Best Restaurants in Flagstaff, Arizona. Flagstaff is a charming community that offers a unique blend of small-town charm, a bustling arts scene, thrilling outdoor recreation activities, and a blooming local food culture. It is nestled amid the stunning mountains and woods of Northern Arizona.
Flagstaff has grown to be home to a thriving and varied culinary scene due to its close proximity to the Grand Canyon and other breathtaking natural landmarks that bring more than 5 million visitors a year. Flagstaff’s dining options span a wide range of preferences and price points, from traditional diners serving substantial meals to cutting-edge farm-to-table eateries emphasizing locally produced products.
13 Best Restaurants in Flagstaff, Arizona
1892 NAU – A Tinderbox Kitchen
At 1892 NAU, superb contemporary food and history come together. Inside the historic Weatherford Hotel in downtown Flagstaff, which was built in 1897, is a Tinderbox Kitchen. 1892 NAU, the Weatherford’s modern yet informal hotel restaurant, has been fully renovated and restored to its period-appropriate splendor. Its seasonal cuisine emphasize provenance and craftsmanship.
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This Historic Hotel of America inductee’s dining room, housed in what was formerly a Pony Express horse barn, combines exposed brick, antique wood, and bespoke metalwork to create a setting that is both sophisticated and rustic. Their outstanding starters include burrata caprese with estate olive oil, meatballs with preserved lemon gremolata, and creamy truffle gnocchi with a poached egg. Menus tend toward refined comfort fare employing well-sourced proteins and produce.
Before dinner, enjoy a craft beer or wine while lounging on the expansive terrace with a view of the majestic San Francisco Peaks, for a typical Flagstaff evening.
Address: S San Francisco St & W Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Simplicitea Shoppe
For satisfying plant-based food that supports local charities, visit SimpliciTea Shoppe in Flagstaff, which is close to the main campus of Northern Arizona University. As the name implies, this peaceful location steeps a variety of teas from across the world, including Thai ginger and Moroccan mint, into smoothies, steamers, and of course, traditional hot or iced tea cups.
Apart from the remarkable variety of teas that are directly purchased from small farmer coops overseas, SimpliciTea’s menu also promotes ethical and healthful eating, with a focus on vegetarian and vegan breakfast bowls, grain salads, sandwiches, soups, and baked goods that use mostly organic, locally produced ingredients.
They carry a variety of products, including Alt Milk hard seltzers, IAMSOIL regenerative popcorn kernels, and more. They also serve as an incubator for up-and-coming food enterprises with social impact agendas. A portion of each transaction goes to support a variety of regional NGOs, enhancing SimpliciT ea’s involvement in the community.
Address: 2700 S Woodlands Village Blvd Suite 300, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Macy’s European Coffee House & Bakery
With its enticing downtown Flagstaff location and its bursting pastry cases and freshly ground coffee aroma, Macy’s European Coffee House & Bakery offers delightful escapes to Europe without having to leave. Since its founding in 1998, Macy’s has been family-run business. Its welcoming employees greet you with a smile as they make espresso beverages using Vienna roast coffee beans as you peruse deli cases full of Danish, strudels, scones, tarts, and other traditional baked goods from France and Austria.
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When noon rolls around, their crepe griddle gets going, serving up both savory and sweet options loaded with your favorite meats, cheeses, veggies, fruit compotes, and Nutella. In addition to standard coffee shop fare, Macy’s serves up unique specialties like chicken pot pie, beer cheese soup, and Reuben paninis that are hard to find downtown. You’ll think you’ve crossed the Atlantic after just one stroll around Heritage Square, strengthened by their warm European welcome!
Address: 14 S Beaver St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
The Curious Kitchen
Address: 1100 N Ft Valley Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Hyperlocal products from small growers, ranchers, and other small companies in Arizona power the menu.
The Curious Kitchen restaurant and market is located just north of downtown Flagstaff and offers thoughtful and unforgettable farm-fresh eating. As “the living room of Flagstaff food,” this quaint restaurant housed in a renovated 1909 farmhouse serves food entirely from over 20 local farms, dairies, mills, and craftsmen within 150 miles on daily rotating menus.
Prominent for their filling, flavor-packed breakfast bowls and their create-your-own grain salads and toast for lunch, Curious Kitchen prioritizes buying directly from regional food suppliers rather than treating it as a side project. This intense concentration helps local farmers and foodies who are looking for authentic farm-to-counter offerings, such as their delicious beet latkes, mole chicken and dumplings, or vegetarian posole stew with hominy. Make space for seasonal desserts such as boysenberry or peach pies!
