The Best Restaurants and Bars in Uptown Phoenix
Where: The area between the 51, the 17, north of the Grand Canal, south of Glendale Ave.
When I first moved to Phoenix, I started one day in downtown and just drove north on Central til the end. It wasn’t a super long drive, but in that stretch you pretty much see it all. Buildings, shops, neighborhoods, everything. And of all the little segments, the stretch in Uptown always felt the most livable. The trees are bigger, the houses were a little nicer, the pace was still a little bit urban, but the vibe wasn’t as chaotic. It seemed pretty ideal. And now, so many years later, it’s better than ever, with a ton of amazing food options dotting the area.
Breakfast / Coffee / Carbs
If you’re in Uptown Phoenix for breakfast, you’ll be in good hands. On the south side you have one of the best pastry shops in town, and on the north side you have maybe the best flapjacks plate in the state. I’d have to do an A/B test to make that official, but let’s at least say it’s top 10.
1. JL Patisserie
Central Corridor - 4700 N Central Ave
I’ve never met someone who doesn’t like JL Patisserie. The other day we had some JL croissants in a box on our kitchen counter and a friend who apparently doesn’t think croissants are all that great grabbed one and thought it was so good he ate another. And if you really want to wow someone who’s a bit more adventurous, get them a spinach and feta croissant roll. It’s outrageously good, and feels like more of a meal than a snack. The quiche is also amazing. If I had to complain about something, it’d be the coffee, which is merely pretty decent. Everything else is just about perfect.
Type: Pastry Shop
Yumpoints: 5
2. Otro Cafe
You could come here for lunch and dinner if you’d like, but breakfast is where the magic happens. The move is simple: If you’re hungry, get the chilaquiles—they’re some of the best in town—and if you’re still hungry, get the flapjacks. Or maybe do that the other way around. I dunno. Phoenix Magazine says the chilaquiles are one of Phoenix’s best dishes, and Phoenix New Times says the “flapjacks alone are enough for us to return.” I guess it depends on which mag you trust more.
Type: Mexican
Yumpoints: 3
Lunch
Lunch in Uptown has a little bit of everything. You’ve got fry bread, seafood, Vietnamese food, hot dogs, hamburgers. The amount of good stuff is almost overwhelming. Almost.
1. Fry Bread House
Melrose - 4545 N 7th Ave
On the north end of Melrose, just past the Grand Canal border of Midtown and Uptown, sits one of the most iconic restaurants in all of Arizona—the Fry Bread House. It’s won a James Beard Classics award, is on every local list of the best restaurants in town, and still basically has the same menu it opened with. If you’re a local and have never been, or you’re a visitor who wants to get something truly authentic to the area, head over and get some fry bread. You deserve it.
Type: Fry Bread
Yumpoints: 6
2. Chula Seafood
If you like seafood, Chula Seafood has the freshest stuff you’ll find anywhere in Phoenix. And if you have some place in mind that has a fresher selection, you’re probably talking about a restaurant that uses Chula as their fishmonger. Just go, and when you do, get the tuna melt. Here’s what Phoenix Magazine says about it, “Chula elevates the lowly tuna melt to Grecian urn status by slipping moist confit albacore tuna, spiced Oaxaca cheese and Hatch green chiles between Noble bread slices, then griddle-pressing the sandwich until the outside is crunchy and the inside is a melty mess of wildly flavorful goodness.” Oh wow…
Type: Seafood
Yumpoints: 7
Dinner
Dinner is admittedly a bit top-heavy in Uptown, starting with two of the top restaurants in all of Phoenix, then moving on to some more neighborhoody situations. Still, lots of good bites to be had.
1. Hana Japanese Eatery
Japanese food seems to be the hottest thing in the Valley right now, but none of the new fancy buildouts seem to be quite as good as our old standby, Hana Japanese Eatery. They make incredible sushi, tempura, katsu—whatever’s on the menu that day will be really really good. Good enough to be a James Beard Awards semifinalist, and good enough for every mag in town to say it’s the pinnacle of Japanese cuisine.
Type: Japanese
Yumpoints: 10
2. Persepshen
Central Corridor - 4700 N Central Ave
Persepshen is a very strange restaurant. It’s high-end dining in a slightly more casual setting, with a menu looks a bit like an ADHD home-cook fever dream. In one night you might have a melon salad, a plate of fresh pickles, Korean fried chicken necks and backs, and a giant ribeye. Or you might end up with fresh pasta, lamb shawarma, and a bratwurst. When you ask for recommendations, you’ll see sweat beading up on your waiter’s hairline while they call attention to such a random assortment of things you think they too must be insane. But then the food comes out and everything seems right with the world. Yes, you can walk yourself into some uncomfortable food combinations, but if you keep your head on straight, you might just end up with a meal you’ll never forget.
Type: ???
Yumpoints: 7
Drinks
Unlike Downtown and Midtown, Uptown Phoenix has more of a neighborhood vibe—more like an inner suburb than part of the urban chaos. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do at night. You’ve got dive bars, cocktail bars, wine bars, all the bars you’d ever need if you were a local. Nothing quite on the national level, but sometimes you don’t want something quite as fussy, y’know?
1. Linger Longer Lounge
Aside from having a great name, Linger Longer Lounge is just a great place to hang out. I don’t really know what to say about it though. On some nights it becomes more of a venue, so check the schedule to see if whatever’s there is your cup of tea. The kitchen is also pretty crazy, with two concepts working out of the space. Most days it’s Der Wurst Hotdogs, which has the best hot dogs in town according to Phoenix New Times and the best chicken fingers in town according to Phoenix Magazine. Then on weekends you have brunch by Requinto, which was declared by Rene Andrade (head chef of Bacanora) as “the best Mexican brunch in the city hands down.” So I dunno… go for drinks, but also go for food. Just go already.
Type: Bar
Yumpoints: 3
2. The Captain’s Cabin
Back when Hula’s was on Central (in the building that now houses Persepshen), it was one of my favorite places in town. There was just some kind of magic in that spot that drew me in. Then they moved and expanded a bit throughout the Valley, and admittedly, the magic died a little. The food is still the same, and the Scorpion Bowl is always fun to split for lunch, but I don’t crave it like I used to. But now there’s a secret bar, and boy do I love a secret bar. Inside, it’s not as over-the-top as Undertow, but still very tiki, and very awesome. And the drinks are all A+, from the tiki classics to the ones invented by the team. I love it.
Type: Tiki Bar
Yumpoints: 2
