39 Best Restaurants in North-Central Arizona, Arizona

Don't be put off by the name, a tribute to its past identity—this charming restaurant inside the Jerome Grand Hotel is the standout choice in town for fine dining, good wines, and wonderful vistas. Golden interior walls hung with local artists' work create a warm and romantic setting for creative Southwest fare. Signature dishes include prickly pear pork tenderloin and sea bass with a poblano chile–Chardonnay-lemon butter. The roasted butternut squash soup, with just the right blend of sweetness and spice, is divine.

Helmed by James Beard Award finalist Rochelle Daniel, this sleek downtown restaurant dazzles with a seasonal menu that is as much about presentation as it is about taste. Dine on fresh-caught fish, prime cuts of meat, and handmade pastas for dinner or share hot and cold appetizers—don't miss the roasted bone marrow—over cocktails or a glass of wine at the bar. The chef also offers an eight-course tasting menu with 24-hours’ notice. 

Come for the tapas; stay for the Southwestern entrées, such as chicken with cilantro pecan pesto or poblano shrimp with polenta, at this cheery, popular restaurant a few blocks off bustling Whiskey Row. The lovely creekside patio affords a casual ambiance where top-notch service matches the superb cuisine.

Traditional Mexican recipes get a creative and tasty update at this deservedly popular restaurant. Start with the namesake elote, roasted corn on a stick; this Mexican street-food favorite is transformed into an addictive dip of grilled corn kernels, Cotija cheese, lime, and chiles. Dishes are delicious and satisfying, from small plates like corn-crusted scallops with tomato jam and white truffle crema to larger dishes like braised lamb shank in ancho chile sauce or a vegetable chiles relleno.

Make your reservations in advance during high season.

Located in a Craftsman-style bungalow just a few blocks from Flagstaff's historic downtown, this fine-dining establishment serves bacon-wrapped filet mignon, braised short ribs, crab cakes, and smoked pork osso buco. The menu suggests wines from its extensive list to pair with each entrée, or you can order a craft cocktail from the creative bar. Brunch is served weekends from 9 am to 2 pm and features a good mix of sweet and savory breakfast items along with salads, sandwiches, and burgers. In the summer, reserve a table on the patio; in the winter, opt for a seat near one of two fireplaces.

This dapper bistro in the heart of downtown Williams, with warm lighting and romantic booth seating, blends American, Italian, and Asian ingredients into creative and delicious fare. Specialties include a starter of crisp tempura shrimp salad with house-made cocktail sauce and mains like charbroiled salmon with basil butter over cranberry–pine nut couscous. The well-selected wine and beer list is one of the most extensive in the region.

This restaurant and microbrewery is a popular, casual, and family-friendly place with a pleasant patio. Wood-fired pizzas include the Enchanted Forest—with brie, portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, spinach, and artichoke pesto. Expect serious amounts of garlic on whichever pie you choose. Sandwiches, such as the Margarita Chicken (marinated in tequila and lime), come with a hefty portion of tasty fries. You won't regret ordering one of the down-home desserts, like the super-gooey chocolate bread pudding. Among the excellent microbrews on tap, the Red Rock Raspberry ale is a local favorite. Beaver Street Brewery, along with its sister brewery Lumberyard Brewing Company, is a stop on the Flagstaff Brewery Trail.

This is a great place to enjoy a coffee, eggs Benedict, or a burger while people-watching on Whiskey Row. The café/bar, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, has been restored to its original 1901 style. The service at the counter is brisk and will leave you plenty of time for antiquing or museum-browsing for the remainder of the day.

The word “oasis” is apt here; you will feel worlds away from everything stressful when you taste their lovingly made vegetarian dishes while soft, relaxing music plays in the background. Sit indoors, outside on their dog-friendly patio, or in the junglelike rear garden.

Located on the ground floor of a hard-to-miss red boutique hotel, this chic bistro serves decadent eggs Benedict, lemon ricotta pancakes, and sandwiches for brunch. In the evening, steaks and pasta dominate the menu. The bar mixes craft cocktails and pours wine by the glass (or bottle). Beer lovers can sample local beers instead.

Locals and tourists alike swarm to this spacious, old-school eatery for scrumptious breakfast (served all day) and lunch, served by a friendly waitstaff. One hundred and one omelet options are the stars of the show and include such concoctions as a basic ham and cheese and the quirky peanut butter, jelly, and banana, purportedly Elvis Presley's order back in the day. Warm homemade biscuits always hit the spot. An extensive lunch menu features Mexican dishes ranging from chimichangas to a chicken and guacamole salad. 

This restaurant inside the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn delivers well-prepared, hearty American food, with an emphasis on meat (steak, chicken, and pork), plus elk chili and fry bread, sandwiches, and flan. There's a good-size wine list, too. Although classier than most eateries in these parts, the vibe is still relaxed. Service is attentive. Reservations are a good idea, particularly in the busy season.

