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Need restaurant suggestions (Central PHX)

Hi! I will be visiting Phoenix for a conference in mid-July and will be staying at the Squaw Pointe Hilton. I'm looking for some interesting/unusual or just fun places to get dinner near the hotel. I wont have a car so I would need something within walking distance or accessible by a cheap cab ride. I'm up for anything and would prefer that it be moderatly priced.

Thanks so much!!

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  1. The following are within a mile of the hotel. Keep in mind that what might be a pleasant stroll in January can be an endurance test in the July heat. Make sure to have water with you even if walking only half a mile.

    Tutti Santi -- solid neighborhood Italian place; right across the street from the Pointe
    Aunt Chilada's -- popular happy hour place; mediocre food; very close to the Poine
    Bombay Spice -- healthful Indian with good wine selection; mixed reviews so far
    Super Dragon -- very good neighborhood Chinese restaurant
    Marcellino -- upscale Italian; consistently excellent

    The following are not walkable, but relatively close via cab or bus route 16:

    Phoenix City Grill -- nice neighborhood place
    Richardson's -- not my favorite, but popular on this board
    Rokerij -- steakhouse from same owner as Richardson's

    Marcellino Ristorante

    Phoenix City Grille
    5816 N 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85016

    Super Dragon Restaurant
    1212 E Northern Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85020

    Richardson's Cuisine of New Mexico
    1582 E. Bethany Home Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016

    Tutti Santi By Nina
    7575 N. 16th Street, Suite 5, Phoenix, AZ 85020

    6335 N. 16th St., Phoenix, AZ 85016

    Aunt Chilada's
    7777 S Pointe Pkwy W, Phoenix, AZ

    Los Taquitos Mexican Grill
    7000 N 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85020

    11 Replies
      1. re: Wagamama80

        A couple more that are close but probably not walking distance:

        Moto--decent but not great sushi and Japanese

        Pat's--in my opinion, the best NY style pizza in Phoenix. Really good red sauce Italian food as well.

          1. re: azhotdish

            Yes. Neither the website nor the place itself is very impressive but the food is outstanding.

            1. re: avandelay

              Thanks, I've never heard of it before but will definitely check it out.

              1. re: azhotdish

                Just a note about Pat's. I believe the strip mall that houses it is underoing extensive renovations right now. It may look like Pat's is closed, but I think it is actually open behind the tarps and scaffolding. It's on the SW corner of 12th St. and Glendale Ave.

                Pat's PIzza Plus
                1135 E Glendale Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85020

              2. re: avandelay

                I agree, best NYC style pizza in town! It's not fancy, but the pizza is great.

                1. re: geg5150

                  Defintely still open but you may want to wear a hard hat. Amazingly, there has still be a relatively steady stream of customers every time we have been in there during the construction.

        1. re: silverbear

          Two notes on silverbear's post:

          To the OP, in July, don't even think about walking to dinner anyplace outside of the resort property or just across the street. That'd pretty much be Aunt Chiladas & Tutti Santi. The hotel will certainly be able to get you a cab, & any of the restaurants should be able to call you a cab for your ride back.

          The link above for Aunt Chilada's is to the South Mountain location. (Is that location even still in business?)
          The Squaw Peak location is pretty much part of the Pointe resort property.

          1. re: emmaAmethyst

            Link to Squaw Peak location...

            Aunt Chilada's Squaw Peak
            7330 N Dreamy Draw Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85020

          2. re: silverbear

            That pretty much covers the lot. Great list. Bound to be one, or two favs. (of someone - Tex-AZ BBQ, or the like), but you have given enough material, and none very far away.


          3. For anyone visiting from a major metropolitan area, my suggestion is Richardson's. Even though the Italian choices are very good, in that neighborhood, I would think you could easily find similar restaurants in the Boston area.

            If you're dining solo, you'll be sitting at the bar at Richardson's, unless you go at a really slow time, like 2:30pm, on a weekday.

            I've never been in a cab in Phoenix, so, I don't know how convenient that will be.

            I like the Sierra Bonita Grill, too.

            Sierra Bonita Grill
            6933 North 7th St., Phoenix, AZ 85014

            3 Replies
            1. re: johnseberg

              I'd have to agree. Richardson's New Mexican food make it a standout on the list. The other places are good, but you can find similar places in most large cities. Richardson's is a bit different and very, very good. My favorite dish is their Carne Adovada. The seasonings are absolutely perfect and very complex.

              1. re: johnseberg

                We always do the bar at Dick's rather than the Richardson's side. I prefer the more dark-cozy. I've always assumed that the menus are identical on both sides -- right? I've never been sure about the specials though.

                I'll heartily second Sierra Bonita -- still a southwest flair, but less spicy overall & a nice varety of sizes & flavours of things. I often end up doing 2-3 apps there, & there are choices that make up a nice meal. Oh, & good mojito.

                I was massively underwhelmed by TexAZ Grill (mentioned below) when I was dragged there recently -- thought it was kind of a dump & not all that good, IMO. Not in the same category as any of the other suggestions here.

                1. re: emmaAmethyst

                  We actually ate at Dicks, not Richardson's, but the menus we were given had Richardson's name on them. So yeah, you can get the same stuff at either place.

              2. TexAZ Grill, on the same intersection as Richardsons and Phx City Grill, has awesome chicken fried steak.

                3 Replies
                1. re: winechef

                  I knew I was forgetting something @16th & Bethany. Adding the place link.

                  Texaz Grill
                  6003 N 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85016

                  1. re: silverbear

                    Thank you everyone!! I cant wait to try some of these restaurants!

                    1. re: Wagamama80

                      Although Wagamama, in London, would be better than any of these places. Why don't they open one here? Love their spicy ramen!

                2. Unless you'r resorting to complete convenience, I suggest that you skip Aunt Chilada's. The food is just ok, but it's a kinda fun people watching spot and the chips and salsa are pretty good with a cold beer and margarita. I lived on the Pointe property for almost 10 years and probably only ate at AC about 10 times, and always out of sheer convenience.

                  Richardson's/Dick's, on the other hand, is NOT to be missed.