Where To Get The Best Southwestern Cuisine in Phoenix, Arizona

It may be closer than you think.

I don’t know about you, but the moment I set foot at my final destination, I think 2 things. 1. Where’s the nearest bathroom? And 2. Where am I going to eat? This is a review of the second thing, the best place to eat in Phoenix, Arizona, within a 10-minute drive from the airport.

Arriving to Your Final Destination

When I got off the airplane, I booked it to the bathroom, much like everyone else.

I use the time to freshen up. Deodorant, essential oils, reapply makeup, and sometimes even brush my teeth.

I know.

I feel like the only one who does this too- especially among the stares and glares of judgment. I realize it is I who assume they are saying, “gross, she’s brushing her teeth in a public bathroom!” Oh the horror!

I am just getting ready to be ready for the next thing, which includes running out in traffic to hop into the passenger seat of my friend’s ride to get a big fat welcome hug!

My driver, a friend of almost 20 years, dodges and weaves, getting us safely through the sea of happy arrivals.

We know exactly where we are going. It’s become a tradition to stop in for some local grub at one of the best southwestern cuisine I have ever tasted.

Dick’s Hideaway is tucked in the middle of one of those strip malls you would never stop at unless you had a precise reason to be there.

Our reason?

A feast.

Southwestern Experience Begins

You know you’re near because of the smoke smell permeating the air as if it were blessing all who recognize the scent.

Upon entering, you immediately forget there is Arizona sun outside as you find your way through the dimly lit space to find your high-top table.

Servers quickly place paper menus on the table with napkin coasters, a carafe of water, and small glasses.

We order our beverages. My companion orders wine and I ask about ZeroProof liquor.

Nada.

I am getting used to this response. However, I still ask every time I sit down to a special meal.

In hindsight, I should have asked about NA beers and or dealcoholized wines, but I had my sights on either a margarita or Bloody Mary.

Realizing I myself don’t know how to make a virgin margarita, I went for the homemade virgin Bloody Mary.

Ordering a drink as a nondrinker who still wants something special can feel intimidating in a world that celebrates the use of alcohol for nearly every occasion.

I still practice asking, hoping it will come naturally and be familiar one day.

One thing both my friend and I are familiar with is the roasted garlic platter- a go-to favorite ordered on nearly every Hideaway outing.

The tortillas that line the bottom of the plate have browned while soaking up the garlic, red and green pepper juices as melted cheese oozes over the platter from the sizzling heat of the preparation. You are not likely to find this delicacy on many menus.

This roasted elephant garlic melts in your mouth. Served with crostini or tortillas if you ask, we coat our flour tortilla with the melted dip. It spreads like room-temperature butter on warm bread.

Devouring our bites, we continue catching up on our lives, where we have both psychologically come from, letting the insights of our experiences evolve with bite after bite.

The garlic must be warding off evil spirits or unpleasant vibes because we just ate and enjoyed the divine.

The Main Course

Brunch just so happened to be served this time around.

Ironically, I woke up a few days ago craving huevos rancheros, especially the spice of the red sauce. So I pretty much knew what I was going to order even though it took me a while to settle.

My friend had been eating at Dick’s for years. As guests come and go it has been the go-to spot to celebrate the southwestern experience.

So she was quite familiar with the menu but went for her old standby pork adovada, meat braised in different chilis served with pinto beans and tortillas.

Our meals come out in thick metal platters that are insanely hot to the touch. This isn’t a plate where you test your heat sensitivity to see if you can adjust.

It’s hot!

The first bite of my huevos, the spice pops as it heats my mouth. The kick is exciting.

Idaho, where I am from, does have some good Mexican food, but there is something about the mixture of the smoky atmosphere and spices that sets southwestern cuisine apart.

I can’t help but wonder if these ingredients are super fresh and regional. Things just grow differently in this kind of desert.

After about half of our platter is savored, we are ready for some go boxes, and the server gladly packs up our order.

Settling Up

After we take the last sips of our beverages, we settle our check.

Dick’s is illuminated with a hint of light here and there.

It’s a lovely ambiance to escape the sun-soaked days.

This, however, makes it difficult to see the fine print of your bill.

Conveniently, a tea light candle at the end of our table provides enough illumination to see our itemized meal prices. We tip and sign our names, feeling ready for the next part of our Arizona experience.

One of the delights of Dick’s Hideaway is that it gives you a secluded vibe like that of a small, smokey (Southwestern meats) cantina tucked away in its secluded location on a side street not far from a main thoroughfare into Phoenix. You linger over beverages and warm connections and reluctantly reemerge into the bustle of reality, knowing that you will savor your experience until the next time you are fortunate enough to travel to Arizona again.

Dick’s Hideaway

Ambiance 4.5 ⭐ Service 4 ⭐ Beverages 4⭐ Food 5⭐ Total Experience 4.3 ⭐

Oh, and just in case you are wondering what we did with the leftovers, we took the aluminum containers they came in, slowly heated them in the oven, and enjoyed eating them for the next 3 days. Yes, the portions were that large and maybe even more tasty the next day with lunch and an additional egg over easy the following morning.

Still muy rico y delicioso.

Patty McMahon, M.Ed is an educator, a mother, wife, and dog lover writing about sobriety and wellness in the 21st c. To learn more, check out her About Me Stories. Join her newsletter to get more insights on wellness delivered to your inbox. Check out her linktr.ee or become a medium member using this link.