19 Best Restaurants in North-Central Arizona, Arizona

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. 

A redbrick carriage house, built around 1910 as a garage for one of the first automobiles in Flagstaff, is home to one of the city's most sophisticated restaurants. With a seasonally updated menu, the chef pairs locally raised pork, beef, and roasted duck with wines from a list of almost 200 bottles (Brix refers to the sugar content of grapes at harvest). The cheese plate, served with poached natural apricots, is a great accompaniment to a glass of wine at the counter bar. 

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.

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. Burgundy 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 sauce. The roasted butternut squash soup, with just the right blend of sweetness and spice, is divine.

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.

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 that includes everything from Mexican dishes to a Greek salad rounds out the offerings.

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.

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.

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, 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.

Mesquite-grilled meats and beer brewed exclusively for the restaurant are the specialties at this classy bar and grill, a sort of local institution set in a restored, polished-up 1890 mercantile building. The baby back ribs, prime rib, and fresh fried catfish are standouts. Businessfolk do their moving and shaking at lunchtime here, and the spirited bar stays open until 10 pm.

Good beer, good food, good service, and good prices—for a casual meal, it's hard to beat this cheerful restaurant on the town square. In addition to burgers, chili, fish-and-chips, and British-style bangers and mash, pizzas and salads are also on the menu. Fresh-baked beer bread comes with many entrées.

Although it offers limited indoor seating, this Uptown hideaway behind a long row of tourist shops is worth a visit. It's super-casual, with just an ordering window where you can select pulled-pork sandwiches and homemade comfort food such as beans or coleslaw. The barbecue sauce has a bit of a kick, and the french fries (also made from scratch) are fabulous. Hours vary with the season (during winter they close at 7), so call ahead.

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.

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.

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 grilled fish and hearty corn chowder are fine, too.