10 Must-Eat Foods In Flagstaff

You already know Flagstaff as an excellent place to take a hike and grab a craft brew (a Tower Station IPA at Mother Road’s Downtown Brewery, yes, please). But within the past few years, the mountain town has been growing a robust food scene, adding chic cafes and chef-owned eateries alongside impressive ethnic eats and burger joints. There are lots of egg-and-bacon breakfast joints to fuel your day, plus to-die-for donuts, inspired pizza, and tasting menus which will take you places. So pack your hiking shoes and your appetite and obtain ready to taste a number of the simplest foods Flagstaff has got to offer.

Made-to-order burger at Diablo Burger

120 North Leroux Street, Flagstaff

Everything at Diablo Burger is elevated. The substantial 6-ounce patties, made up of one hundred pc grass-fed beef raised on northern Arizona ranches, are grilled to order. Toppers come courtesy of local farmers and cheese-makers. And innovative combos — the Db House comes with blackening spice, chimichurri and an over-easy dish — are served on English muffins branded with “db” rather than boring buns. Burgers are large enough to share and are available with a side of insanely delicious Belgian-style fries, from whole potatoes double-fried in groundnut oil and seasoned with herbs de provence. Wash it down with an area beer on the shaded patio.

French Cruller at Tourist Home All Day Café

52 South San Francisco Street, Flagstaff

The best time of day to go to Tourist Home All Day Cafe is at 6 a.m., when glorious trays of freshly fried French crullers hit the pastry display. quite mere donuts, these glazed darlings are creviced and irresistibly crispy on the surface , their spiraling ridges glistening during a glazy haze, and pillowy perfect on the within , impossibly light and pocketed with airy holes. No wonder they sell out daily, especially on weekends. This popular breakfast and lunch joint also serves up superior salads, sandwiches, and eggy delights, to not mention a cinnamon-dusted churro cruller, but it’s their OG French cruller that rises above.

Pizza at Pizzicletta

203 West Phoenix Avenue, Flagstaff

Picking the simplest pizza at Pizzicletta is like choosing your favorite child. There’s the take-charge Carne Dolce, a confident mixture of house-made mozzarella, mascarpone, and spicy sausage with a sweet kiss of local honey and sage. There’s the diplomatic Margherita, a mix of Bianco DiNapoli spaghetti sauce , house mozzarella, basil, and vegetable oil . And there’s the attention-seeking SS-145, an excellent blend of gorgonzola, almonds, kale, and juice as unique as its name. All the pies are perfectly executed, the naturally leavened dough beautifully charred during a wood-fire oven hand-built in Naples. The buzzy vibe of the cramped yet cozy interior and patio only increase the experience.

Tokyo Roll at Red Curry Vegan Kitchen

10 North San Francisco Street, Flagstaff

Red Curry Vegan Kitchen proves you don’t need fish sauce for larb, you don’t need eggs for pad thai, you don’t need sashimi for sushi, and you don’t need crispy pork, period. Founder and chef Suchhada Tirakul whips up traditional Thai and Japanese dishes, all one hundred pc vegan, yet everything is smacked with an equivalent sweet-spicy-sour-sassy flavor you expect. Start with the Tokyo Roll, six seaweed-wrapped rolls of rice , avocado, carrot, cucumber, and sunflower sprouts topped with a spicy quinoa roe served with gluten-free soy-ginger ponzu sauce and you’ll wonder why seafood was ever invited to the party.

Dinner at Shift Kitchen + Bar

107 North San Francisco Street

The seasonal menu at Shift changes regularly, but there are a couple of belongings you can calculate . the simplest seat within the home is the Chef’s Counter, a seven-seat stretch that provides you a front-row to pastry chef-owner Dara Wong and her crew in action. You can’t fail with shared small plates, say a mixture of blistered shishito peppers, duck liver pate, and therefore the absolutely must-order pickled fresh fries, but an equivalent are often said for the Chef’s Tasting Menu ($70 per person), a revelatory experience that takes you on a four-course taste journey. And no skipping dessert, whether it’s jalapeno cheesecake with cheddar crumble or a pink peppercorn pavlova, you’re certain quite a treat.

Blackened Catfish Style PoBoy at Satchmo’s Cajun & BBQ

2320 North 4th Street, Flagstaff

The blackened catfish po'boy at Satchmo’s starts with the seasoning, a hand-blended combo of seven herbs and spices, including cayenne, white and black peppers. The fish is then cooked during a cast-iron pan pre-heated to 500 degrees and finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Then, on goes their crunchy, vinegar-based coleslaw, smoky remoulade, and sliced tomato on a toasted bun. “The combination of blackening seasonings, acid, and creamy sauce leads to a wonderfully balanced flavor explosion in your face,” says owner-operator Jamie Thousand. The counter-service Cajun-Creole-barbecue joint also serves up impressive barbecued ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, jambalaya and house-seasoned tots – so basically everything on the menu.

Chilaquiles at MartAnne’s Breakfast Palace

112 East Route 66, Flagstaff

In case you were wondering, family-owned Flagstaff favorite MartAnne’s is “The House that Chilaquiles Built.” It’s declared on the front entrance , on the art-adorned walls, and on the all-day breakfast menu – and it’s not just an empty brag. The legendary plate is layered with scrambled eggs, cheese, onions, and either green tomatillo or red chile sauce, plus fried corn tortillas. Or step it up with J.B.’s Volcano which adds pork green chile and an over medium egg to the mountainous mix. Either way, you’ll sop it up every gooey bite for a full belly that’ll last well past lunch.

Mama Burger at Mama Burger

991 North Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff

The namesake burger and hottest menu item at Mama Burger is not any wuss. It stacks house sauce, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, American cheese and pickles on an angus patty cooked on a flat-top griddle for less than $5.25. Or step it up with The MOAB, a two-patty, green chili, bacon-topped behemoth that has fries (yes, on your burger) for $3 more. Can’t-beat prices paired with the throwback diner taste — add a malt milkshake for the complete monte — it’s no wonder the drive-through lane often stretches bent the road .

Giant cinnamon bun at The Toasted Owl Cafe

12 South Mikes Pike Street, Flagstaff

Toasted Owl has quite one menu standout. The brunch hot spot with the packed patio and thrift store-like interior serves up big fat French toast , loaded omelets, crispy house potatoes, vegan burritos, endless coffee and $3 mimosas, but together waiter puts it: “If you come to Toasted Owl and don’t eat a cinnamon bun , you didn’t really come to Toasted Owl.” Puttied with a generous glop of glaze that melts down into the mammoth bun when heated , the robust cinnamony-sweet roll, which is named “Giant” for a reason, is that the ultimate coil of comfort to cap any meal.

Evil Jungle Princess at Dara Thai

14 South San Francisco Street, Flagstaff

Dara Thai has many the standard suspects on its 100-plus item menu. You’ll cruise past papaya salad, spring rolls, and pad thai until you hit the Evil Jungle Princess. Ominous in name only and outline , the seemingly simple bowl of chicken stir-fried in coconut milk, lemongrass and mushrooms (sub beef, pork, tofu, or maybe broccoli for chicken) is swimming during a deep and delicious broth spiced with a secret Thai blend that’s sweet, sour, rich, and minty and every one directly . Paired with the superbly cooked rice, your mouth may be a sucker for the mystery.