Nearly 300 Restaurants, 10 Days, One Very Hungry Arizona Restaurant Week
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Fall Arizona Restaurant Week is almost here, which means it is officially time to start making ambitious dining plans and pretending we are absolutely going to keep track of all of them.
From September 18 through 27, nearly 300 participating restaurants are getting in on the action. That is a ridiculous number of menus to scroll through, but also a very good problem to have. Some are offering a reason to finally try a place you’ve been curious about. Others might make you rethink a restaurant you haven’t visited in years.
Menus are live now, and it is worth checking back before you book in case anything changes.
So, How Does Arizona Restaurant Week Work?
If you’ve never done Restaurant Week before, there really isn’t much to it. Restaurants put together special prix-fixe menus for the ten-day event. You pick the menu that makes you hungry, make a reservation if you need one, and show up ready to eat.
With nearly 300 restaurants participating, though, “just pick one” becomes a little optimistic.
This is where a game plan helps.
Start With the Menus, Not the Restaurant Names
My first instinct is always to spot a restaurant I already know and hit reserve. Don’t do that yet.
Look at the dishes first.
Is the menu giving you something interesting? Are there multiple options you would happily order? Does it feel like a good representation of the restaurant, or are you choosing it simply because you recognize the name?
A little scrolling now can save you from menu envy later.
Make Reservations Early
Restaurant Week has a way of turning “we should probably book something” into “why is everything at 5:15 or 9:45?”
If there is a place you really want to try, book it early.
Friday and Saturday dinner slots are going to be the first casualties, so if there’s a menu you already have your eye on, I wouldn’t wait.
And yes, you can absolutely make more than one Restaurant Week reservation.
We are not here to judge your calendar.
Use It as an Excuse to Try Somewhere New
I think this is where Restaurant Week gets fun.
Instead of defaulting to the restaurant you already know you love, Restaurant Week gives you a pretty good excuse to take a chance on somewhere that has been lingering on your radar.
New neighborhood spot? Chef you have been hearing about? Restaurant you keep driving past and saying, “We need to go there”?
This is the moment.
Do a Little Menu Math
And don’t assume ‘Restaurant Week’ automatically means bargain. I always pull up the regular menu too. If the special menu gives me dishes I actually want for less than I’d normally spend, great. If the math isn’t mathing, there are roughly 299 other restaurants to look at.
If the special menu includes dishes you genuinely want and offers good value compared with ordering normally, fantastic.
If you are only choosing it because there is a Restaurant Week logo next to the name, keep scrolling.
Nearly 300 restaurants means you have options.
Lots of them.
Possibly too many of them.
Check Back Before You Commit
Participating menus are still being added, so the list you see today may not be the final list.
If nothing immediately grabs you, give it a day or two and check again.
Or, better yet, let us do some of the digging for you.
I’m already going through the menus and putting together the PhoenixBites shortlist: the Restaurant Week reservations I’d actually make with my own money.
Because if we’re all going to spend this much time staring at menus, we might as well make it count.
For participating restaurants, current menus and reservations, visit ArizonaRestaurantWeek.com
Disclosure: PhoenixBites received information about Fall Arizona Restaurant Week from the Arizona Restaurant Association. This is an informational news post.
About the Author - Taryn Jeffries
Taryn Jeffries is the owner, editor, writer and Chief Eating Officer of PhoenixBites, an independent Arizona food and dining publication. She's been exploring the Valley's culinary scene since 2010, sharing the stories behind the restaurants, chefs and people who make it delicious. Named the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame's Food Writer of the Year in 2017, Taryn believes good food deserves a good story, honest opinions and occasionally a little sass.
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