Going to be in the area for a volleyball tournament. Looking for good restaurants preferably Mexican that can handle a large group. Any ideas? Not familiar with the area.
I don’t see many posters from the Phoenix area on this website. You might want to ask on the tripadvisor forum.
Metro Phoenix is huge - similar in size to metro Los Angeles to give you an idea. You’ll probably need to narrow down where your tournament and lodging are to get reasonable suggestions.
Tournament is at the University of Phoenix stadium. Staying on Thomas road. Downtown north. Our transpo is limited.
TripAdvisor is truly your best bet. You’ll get local answers.
I’ve lived in the Phoenix metro area for twenty years. The best Mexican is Carolina’s, but it’s tiny and not near where you’re staying. There are a ton of chain restaurants around the stadium that handle the crowds, but none that would be considered good/authentic Mexican. Tourists like the fun/vibe at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville near the stadium but, obviously, not Mexican. I second the suggestions to use TripAdvisor or Yelp when you get there.
@thumper1 spends time in Phoenix as her son lives here. Any suggestions, thumper?
I’m in the metro area too, but never go out that way. Also consider Yelp! – frankly it is what we use when we need ideas.
It’s been 10 years since we lived in Phoenix/Scottsdale, so take it for what it’s worth, but here’s my $.02:
- The Glendale area and stadium surrounds aren't known for great food. But... the restaurants up there will be easily able to handle crowds so if handling the crowd is most important and food quality isn't - just pick anything around there.
- Choatiemom is right that Carolina's is awesome but not close or big enough.
- Little confused about where you're staying since Thomas Road isn't in north Phoenix, but assuming you have a shuttle/bus that takes you from Thomas/Phoenix up to the stadium, could make a stop on the way home and you're a bit open to adventure, there's a funky unique place that's somewhat between downtown and the stadium. Chino Bandido. Think it was somewhere near 19th Ave and Greenway? It's Mexican/Chinese, just as weird as it sounds, not at all glam but is a one of a kind, tasty place that people get fanatic about. It's inexpensive, irreverent, kinda dumpy and one of those local hidden gem type places. The menu is varied enough that even your picky eaters should be able to find something. Regularly handles crowds and we used to see teams come in after practice.
IIRC there’s a famous place called TeePee’s but that’s on the northeast end of Phoenix by Scottsdale and Paradise. It’s been 15 years though so not sure if it’s thrrr anymore.
@BeefyBill: Not sure where your home is located, but if you have time Sedona, Arizona is worth seeing & experiencing.
@BeefyBill TeePee’s, now that I look on the map, is pretty close to your hotel. You might want to try that place, it’s a famous place, well at least it was many years ago.
@ChoatieMom what do you think about St. Francis?
I was going to suggest St. Francis. But I’m not sure how close that is to where the event is taking place. Prices are reasonable, and they can accommodate a group. Not Mexican, but have som Mexican dishes on the menu!
The basic problem is that the Stadium is in the middle of… well, not exactly nowhere, but basically parking lots, the Westgate Entertainment District, and suburban housing, and agricultural fields that haven’t been turned into one of the above. [That sounds negative, and isn’t really meant to.] It just isn’t where I’d think to go for Mexican food.
As others have mentioned, Carolina’s is fun, but doesn’t have private seating. Chino Bandido is fun/unique, too, may have a back room. Both restaurants are fast casual and strip mall ambiance, may not be what you’re looking for. (I love both, but they’re definitely low-budget places.) TeePee’s is… fine? Haven’t been in decades, but probably has a private room. I also quite like St. Francis, and they do have a private room, but not Mexican at all.
I’m also confused by the location of your hotel (is it downtown Glendale, or downtown Phoenix). None of those restaurants above are anywhere near the stadium. If you have some major cross streets for your hotel, we can probably give you better guidance. Central Ave. and Thomas in Phoenix (just north of downtown Phoenix) is close enough to some Mexican restaurants…
The only hotel of note on Thomas north of downtown would be the Embassy Suites on Thomas near Central.
