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Best Nachos in Phoenix (2026)

Best Nachos in Phoenix: 1. Arizona Wilderness Brewing · 2. The Mission Old Town · 3. Toca Madera Scottsdale · 4. SumoMaya · 5. Mariscos Playa Hermosa. Addresses, prices and what to order.

Britt Vance
By Britt Vance Guides Editor · Updated September 2026 · How the score is built
Best Nachos in Phoenix (2026)

Nachos aren't one thing in the Valley, they're a brewery platter in Gilbert, a smoke-and-brisket situation in Mesa, and a whole different conversation at an upscale Scottsdale room. This list maps the best versions across the metro, from counter-service spots worth the detour to date-night rooms where the chips just happen to be the right call. No single downtown, no single price point, just the places where nachos are genuinely the move.

1 Arizona Wilderness Brewing Yelp

Arizona Wilderness Brewing

Breweries · Gilbert · $$
6.5

Gilbert's Arizona Wilderness Brewing built its reputation on craft beer, the Refuge IPA has been a flagship for years, but the Loaded Brewery Nachos hold their own as a bar-food anchor. The beer-cheese and layered toppings track well with the brewery's kitchen ambition, which also shows up in the elote burger and bacon-cheese fries. Come for a flight, stay for the nachos; the Heritage District location runs casual and walk-in-friendly.

What to orderWilderness BurgerLoaded Brewery NachosBeer-Battered Fish & Chips Call Directions Scored from the full review record 721 N Arizona Ave · (480) 497-2739
2 The Mission Old Town Yelp

The Mission Old Town

Latin American · Scottsdale · $$$ · № 36 on the List
6.0

The Mission's Old Town Scottsdale room is one of the more reliable upscale Latin kitchens in the Valley. Steak tacos and carne asada are the consistent standouts, and the heated outdoor seating runs well into patio season. The room skews date-night, full service, a polished build-out, the kind of place worth a reservation. If nachos are the opener, the kitchen behind the tacos suggests they won't be an afterthought.

What to orderStreet TacosChile RellenosCarne Asada Book a table Call Directions +Read the review

Old Town's Latin Room That Earns Repeat Visits

Street Tacos

The street tacos draw repeated orders and server recommendations, the anchor protein choice in a Latin American menu built around the open fire.

Chile Rellenos

The chile rellenos represent the kitchen's vegetable work, a traditional form that holds its place against the meat-forward options.

Carne Asada

Carne asada is the expected anchor at a Latin American table, and here it carries the weight of a room where the steak preparations anchor the return visit.

The Mission has held its ground in Old Town Scottsdale as the Latin American room serious diners return to, and the distinction matters in a neighborhood where scene often outpaces substance. The building itself is a draw, with an outdoor heated patio that keeps the space usable well into the cooler months of the Valley's peak October-to-April season. It is upscale dining without the stiffness, the kind of room that works for a date night or a table of friends who want something more deliberate than the surrounding Old Town circuit. The street tacos, built around carne asada, are the signature order and the reason the kitchen's reputation holds.

The chile rellenos read as a kitchen benchmark, the sort of dish that shows whether a Latin American kitchen is cooking from conviction or just moving plates. Carne asada anchors the menu broadly, and the execution across preparations is consistent enough to be the reliable entry point for a first visit or a returning one. The Kierland location and the Old Town original operate as distinct experiences, and the difference is legible: this room carries a confidence the suburban outpost does not. Scottsdale's Old Town dining corridor runs toward nightlife and resort-adjacent spectacle, and The Mission sits at a remove from that, a full-service room oriented toward the food rather than the occasion around it.

The price point is upscale, and the kitchen justifies it through the quality of the protein-forward menu rather than through atmosphere inflation. For the Valley's Latin American category, it is one of the more credible addresses in Scottsdale.

Map showing The Mission Old Town© OpenStreetMap
HoursMon - Thu: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PMFri - Sat: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PMSun: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Address3815 N Brown Ave
Insider tip

The steak tacos are the move here, the dish the kitchen executes with the most confidence. The heated patio is a strong option during the fall and winter season, but bring a light layer on cooler evenings.

3 Toca Madera Scottsdale Yelp

Toca Madera Scottsdale

Mexican · Scottsdale · $$$
5.8

Toca Madera in Scottsdale is a special-occasion room first, wood-fired octopus, Wagyu short rib, and yellowtail sashimi set the register. The chips-and-accompaniments here read upscale, built around the same kitchen that handles those proteins. Service runs attentive and the manager-led hospitality comes through consistently. If you're dropping Scottsdale prices, this is one of the rooms where the execution justifies it across the whole table.

What to orderWood-Fired OctopusWagyu Short RibYellowtail Sashimi Call Directions Scored from the full review record 4736 N Goldwater Blvd · (480) 930-4357
4 SumoMaya Yelp

SumoMaya

Mexican · Scottsdale · $$$ · № 37 on the List
6.0

SumoMaya in Old Town Scottsdale runs a Mexican-Asian fusion program where a spicy tuna roll with jalapeño and a Korean BBQ short rib share the same menu. The nachos here get the same creative treatment, this isn't a straightforward chips-and-salsa room. Shrimp ceviche and fresh sushi are recurring highlights, and the bar program is strong. Reservations are the right call; the room moves at volume on weekend nights.

