vast and plentiful. They are always trying new and interesting types of pizza on the buffet, which makes it that much better. They were serving things like taco pizza and BBQ pizza long before they became popular. The bacon cheeseburger pizza is another favorite. It's worth the drive to Nebraska just to eat here.

back to top

Restaurant Chains

Round Table Pizza
They're a long-time favorite of mine. Their pizzas have excellent toppings and great crust. Over the past few years, they've added some very good gourmet pizzas to their already fantastic menu. My old favorite is Montague's All Meat Marvel.

Pizza Hut
You gotta love their pizza. It's very good and consistent from store to store. Pretty much everything here is good. I like their pan crust as well as their thin and crispy. Good stuff.

Red Lobster
Red Lobster has always had a good, consistent variety of seafood. They seem to have a better selection of those crustaceans and mollusks that I love so well, even better than most "finer" seafood restaurants. They also have an ever-changing variety of specials that look so good on TV.

back to top

Fast Food Restaurants

Jack in the Box
Their burgers are great, and there are so many from which to choose. What I like about Jack in the Box is the variety. If you're not in the mood for a burger, they have plenty of other things to offer. They have a good selection of side dishes that are also enjoyable as a snack or light meal.

Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits
Who'd a thunk you could get really good Cajun food at a fast food place? Well, they have it here — many traditional Cajun items such as Jambalaya, Etoufee, Red Beans & Rice, Po'Boy sandwiches and great chicken too.

Subway
Subway produces one of my favorite forms of food, the sandwich. I like the freshness and variety of their breads, and their multitude of toppings and condiments. My favorites are the Spicy Italian and the Seafood and Crab.

Schlotzsky's
The bread here can't be beat, and the other sandwich ingredients are always fresh and tasty. The variety of sandwiches is exceptional. They usually have what you're in the mood for. Their little pizzas are pretty good, too.

back to top

Posthumous Favorites

Sadly, four of my favorite restaurants have ceased to be:

Cafe Creole — Cajun
Burned down.
Cafe Creole had Awesome Cajun food, and the atmosphere was rustic and friendly. The red beans and rice, shrimp Creole, and jambalaya were magnificent. I really hated to see this one go.

The Golden Prague — Czech
Owners retired.
The Golden Prague had authentic Czech dishes just like my grandma used to make, and darn near as good too. They also served some Polish and German dishes as well. Another thing I really liked about the place was that everything came with the meals — side dishes, drinks and dessert — all for one price.

Coconuts Cafe — Jamaican
?????
Coconuts served great, spicy, jerk-style Jamaican and Caribbean food. The jerk wings, jerk chicken fajitas, and curry shrimp were very tasty.

Cafe Magritte — Southwestern/Eclectic
?????
This Tucson, AZ restaurant was really distinctive — from its namesake style decor to its eclectic southwestern cuisine. They had an interesting and creative menu.

back to top