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Hi, our AZ trip starts in a couple of weeks and we're down to the details...
We'll be staying 3 days in Chandler and dayhiking the western Superstitions; need restaurant recommendations in that area. A few days later we're spending the night in Flagstaff and would appreciate dinner recommendations there. Also in Flagstaff, we'll probably have a few hours to kill and after 4 days in the Grand Canyon may not feel like hiking - any suggestions for other things to do? Is the observatory worth a visit (moon will be close to full; this will be Tuesday night of Thanksgiving week).

Thanks,
Will

We stop at Beaver Street Brewery when we are in Flag.

Breakfast in Flagstaff? The Railroad Cafe over by Walmart--a storefront but they do breakfast right. Tried it for dinner once, stick with breakfast.

Breakfast in Flag? Can anyone one say complimentary breakfast at the hotel?

No one has mentioned The Place. I have eaten there and it is ok. I am NOT very picky, but a lot of other people like it. If someone is buying me a meal I usually don't complain about the food. If I am buying myself a meal, I go to Subway and get a sandwich because there is also a Starbucks in the same strip mall, over by Fry's.

There is a Mexican place that is pretty touristy but good, and I forget the name of it. One time I ordered guacamole salad there. It was HUGE and it was only 5 bucks. The place I am thinking of has a salsa bar.

The Place is Mike and Ronda's. It's mentioned.

Is Miz Zips still serving up breakfast up there? Used to be the best hangover cure by far!

azbackpackr wrote: There is a Mexican place that is pretty touristy but good, and I forget the name of it. One time I ordered guacamole salad there. It was HUGE and it was only 5 bucks. The place I am thinking of has a salsa bar.

Oh come on I don't think sauce packets at the counter of Taco Bell qualifies as a salsa bar.

JK..There is a place called El Capitan with a salsa bar. Coming up from Phx. on Milton? is that the main drag? Behind a Garcia's. Not bad if you're starving, had a high Yelp rating.

PageRob wrote:Are they still a vegetarian-only joint?

As far as I know... and its the only place that serves biscuits and gravy that veggies like me can eat-- and they are amazing!

For breakfast, go to Brandy's. They're not on the Food Network's "Diner's Drive-ins and Dives" for nothing. Mike & Rhondas is crap.

what exactly do you mean by "dark" beer?
Rimside Grill in Pine. "no crap on tap"
currently steve is selling some ok beers, but he is getting Nimbus old monkey shine back soon, and we talked about him getting some dogfish head variety.

sedona: oak creek amber
flag: flagstaff brewery, mogollon, beaver street
phx: four peaks and papago make beer and have decent pub grub.
i'd suggest you just get a 4 pack of dogfish head 90 minute, a big pumpkin sonoran style plate of food, and a parking spot on south mountain to let it settle in.

I like the Dirtwater restaurant in AJ for good, fairly cheap food.

Jim_H wrote:

big_load wrote:I like Alpine Pizza.

You're joking right? There is no way any sane person could like that cardboard with ketchup on it, unless high, that is.

If you're high...try Cheba Hut....Otherwise, I would pick up a burger at Bunhuggers.

I have eaten at the Cheba Hut in Tucson. I thought it was pretty funny when I saw a table with 4 TPD officers sitting there, eating the Panama Red and the Acapulco Gold, etc.

This thread is interesting. After much reflection, I've decided that other than fending off starvation, I haven't ever had a great meal in Flagstaff. Here are a few off the top of my head. Weatherford Hotel: good, but not good enough for the price. Granny's Closet: disappointing, Bigfoot BBQ: satisfying, but not special, Downtown Diner: adequate. I must have eaten in 10 or 15 other places downtown that I probably wouldn't go back to.

After hiking the Supes I prefer to either stop at the Filibertos on Apache or the Chipotle on Superstition Springs

azpride wrote:Filibertos on Apache or the Chipotle on Superstition Springs

That deserves a worse beatdown than my Alpine Pizza pick.

I've always been partial to Diablo Burger in Flag => http://www.diabloburger.com/Diablo_Burger/home.html

Appreciate the "uniqueness". Comes at a cost though...

I think it's funny that after 4 years and 2 months of living in Flagstaff AND hearing people rave about Diablo Burger, I still have absolutely no idea where it is or what they sell (other than burgers of some kind)

te-wa wrote:Tres Banderos food has suprisingly increased in quality - so much that i would call it authentic sonoran grub. stick with the shredded tacos

I'll have to try that next time. I haven't found any good shredded beef up there yet. I gave up on it and started looking for just a good burger.

big_load wrote:This thread is interesting. After much reflection, I've decided that other than fending off starvation, I haven't ever had a great meal in Flagstaff. Here are a few off the top of my head. Weatherford Hotel: good, but not good enough for the price. Granny's Closet: disappointing, Bigfoot BBQ: satisfying, but not special, Downtown Diner: adequate. I must have eaten in 10 or 15 other places downtown that I probably wouldn't go back to.

I'm partial to Bigfoot, but all those other places you mentioned are nowhere near topping my list. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the restaurants downtown. I like Bigfoot and Nimarcos, but that's about it. La Bellavia is excellent, but it's basically the same as Brandy's, and Brandy's is closer to my house and I have friends that work there. I think most things downtown tend to be touristy or elitist. I'm more of a basics type of guy.

Jim_H wrote:I think it's funny that after 4 years and 2 months of living in Flagstaff AND hearing people rave about Diablo Burger, I still have absolutely no idea where it is or what they sell (other than burgers of some kind)

I've never eaten there nor know where it is, as well. I kinda want to try it out though.

Somebody mentioned El Charro. That's my second favorite Mexican place, but I don't really recommend it around that much. It's definitely old, kind of dirty and you have to know what to order. And despite being an entity of its own, it has the same name as some crappy chain in Tucson or somewhere, which is all that people seem to want to talk about after I mention it. I also like Kachina on Route 66 just east of downtown, but I only like it for specific menu items, I don't think of it as a guaranteed crowd pleaser.