From ASU-era classics to boundary-pushing kitchens, these locally owned Tempe restaurants deliver flavor, history, and heart. Save this list and start planning your meals around the city’s true culinary standouts.
Best Restaurants in Tempe (2025)
12 Places
From ASU-era classics to boundary-pushing kitchens, these locally owned Tempe restaurants deliver flavor, history, and heart. Save this list and start planning your meals around the city’s true culinary standouts.
Cocina Chiwas
Restaurant
Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin channel northern Mexican traditions into refined plates and a serious cocktail program at Culdesac Tempe. Praised by Phoenix New Times and Arizona Highways for elevating regional flavors while staying rooted in community.
Cafe Lalibela Ethiopian Cuisine
Ethiopian restaurant
Tempe’s Ethiopian mainstay serves soulful stews over tangy injera and pours traditional coffee. Featured in Eater Phoenix and celebrated by local critics for abundant vegan options and decades of community presence near ASU.
The Dhaba
Punjabi restaurant
A pillar of Punjabi cuisine with thali, chaat, and tandoor specialties, deeply woven into the India Plaza cultural hub. Included on Eater Phoenix’s best Indian list and frequently praised by local food writers.
Haji-Baba
Mediterranean restaurant
Part grocery, part deli, fully Tempe. Generations have come for shawarma, hummus, and house-baked pita. Recognized on Eater Phoenix’s 38 Best Restaurants; a 2025 local news feature spotlighted its 40-year community impact.
Ghost Ranch: Modern Southwest Cuisine
Southwestern restaurant (US)
Contemporary takes on Southwestern staples—think green-chile enchiladas, cowboy steaks, and mezcal-forward cocktails. Named to Phoenix New Times’ Top 100 Restaurants, and a go-to for date-night dinner in South Tempe.
The Chuckbox
Hamburger restaurant
Since 1972, this cash-only burger shack has grilled mesquite-fired patties for students and locals. Lauded on Eater Phoenix’s best burger list and crowned by readers of The Arizona Republic in a 2024 bracket.
Vincitorio's Restaurant
Southern Italian restaurant
Family-run for decades, this South Tempe favorite leans into Apulian roots with handmade pastas, live music, and a welcoming wine bar. Highlighted by USA Today’s 10Best for Tempe dining.
Curry Corner
Pakistani restaurant
A student-favorite for Pakistani and Indian comfort food—tandoori wings, masala fries, and goat karahi included. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and recommended by Eater Phoenix for value and flavor.
Old Town Taste
Chinese restaurant
Sichuan-leaning Chinese cooking—mapo tofu, dry pots, and crisp Chongqing chicken—in a low-key room with big flavors. Phoenix New Times has repeatedly praised it, awarding Best Authentic Chinese Food.
Caffe Boa TEMPE
Italian restaurant
Mill Avenue’s grown-up refuge for housemade pastas, a smart wine list, and Balkan rakija flights. Included in Phoenix New Times’ Top 100 Restaurants and loved by locals for live jazz nights.
Green New American Vegetarian
Vegan restaurant
Chef Damon Brasch’s plant-based comfort food—Big Wac burgers, buffalo wings, and fries—converts skeptics and delights vegans. Featured by Thrillist and spotlighted by local media for shaping Tempe’s vegan scene.
Casa Reynoso
Mexican restaurant
A Tempe standard-bearer of Globe–Miami style Mexican cooking, famous for green chile and the Gollo Burro. Chronicled by Phoenix New Times and local TV for multi-generational stewardship and Sonoran Arizona roots.
