Best Food in Scottsdale: The Complete Guide to Where to Eat
The best food in Scottsdale spans Old Town institutions like FnB and Citizen Public House, resort dining at The Phoenician and Omni Montelucia, and standout desert pop-up dinners. Scottsdale built its early reputation on golf resorts, and most first-time visitors still arrive expecting fairway views and not much else, only to find a genuinely serious restaurant scene that consistently surprises them.
Why Is the Food Scene in Scottsdale So Good?
Talented chefs looking to make a name for themselves often bypass the expensive, high-risk markets of Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles and open in Scottsdale first instead, using the city to refine a concept before eventually making the jump to a bigger foodie scene elsewhere. Not every chef leaves, and the local food movement here has genuinely taken hold, with kitchens leaning on Arizona’s nearly year-round growing seasons to source produce locally rather than shipping it in. Even locals from Phoenix who don’t live in Scottsdale itself will drive over specifically for a great meal, and that local credibility says a lot about the strength of the scene here.
What Is the Best Restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale?
FnB consistently tops the list, and the accolades genuinely back it up. Chef Charleen Badman won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest, becoming the first Arizona chef to take home the honor in over a decade, earning her the nickname “the veggie whisperer” for how she highlights fresh, seasonal produce. The menu leans vegetable-forward, with dishes like citrus-cured salmon and fresh apricots with ricotta and balsamic honey standing out, but meat and fish lovers find just as much to enjoy here despite the vegetable focus. A common mistake first timers make is assuming a James Beard winner will be inaccessible without weeks of planning, when a same-week dinner reservation, while genuinely competitive, isn’t out of reach if you book as soon as your travel dates are set.
FnB or FnBar: Which Should You Book?
If FnB’s main dining room is fully booked, head next door to FnBar instead, which serves the exact same full dinner menu starting at 5pm without requiring the same advance reservation pressure. This is a genuinely useful workaround for travelers planning a trip on shorter notice, since the food quality doesn’t change between the two spaces, only the formality and the ease of getting a table.
What Is the Best Brunch in Scottsdale?
Sumo Maya’s bottomless brunch stands apart from a typical bottomless brunch format most travelers expect. Rather than unlimited drinks paired with a single fixed plate, every diner picks one main entree and can then order unlimited starters and sides on top of unlimited drinks. Arriving early matters here without a reservation, since the space fills quickly and takes on a genuine day-party energy complete with a DJ by mid-morning. Hash Kitchen offers a louder, more over-the-top alternative, home to Arizona’s largest Bloody Mary bar and a 32-ounce Big Hash Bloody Mary alongside genuinely excellent Banana Split Brioche French Toast for anyone who’d rather lean sweet than savory.
What Is the Best Burger in Scottsdale?
Rehab Burger Therapy has been named the best burger in Arizona multiple times, and the accolade holds up beyond just the patty itself. Diners choose their burger size, bun type, side, and signature sauce, building a genuinely customized meal rather than picking off a fixed menu. The Spicy Mac n Cheese burger, layering mac and cheese comfort into a burger without losing the beef flavor underneath, consistently earns top marks, while the Elvis burger, a seven-year bestseller topped with peanut butter, chocolate bacon, and caramelized banana on a chocolate chip banana bun, delivers a genuinely unusual but surprisingly well-balanced sweet and savory combination.
Is a Desert Pop-Up Dinner Worth It in Scottsdale?
Yes, and Cloth & Flame’s desert dinners genuinely deliver something no standard restaurant in Scottsdale can replicate. Held directly in the desert around a long communal table, the three to four course, family-style meal turns dinner into an event, with dessert consistently earning the strongest reviews from past guests. These dinners sell out quickly, so checking the schedule and booking as soon as your travel dates are confirmed matters more here than at almost any restaurant on this list. One genuinely important packing note: Scottsdale’s desert heat during the day gives way to real evening chill once the sun sets, so bringing a jacket even in the middle of summer prevents an otherwise magical dinner from turning uncomfortably cold.
