Fire at Will Is the Neighborhood Restaurant Your Neighborhood Wished It Had
7 Yumpoints | Tied for #23 in Phoenix | #5 in Scottsdale
Fire at Will likes to bill itself as an elevated kind of neighborhood restaurant—a place people seemingly from the area will go to multiple times a month and “order the regular.” Truthfully, I don’t see it. Like its sister restaurant, Hush Public House, Fire at Will seems a little too special… a little too important, at least per Phoenix standards. You might not travel from Tucson just to go, but Gilbert? Sure. Gilbertians would die for something like this. The food, much like at Hush, is incredible, and the place itself just feels right. Sure, it’s in a strip mall (like Hush), but this is Phoenix. Everything good is in a strip mall. The only two things that makes it feel ever-so-slightly more neighborhoody than Hush are the inclusion of a kids meal (which is a must for a neighborhood establishment), and the fact that the most talked about item is a cheeseburger. It’s an $18 cheeseburger, so it’s probably not something you’re going to get daily, but a cheeseburger nonetheless. And it looks awesome (I’ll report back once I’ve had it).
Website: eatfireatwill.com
Reservations: Tock
Tip: Everyone talks about the burger. You have to get the burger (or at least steal some of your kid’s burger).
Reviews, Articles, and Awards
+1 Yumpoint (each) | APR 26, 2024
Foodists Awards: 2024
Standout Signature Dish: Hush Burger - Winner
Outstanding Hospitality Group - Winner
+1 Yumpoint | MAR 4, 2024 / SHANE REISER
Tucson Foodie: 15+ of the Best Restaurants in Phoenix
Get the Hush Burger.
+1 Yumpoint | Mar 3, 2023 / Nikki Buchanan
Phoenix Magazine: Dining Review: Fire at Will
Everybody puts a burger on the menu, but few of them approach the moist, meaty Hush Burger, mounted on a Noble brioche bun slathered with “fancy sauce” (mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire and the like), given a melting coat of American cheese, then stacked with caramelized onions and pickles. Simple but sublime, it’s a Wednesdays-only item at Hush that Ruggiero reluctantly offered as a concession to customers who begged for one. It will be at FAW forever.
+1 Yumpoint | Dec 19, 2022 / Natasha Yee
Phoenix New Times: First Taste: This Acclaimed Valley Chef's New Restaurant is Another Winner
With its inventive yet down-home takes on culinary classics, Fire at Will is another winner for Dom Ruggiero. Head over for a date night decked out in your best or casually cozy up to the bar to dive into the Mediterranean-inspired menu.
+.5 Yumpoints | MAR 6, 2024 / ENDIA FONTANEZ
AZ Central: Kick off March Madness with the Burger Bracket
Chef Dom Ruggiero's Scottsdale restaurant is a chef favorite for its Hush Burger, which comes topped with caramelized onion, American cheese, pickles and fancy sauce on a brioche bun.
+.5 Yumpoints | NOV 1, 2023 / NIKKI BUCHANAN, MARILYN HAWKES, CRAIG OUTHIER
Phoenix Magazine: 2023 Best New Restaurants
The term “gastropub” may sound dated, but it’s the perfect descriptor for Dom Ruggiero’s stylish but casual sibling to his original restaurant, Hush Public House. A big, welcoming bar dispenses local brews, wines and superior cocktails (created by the Two Hands mixology team), while the kitchen turns out high-quality, chef-driven food that walks the line between high-end restaurant fare and elevated pub grub.
+.5 Yumpoints | SEP 6, 2023 / NIKKI BUCHANAN
Eater: The 14 Hottest New Restaurants in Phoenix Right Now
Created by Dom and Holly Ruggiero of Hush Public House, Fire at Will is the best thing to happen to the dining desert around Shea and Tatum Boulevards in North Phoenix. Like Hush, it specializes in sophisticated comfort food, but the menu here is broader and more eclectic, featuring influences from Spain, Italy, and the Middle East. The clean-lined space is dimly lit and moody, while still maintaining a sense of irreverence.
+.5 Yumpoints | AUG 7, 2023 / ASONTA BENETTI
Thrillist: The Scottsdale Restaurants You Should Be Dining at Right Now
There will always be a need for neighborhood restaurants. They provide reliable comfort, almost like an extension of your home kitchen. Fire at Will is such a place, tucked into an unsuspecting strip mall and bursting with flavor.
