Phoenix Eats

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I wanted to post a recipe here today, but I honestly haven't made it to the store in so long, meals are getting down right pathetic around here. Last night we had corn muffins and black bean salad, because all my veggies were about to go bad. 

I know. For shame.

I decided instead to share some of my favorite places to eat in Chandler and Phoenix. 

I love food, and I love trying new restaurants, and the longer I live here, the more I tend to veer away from chain restaurants when I can. More often than not, the food is bland, uncreative, and over priced.

And don't even get me started on the portion sizes, y'all.

Overtime I've come up with a good list of the best places to eat that are not chain restaurants.

Unfortunately that means that if you don't live in the Phoenix Metro area, you won't get to enjoy any of these little gems. 

But if you do, or you happen to be visiting, you know where to go.

Pitta Souvli 

This is one of my favorite Greek/Mediterranean places to eat. It's small and intimate, and at night the patio is so pretty, with little white twinkling lights all over.

The food is good, well priced, an the wait staff is all friendly.

I've never had a bad dinner here, and it wouldn't be a terrible place to take a date, either.

Chicago Hamburger

Two words: cheese fries. This place has the BEST cheese fries in the world. So cheesy and so flavorful, and you get a huge boat thing of them which you can then smother in celery salt and cajun spice, like I do. They're so cheesy in fact, you have to eat them with a fork.

Their shakes are amazing too, especially the peanut butter and the banana ones.

They're closed on Sundays, and it's pretty small inside so it can get kind of crowded, but none the less worth it for a good junk food blow out on a Saturday afternoon.

Julio's Too

I'm not sure if this technically qualifies as a chain or not, since there are 3 locations in Arizona, but either way, it's awesome. One of the few Mexican restaurants that haven't started charging 10 bucks for a burrito, and their food is amazing. I go here for lunch during the week all the time because I can get in and out in a half hour, and for under 10 dollars for a huge plate of food an a drink and the chips and salsa are free. Holler!

Chase's Diner

I almost hesitate to even put this one on here, because it's still sort of a secret and therefore one of the few places in the valley where you can go for breakfast on a weekend without waiting for 30 minutes or more for a table. I've never had dinner here, only breakfast, but goddamn. Their breakfast is so good. Jackson cleans his plate every damn time. The skillets and the french toast are the best, FYI. I went here for breakfast last weekend with both the kids and my dad, and for all four of us, drinks, coffee and an extra side of hash browns, we got out of there for 30 bucks. For breakfast these days, that's pretty good. 

Well, I hope if you live around these parts you'll hit one of these fine establishments up, or if you're traveling out here anytime soon, now you know where to eat.

Stay the hell out of Applebee's if you can help it.