24 Valley restaurants that stand the test of time
Surviving in Phoenix's competitive dining scene is no easy feat, yet many local landmarks have been around for decades and continue to draw loyal patrons. Here are 24 Valley restaurants that stand the test of time.
Mobile Users: To view an interactive timeline of iconic restaurants around Arizona click here.
Casa Reynoso
Year opened: 1984
Number of years open: 32
Staying power: Antonio and Roberta Reynoso’s little restaurant has reached near legendary status with recipes for old-style Mexican comfort food that have been handed down through generations. Tucked in the corner of a Tempe strip mall, the humble eatery continues to be a big draw for hungry patrons relying on menu favorites they've grown up with. The dishes have mostly remained unchanged, including the signature Gollo Burro, a fresh flour tortilla bursting with green chile, whole pinto beans, onions and cheese that’s topped with melted butter.
Details: 3138 S. Mill Ave., Tempe. 480-966-0776, casareynoso.com.
Streets of New York
Year opened: 1976
Number of years open: 40
Staying power: What started as a single shop in Phoenix has grown into a 26-branch chain with restaurants all over the Valley and in Prescott and Las Vegas. The seed was planted when Bernd Glaeser, a master pastry chef from Dresden, Germany, immigrated to the United States, where he met his future wife, Lorrie. The couple moved to the Valley but missed the East Coast-style pizzas and pastas they had left behind. Bernd started his quest to craft his own pizza dough recipe and when he was satisfied, the couple came up with the concept that became Streets of New York. Today, Lorrie, their three children and their spouses run the company, which has partnerships with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury.
Details: 13736 W. Bell Road, Surprise. 623-584-1446. Other locations at streetsofnewyork.com.
Sugar Bowl
Year opened: 1958
Number of years open: 58
Staying power: Rustic signage that blends Wild West and small-town carnival charm, pink furnishings, stained glass and vintage signs make this diner and old-fashioned ice cream parlor a perennial favorite. Sugar Bowl has been immortalized in a number of Family Circus cartoons by the late Bil Keane, a Paradise Valley resident and longtime fan of the store. The legacy founder started by Jack Huntress remains in the family with his nephew, Carroll Huntress, holding the torch.
Details: 4005 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-946-0051, sugarbowlscottsdale.com.
Miracle Mile Deli
Year opened: 1949
Number of years opened: 67
Staying power: Known for its pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, this Phoenix deli started by Jack Grodzinsky shows no signs of slowing down. The Brooklyn native passed the reins onto his daughter and son-in-law, Jill and George Garcia, who met when both worked at the deli as teenagers. Today, the couple run the deli with their son, Josh. To meet the needs of today's diners, Miracle Mile has added salads, healthier options and a walk-up window for customers who place online or phone orders. In 2015, the deli moved from the Camelback Colonnade to 16th Street south of Camelback Road.
Details: 4433 N. 16th St., Phoenix, 602-776-0992, miraclemiledeli.com.
MacAlpine’s Diner and Soda Fountain
Year opened: 1929
Number of years open: 87
Staying power: In an era when new restaurants aim to create a vintage look, this rustic spot — launched by Fred MacAlpine, aka Mac or Mr. Mac — in the Coronado neighborhood is the real deal. Pick your favorite piece of nostalgia and it’s probably here: vintage jukebox that takes coins; swivel stools at the soda counter; old-fashioned egg creams and dozens of flavored sodas; plus an antique shop that sells throwback clothing and collectibles. The step back in time lives in every bite of Americana dishes, from burgers and hot dogs to the toasted cheese sandwich and stuffed tomato salad.
Details: 2303 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. 602-262-5545.
Vincent’s on Camelback
Year opened: 1986
Number of years open: 30
Staying power: French chef Vincent Guerithault incorporates Southwestern ingredients into elegant cuisine from his homeland. The James Beard Award winner has turned his fine-dining restaurant into a diverse operation, adding a weekend farmers market, a casual bistro and wholesale and catering division.
Details: 3930 E. Camelback Road. Phoenix. 602-224-0225, vincentsoncamelback.com.
La Fonda Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
Year opened: 1967
Number of years open: 49
Staying power: The Sonoran-style restaurant that Eloise Franklin opened on April 7, 1967, with just a dozen tables and her mother’s recipes remains a family operation today. After a three-month closure in 2012 due to the demolition of the shopping center where the original location stood, La Fonda reopened in a larger space where it continues to serve simple but delicious favorites with the second and third generations at the helm.
Details: 1831 E. Baseline Road, Tempe. 480-966-8001, lafondatempe.com.
