The Arizona Menu

Phoenix

A bacon-wrapped hot dog nestled in a bolillo roll, topped with pinto beans, grilled onions, tomatoes, mustard, jalapeño sauce, and mayo. Born in Hermosillo, perfected in the Phoenix metro. Street carts and dedicated stands serve them until late.

Phoenix

Arizona claims the invention of the deep-fried burrito. Whether it was Macayo's in Phoenix or El Charro in Tucson, the chimichanga is a crispy, golden masterpiece stuffed with seasoned beef or chicken, cheese, and green chile. Served smothered in sauce with sour cream and guacamole.

Scottsdale

Scottsdale's fine dining scene rivals any in the Southwest. Restaurants like FnB and Citizen Public House source from local farms and ranches, showcasing Arizona-grown ingredients with creative technique. Multi-course tasting menus highlight seasonal desert produce.

Phoenix

Arizona's answer to the burrito — a flour tortilla stuffed with slow-cooked pork or beef, rice, beans, and smothered in roasted green chile sauce. "Burro" is the local term. Every neighborhood has a go-to spot, and debates about the best one are fierce.

Scottsdale

The signature Arizona cocktail — tequila, lime, and the vibrant magenta juice of the prickly pear cactus fruit. Sweet, tart, and unmistakably Sonoran. Found at nearly every bar and restaurant across the Valley, but Scottsdale's resort bars do it best.

Phoenix

Crispy fries loaded with grilled carne asada, melted cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and jalapeños. A cross-border creation that thrives in Phoenix's late-night food scene. Best from taco trucks and casual Mexican joints across the Valley.

Tucson

A flour tortilla baked flat until crispy and covered with melted cheese — Tucson's version of a quesadilla, except open-faced and enormous. Add green chile, carne seca, or machaca for the full experience. El Charro Café has been serving them since 1922.

Tucson

Sun-dried beef seasoned with lime and spices, then shredded and grilled. A Sonoran tradition that predates Arizona statehood. El Charro Café dries the beef on its rooftop, and the resulting dish — smoky, chewy, intensely flavored — is a Tucson institution.

Tucson

Corn tortillas dipped in rich, red chile consommé, filled with slow-braised beef, and griddled until crispy. Served with a cup of the braising liquid for dipping. Tucson's proximity to the border means the birria here is as authentic as it gets.

Tombstone

A thick-cut ribeye or T-bone grilled over mesquite wood, served with baked beans and cornbread in Tombstone's Old West saloons and steakhouses. The town that was "too tough to die" takes its steak seriously.

Bisbee

Cornish miners brought the pasty to Bisbee in the 1880s. A hand-held meat pie with beef, potato, onion, and rutabaga baked in a flaky crust — the original lunch box meal for copper miners. Bisbee bakeries still make them the traditional way.

Tucson

Tucson is a tamale city. Masa dough filled with red chile pork, green chile chicken, or cheese, wrapped in corn husks and steamed. The best come from home kitchens and church sales, but restaurants like El Guero Canelo serve excellent versions year-round.

Monument Valley

Pillowy fried dough served with honey and powdered sugar, or topped with seasoned beef, beans, lettuce, cheese, and tomato as a Navajo taco. A staple of Navajo cuisine with deep cultural roots. Best eaten fresh from roadside stands and trading posts across the Navajo Nation.

Monument Valley

Fry bread piled high with seasoned ground beef or mutton, pinto beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, and chile. A hearty, satisfying meal found at roadside stands, chapter houses, and restaurants across the Navajo Nation. No two are exactly alike.

Monument Valley

A traditional Navajo dish — tender mutton simmered with potatoes, corn, squash, and onions. Hearty, warming, and deeply connected to Navajo pastoral traditions. Served at chapter houses and cultural centers across the reservation.

Flagstaff

Flagstaff's mountain-town food scene features lean, rich elk burgers at brewpubs and farm-to-table restaurants along Route 66. Paired with local craft beer from Mother Road Brewing or Lumberyard, it's the definitive Flagstaff meal.

Flagstaff

Paper-thin blue corn bread made on a heated stone by Hopi women using a technique passed down for centuries. Delicate, smoky, and completely unique. Available at the Hopi Cultural Center and select trading posts near the mesas.

Flagstaff

Flagstaff is Arizona's craft beer capital. Mother Road Brewing, Lumberyard, and Dark Sky Brewing anchor a walkable downtown scene. Pair a Tower Station IPA with wood-fired pizza at Pizzicletta — widely considered some of the best pizza in Arizona.