13 Best Restaurants in Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a dynamic city close to the Mexican and Californian borders in southwest Arizona. Yuma has a thriving food scene that includes everything from taco vendors to fine dining establishments, thanks to its sunny climate and year-round access to fresh fruit.
This article examines 13 top eateries that perfectly embody Yuma’s superior gastronomic offerings. There is something to suit every taste, from delicious Mexican meals to steakhouses serving tender pieces of meat to quaint breakfast cafes.
13 Best Restaurants in Yuma, Arizona
Bushwackers Grill & Steak – Steaks With Personality
Bushwackers Grill & Steak is a funky steakhouse with a ranch motif located close to Yuma’s north end. It serves delicious cuts of finely seasoned beef in a lighthearted and amusing ambiance. While their New York strip or ribeye, grilled to a luscious perfection over an open wood fire, is always a safe bet, Bushwackers takes things delightfully awry by filling baked potatoes with cheese and BBQ pork or blackening prime rib for a touch of Cajun flavor.
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Each entrée, such as “T-Bone Delight,” “Big Bad John Wayne,” a 16-ounce T-bone, or five ravioli loaded with cheese called “Belly Busting Bronco,” is appropriately titled for its enormous personality. With menu items like “Hells Fury” burgers and “Knock Out Punch” cocktails, Bushwackers blatantly follow their own drum, or cowboy boot, as it were.
Sunrise Cafe – Charming Brunch Destination
The Sunrise Cafe, so named because it opens shortly after sunrise, has spent more than 40 years honing breakfast and lunch staples that draw in residents hankering after greasy spoon favorites like melt-in-your-mouth omelets and heaping piles of pancakes. Enter the charming tiny café filled with sunlight and flowers, and you’ll see cheerful diners enjoying limitless coffee refills, French toast with banana bread, chorizo breakfast burritos, and biscuits and gravy that are a mile high. Sunrise Cafe’s reputation as Yuma’s best daily brunch escape is cemented by its use of fresh, premium ingredients in their implementation, which amplifies the flavors of even the most straightforward menu items.
The Table – Mediterranean Creations Served Tapas-Style
Check out The Table, which specializes in little tapas-style appetizers divided into categories of garden, land, and sea and ideal for mixing and sharing, for a true flavor of the Mediterranean without having to leave Yuma. Their Garden tasting menu includes falafel bites, lamb sliders, chicken schawarma, and moussaka baked eggplant casserole; for hearty plates, there are falafel bites, hummus served with flatbread, and imported olives.
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Favourites from the Ocean section include seared ahi tuna steak served over Mediterranean couscous salad and Spanish paella packed with mussels, prawns, and chorizo. Excellent handcrafted ingredients, if possible acquired locally, are the focal point of this varied menu, well paired with selections from the global wine list.
Angelo’s Italian Restaurant – Classic Italian Dishes & Downtown Charm
Nestled within a refined, historically significant corner building on Main Street, Angelo’s Italian Restaurant instantly whisks you back to bygone eras with its mouthwatering, traditional Italian cuisine, which has been handed down through the generations since its founding in 1922.
Savor rich lasagna, veal parmigianas, seafood linguine in garlicky marinara sauce, homemade pastas, or go lighter with shrimp scampi sautéed in white wine-lemon sauce or prosciutto mozzarella salad. Warm yellow walls and white tablecloths of this downtown jewel are adorned with old photos that chronicle Yuma’s early growth. Enjoy a drink of delicious Chianti to go with your meal.
Joe’s Real BBQ – Finger-Lickin’ Good Southern-Style BBQ
Locals advise traveling a few miles north to Joe’s Real BBQ, which is owned and operated by an award-winning pit master, for delicious barbecue prepared in the traditional slow-cooked Texas manner. The pulled pork, spicy Cajun sausage, tender smoked brisket, and smoked turkey breast at this roadside smoke shack-style counter-service restaurant are on par with the top BBQ joints in the nation.
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In addition to flavorful meats, Joe’s offers traditional sides to round off your hot feast, including mac ‘n’ cheese, fried okra, tart coleslaw, cornbread muffins, and spicy BBQ beans. You may try a range of their smoked specialties dipped in either sweet brown sugar molasses or spicy habanero sauce with their reasonably priced combo plates.
Wildwood Steakhouse – Prime Cuts of Meat with Rustic Charm
The Wildwood Steakhouse is a rustic chophouse located among the arid hills outside of Yuma. It serves skillfully aged prime cuts of beef along with loaded baked potatoes, bacon-topped creamed spinach, and grilled asparagus. The dining area, which is relaxed yet elegant, creates a welcoming atmosphere for indulging in succulent filet mignon or succulent ribeyes that are perfectly seared and smoky on their wood fire grill.
For lighter meals, Wildwood offers delectable fowl, pork chops, hearty salads, and freshly caught fish in addition to steaks. To wash it all down, there’s a full bar with whiskey, wine, and locally crafted craft beer, appropriate for this locally owned steakhouse that prides itself on serving you the most delectable fine cuisine possible using locally sourced products.