Duck and Decanter
Year opened: 1972
Number of years open: 44
Staying power: Dort and Earl Mettler transported customers back to their mothers’ kitchen tables with freshly prepared, high-quality sandwiches and simple comforting lunches. The Duck, as it was first known, offers a larger selection that includes specialty foods, beverages and other goodies.
Details: 1651 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. 602-274-5429, duckanddecanter.com.
La Placita Cafe
Year opened: 1962
Number of years open: 54
Staying power: This charmingly rustic eatery west of the big-city hubbub draws customers with family recipes going back several generations. Original owners Manuel and Nellie Amabisca got their start serving Mexican dishes and running soda fountains out of a hotel, and later purchased the building that La Perla calls home. Their son Joe and his wife Barbara continue the tradition and have expanded the structure to accommodate more dining rooms, a lounge, art gallery and event space.
Details: 424 E. Monroe Ave., Buckeye. 623-386-4632.
Durant’s
Year opened: 1950
Number of years open: 66
The famous red awning and clandestine rear entrance through the kitchen remain vivid nods to owner Jack Durant, whose brashly colorful style added to the mystique that surrounded the otherwise intensely private restaurateur. The steakhouse has maintained a speakeasy vibe and Durant's biography was has been adapted into a movie, "Durant's Never Closes," with Tom Sizemore in the leading role.
Details: 2611 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-264-5967, durantsaz.com.
Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen
Year opened: 1946
Number of years open: 70
Staying power: Woody and Victoria Johnson started the Macayo's empire with a little restaurant called Woody’s El Nido. Today, the family-owned chain has 12 branches in Arizona and two in Las Vegas. The Central Avenue location was the talk of town when President Obama and his family paid the restaurant a suprise visit in 2009. The Johnsons' children — Sharisse, Gary and Stephen — helm the longtime hot spot for Mexican cuisine, which blends Macayo’s own farm-fresh chiles into the signature recipes.
Details: 4001 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-264-6141. Other locations at macayo.com.
MORE AZCENTRAL ON SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Tom’s Tavern & 1929 Grill
Year opened: 1929
Number of years open: 87
Staying power: When Tom Higley converted the old city morgue and pipe shop into a burger spot and gin mill, he likely did not expect it to become the iconic downtown Phoenix watering hole where politicians dined and drank while rubbing shoulders with attorneys, celebrities and other big shots. A recent remodel breathed fresh life into a venerable favorite that beckons to a new generation of patrons.
Details: 2 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-257-1688, tomstavernphoenix.com. Editor's note: The restaurant closed in early May 2017.
House of Tricks
Year opened: 1987.
Number of years open: 29
Staying power: This Tempe restaurant proves wrong those who think white-linen tablecloth dining can’t compete with beer-and-wings spots in a college town. Owners Robert and Robin Trick took on a seven-month remodel mostly on their own, transforming a rundown cottage steps from the buzz of Mill Avenue into one of the city’s destinations for celebratory meals.
Details: 114 E. Seventh St, Tempe. 480-968-1114, houseoftricks.com.
10 facts about revamped Someburros
Someburros
Year opened: 1986.
Number of years open: 30
Staying power: The Vasquez family, which launched Poncho’s Mexican Food in 1972, brought their time-tested recipes for authentic Sonoran-style cuisine to a fast-casual concept when they opened Someburros in Tempe. Today, there are six locations in the Valley, including one in Sun Devil Stadium, plus a Flagstaff branch.
Details: 101 E. Baseline Road, Tempe. 480-839-8226. Other locations at someburros.com.
T.C. Eggington’s
Year opened: 1985.
Number of years open: 31
Staying power: Arizona natives Thom and Kathy Coker’s popular breakfast and lunch spot has been churning out from-scratch favorites like baked English-style muffins, girdle cakes, fluffy frittatas and house-made soups for more than 30 years. Each week, more than 8,000 eggs are scrambled, fried, poached or gently folded into a dozen omelet styles on the menu.
Details: 1660 S. Alma School Road, Mesa. 480-345-9288, tcegg.com.
Texaz Grill
Year opened: 1985.
Number of years open: 31
Staying power: Owner Steve Friedkin and then-business partner Jim Mitchell saw their little neighborhood steakhouse turn into one of the city’s legendary restaurants. The signature chicken-fried steak originally was introduced as a daily special to pull customers in on slow Mondays. It was an instant hit and quickly added to the menu.
Details: 6003 N. 16th St., Phoenix. 602-248-7827, texazgrill.com.