@ProfessorPlum168 is probably correct, esp. given the name (“Phoenix Downtown North”).
Being on Central means you’re right on light rail, which would make it easier to get to other places without a car – Macayo’s (not fabulous, but would probably have a private room) a mile north on Central, Tranquilo in the Clarendon Hotel about 3/4 mile away (loved the previous version of that restaurant), and Joyride Tacos on Central north of Camelback (a couple-mile light rail ride + 8-10-minute walk). Joyride would have space. Gallo Blanco is just east of downtown, might be a bit too far to walk from light rail.
I really like Barrio Cafe – the original location about 1.5 miles (probably close enough for cheap Lyft rides) away may be too small.
“strip mall ambiance” - Unless things have gone quite upscale since we were last there, the phrase ‘strip mall ambiance’ may be gilding the lily when it comes to describing the Chino Bandido atmosphere. It is truly a dive and proud of it.
Compared to the original Carolina’s, @milee30, Chino Bandido is a 4-star resort restaurant. It truly is in a strip mall, so I don’t think “strip mall ambiance” is a misnomer. (The ill-fated Chino’s in the East Valley was definitely nicer.)
They took over some space – it’s definitely cleaner and brighter than when I first went there 20+ years ago. Not sure whether those changes would have predated your departure from the Valley. It’s not pretentious by any means, but I wouldn’t call it a “dive,” either. (The original Carolina’s – now that’s a dive.)
(And again, both are great! Highly recommended, though the original Carolina’s is not set up for a large group and neither are going to be easy to get to for the OP.)
I have had breakfast at the Mexican place in the Clarendon (which is a great place to stay…or was a few years ago anyway). It’s not a long walk from the light rail. But it’s also not huge.
How large a crowd are you talking here?
I still think St. Francis might be a good choice. Unless you are positive everyone is going to want Mexican, don’t go to a solely Mexican place. St. Francis has Mexican…and not food.
And the space for a group.
I miss getting spicy food that I don’t have to make myself. We moved to a place that’s beautiful but people here think black pepper is ‘hot’.
My sister tells me that Los Dos Molinos opened a branch on Camelback(?!?) and the overall quality went down at all their locations. That made me cry a little, so I pretend it hasn’t happened. Just like when the Los Dos Molinos location in South Phoenix used to shut down for the month of July when Victoria and her family would go to France for a month and she’d make me a huge pot of posole to get me through the month of missing the spice. 
But things have definitely changed. When we first started going to Bianco’s, it was just Christopher, his wife and another couple - one of whom is the wife of “Matt” from Matt’s Big Breakfast and it was in that older outdoor mall at Camelback and 24th St, maybe something like the Colonnade? They had something like 6 tables and many nights it was just us and it seemed like Jerry Colangelo (he owned the Phoenix Suns then, we don’t watch sports so didn’t know that at the time). Now Bianco isn’t a secret and has its own building. And Matt’s Big Breakfast isn’t new, isn’t a secret and I heard even has a location in the airport! Very cool for them, they were such a nice couple.
But yes, we have to get back to Phoenix soon and see how things have changed and get a spice fix.
Yes, the new Los Dos is on Camelback. Haven’t been to that location. It’s been a looonnnng time since I’ve gone to the location on South Central. Sad to hear the quality’s down. Not a huge chile fan, so never went much, but they’re such a big part of Phoenix’s restaurant history that I want that to be a good restaurant.
Bianco is back where he started at Town and Country! (Good memory on your part! Across the street from the Colonnade.) He opened a second Pizzeria Bianco essentially where it started, and has a fancier restaurant right next door. It’s lots of fun to tell newcomers, yeah, we have one of the best pizza places in the country, they look at me like I’m crazy, then they eat there and say, ummmm, yeah, that might be one of the best pizzas in the country.
Lots of other nice places to grab a bite at all price points. Phoenix is a decent restaurant city.
Sky Harbor has a number of local favorites/chains now – it’s a pretty decent place to get a meal if you have to get a meal in an airport.