Monte Vista Lounge
Serving up Navajo tacos, green chile burgers, and other classics of New Mexico cuisine, this is one of Arizona’s oldest drinking establishments.
Monte Vista Lounge on Route 66 is a classic Flagstaff favorite that serves up hearty Southwestern meals as stiff as its beverages. Slide into a vinyl booth or horse up to a stool. Originally established in 1926, this historic dive bar has been operating in Arizona for a considerable amount of time, having survived prohibition and beyond. Currently combining elements of a gastropub and New Mexican cuisine, Monte Vista serves up classic portable dishes like Navajo tacos, which are heated frybread topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onions.
Their selection of cheeseburgers with green chilies is spicy in more ways than one. Live bands energize the scene on weekends, but during happy hours, it’s still a laid-back spot to grab $2 Tecates, people watch, and stuff your face with hearty plates of cheese-topped nachos. With its retro patina and neon charm, Monte Vista is also surprisingly kid-friendly, with arcade games and hard ice cream machines serving as décor.
Address: 106 N San Francisco St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Pizzicletta
Since its establishment in 2012, Pizzicletta has gained a cult following among pizza enthusiasts nationwide, as well as among residents of Flagstaff and visitors to Arizona for its blistering hot, wood-fired pizza that is cooked to crispy, chewy perfection. Caleb Schiff, the proprietor and master pizza maker, has painstakingly planned every element of Pizzicletta to produce the best possible flavor and texture, from the finely ground Italian flour to the precise oven temperatures.
This produces a remarkably delicate and soft crust, enhanced by the fermentation of sourdough, that can withstand mounds of premium meats, cheeses, and vegetables that are procured locally wherever feasible. The substantial La Regina with Italian prosciutto, arugula, shaved Parmesan, and olive oil is one of the restaurant’s hallmark seasonal pizzas. Vegetarian versions like the Olivota, which has roasted garlic purée, caramelized onions, olive tapenade, and goat cheese, are also available. You will have to wait outside for your Pizzicletta pie worth its weight in dough because there aren’t many counter seats available, and takeout is the only alternative.
Address: 203 W Phoenix Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar
Renowned for being the best place to enjoy great dining in Northern Arizona, Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar serves up superbly prepared farm-to-table New American cuisine that is perfectly paired with one of Arizona’s largest wine selections. Located in Heritage Square in a renovated historic house, Brix provides a cozy ambiance with vintage accents that emphasize the food.
In order to create meals like their distinctive table-side made Caesar salad, meaty bison short rib bourguignon in red wine sauce, and fall-apart tender Arizona-raised lamb, menus change periodically to highlight the best local produce, cheeses, and meats.
Whether you choose a fruit-forward Sauvignon Blanc or a complicated Barolo, their 2,500+ label wine vault spanning Old World to West Coast allows trained servers to create bespoke pairings with your meal. Brix is excellent for unique service and delicious food.
Karma Sushi Bar & Grill
If you’re looking for great sushi with a contemporary twist close to historic Route 66, Karma Sushi Bar & Grill is the place to go. This trendy downtown restaurant creates visually striking sushi rolls that perfectly complement the inventive combination of flavors and textures inside. Try one of Karma’s more than 50 famous specialty rolls, such as the Painted Desert, which has yellowtail, lime zest, cilantro, and serrano chiles, or the Midnight Moon, which has tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber, and black tobiko.
Beyond sushi, Karma wok-seared meals ranging from hibachi salmon to pad Thai, as well as yakitori skewers and rainbow poke nachos, wow customers. Cocktail enthusiasts can check out Karma’s inventive kombucha-based concoctions and happy hour flights featuring rare sake samples. Karma creates an environment that is as exciting as the food, with a sleek aesthetic that mimics the red rocks around it.
Address: 6 E Rte 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Criollo Latin Kitchen
Visit the lively and historic Criollo Latin Kitchen located in Flagstaff Downtown for a taste of Latin American spice and sizzle in Arizona’s high mountains. Since its opening in 2011, Criollo has captured the hearts and minds of both locals and tourists with its colorful, intensely flavorful meals that draw inspiration from cuisine all the way from Mexico to Patagonia. Here, empanadas are served either baked or fried and can be filled with roasted chicken in a smoky red pepper sauce, shredded pork in green mole, or sweet plantains.
