5 Best Scottsdale AZ Restaurants | Must-Try Scottsdale Restaurants

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Foodie Flash Packer | Published: July 5, 2021

https://https://www.foodieflashpacker.com/best-scottsdale-az-restaurants//

Scottsdale, known as a winter playground for snowbirds across North America, remains refreshing even in the heat of summer. The “dry heat” makes a real difference as 100+ F can’t and shouldn’t deter visitors to the Kierland section of town, where a cool mist drifts down to prevent heat prostration. You’ll also find many of the best restaurants in Scottsdale in this section of town.

Whether you’re coming from the golf course, the shopping center, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, regular vacation, life as usual, or medical care at the Mayo Clinic (we from “Mother Mayo” in MN affectionately call it “Baby Mayo”), there are many dining options across town.

Since I’m celiac, and my daughter celiac and pescatarian, all these restaurants have options for these diets, but also for more liberal diets.

Scottsdale provides several parking garages, conveniently located so there’s plenty of room for your car in a shaded spot and easy access to all the shopping and restaurants.

The 5 Best Scottsdale AZ Restaurants

Soul Café

7615 E Pinnacle Peak Rd // (480) 515-6254

Recommended by a great day spa, we happened on Soul Café when we were both tired and hungry. Turns out, that’s the perfect time to go, especially if it happens to be Happy Hour.

We were able to try almost everything on the menu without eating ourselves into a food coma, although we flirted with it. Our server, Sean, was very amused as we ordered more and more and more. 

Their promise of Modern Arizona Cuisine with “eclectic dishes influenced by the flavors and cultures of Arizona” is fulfilled with every bite. Choosing carefully, and confirming the tortillas are corn based allowed us to keep within our dietary restrictions.

This visit was the first time I’d experienced toasted tortillas to accompany my fish tacos. I was pleasantly surprised by the difference it makes.

The fish tacos are cod, with chipotle cream, cabbage, queso fresco, and mango salsa. Two tacos were the perfect portion size with half of the surf and turf.

The surf and turf was a three-ounce beef tenderloin (well done, thank you!), and grilled asparagus (you can have it sauteed if you prefer) that I enjoyed, and a jalapeno bacon-wrapped shrimp that my daughter loved. She told me the mild jalapeno cheese sauce wasn’t even needed.

She had that one shrimp in addition to her eight coconut shrimp served with a pineapple jam and tamarind reduction. She took most of them home because she got full and warmed them up in the oven later. Still delicious. 

Her final selection from the entrees was the steamed clams. A full bowl of clams with white wine, butter-garlic sauce; she considered taking the remainder of the sauce home after she’d finished the clams. The bread was sourdough so left behind.

For those that can enjoy pastries, I highly recommend trying their pies. Cherry, Blueberry, Rhubarb, Peach, and Key Lime, their pies are perfect to share, with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream accompanying it. If you don’t have enough room, take one (or three!) home to enjoy later. 

For a great variety of the foods of the southwest, Soul Cafe is a great place to eat in Scottsdale.

The Greene House

15024 N Scottsdale Rd #100 // (480) 889-9494

Sometimes on vacation you end up returning to the same area over and over again. That happened to us with Kierland Commons. And there are still more places left to eat.

We just barely beat the lunch rush in the door so had our orders in but needed something to tide us over with as long as it takes for the meal to be served.

We chose the sesame chicken potstickers, thinking they’d be kabob style. They were more like Thai dumplings, served with scallions and radish to add the crunchy texture and young ginger broth. 

As usual, we had questions and asked the server for recommendations.

For me, the choice was between the grilled Mahi tacos with pico de gallo, salsa verde, and avocado or the Atlantic Salmon with fingerling potatoes and beets. The server was quick to answer. “Atlantic salmon,” he answered with confidence. Decision made.

For my daughter, the sweet potato ravioli with glazed short rib and charred squash or a charred item the server preferred but described so heavily blackened that she went with the sweet potato ravioli.

As we waited, the server asked if we’d like anything else. My daughter loves thin truffle fries and calamari. Their truffle fries were thick, “double the size of McDonald’s,” so she ordered the calamari.

They also have herb hummus, chicken tortilla soup, warm brie, smoked salmon and tuna tartare tacos, and many salads.

I’m glad they were worth the wait. The sweet potato ravioli was surprisingly sweet and balanced nicely by the braised rib. Served with charred brussel sprouts, it’s quite a substantial plate, more than expected. 

The Atlantic Salmon was tasty and the beets initially difficult to identify. Pink cubes, they resembled raw salmon. It took a minute with my daughter’s palate to figure out that they’re beets. It adds to the crunchy texture. The grilled fingerling potatoes were delicious and the horseradish vinaigrette complimented the meal nicely.

Great seafood choices and a loaded menu make this a must-try Scottsdale restaurant.

Frost: A Gelato Shoppe

15034 N Scottsdale Rd #160 // (480) 590-7263

Those of you that follow me know that I am a firm believer in dessert first. So, I’m providing a bonus for you around our visit to Frost: A Gelato Shoppe. 

The owners were hot in Rome one summer, discovered gelato, and became determined to find a similar flavor in the United States. When they failed in their quest, they sought a new goal; to create it themselves. They enrolled in Gelato University (yup, it’s a thing) and found an importer to source their ingredients.

The store is in the center section of the shopping area, so not easily visible from the street.

Inside, it’s streamlined, sleek, and spotlessly clean. It’s like you’ve walked into an Italian fairyland with every flavor you could want. 

They also have the most unique “spaghetti and meatballs” display, originally made with gelato. The artistry impresses me almost as much as having my very own mini gelato cone tree.

My choices are classic, black cherry, and lemon, side by side. My daughter chose hazelnut and chocolate.