There are celebrity chefs and then there are sports celebrities turned chefs (or in some cases, restaurant owners). In Phoenix, current and former pro athletes from the NFL to the NBA, have taken their games off the field to open restaurants and bars. And some of those restaurants have earned fan bases and critical acclaim of their own.
While some ballers contributed just their ideas or their endorsements, others have stepped behind the line to cook everything from globally-inflected Mexican food to smashburgers with a cult following.
Here’s a look at 5 metro Phoenix restaurants that are owned by current and former pro athletes.
Big Chicken
Hall of Fame basketball star Shaquille O’Neal opened the first Big Chicken restaurant in 2018, serving some of his personal childhood favorite comfort foods like chicken sandwiches and mac and cheese. The restaurant has locations in 16 states, plus Canada, England and Honduras. In Arizona, you can visit in downtown Gilbert or at concessions stands inside ASU’s Mullett Arena or the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
Details: 366 N. Gilbert Road, Suite 106, Gilbert. 873-901-8899, bigchicken.com.
Chilte
Chef Lawrence “L.T.” Smith was an NFL player before shifting gears to open his now-critically acclaimed Mexican restaurant, Chilte, inside the Egyptian Motor Hotel on Grand Avenue in 2023. Chilte landed Smith in the semifinals for the James Beard Awards’ Emerging Chef category in 2025. The menu changes from season to season, but consistently popular offerings include moles and tacos.
Details: 765 Grand Ave., Phoenix. 602-807-5226, chiltephx.com.
Majerle’s Sports Grill
Former Phoenix Suns player Dan Majerle opened the first Majerle’s Sports Grill in downtown Phoenix in 1992. Other than being a popular spot to watch sports in the Valley, Majerle’s also offers a full food menu including burgers, nachos, wings, sandwiches and salads.
Details: 24 N. Second St., Phoenix. 602-253-0118, majerles.com.
Problem Lounge
Problem Lounge, a three-story restaurant, hookah lounge and rooftop bar from NFL player Deebo Samuel and chef Cleaz Hill is now open in Old Town Scottsdale. Starters include lobster deviled eggs, surf and turf frites and grilled stuffed oysters. Main highlights include crab and shrimp pappardelle, blackened chicken penne, king crab stuffed salmon, rack of lamb and the 48-ounce Titan cut signature tomahawk. For dessert, there’s peach cobbler, Basque cheesecake and butter cake.
Details: 7345 E. Sixth Ave., Scottsdale. 480-297-2525, problemlounge.com.
Randizzle’s
Former Arizona Rattlers player Randy Gatewood is the owner of Randizzle’s Food Truck. And soon, he will open his very first brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Phoenix. Diners can find a variety of burgers like classic, hatch (made with pepper jack, Jalapeño, hatch green chiles, bacon, grilled onion and Randizzle sauce) and pb and J (made with bacon, grape jelly, peanut butter, cheese, onion ring and sauce on a pretzel bun).
Details: 521 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix. randizzlesfoodtruck.com.
Reporting by Eddie Fontanez, Arizona Republic