The Patio – Unique Structure Highlighting Mexican & Mediterranean Influences
The Patio, an architecturally remarkable restaurant in Yuma that combines Mediterranean and Mexican elements in its varied cuisine, is tucked away on a side street. There are several semi-private dining corners, fireplaces, and fountains amid the labyrinthine arrangement, which also includes a sizable outdoor area decorated with string lights and flowers.
Although the management takes great pride in making their famous Mexican food fresh, their menu also features Greek and Spanish flavors in salads, pastas, appetizers, and paellas for a true fusion experience. This hidden gem is thriving thanks to word-of-mouth appreciation. Come enjoy a glass of sangria or silky Estrella Damm beer on their genuine patio under the stars, adjacent to a babbling fishpond.
Craft Beer Bar & Grill – Gastropub Offering Local Brews & Elevated Pub Grub
This gastropub, which is located in Historic Downtown Yuma along the Colorado River, does a great job of combining locally brewed beers with tasty, sophisticated pub fare. Savor succulent burgers, inventively topped brick-oven pizzas, and filling sandwiches that are all infused with southwest flavors. Wash it all down with locally brewed IPAs, wheat beers, stouts, or ciders available on tap.
Along with wings drenched in hot, spicy habanero sauce that will definitely make you sweat, stacked tater tots infused with spicy Cheetos and bacon form the perfect bar snack. Craft Beer Bar & Grill injects strong flavors into every element of this cozy neighborhood location, whether it’s the sunny balcony views outside or the exposed brick walls and industrial touches within.
The Garden Cafe – Wholesome Ingredients & Vegetarian Fare
In Yuma, try the family-run Garden Cafe for hearty vegetarian and health-conscious fare made with ingredients straight from their own garden. Serving natural foods free of additives and preservatives is at the core of their purpose, as evidenced by the filling oatmeal pancakes, avocado toast, refreshing gazpacho, and Southwest taco salad.
Though their breakfast and lunch are the best, don’t miss their freshly baked, homemade pot pies, which come in both savory and sweet kinds every morning. The Garden Cafe is the perfect place to have comfort food, whether you choose to eat inside the quaint cottage interior surrounded by plants or to people watch from the patio.
Chretin’s Mexican Restaurant – Local Favorite for Mexican & Seafood
Are you trying to find the best Mexican eateries in Yuma? Chretin’s, which has been family-owned for more than 50 years, is the only place to look. This hidden gem in the community offers delicious seafood selections including shrimp tacos, succulent carne asada, and tasty ceviche, all at a reasonable price point.
Free chips, salsa, and bean dip are served on their festive patio, which is decorated with twinkling lights. Once inside, you may explore the vibrant dining area that is filled with vibrant murals. You can easily discover a new favorite at Chretin’s, where dishes like sizzling fajitas served directly to your table and enchiladas covered in zesty red or green mole sauce await.
10 Palms Thai Restaurant – Fresh & Authentic Thai Cuisine
The majority of residents advise going straight to the downtown 10 Palms Thai Restaurant for the greatest Thai food in Yuma County. In order to preserve the genuine taste profile of traditional Thai cuisine, this well-known Asian restaurant imports essential ingredients.
Freshness and quality are never compromised at 10 Palms Thai, from their succulent shrimp-filled pad Thai to their vibrant red and green curries. With pineapple, cashew nuts, and an egg cooked in oyster or chili sauce, their fried rice dishes are especially noteworthy. This is the ideal spot to enjoy authentic Thai food made with family recipes passed down through the centuries, with indoor and outdoor seating furnished in traditional Thai style.
Lutes Casino – Old School Charm & Burgers
Lutes Casino has been serving up some of Arizona’s best burgers for 92 years, set against a nostalgic backdrop of red vinyl booths and Sinatra records on the jukebox. Delicious greasy comfort food done correctly, including burger melts, shakes, breakfast burritos, and fries covered in homemade chili, is the specialty of this quaint, vintage restaurant. The staff is nice and makes you feel like family. The meals are large and reasonably priced. Although the interior décor appears to be right out of the 1950s, Lutes manages to keep current by offering specials like craft beer pairings with their tacos and burgers.
River City Grill – Contemporary American Comfort Food
River City Grill, which serves modern American food in a classy but laid-back creekside environment, is routinely ranked as one of Yuma’s best restaurants. Fresh salads, house-made desserts like crème brûlée, and delectable comfort food selections like braised short ribs, grilled salmon, and chicken pot pie are all featured on the seasonal menu.
This is a nice place to go on a date night because of the wonderful service and the beautiful string lights that cover the outdoor terrace. Putting an emphasis on obtaining high-quality products from nearby vendors, River City Grill presents southwest Arizonan cuisine with a sophisticated touch.
Conclusion
With mouthwatering Mexican food, juicy steaks, fresh seafood, and charming cafes there is no shortage of incredible dining destinations to explore in Yuma, Arizona. From the old-school charm of Lutes Casino to Joe’s authentic southern barbecue to Wildwood Steakhouse’s perfectly charred cuts of prime beef, this Southwestern town delivers on creative cuisine.
The next time you find yourself in Yuma, set aside time to sample a few local favorites and discover a new favorite restaurant or two from this list highlighting the top eateries in town. Yuma’s dining scene keeps growing in diversity and acclaim thanks to dedicated chef-owners focused on delivering quality dishes made from wholesome ingredients.