Top Rated Restaurants & Cafes in Tempe

At Desert Roots Kitchen, items are prepared so fresh that its guests need to check the menu online daily at 10AM if they want to know what to order upon arrival. In the kitchen, chef/owner Leslie Robin prepares wraps, sandwiches, salads and other vegetarian/vegan dishes with an emphasis on healthy sustenance. The wrap-of-the-day is her highlight dish, and with variations like Moroccan Peanut Lentil, Sriracha Pineapple Lentil, BBQ Pinto Bean and many others, eating healthy never tasted so good.

Located on bustling Mill Avenue, Rúla Búla Irish Pub offers new Irish cuisine on the menu, but you'll still find Fish 'n' Chips, Guinness Pie and Lamb Stew on there as well. The decor is definitely traditional, with rustic wooden tables, Celtic motif and a convivial atmosphere all inside a colorful yellow and blue building. The name roughly translates from Gaelic to English as 'Uproar and Commotion', and on any given night, you can see why. The menu is composed of dishes like Steamed Mussels, Pan Seared Alaskan Cod, Bistro Filet Medallions and the Hot Bollix Spicy Potato Balls made with rashers, scallions and Cheddar cheese are must-try appetizers. For entertainment, Rúla has live music throughout the week as well as other events like trivia, fundraisers, etc.

The dining room of the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel turns out innovative combinations of classic cuisine with contemporary regional ingredients. Its proximity to Arizona State University and casual, bistro-like setting makes it a favorite with students for special occasions.

Here at Casa, the party starts early and runs until 2AM every day, where the festive outdoor patio buzzes when the weather is nice. The bar serves plenty of local beers and handcrafted cocktails and the kitchen prepares Mexican food like burritos and appetizers with a twist. For instance, the Loaded Fries burrito comes with French Fries, steak, beans, four different cheeses, Pico de Gallo and Jalapeno Crema. The innovative Chinese Take Out burrito has crispy sweet & sour chicken, fried rice and Egg Rolls and the deliciously decadent Seared Ahi comes with sashimi grade tuna, sticky rice, Asian slaw and a Sriracha Aioli. Definitely a nice addition to the colorful and diverse Mill Avenue dining scene.

Fat Tuesdays has been an institution on Mill Avenue for decades, known for its slushy frozen daiquiris which spin in mixers behind the bar. Many of these frozen drinks use grain alcohol which translates into strength, so if you want to maintain some semblance of sobriety, try the Fruit Cocktail, Mango or the Peach Bellini. In addition to frozen slush, the bar still has a nice selection of local beers from nearby breweries. Fat Tuesday's also serves bar food like wings, nachos, burgers, wraps and salads to soak up those strong drinks.

This popular sandwich spot located in downtown Tempe provides some of the best sandwiches in this college town as well as the entire metro Phoenix area. Ike started in a small spot located in San Francisco's Castro District in 2007 and since then, he has branched out to other states including Arizona. The menu here in Tempe is almost the same as the original, however all menus have individual, unique options for local tastes. For instance, the Sun Devil made with American cheese, fried chicken and Sun Devil sauce can only be found here. Each sandwich is made with superb bread, quality meats and of course, Ike's signature Dirty Sauce is unlike anything else on the planet. It is no wonder why he has been so successful.