At this restaurant catering to carnivores, you can hang out in the casual Grille & Bar or dine in the slightly more formal Arizona Room, which looks out to Sedona's bustling main strip. High-quality cuts of beef are the specialty, but the burgers, grilled trout, and vegetable pot pies are delicious, too.

Patterned after a '50s-style high-school hangout (but with cocktail service), this diner pleases kids and adults with a large menu of family-priced American classics—good burgers and fries, barbecue pork sandwiches, salads, and mesquite-smoked ribs. A large mural of the town's heyday along the "Mother Road" and a historic car on the roof make this a Route 66 favorite. Kids enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and jukebox tunes.

At this popular Italian restaurant, owned by top-rated chef Lisa Dahl, expect to find delicious homemade soups and specialties like potato gnocchi with a vodka sauce and pollo piccata (chicken in a lemon, capers, and Chardonnay sauce). Any pasta dish can be made gluten-free with corn fusilli. Renaissance reproductions and café seating give the impression of a Roman piazza. Make reservations for a table or sit at the bar—good food but far less romantic.

Formerly a popular diner and soda fountain known as Twisters, this Thai restaurant serves curries, noodle dishes, and tom yum soup. Sip beer or tiger milk tea, a form of boba, and finish with a scoop of ice cream surrounded by Route 66 nostalgia. The menu has kept a few Twisters' favorites on the menu, including burgers and milkshakes, for those feeling nostalgic. 

With juicy burgers made from locally sourced, antibiotic- and hormone-free beef, this is arguably the best burger joint in the Southwest. Freshly cut fries lightly dusted with herbs, veggie burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and organic salads round out the menu. In summer, try to arrive on the early or late side of lunch and dinner to avoid the lines.

Breakfast, lunch, and coffee on the run has risen to new heights with the presence of this friendly café on Route 66, a few miles east of downtown Flagstaff. Exceptional smoothies, breakfast burritos, and two avocado toast options, plus generous salads and sandwiches with house-made dressings and sauces accompany the coffee bar.

Ask where to have breakfast, lunch, or a coffee, and nearly every Main Street shop owner will direct you to this tiny eatery at the fork in the road. The menu includes egg dishes, healthful salads and sandwiches, gluten-free pastries, and many coffee drinks.

Upscale breakfast dishes like the croque madame—a grilled ham and fried egg sandwich drenched in cheesy mornay sauce—and Instagrammable coffee drinks and cocktails make this Southside coffee shop a good choice for a casual morning meal or brunch. On sunny days, sit on the patio and people-watch.

After the climb up the stairs from Main Street to this former boardinghouse, you'll be ready for the hearty burgers, chili dogs, cheese steaks, and ribs that dominate the menu. Lighter fare, including salads and veggie wraps, are also available. Eat on the outside deck overlooking Verde Valley or in the upstairs dining room, where "Claire," the resident ghost, purportedly hangs out.

You might not expect to find sophisticated cooking in Cornville, 6 miles east of Cottonwood, but the German fare here, made using organic produce whenever possible, proves it can be done. Game like elk and bison, plus recipes such as Trout Almondine and lamb chops with mint sauce are all beautifully presented, and the sauerbraten and Wiener schnitzel don't disappoint. 

Don't let the name mislead you: this South-of-the-border Route 66 diner serves breakfast (all day), lunch, and dinner in a bright space decorated with Día de Los Muertos–inspired paintings. House specialties include a green chile pork enchilada topped with two eggs and J.B.'s Volcano: a mound of chilaquiles drenched in that same green chile pork, loaded with chorizo and crowned by an over-medium egg. Order a breakfast cocktail or coffee to complement your morning meal. Burritos and street tacos dominate the lunch and dinner menu.

Legend has it that the patrons who saved the Palace's ornately carved 1880s Brunswick bar from a Whiskey Row fire in 1900 continued drinking at it while the row burned across the street. Whatever the case, the bar remains the centerpiece of the beautifully restored turn-of-the-20th-century structure, with a high, pressed-tin ceiling. Steaks and chops are the stars here, but the St. Louis--style ribs and hearty corn chowder are fine, too.

Faux pine boughs, pine dining booths, and curtains that only a grandma would hang lend a country charm to this diner known for its extra-large pies and downhome country cooking. Breakfast lovers dig into homemade cinnamon rolls, huevos rancheros with pork green chile, and omelets, while later in the day sandwiches, steaks, ribs, salads, and pastas dominate the menu.

Chef Michelle Jurisin traveled to Italy to learn how to make Neapolitan-style pizza before opening her celebrated restaurant in Old Town Cottonwood. Try the Funghi mushroom pizza or keep it simple with a traditional Margherita with hand stretched mozzarella and fresh basil. When weather permits, ask for a table on the patio or near the bocce court.