Phoenix is usually the first place my husband and I land after our hermit-like winter stay in our motor home on BLM land in the Sonoran Desert, "somewhere between Yuma and Gila Bend." That means we haven’t eaten out
once for more than 2 months. Though I love to cook, we’re usually more than ready to do some eating out. In Phoenix, the problem, as in most big cities, is that there’s such an
abundance of choice, it makes it difficult to narrow down.
Try as we might not to, we just tend to eat more when we eat out, though we have no compunction about splitting meals, ordering one entrée and one salad or appetizer, or asking for a container for leftovers. Most of the places we’ve been to don’t add on a "plate charge," and those that do usually won’t if you order a second, much cheaper item.
When I say Phoenix, I’m speaking of the greater metropolitan area that spreads L.A.-like (unfortunately, often including smog) around the hub of the central city. The freeway system allows for mostly fast and easy movement around the cities of the Valley of the Sun. This journal reviews restaurants in Phoenix itself, neighboring Scottsdale and Mesa, and suburbs Ahwatukee and Chandler 10 minutes south on the I-10.
How many links makes a chain? I’ve been giving this quite a bit of thought lately. We’re all familiar with fast-food chains; isn’t that how it all started? Since McDonald’s beginnings in California in the 1950s, in the last couple of decades, chain restaurants have made vast inroads into taking over the full-service restaurant business as well. Think of mega-chains Applebee’s, Chili’s, Olive Garden, and Tony Roma’s. Independent restaurants are fighting back, however. Phoenix independents are listed on ArizonaBistro.com and AZ ChainReaction.
Though I’ve avoided reviewing obvious upscale chains, it’s harder than I realized to avoid any restaurants with chain-like characteristics, namely, a set of related restaurants in many different locations either under shared corporate ownership or franchising agreements, built to a standard format and offering a standard menu (Wickipedia). In my reviews, I’ve included the degree of "chain-ness" or "independence" of each restaurant. And in doing so, I’ve come across that seeming anomaly, the "independent chain!" The Good Egg/ Eggery, with 17 restaurants total, and my favorite, Z-Tejas, with less than a dozen, are examples of such.
Quick Tips:
Discount coupons: Go to
AZeats.com to find listings of Phoenix and vicinity restaurants, gift certificates, and valuable coupons. These range from 10% to as much as 50% off (buy one entrée, get one free) and have additional rewards, such as a bottle of wine or movie tickets.
TGIF? Avoid eating out on Friday and Saturday nights if you can. Even though there is an abundance of restaurants, the high winter-visitor population added to the year-round regulars guarantee long waits in most establishments without reservation systems. Weeknights are a different story. Plus, then you can take advantage of discounted drink and appetizer happy hours, which tend to be between 4 and 7pm on weeknights.
Smoking: We’ve not come across smoking in restaurants for several years now in Arizona. In Greater Phoenix, Tempe, Guadalupe, and Surprise restaurants are all smoke-free. Maricopa County Tobacco Use Prevention Program lists smoke-free restaurants in Phoenix and surroundings.
Best Way To Get Around:
Getting here: Sky Harbor International Airport is a major hub, with four large terminals. Phoenix is centrally located in the state. The I-10 goes through it east to west, and the I-17 ends here from the north.
Getting around while here: Phoenix seems to have the latest cutting-edge busses in its metro system. Bob drove city bus for a few years in his younger days, and he’s always impressed with the sleek, modern busses we see out and about on Phoenix streets. But Phoenix is mostly a car city. New freeways sprout up and extend themselves yearly, never catching up to the winter-driver pressure (population dwindles as hot summer approaches). During rush hours, radio newscasters can hardly report traffic accidents fast enough before new ones happen. A thriving illegal street-racing subculture also contributes to road hazards. Defensive driving is a must here, especially in a big rig.