The places in Phoenix the guidebooks miss.
The places in Phoenix the guidebooks miss. locals-only counters, after-hours rooms and the spots tourists walk past.
Why locals love it: A 1964 Sonoran family room on McDowell that locals guard while visitors chase the newer downtown Mexican names.
Tip: It has served Sonoran-style Mexican since 1964; the green-chile plates and the chimichanga are the long-time orders.
Why locals love it: A north Phoenix mashup of Mexican, Chinese and Caribbean food that out-of-towners rarely find on the standard lists.
Tip: Build a plate that crosses cuisines, like jade-red chicken with a machaca burrito; the snickerdoodle is free with every order.
Why locals love it: A fiery New Mexican room in a former Tom Mix homestead on South Central that regulars warn newcomers about for the heat.
Tip: The Hatch green and red chiles run genuinely hot; order the shrimp Veracruz and have a drink ready.
Why locals love it: A strip-mall Oaxacan room near 19th and Glendale that few visitors reach despite some of the city's best moles.
Tip: The Oaxacan moles and tlayudas are the deeper order; it is a family room well off the tourist track.