Top 3 Arizona Restaurants That Are Worth It

Welcome to the hot state of Arizona! Where the temperature can reach 100+ degrees but the sunsets are worth the watch. As the state begins to grow, more and more restaurants are opening up. But, is it worth it? I’ll tell you the ones that are worth the money and what my personal favorite dishes are.

First up, located in Phoenix, Arizona is Hillstone. A classy restaurant that serves up-scale foods that are totally worth it. With a large menu, friendly staff, and a jazzy vibe, it’s a great first date restaurant. Now, what to get at the Hillstone. 

To get: their Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Grilled Artichoke, Cheeseburger, and Prime French Dip. The spinach & artichoke dip is a great appetizer with the perfect amount of cheese, and the artichoke pieces are to die for.  A second appetizer is the grilled artichokes. These have so much meat and are seasoned to perfection. Plus, the aioli sauce brings out the spice and pairs well with the seasoned vegetable. Next, their cheeseburger, quite literally just melts in your mouth, and the toppings aren’t too much where one flavor takes over the rest, definitely worth it! Lastly, the prime french dip is a must! No one does it like Hillstone, literally. The meat inside is so juicy and the onions are never burnt, always perfect. Hillstone is a worthwhile restaurant.

Second on our list is Buck & Rider located in Phoenix, North Scottsdale, and Gilbert. A seafood lover's paradise. This restaurant serves brunch through dinner and even has a kids menu. This restaurant has a raw bar and shareable seafood platters. If you wait, they’ll serve drinks during that wait. With a moody, up-scale decor, it’s the perfect place to have a celebration or to get good seafood with loved ones!

What to get: Crispy Calamari, Oysters, and their Lobster. One of my all time favorite appetizers is calamari, Buck & Rider makes them so they’re perfectly crispy on the outside but a more chewy texture on the inside. It’s also not too fishy and adding some lemon…french kisses. A second must-try is the oysters, I know not a lot of people enjoy them but this restaurant has them in different flavors! Lastly, who doesn’t love lobster? The lobster has you drooling, it comes with your sauce of choice and is extra juicy! Buck and Rider is definitely a go-to restaurant.

Third and last on this list is the Persian Room. This Middle-Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant is located in Scottsdale. Possibly one of my favorite restaurants out of the three! You get a lot of food for a decent price! It's the perfect restaurant for big gatherings.

What to get: Nana with the yogurt and cucumber dip and Shish Kebab Combination. First off, you can never go wrong with nana! The yogurt and cucumber dish just brings it together. But, save some because mix the nana and dip with one of the meats from the combination. The Shish Kebab Combination includes beef shish, chicken shish, koobideh, basmati rice, and grilled tomato. Everything is seasoned, soft, and filling. These platters can feed up to 8 people, I tested this. This is probably the number 1 restaurant I recommend!