My list of Tempe restaurant recommendations is shrinking.
Even before COVID, some favorites from our old neighborhood had already been pushed out by rising real estate prices and new construction.
However, there are still some longstanding gems that are worth a visit when you’re in town. And, since I’ve recently had some Tempe-bound friends looking for suggestions, I thought I’d share a list of the places I tend to point them to. Some of these are technically in Phoenix, Scottsdale, etc., but they are all Tempe-adjacent.
Most restaurants I’ve listed here have ample free parking – which is true of the majority of metro Phoenix.
However, when you’re near ASU/Downtown Tempe, things change. Spaces become scarce, and enforcement officers are quick with the citations. (Remember the rabbit in Zootopia?)
It’s probably the area in the entire state of Arizona where you’re most likely to end up with a parking ticket. So I’ve noted restaurants with trickier parking, as well as including some additional Tempe parking and transit tips at the end of the article.
Tempe-Area Eats
The Chuckbox
Charmingly rough around the edges university student haunt that serves a simple menu of exceptional burgers, chicken, and sides. It’s a strictly cash-only operation that does not accept debit or credit cards.
They take your order and then flame grill it right in front of you. If you want anything besides cheese on your burger, you add it yourself at the condiment bar.
It’s a formula that has worked since my mom and her siblings hung out there when they were in college. In fact, The Chuckbox is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month! I grew up eating there, especially when one of my uncles was in town. As divey as the place may seem now, they’ve actually cleaned it up since I was a kid!
We especially like The Big One (their signature burger) with cheese and a side of fried mushrooms, zucchini, or onion rings.
Open daily for lunch and dinner
Seating indoors + on the patio (on wood crates and stumps)
Located at 202 E. University Dr., Tempe
- East of Mill Avenue
- Light rail: Veterans Way/College Ave
- Streetcar: Ninth St./Mill Ave
- Parking: A few designated spaces, but you may need to look elsewhere when it’s busy.
Nearby:
- Mill Avenue – college town shopping and bars
- Gammage Auditorium – Frank Lloyd Wright designed theater on ASU Campus
- ASU Art Museum – contemporary art museum in the Nelson Fine Arts Center
- Tempe Town Lake, particularly Tempe Beach Park
Cornish Pasty Co.
Maker of hearty, savory pies from Cornwall, England called pasties (pronounced kind of like “past-ease”) in an upscale pub atmosphere that feels a world away from its strip mall location. Cornish Pasty’s wide variety of fillings include some with traditional ingredients, some of their own invention, and a lot of vegetarian and vegan options.
Open daily for lunch and dinner
Seating indoors + patio
Located at 960 W. University Dr., Tempe
- University + Hardy Dr.
- Also locations in Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix, and a few outside the Valley
Nearby:
- Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) – Theaters, gallery, event space, and a large grassy area where we saw Ballet Under the Stars.
- Tempe Town Lake
DeFalcos Italian Deli + Grocery
Pizzeria, deli counter, and market stocked with Italian staples like pasta, gelato, wine, cheeses, spreads, and olive oil. It was recommended to us by our good friends Michelle and Carlos, who used to live in the neighborhood.
We especially like the Centurion pizza or a calzone with Italian sausage and roasted red peppers.
Open daily for lunch and dinner
Seating indoors + patio
Located at 2334 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale
- North of McDowell
Nearby:
- Old Town Scottsdale – home of the Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale (under new ownership)
- Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
- Papago Park, particularly Desert Botanical Gardens, Hole-in-the-Rock + Arizona Heritage Center
- Scottsdale’s Civic Center Park (closed for construction until 2023)
- Eldorado Park, where several local business owners collaborated on the Summer of the Waffle event.
Del Yaqui
If you’re looking for really good Mexican food near Tempe, I’d send you to this Sonora-style taqueria.
It’s located in El Mercado de Guadalupe along with about a dozen other businesses, which open onto a large central courtyard. (That’s also where you’ll find its seafood-focused sister restaurant, the recently-renovated San Diego Bay.) El Mercado is probably the main shopping center in the town of Guadalupe, and the colorful murals on the outer walls make it easy to spot.
Guadalupe was founded as a refuge for Pascua Yaqui Indians fleeing Mexico after the revolution in the early 1900s. You’ll know you’ve crossed from Tempe into the one-square-mile town when the street names change to Spanish.
Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Seating mostly indoor but there are also a few tables on the well-shaded patio
Located at 9201 S. Avenida del Yaqui, Guadalupe
- Inside El Mercado de Guadalupe on the southeast corner of Guadalupe Road and Avenida del Yaqui (which is Priest Drive in Tempe)
Nearby:
- Thanks-a-Latte Coffee + Snacks – Opened earlier this year in El Mercado de Guadalupe. I stopped in with my dad, who gave their mango-pineapple smoothie rave reviews!
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church – beautiful mission-style building that hosts religious ceremonies and cultural festivals
- Mercado Mexico – shop selling pottery and other Mexican imported decor
- South Mountain – hiking at Pima Canyon Trailhead (if it’s too hot to hike, you can drive Summit Road from the Main Entrance)
The Farm at South Mountain
Urban farm and open space oasis. There is a lot of grass, a shop with locally-made products and unique gift items (Botanica), wedding/event venues, and a restaurant for each meal of the day!
Since this is a largely outdoor experience, parts of it close down in the summer to avoid the heat. Double check the hours before you go during the hottest time of the year, May through September.
All 3 of the restaurants feature organic produce grown right there on The Farm!
- Morning Glory: breakfast/brunch at cafe tables with shade umbrellas
- Farm Kitchen: picnic-style lunch under pecan trees
- Quiessence: intimate dinners with a multi-course tasting menu (reservations recommended)
We especially like Farm Kitchen’s pecan chicken salad sandwiches, coffee, iced tea, and individually-sized desserts.