Make your own arepas with a variety of cheeses, beans, meats, and garnishes, or indulge in their famous Verde, which is loaded with Oaxaca cheese and chicken. Zesty ceviches and poke bowls bursting with fresh citrus, onion, and ají pepper counterbalance these heavy appetizers. A slice of flan dipped in sweet condensed milk or a tres leches dessert should definitely be saved. The modest Flagstaff setting of Criollo awaits your next trip to Latin America!
Address: 16 N San Francisco St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Coppa Cafe
Coppa Cafe, Flagstaff’s go-to place for everything delectably Italian, entices guests with the scents of freshly baked bread and pastries as soon as they enter. The small-plates sharing menu at this charming neighborhood bakery and café in Milton, with a focus on house-made pastas, ravioli, and sausages, aims to take you straight to Italy.
Their displays sparkle with rows of delicate croissants, towering layer cakes, and rich tiramisu that complement your macchiato to perfection. When lunchtime rolls around, regulars swarm to this spot for their daily soup specials, which include Italian wedding soup and panini piled high with provolone, prosciutto, and salami. Naturally, make room for their homemade gelato, which comes in both traditional and contemporary varieties. Coppa Cafe is a great place to celebrate the dolce vita, whether you’re come for a leisurely sit-down dinner or takeout picnic supplies.
Address: 1300 S Milton Rd #2, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Beaver Street Brewery
The cherished Beaver Street Brewery, which is situated in the heart of Flagstaff, must be included on any list of the city’s greatest restaurants. Established in 1996 as the initial brewpub in the community, Beaver Street has gained iconic status and served as a catalyst for the current flourishing craft beer sector in Flagstaff. They have a variety of German wheat beers, lagers, porters, and seasonal specialties that are produced in-house and go well with sophisticated yet substantial American and Southwestern cuisine.
Highlights of the menu are the flavorful southwest quinoa veggie burger, the gravy-dripping chicken pot pie, and the starter salmon cake with lemon vinaigrette. However, make room for their Wood-Fired Oven pizzas, which include the well-known Rio Grande, which has avocado, cheddar, and green chilies. Indulge in a hearty lunch, a spot to catch the big game, or a late-night snack at Beaver Street Brewery, where you can also enjoy a glass of Flagstaff history.
Address: 11 S Beaver St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Diablo Burger
Diablo Burger is the most decadent burger place in Flagstaff, exceeding your expectations and cravings. This well-liked neighborhood burger joint was established in 2009 and has since gained a reputation for its generous serving sizes, inventive toppings, and premium, freshly-sourced ingredients. They use hormone- and antibiotic-free meat from northwest cattle farms for all of their patties, which are prepared to your liking.
Seasonal vegetables grown in Flagstaff is included on their ever-changing menu, so each visit will provide something fresh to try. Even picky eaters will find something to appreciate in their “Fire” burgers, such as the Inferno with dried chili peppers, but even they have a “Holy” burger with provolone and avocado on top that will appeal to spice enthusiasts. They have a variety of sandwiches that highlight regional cheeses and meats, and their onion rings and fries are perfectly crispy. Before you leave Flagstaff, you’ll be salivating for your next Diablo Burger lunch because to the excellent craft beer and whiskey choices.
Address: 120 N Leroux St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Mother Road Brewing Company
Located directly along the famous Route 66 strip in historic Downtown Flagstaff, Mother Road Brewing Company offers some of the freshest and most flavorful artisan beers in town. Mother Road has been in business since 2011 and takes great delight in creating small-batch ales, lagers, stouts, and other beers by hand on the premises. Many of these brews honor Arizona’s scenic landscape and notable sites.
Both residents and visitors to Flagstaff swarm here for the delicious beer menu and the gastropub-style food made with ingredients that are obtained locally. From heartier selections like the Mother Meatloaf, which is created with Arizona beef and pork wrapped in bacon, to vegetarian-friendly alternatives like the Pesto Chicken Flatbread, the menu has something for everyone. On weekends, they provide a drunken brunch menu that combines Southwestern cuisine with traditional dishes like Huevos Rancheros. During your visit to Flagstaff, Mother Road will make you feel like a member of the family with its regular community events and evenings featuring live music.
Address: 7 S Mikes Pike, Flagstaff, AZ 86001