8 Arizona restaurants that are over the top (in a good way!)

Learn about the eight most over-the-top restaurants in Arizona, from one offering 10-course meals to another that houses the world’s largest theater organ. 

Arizona is home to some imaginative, bold, and unforgettable dining experiences. From themed eateries with immersive decor to upscale destinations offering stunning views, Arizona restaurants aren’t just about the food—they’re designed to dazzle.

We’re diving into the most over-the-top Arizona restaurants—places where romantic ambiance, elaborate tasting menus, and larger-than-life concepts elevate a meal to an event. You’ll find spots with lavish interiors, theatrical presentations, and unconventional menus that push the boundaries of creativity.

1. COURSE Restaurant, Scottsdale

Put on your stretchy pants and head to Scottsdale for a 10-course prix fixe dinner at COURSE Restaurant by Chef/Partner Cory Oppold, who received Top Chef and Emerging Restaurant of the Year at the Foodist Awards. Immerse yourself in a tasting menu that Chef Oppold curates to celebrate the essence of each season. For instance, the fall of 2024 featured a doughnut with caviar, a play on fish and chips with smoked trout roe and potato, a rabbit loin with stuffing, and a maple cheddar ice cream with bacon and sour cream sugar. 

The chef thoughtfully and playfully presents each dish, so expect some interactive elements, such as smoke or items poured tableside. In all, COURSE curates a sophisticated fine dining experience rather than just a meal. Add on a sommelier-selected wine pairing for a truly special evening.

Photo courtesy of COURSE.

2. Organ Stop Pizza, Mesa

Phoenix is home to the “Mighty Wurlitzer,” the largest and most valuable theatre organ in the world—it’s worth more than $6 million. Originally built for the Denver Theatre in 1927, where it was used until the early 1930s, it was relocated to Mesa more than 50 years ago. The 18,000-square-foot Organ Stop Pizza restaurant was designed specifically to enhance the Wurlitzer’s sound, with 46-foot ceilings providing unparalleled acoustics.  

Each night, the 6,000+ pipes, numerous percussions, and countless traps are masterfully played by world-class organists.  Patrons dine on pizza, pasta, a salad bar, mozzarella sticks, and hand-packed ice cream while listening to the thunderous sounds of the organ. Some popular songs include the “Star Wars “opening theme, “The Flight of the Bumblebee,” “The Circle of Life” from “The Lion King,” and even current pop chart-toppers. The organists take requests and happily cater to the roughly 300,000 annual dinner patrons. 

Photo courtesy of Ivan Martinez.

3. BATA, Tucson

At BATA, Chef Tyler Fenton’s fire-driven Sonoran cuisine takes center stage, with every dish touching the flames of a giant hearth visible to diners through the open kitchen. Named one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants in 2022, BATA’s menu explores the full potential of live fire—grilling, smoking, charring, and even cooking in ash—to create bold, high-impact flavors. The menu is largely vegetable-driven and changes daily. 

Because sustainability begins with sourcing, BATA follows a 400-mile sourcing rule, with most ingredients coming from within 20 miles, highlighting Tucson’s unique terroir and biodiversity. By collaborating with local farmers, ranchers, and foragers, BATA strengthens Tucson’s food heritage, adding depth to the community’s identity as UNESCO’s first City of Gastronomy.

Photo courtesy of BATA.

4. Different Point of View, Phoenix 

Looking to book the most scenic restaurant in Phoenix? There’s no more perfect spot than Different Point of View, the longest consecutively awarded AAA Four-Diamond restaurant in Arizona. Over its 41-year history, this spot has evolved into a culinary experience just as memorable as its panoramic views atop North Mountain in Phoenix (be sure to arrive well before sunset so you can see the breathtaking colors from the patio or the floor-to-ceiling windows).

Start the evening with cliffside cocktails before dining on Iberico pork belly with fried black rice, black truffle risotto with wild mushrooms, and a 30-day dry-aged certified Angus tomahawk with duck fat fingerlings (serves two). Kick the romance up a notch with a stay on-site at the Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs Resort.

5. J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician, Scottsdale 

Nothing beats a classic steakhouse that takes ingredients to the next level. At J&G Steakhouse, a wide variety of seafood is flown in fresh from all over the globe, including Dover Sole from the channels of England, oysters from the west and east coast, lobster from the waters of Maine, and Alaskan king crab. The chef features decadent, hard-to-find ingredients in dishes, such as Caviar Royal Belgian Osetra blinis, black truffle French fries, and foie gras terrine. The restaurant prepares only the finest cuts of meat, including a 30-ounce Wagyu Tomahawk ribeye, grass-fed filet mignon, and lamb T-bone. 

Photo courtesy of Grace Stufkosky.

Wine lovers will be impressed with the list, featuring a selection of rare vintages, including Chateau Mouton Rothschild Vintage 1959 ($3,500), Chateau Haut-Brion Bahans 2003 ($2,035), and Harlan Oakville 2009 ($2,512). Perched on the side of Camelback Mountain on the fifth floor of The Phoenician, J&G Steakhouse has floor-to-ceiling windows and an expansive outdoor terrace offering unobstructed views of the resort, as well as the Downtown Phoenix skyline, with a clear sightline to Papago and South Mountain. 

Photo courtesy of Mark Boisclair.

6. Hash Kitchen, Gilbert

This breakfast eatery (with multiple locations all around the Valley) is known for its remixed and reimagined breakfast classics. Think herb fried chicken and waffles, cannoli donuts, s’mores pancakes, bread pudding French toast sticks, billionaire’s bacon, and chile relleno benedict. But what customers really swoon for is the build-your-own Bloody Mary bar with 60 craft toppings that turn your drink into an actual meal. Plus, there’s a live DJ spinning electric beats for the ultimate brunch vibe.  

Hash is putting a seasonal touch on its menu this November with the return of its savory Smoked Turkey Leg Hash complete with mashed potatoes, demi-glace, two poached eggs and fried leeks. 

Photo courtesy of Hash Kitchen.

7. Kai at Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, Chandler

There’s only one AAA Five Diamond Restaurant in Arizona: Kai. Located at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, and set against the backdrop of the Komatke Mountain Range on the Gila River Indian Community, this restaurant celebrates Native American cuisine with global accents. Its mission is to help tell the story of The Akimal O’otham and The Pee Posh peoples while highlighting the culture and history of the area.

While dining in a group setting (on a prix fixe menu where all dishes are brought out simultaneously in an orchestrated performance), expect to hear compelling stories of Native American culture and the Sonoran Desert ingredients used in each dish—it’s a slow-paced gastronomical experience.

8. Boulders Resort & Spa Scottsdale

Is there anything more romantic than a private starlight dinner for two? Boulders Resort & Spa Scottsdale offers guests and non-guests alike a 5-star restaurant experience under the stars. The resort’s finest linens, crystal, china, candles, and a personal waiter enhance this over-the-top dining experience, not to mention a private musician. Each menu is customized and includes ingredients freshly foraged from the onsite certified organic garden. 

The most popular outdoor dining venues include the 6th Fairway with a private hot air balloon “glowing” throughout the evening for a romantic and decadent six-course menu paired with wine and handmade chocolate truffles; “Promise Rock,” a magical spot surrounded by ancient boulder rock formations and a cascading waterfall accompanied by a five-course customized menu paired with wine and handmade chocolate truffles; and Sunset Point, with breathtaking sunset and desert panoramas, and a four-course menu paired with wine and gift-wrapped box of pralines to bring home.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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