Seating all outside
Located at 6106 S. 32nd St., Phoenix
- South of Southern on the west side of 32nd Street
- Parking: mostly in the lot across the street, a few spots near the entrance to The Farm
Nearby:
- South Mountain – hiking at Mormon Trailhead (if it’s too hot to hike, you can drive Summit Road from the Main Entrance)
- Maya’s Farm, which used to be part of this Farm but has moved to its own space just down the street
Haji-Baba
Restaurant serving up Middle Eastern favorites plus a market selling baklava, bulk spices, pita bread, kalamata olives, fresh cheeses, henna hair dye, olive oil soap, plus a variety of imported snacks, sweets, and other goodies.
We especially like the chicken shawarma plate! The plate now comes with a small side salad, but you can substitute tabooli (which I recommend). Their garlic sauce is also downright addictive.
Open daily for lunch and dinner (Mon to Sat: 11am–8pm, Sunday: 11am–5pm)
Seating indoors + a couple tables outside
Located at 1513 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe
- West of McClintock Dr.
- Make sure you go to the restaurant – not their wholesale store down the street!
- Light rail + streetcar: Dorsey Ln./Apache
Nearby:
- Gammage Auditorium – Frank Lloyd Wright designed theater on ASU Campus
- Tempe History Museum + Tempe Public Library
Honey Bear’s BBQ
Family-owned Tennessee-style barbecue joint. Honey Bear’s meats are slow cooked until they’re so tender that (they claim) you could eat them even without teeth!
Open daily for lunch and dinner
Seating indoors
Located at 5012 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix
- Between 48th St. and the 202 Red Mountain freeway
Nearby:
- Papago Park, particularly the Phoenix Zoo, Lo Piano Bosque Habitat and other hiking trails
- Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights
- Sky Harbor Airport
A few more quick picks…
Some Tempe restaurants I haven’t been to as much or as recently or that I’d just recommend for something specific, but I still feel are worth mentioning:
Cafe Lalibela (849 W. University Dr., Tempe) – Ethiopian restaurant with lots of fans! I thoroughly enjoyed eating there and hope to make it back there soon.
Dilly’s Deli (3330 S. Price Rd., Tempe) – Premium sandwiches and soup. Their cream of chicken noodle soup in a bread bowl is top-notch comfort food.
D’lite Healthy on the Go (125 E. Southern Ave. Suite 101, Tempe) – Nutritious food with a drive-through. The menu includes items like quinoa bowls and vegan protein shakes, as well as classic breakfast burritos and good coffee.
Four Peaks Brewing Co. (1340 E. 8th Street, #104, Tempe) – Original location of a neighborhood brewpub gone national. Besides their well-loved ales and IPAs (i.e. Kilt Lifter, 8th Street, Hop Knot…), they also offer a delicious menu of beer-battered food, as well as salads, burgers, and pizza made with beer bread crust. Free street parking.
Mekong Sandwiches (66 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa) bakes the French bread for their Banh Mi right there in their kitchen. I also enjoy their iced Vietnamese coffee. It’s located in Mekong Plaza, along with an international supermarket, gift shops, a bakery, and eateries featuring a variety of Asian cuisines.
Postino (615 S. College Ave., Tempe) – Wine bar with panini, bruschetta boards, and a tapas-like menu of “snacky things.” Originally opened in an old Phoenix post office, the Tempe location is the Postino Annex at ASU. Parking: Fulton Center Garage ($4/hour) or meters north of 6th Street.
Transit
Valley Metro runs the transit system throughout the Phoenix area. It includes buses, light rail, neighborhood shuttles (small free busses that run on localized routes), and Tempe’s new streetcar – which is free to ride until May 2023!
Light Rail
The Valley Metro light rail goes through Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa. It’s especially convenient for getting to/from Sky Harbor Airport, Phoenix Convention Center, and ASU.
I made a video explaining how to ride it, if you haven’t before. Since then, the line has expanded in both directions, but the Tempe stops remain the same. And all day fare is still $4!
Park-and-Rides
If you decide to drive to your stop and then hop onto transit, you can park in one of a dozen Valley Metro Park-and-Ride lots located across the greater Phoenix area.
- Parking is free all day for transit riders.
- There’s no overnight parking. You risk getting towed if your car is still in the lot between 1-4am.
Parking Tips for Downtown Tempe
I don’t feel I can send you off to Tempe without a heads up on parking in the ASU/Downtown area. The main thing is to make sure you’re parking where you’re clearly allowed to. If it’s ambiguous or you don’t see any signs, you could still end up getting ticketed or even towed (it’s happened).
Here are some options.
Parking meters
- Use coins or a credit card to pay at the meter or ParkMobile to pay and add time remotely.
- $1.50-2 per hour. Free after 10pm, all day on Sundays, and on holidays.
- 2-3 hour max time limit.
- Vehicles displaying a disability placard can park free at meters. (Time limits still apply.)
Public parking garages and lots
- Check Downtown Tempe’s online map for locations and rates.
- There’s typically not a discount for vehicles with disability placards in garages.
- During events like ASU football games, lots may charge higher, flat rates for parking.
Customer Parking
- If you’re lucky, the place where you’re going will have some free parking spots for its customers (“Chuckbox only” parking, for example).
- Technically, you’re not supposed to remain parked in these customer spaces and leave the property. I’m not sure how strictly this is enforced, but you might want to park elsewhere before wandering off.
Don’t forget Park-and-Rides! (Details under “Transit,” above.) It’s easy to park in one of these lots, and let the light rail take you the rest of the way to your destination.