What Resort Restaurants Are Worth Visiting in Scottsdale?
| Restaurant | Resort | Signature Dish |
| Prado | Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa (Montelucia) | Prado Paella, Kale Salad |
| Mowry & Cotton | The Phoenician | Extensive breakfast and dinner menus |
| The Phoenician Tavern | The Phoenician, Golf Clubhouse | Crab roll, mac and cheese |
Prado, awarded Best New Restaurant when it opened in 2009, remains one of the strongest resort dining options in the entire city, serving both tapa-style small plates and larger family-style dishes at the base of Camelback Mountain inside Omni Montelucia. Its Kale Salad has earned a genuine following well beyond what its ingredients might suggest, and the massive Prado Paella works well for a shared table. Mowry & Cotton, added to The Phoenician during its three-year renovation, delivers dependably strong meals whether you’re a guest or simply visiting for dinner, and it’s worth the stop just to see how expansive the resort itself has become. The Phoenician Tavern, tucked inside the golf clubhouse, surprises with elevated food well beyond typical clubhouse fare, making it a solid stop for a drink and a bite between activities rather than a full sit-down meal.
What Is the Scottsdale Wine Trail?
The Scottsdale Wine Trail connects several tasting rooms within walking distance of each other in Old Town, even though the actual vineyards for most of them sit several hours away in Arizona’s Wilcox growing region. LDV Winery, run by Lawrence Dunham Vineyards, consistently earns the strongest recommendation among the trail’s stops, with standout reds including a Grenache and Petite Syrah alongside house-infused olive oils and vinegars available to taste and buy. Merkin Vineyards, a newer addition to the neighborhood and technically more of a wine bar than a formal tasting room, is owned by musician Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle, who leans into his recently discovered Northern Italian winemaking heritage with mostly Italian, Spanish, and French varietals. Visiting on a weekday before 5pm, when it’s less crowded, makes it easier to informally taste through several selections even though Merkin doesn’t officially offer a set flight.
Is The Fat Ox Worth Visiting Outside Old Town?
Yes, and the short trip is genuinely worth it. Sitting about 2 miles from Old Town’s waterfront, reachable in under 10 minutes by car or under $10 by rideshare, The Fat Ox delivers Italian cooking that consistently outperforms expectations, including a Malloreddus Lamb Verde pasta balancing lamb, olives, pecorino, mint, and chopped almonds. It’s also a genuinely comfortable spot for solo diners, with a welcoming host stand and open bar seats where a solo traveler blends easily into the lively room rather than feeling out of place. Travelers staying in Old Town shouldn’t let the short distance stop them from making the trip.
What Are the Best Bars in Old Town Scottsdale?
Cartel Coffee Lab earns the top recommendation for coffee specifically, with a rich, smooth cortado and long communal tables suited to either catching up with a friend or getting some work done between meals. Goldwater Brewing Co. rounds out the craft beer scene with a large in-house selection and flight options for indecisive drinkers, anchored by its Desert Rose cactus ale made with local prickly pear. Second Story, tucked upstairs in the heart of Old Town, surprises with a genuinely elegant interior and more than 300 whiskeys on hand, making it the natural choice for a bourbon-focused nightcap after dinner.
Final Thoughts
Finding the best food in Scottsdale really comes down to mixing Old Town’s award-winning independent restaurants with at least one resort meal and, if your dates allow, a desert pop-up dinner that you simply can’t get anywhere else. Book FnB or fall back on FnBar next door, save The Fat Ox’s short trip outside Old Town for a night you want something a little quieter, and don’t skip the Scottsdale Wine Trail if an afternoon opens up between meals. Whether it’s a chopped salad at Citizen Public House or paella at Prado, the best food in Scottsdale consistently rewards travelers who treat the trip as seriously as any major food city, because the chefs here clearly do.
FAQs
Is Scottsdale good for solo dining?
Yes, and restaurants like The Fat Ox in particular handle solo diners well, with welcoming host stands and open bar seating that make eating alone feel completely normal rather than awkward.
What is the best dessert in Scottsdale?
Sweet Dee’s Bakeshop stands out for its playful, cactus-shaped pastries and creative doughnuts, while Zuzu inside Hotel Valley Ho delivers the more over-the-top option with its monthly rotating Show Stopper Shake, a genuinely massive milkshake topped with a full spread of extra desserts.
Do you need reservations for restaurants in Scottsdale?
For award-winning spots like FnB, desert pop-up dinners from Cloth & Flame, and bottomless brunch at Sumo Maya, yes, and booking well in advance is genuinely worth doing, though FnBar next door to FnB offers a same-menu alternative when the main dining room is full.
What is there to do in Scottsdale besides eat?
Hiking the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, ideally starting around 5:30am to beat the heat, off-roading through the desert on a UTV tour, and spa days at properties like The Phoenician all round out a Scottsdale trip built around more than just restaurants.
