Diners' Choice: Neighbourhood gem restaurants in Phoenix / Arizona

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighbourhood gems in Phoenix / Arizona? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Base Pizzeria

4.9

4.9 (492)

$30 and under

Pizzeria

Central Phoenix

About the restaurant

Base Pizzeria is built off a simple concept, bringing food back to Base. We believe that clean eating isn’t just a buzz word; it’s a way of life. By creating locally sourced, organic pizza from sustainable sources, Base Pizzeria allows us to stay true to our core principles:

Look after yourself
Look after the environment
Look after your community

Everything we do at Base aims at honoring these principles while creating food that is creative, simple and delicious and we have a lot of fun while doing it. And really, isn’t that what it’s all about?

Top review

bobVIP

Dined on Jan 8, 2025

We love the team at Base. The service is outstanding. The pizzas are out of this world. We just feel so welcome anytime we go to visit our friends at Base.

Highball

4.9

4.9 (225)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

Downtown Phoenix

About the restaurant

**Reservations are available up to 14 days in advance at www.Highballphx.com/reservations for parties of 10 or less guests. For parties larger than 10, please contact us via email, or at the Large Parties tab on our website.

Experience Highball, Downtown Phoenix’s award winning neighborhood cocktail bar & lounge, featuring a rousing collection of spirits and invigorating cocktails. Curated for the adventurous, cocktail forward and late-night revelers, industry folk, and everyone in between. Led by veteran bartenders and industry professionals, Highball’s programming is inspired by unifying avant-garde, playful ingredients and memory-jogging flavors, propelled by an inclusive community feel with something for everyone to enjoy.

Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Regional Nominee "Best New US Cocktail Bar 2022", "Best US Bar Team" 2023, "Best US Cocktail Bar" & "Best US Bar Team" 2024

Top review

megan

Dined 1 day ago

Wonderful experience server was so sweet and attentive and the icing on the cake was the food being catered by the chef at CC’s on Central

Marigold Maison - Phoenix

4.8

4.8 (580)

$30 and under

Indian

North Central Phoenix

About the restaurant

Marigold Maison is casually elegant with a menu full of dishes that will impress any diner. We provide a relaxed atmosphere amid a gorgeous, eclectic décor in addition to a comfortable outdoor seating area. A frequent winner of Open Table's "Diners' Choice" award, our food and overall dining experience never disappoints.

Top review

MarkVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Marigold Maison is the same as it's been since it opened- very good food and maddingly poor service, together with a bizarre approach to a bar.

Troon North Dynamite Grille

4.8

4.8 (385)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Carefree

About the restaurant

Nestled amidst the stunning desert landscape of Scottsdale, the Dynamite Grille at Troon North Golf Club offers a culinary oasis with its vibrant, contemporary menu. Overlooking the 18th hole of the pinnacle course, this relaxed yet refined restaurant is perfect for golfers and non-golfers alike to savor fresh, flavorful dishes throughout the day. From a hearty breakfast to energize your morning, a satisfying lunch to refuel midday, to a delightful dinner to unwind after a long day, the Dynamite grille serve up an exceptional dining experience with breathtaking views and a welcoming atmosphere. Adding to the allure, we offer a lively happy hour and engaging theme nights throughout the week, ensuring there's always something exciting happening at the Dynamite Grille. Join us with friends and family to enjoy the surrounding Sonoran desert, sunset, and wildlife.

Top review

Dave

Dined on Jan 10, 2025

We always enjoy this place. The food and the service are always excellent. The variety of the menu is great, salads, numerous sandwiches, and few dinner items. Tuesdays is taco night and Fridays is prime rib night. These are both great deals. We enjoy going before the sunsets because the views over the golf course are beautiful. One small thought, there are a few vegetarian entrees, but not many. But we will go back again and again because we live very close to Dynamite Grill and there are not many other restaurants in the area, and this is a great neighborhood restaurant as well as a great destination restaurant. The consistency of very good food and very good drinks is always there.

The Brickyard Downtown

4.8

4.8 (32)

$31 to $50

Tapas / Small Plates

Chandler

About the restaurant

The Brickyard Downtown is a locally-owned cocktail bar nestled in the beautiful community of Chandler, AZ. This stylish and sophisticated venue offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The dining room is decorated with urban style brick walls, visible industrial piping, comfortable leather seating, an oversized bar, a blend of contemporary lighting and wall-mounted televisions.

Outside, the Brickyard Downtown customers are invited to dine on the lovely patio, which is decorated with comfortable seating and charming details

The Brickyard Downtown offers full service dining, complete with a custom-made cocktail book and an artfully crafted tapas menu, boasting sharing plates and entrees.

