Colorado to Arizona….where we went from a blizzard of 3 feet of snow (roughly) to 80 degree and all sun. Visiting for a wedding during this time was the perfect escape from the Spring snow storms. Being able to whip out my chacos for this trip was the best feeling…even if we may have forgotten to bring sunscreen. For this trip, we are really only seeing Phoenix, so next time we will for sure be roadtripping around to see more of this desert oasis.
Day 1!
Lunch at Wilderness DTPHX
With a list of recommendations from the family cousins who live here (the lovely new married couple!!!), we had to check this place out. Wilderness DTPHX has a fantastic outdoor beer garden type atmosphere, adorned with large picnic tables perfect for large groups. There are two different bar areas
Mezcolada When Pigs Fly Downtown Burger Tacos – Pulled Pork & Beer Battered White Fish
This place is quintessential bar food, but elevated to another level. The bar has a fully-loaded beer selection of craft beers, varying from a hazy IPA to a rosé cider. Since we came from the bitter cold winter (just kidding, it went up to 60 degrees in CO right after we left of course), it was time for a summer-inspired drink. The Mezcalada has just the right amount of sweet “colada” to give you that vacation feeling, but it’s coupled with the smokiness of mezcal. If you aren’t a fan of mezcal, I would opt instead for one of the local beers, or even a frosé (frozen rosé deliciousness)!
As any good bar-style menu has, there is a wide selection of fries with fun additions on top…but these fries are not your average ones. Deep fried in duck fat makes them even better. I suggest ordering the When Pigs Fly version, covered in pulled pork with their “wilderness beer cheese” sauce. It’s worth it. The Downtown Burger was a classic choice, and the guacamole on it gave it a nice flavor. We paired it with some tacos – Pulled Pork and the Beer-battered White Fish Tacos. The fish one was amazing, and the slaw on top had just enough kick in it.
Dinner at Churchill
The Churchill is a super trendy shipping container constructed, outdoor restaurant. There are multiple choices for drinks and food in this elevated food-court style. It’s great for large groups who can’t all decide on a place to go!
Margherita pizza Ceviche w/ side of guac
Provecho and Freak Brothers Pizza are two places we tried, along with some cocktails from the various bars they have! The margherita pizza was a classic, and the ceviche was super fresh, coupled with their fresh-made guacamole. They also some taco choices if you are up for that, but we planned to have tacos elsewhere and wanted to change it up! The Freak Brothers Pizza folks were so nice, and even offered us an extra pizza for our group…we weren’t going to pass that up!
Day 2!
Breakfast at Snooze
Horse & Sidecar Bloody Benny Duo – Bella! Bella! Benny & Smashed Avocado Benny
Snooze is a place we have in CO too, but we couldn’t pass up a good chance for brunch with our family! The boozy breakfast menu is always impressive, and as a lover of bloody marys, you can’t go wrong here. I went for the Horse & Sidecar Bloody option – their housemade bloody mix with horseradish and a side can of beer. I grew up with my mom teaching me to add a splash of beer in my bloody marys, so this was a bonus for sure. If you aren’t up for the beer and bloody, any of their other options are great! I stuck with my go-to of eggs benedicts, but you can do a duo option of one of each they have – I went with the Bella! Bella! Benny and the Smashed Avocado Benny. This was the only place we went to this day since we had wedding activities for the rest of it, but you can’t go wrong with Snooze!
Day 3!
Beer morning at Greenwood Brewing
Grapefruit Kolsch w/ OJ
Greenwood Brewing has some great outdoor patio space for groups! If you come here earlier in the day on the weekend, they may offer a beermosa! We got the Grapefruit Kolsch with a splash of OJ, and it was perfect for the morning! It started to get busier around noon here, so it’s great if you can go around 11 to stake out a good spot outside. We were able to bring our own food with us as well, so pack a lunch and enjoy some great beer!
Happy Hour at Taco Guild
The Taco Guild is located in an old renovated church! It’s a really cool location and a great vibe for a nice happy hour. You can get their margs $2 less, along with some other select drinks and small bites. We left with quite a bit of food, so be sure you share!
Fallen Angel marg Holy Grail marg Chips and salsa Guacamole Angel Wings
Tacos – Coconut Shrimp taco, Lamb taco, & Carnitas taco (side of Street Corn)
If you are a fan of street tacos, this is the place to go. We started off with their house chips and salsa – they are all delicious, but know that the orange one is spicy! The housemade guacamole was a favorite as well, and even with it’s entree size pricetag, it’s worth it and HUGE! We enjoyed the happy hour specials of reduced price margs – the Holy Grail marg tastes like a classic margherita, and the Fallen Angel has a hint of watermelon and tajin. These margs are strong and flavorful for sure! We opted for the Angel Wings as well, part of the happy hour deals, and it’s a huge order of wings with a nice and spicy sauce. It honestly would have been enough food at this point, but we couldn’t miss out on the tacos as well. All the tacos we had were great, but our favorite was the lamb taco – lamb, blue cheese (trust me), and sweet potato “hay” added a nice crunch.
We will definitely be back here for great food and a really unique atmosphere! If you go, come with an appetite!
Day 3!
Breakfast at Matt’s Big Breakfast
Special – Huevos Rancheros Griddle Cakes The Chop & Chick
Matt’s Big Breakfast was recommended to us as a staple in town, specifically for the griddle cakes…so of course we ordered a stack of them, and they did NOT disappoint! We ordered the Chop & Chick as well – a delicious pork rib chop with a side of eggs and hash browns. It was great! I opted for the daily special – huevos rancheros with pork green chili and eggs on a homemade tortilla, side of retried beans, and potatoes of your choice. It was wonderful with some of the hot sauce they have. We would highly recommend this place for a good family restaurant, but know there is a bit of a wait, so get there early! They also don’t have boozy drinks here, so save that for Snooze, and come here for a breakfast at the end of your trip to recover! The fresh OJ is wonderful.
Time to explore! – Botanical Gardens
We completed our trip by visiting the botanical gardens….I was so excited for this because I LOVE cactuses! Coming from CO, we never see them, aside from the tiny ones I have in my windowsill.
