September was a huge month for accolades, both local and national.
Yelp released a list of the 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, according to Yelp Elites. That's a pretty big area to cover,
and Arizona restaurants took over a tenth of the list with 10 spots mentioned.
USA TODAY announced the winners of its 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards. One of the areas where Phoenix shined the most was in the gluten-free category; Arizona took five awards in total for cider, gluten-free pizza and more.
The New York Times revealed its list of 50 favorite restaurants in the U.S. for 2026. And yep, this year an Arizona spot was among them.
And here at The Republic, we launched our second annual Phoenix Pizza Poll to crown a new winner.
Here's a look at the 16 Arizona restaurants named best in the country recently.
Baja Cafe on Campbell, Tucson
Baja Cafe on Campbell was No. 24 on Yelp's list of 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, the highest rated out of the 10 Arizona restaurants recognized. However, it is not strictly a Mexican restaurant, but a Southwestern breakfast and brunch restaurant.
Details: 2970 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson. 520-344-7369, bajacafetucson.com.
Caldwell County Mexi-Q, Gilbert
Caldwell County Mexi-Q — the sister restaurant to one of our essential restaurants, Caldwell County BBQ, also in Gilbert — was No. 91 on Yelp's list of 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.
Details: 546 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert. 480-813-3727, ccmexiq.com.
Cider Corps
Cider Corps, a veteran-owned craft cidery in Mesa, won in two categories of 10best voting: They were the No. 5 best cidery overall, and the Mango Foxtrot, made with mango and rose hip, was the No. 4 best cider.
Details: 31 S. Robson, Suite 103, Mesa. 480-993-3164, cidercorpsaz.com.
Cocina Madrigal, Phoenix
Cocina Madrigal was No. 49 on Yelp's list of 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. Yelp Elites praised the quality of the food, especially the beef birria enchiladas and Oaxaca fundido.
Details: 1523 E. Wood St., Phoenix. 602-243-9000, cocinamadrigal.com.
Durant's
The New York Times revealed its list of 50 favorite restaurants in the U.S. for 2026. Their pick for Arizona was Durant's, an iconic Phoenix steakhouse that recently got a "makeover" after over 70 years in business.
On Durant's, NYT's Brian Gallagher wrote, "You hear a lot about vibes these days. But some vibes you just can’t buy. Those you’ll find at Durant’s."
Details: 2611 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-264-5967, durantsaz.com.
El Sinaloense Hot Dog Cart, Tucson
El Sinaloense Hot Dog Cart in Tucson was No. 95 on Yelp's list of 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. A true hidden gem, they are known for their Sonoran hot dogs, a staple street food that attributes much of its popularity to Arizona.
Details: 1526 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson. 520-358-0779.
El Taco Rustico, Tucson
El Taco Rustico was No. 71 on Yelp's list of 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada for its "plentiful menu featuring burritos, tacos, gorditas, sopes, lorenzas, quesadillas, caramelos, tortas and more."
Details: 2281 N. Oracle Road, Tucson. 520-623-3478, tacorustico.com.
Elote Cafe, Sedona
Elote Cafe, an upscale modern Mexican restaurant and bar in Sedona, was No. 42 on Yelp's list of 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. Reviewers shouted out the lamb adobo, Mexican chocolate pie and, appropriately, the elote.
Details: 350 Jordan Road, Sedona. 928-203-0105, elotecafe.com.
Intentional Foods
Intentional Foods, a family-owned cafe and market that focuses transparency and using allergy-friendly ingredients, was the No. 7 best restaurant for gluten-free dining. They offer sandwiches, salads, tacos and tostadas, all free of peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, seafood, shellfish, sesame and gluten.
Details: 1837 W. Guadalupe Road, Suite 103, Mesa. 480-264-7002, intentionalfoods.org.
Morning Kick, Gilbert
Morning Kick in Gilbert was No. 86 on Yelp's list of 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. Another breakfast and brunch restaurant, Morning Kick does feature a Mexican-heavy menu, including quesadillas, totchos, tacos and award-winning breakfast burritos.
Details: 3076 E. Chandler Heights Road, Suite 101, Gilbert. 480-597-3545, morningkickaz.com.
Pizzeria Bianco
The Republic launched its second annual Phoenix Pizza Poll in September. The contenders included ten of the absolute best pizzerias in the Valley — minus last year's winner, Il Bosco.
This year, readers chose a longtime local icon as their pick for the best pizza in Phoenix: Pizzeria Bianco, opened by lauded restaurateur Chris Bianco nearly forty years ago.
Details: 623 E. Adams St., Phoenix. 602-258-8300. Also, 4743 N. 20th St., Phoenix. 602-368-3273, pizzeriabianco.com.
Spinato's Pizzeria & Family Kitchen
Spinato's, a 50-year-old, family- and employee-owned pizzeria with seven Valley locations, was the No. 6 best gluten-free pizzeria. They offer three options for gluten-free crusts: a traditional 10-inch gluten-free crust, an 8-inch cauliflower crust and a 10-inch chicken keto crust.
Details: 5509 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. 602-277-0088. More locations at spinatospizzeria.com.
Spooky's Swirls
Food Network-famous Spooky's Swirls, a dedicated gluten-free bakery with a year-round Halloween theme, was the No. 4 best gluten-free bakery.
Details: 3029 N. Alma School Road, Suite 117, Chandler. 707-776-6597, spookysswirls.com.
Tacos Veganos, Phoenix
Tacos Veganos in Phoenix was No. 97 on Yelp's list of 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. The fully vegan taco joint also has a location in Avondale. Yelp Elites said the restaurant shows that "plant-based food can be both delicious and affordable."
Details: 3301 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-675-2100, aztacosveganos.com.
Taco Viva, Phoenix
Taco Viva in Phoenix was No. 62 on Yelp's list of 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. Yelp called it a "favorite neighborhood spot bringing an authentic taqueria experience to Phoenix."
Details: 2815 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 480-360-2324, tacoviva.com.
The Tamale Store, Phoenix
The Tamale Store in Phoenix was No. 41 on Yelp's list of 100 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. The family-owned restaurant was also one of our essential restaurants for 2026.
Details: 15842 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix. 602-435-2604, thetamalestore.com.
Reach the reporter at eddie.fontanez@azcentral.com. Follow @ERFontanez on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 16 Arizona restaurants were named among the best in U.S. this month