Top review

Michael

Dined 3 days ago

We had an amazing dinner on the patio. The fireplace was beautiful and our heater worked perfectly. The server was very knowledgeable about all the menu items. She paid close attention to my food allergies too. She was also very attentive to our table, as well as the others nearby. The star was the delicious food items. We began with the pork belly skewers, amazing flavors. Then we had the crispy chicken with delicious herbs and sauce. The Fresno chilies were just the right touch to this dish. Next we had the green curry shrimp with the zucchini boat, again herbs and peppers were amazing. We finished off our meal with an array of truffles! We will definitely return to the Brickyard!!!

Nello's Pizzeria + Italian Kitchen - Ahwatukee

4.8

4.8 (140)

$30 and under

Italian

Ahwatukee

About the restaurant

HOW IT STARTED
Four brothers and 30 years ago- a small Italian restaurant was born in Tempe, serving beef subs, Grandpa Cesare's sausage recipe, Grandma Cleone's spaghetti sauce, cheesecake, and our original deep dish pizza.

Our little Nello's grew into an award winning "Best of Phoenix" restaurant year after year, after year... after year. Family recipes, family genius and family drama all keep Nello's going 30 years later to new generations of pasta and pizza connoisseurs.

A FEW THINGS THAT MAKE NELLO’S AHWATUKEE UNIQUE:
We are the only Nello’s location to use a wood fire oven, which was imported from Italy.
Our pasta is made in-house daily.
We stretch our own mozzarella.
Some of our meats are smoked and cured in-house.
All desserts are made from scratch in-house.
We support local Arizona farms by purchasing their seasonal produce whenever possible.

Top review

MaryVIP

Dined on Jan 11, 2025

Great neighborhood place. Packed on a Friday night but they have a nice big patio I never noticed before…food was good

Discover more

Lunch Special - $12.95

Lou's Bar and Grill - Papago Golf Course

4.8

4.8 (76)

$30 and under

American

Central Phoenix

About the restaurant

Lou's is the perfect place for any occasion, whether that be happy hour with friends, watching the game, family dinners, or special occasions! Designed by renowned architectural firm Douglas Fredrikson Architects, Lou’s dining room gives off a cool-clean, stone-and-steel vibe paired with a wonderful indoor-outdoor feel when the massive garage-style sliding doors are opened to a rich green lawn and golf course. The bar features outdoor seating on two sides when the windows are drawn up, offering spectacular views of the setting sun gleaming off Papago Buttes.
*Please note Holiday hours vary.*

Top review

Janelle

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

Wonderful family experience and great waitress. Will be back for sure

SugarJam The Southern Kitchen

4.8

4.8 (13)

$30 and under

Breakfast

North Scottsdale

About the restaurant

SugarJam The Southern Kitchen is the perfect combination of authentic Southern cuisine and delicious pies. Located in Scottsdale, AZ, on North Hayden Rd - just 1 block south of Costco, you'll find a restaurant with delicious food that you won't soon forget. Try and experience the BEST French Toast in the Valley for Weekend Brunch topped with Maple Rum BBQ Sauce. Catfish & Shrimp Po'Boys, Burgers, Chicken Wings & Waffles are all available for lunch. Come and see us. We're sure you'll find something on our menu suitable to your liking.

Top review

Tasha

Dined on Jan 11, 2025

Awesome birthday experience! Great food, ambience, and music! I highly recommend!

Il Bosco - Roosevelt Row

4.8

4.8 (23)

$30 and under

Pizzeria

Downtown Phoenix

About the restaurant

Enjoy a taste of original wood fire pizza from Italy right here in the historic and famous Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. Our menu is curated by our very own Pizziaolo, Chef Chris . All dough and ingredients prepared fresh daily to excite your taste buds from one of the most popular pizzerias in Phoenix and Scottsdale since 2012. Try our house signature pizza, our Valentina, specially blended red sauce, perfectly cupped pepperoni, Calabrian chile, fresh mozzarella and finished with our locally source hoeny. Truly and experience you will tell everyone about. Voted 1, 2 and 3 over the last 6 years as the best pizzeria in Arizona. Voted number 1 on the Wizard of Za's top 100 list 5 out of last 6 years. Voted People Choice top 3 in Phoenix twice in four years. This little spot is a spot out of old Italy. Inside is small, yet robust with character and highlighted with our open kitchen atmosphere. Come experience this charming pizza destination spot.

Top review

ZacharyVIP

Dined on Jan 7, 2025

Enjoyed the food, ambience, and service. Everything went as expected - delicious meal and the team was quite attentive to our large party. Will certainly be back!

Il Bosco - North Scottsdale

4.8

4.8 (25)

$30 and under

Italian

North Scottsdale

About the restaurant

Serving authentic and supremely tasty Pizza and Wine in a warm comforting atmosphere,
you'll find it at IL Bosco Pizza!

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Jan 10, 2025

Pizza is best in town! Staff was 1st rate. My wife and I came directly from the airport. It was a great way to kick-off anniversary weekend. Thanks Jeff

Explore Diners' Choice best of Phoenix / Arizona

Explore more Diners' Choice lists