Texaz Grill celebrates 30 years of down-home cooking
Chompie’s
Year opened: 1979.
Number of years open: 37
Staying power: One year after moving to Arizona from Queens, N.Y., Lou and Lovey Borenstein introduced New York-style deli dishes and baked goods to the desert with their first location in Phoenix. Today, with five branches across the Valley, Chompie’s is known for its freshly baked breads, cakes and bagels and bialys in 35 varieties. The dining menu continues to offer entrees using recipes handed down through the generations from the Borensteins’ Polish and Russian Jewish grandmothers.
Details: 1160 E. University Drive, Tempe. 480-557-0700. Other locations at chompies.com.
The Horny Toad
Year opened: 1976.
Number of years open: 40
Staying power: This Cave Creek institution celebrates the big 4-0 this year, serving patrons popular dishes like fried chicken, steaks, barbecue ribs and strawberry shortcake. At the time, Michigan natives Glenn and Marian Price opened the only local spot that featured a full dining menu. Their son, Jeff Price,
holds down the fort as the managing partner. Chef Don Dantine has helmed the kitchen for nearly three decades.
Details: 6738 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek. 480-488-9542, thehornytoad.com.
Spinato’s Pizzeria
Year opened: 1974.
Number of years open: 42
Staying power: With their infant daughter in tow, Ken and Elaine Spinato left the cold of Chicago and arrived to sunny Phoenix skies and made it their mission to introduce their hometown pizza to Arizonans. Today, Spinato's is a five-restaurant pizza chain with locations across the Valley.
Details: 4848 E. Chandler Blvd. Phoenix. 480-961- 0208. Other locations at spinatospizzeria.com.
DeFalco’s Italian Eatery, Grocery & Deli
Year opened: 1972.
Number of years open: 44
Staying power: John and Dora DeFalco moved to Phoenix to retire. But when their son Geraldo and his wife Judith followed, they had a different agenda. They opened a restaurant that offered the Italian dishes that had made the DeFalcos’ Michigan restaurant, Venezia Inn, a popular spot. Today, Geraldo and Judith can still be seen at their Scottsdale eatery, making family recipes that have been handed down for more than a century, with their son Anthony carrying on the tradition.
Details: 2334 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-990-8660, defalcosdeli.com.
Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe
Year opened: 1964.
Number of years open: 52
Staying power: Classic Southern comfort food has been the attraction ever since Elizabeth White opened her humble, welcoming restaurant on the edge of downtown Phoenix. Celebrities, athletes and politicians have indulged in all-time favorites dished out in generous portions, from fried chicken and pork chops to mac and cheese and greens.
Details: 808 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. 602-262-9256.
Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe celebrates 50 years
Pete’s Fish & Chips
Year opened: 1947.
Number of years open: 69
Staying power: After Peter McLane Grant Jr. contracted malaria and rheumatic fever in the jungles of the South Pacific while serving in the military in World War II, doctors told the Indianapolis native to move to a hot, dry climate to recover. One year after arriving with his pregnant wife, Ruth, $900 and all their belongings in a trailer, Grant opening a fish and chips shop. What started in a small shack in Phoenix has grown into a chain with eight location.
Details: 22 S. Mesa Drive, Mesa. 480-964-7242. Other locations at petesfishandchips.com.
El Chorro
Year opened: 1937.
Number of years open: 79
Staying power: Originally built as a girls school, the structure was converted to a restaurant and lodge in 1937, and quickly began drawing local and national celebrities. A nearly yearlong remodel in 2009, spearheaded by the ownership of Jacquie Dorrance and Kristy and Tim Moore, revitalized the historic restaurants and expanded indoor and outdoor dining spaces. The improvements included new technology like Wi-Fi and green-building features like insulation made from recycled blue jeans. One thing hasn’t changed: Entrees still come with a basket of El Chorro's signature sticky buns.
Details: 5550 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley. 480-948-5170, elchorro.com.
5 places for free bread in the northeast Valley
Sing High Chop Suey House
Year opened: 1928.
Number of years open: 88
Staying power: When original owner and China native Fred Lee prepared to open his Cantonese restaurant in Phoenix's Chinatown district, he intended to name it Shanghai Chop Suey House. But the man painting the sign thought Lee had said “Sing High.” The name stuck. And while the neighborhood has changed and Chinatown no longer exists, this third-generation restaurant remains a go-to spot for the downtown lunch crowd and family dinners.
Details: 27 W. Madison St., Phoenix. 602-253-7848, facebook.com/SingHighChopSueyHouse.