What to orderKorean BBQ Short RibAsian Fusion Breakfast BurritoSpicy Tuna Roll with Jalapeño Book a table Call Directions +Read the review

Old Town Scottsdale's Latin-Asian Collision

Korean BBQ Short Rib

Short ribs pulling from Korean BBQ traditions land on a menu that runs Mexican and Asian influences side by side, making this the clearest signal of what SumoMaya is doing.

Asian Fusion Breakfast Burrito

The breakfast burrito crosses the menu's Asian-fusion framework into the morning program, a natural entry point for the kitchen's cross-cultural approach.

Spicy Tuna Roll with Jalapeño

The spicy tuna roll with jalapeño sits at the point where the sushi program and the Mexican pantry overlap, which is the logic the whole menu is built on.

SumoMaya operates at a crossroads that most kitchens avoid: the point where Sonoran-adjacent Mexican and East Asian technique stop being separate traditions and start borrowing from each other. The Old Town Scottsdale room runs upscale and the menu makes the premise explicit, with Korean BBQ Short Ribs, a Spicy Tuna Roll finished with jalapeño, and an Asian Fusion Breakfast Burrito all on the same card. That range is either the appeal or the obstacle, depending on who is sitting down.

The kitchen's strongest lane appears to be the raw and cold program. Shrimp ceviche draws consistent notice for its freshness and balance, and the sushi runs clean and well-executed, plated with care. The Spicy Tuna Roll with jalapeño threads the Latin-Asian concept through something technically grounded, not just labeled. The Korean BBQ Short Rib extends the same logic into proteins, leaning on the char and sweet-soy register that makes Korean BBQ an easy pairing with Mexican heat and acid. The beverage program holds up its end: the cocktails lean toward fusion applications and read as well-measured rather than afterthought.

The room is built for the Old Town trade, which means it draws heavily during brunch season (October through April) and serves the date-night and special-occasion crowd that Old Town Scottsdale reliably delivers. The Asian Fusion Breakfast Burrito positions the room explicitly for that brunch window. Energy in the space runs high; this is not a quiet dinner room.

Consistency is the honest caveat. The concept is ambitious enough that execution variance shows up across visits, and the menu's breadth creates more surface area for off nights. At upscale pricing, that gap gets noticed. The room rewards a focused order built around the raw program and the short rib rather than ranging across every fusion premise on the card.

Map showing SumoMaya© OpenStreetMap
HoursMon - Thu: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PMFri: 5:00 PM - 10:00 PMSat: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PMSun: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Address6560 N Scottsdale Rd
Insider tip

Anchor the order in the ceviche and the sushi, then add the Korean BBQ Short Rib for the protein course. The cocktail program is serious enough to pace the meal around it.

5 Mariscos Playa Hermosa Tripadvisor

Mariscos Playa Hermosa

Mexican · Phoenix · $$
6.7

Mariscos Playa Hermosa in Phoenix is a seafood-forward Mexican room where the whole fried fish and shrimp aguachiles are the consistent table anchors. The nachos here lean into the kitchen's seafood identity rather than a standard beef-and-cheese build. The room runs family-friendly with a lively atmosphere, and the ceviche and cocktail programs are the real draw. Walk-in volume is high on weekends, so a reservation is worth making.

What to orderSeafood CocktailShrimp AguachilesFish Ceviche Call Directions Scored from the full review record 1605 E Garfield St · (602) 462-1563
6 Carlsbad Tavern Yelp

Carlsbad Tavern

New Mexican Cuisine · Scottsdale · $$
5.7

Carlsbad Tavern in Scottsdale runs a New Mexican kitchen where green chile heat is the defining ingredient across green chile enchiladas, carne adovada, and the chile rellenos. The nachos get that same chile treatment, this is the right room if you want your chips with actual heat rather than mild chain-style salsa. The habanero burger has its own following. The patio is a draw in season; the room is casual, family-friendly, and walk-in-accessible most nights.

What to orderGreen Chile EnchiladasChile RellenosCarne Adovada Call Directions Scored from the full review record 3313 N Hayden Rd · (480) 970-8164
7 Alma Scottsdale Yelp

Alma Scottsdale

Mexican · Scottsdale · $$
6.4

Alma Scottsdale punches above its price point, grilled octopus tacos and fresh fish ceviche at a two-dollar-sign room in Scottsdale is a solid deal. The Mexican street corn gets consistent attention, and the bar program delivers on spice when you ask for it. Happy hour is a strong entry point, and outdoor seating is the call in season. The kitchen runs upscale-casual and the service is attentive without the full special-occasion overhead.

What to orderFresh Fish CevicheGrilled Octopus TacosMexican Street Corn Call Directions Scored from the full review record 7001 N Scottsdale Rd · (480) 687-2612
8 Tacos Chiwas Tripadvisor

Tacos Chiwas

Mexican · Phoenix · $$
6.3

Tacos Chiwas in Phoenix is a counter-service room with kiosk, counter, and bar ordering options, fast and functional, clean cafeteria-style seating. The carne asada and al pastor combination plates are the core of the menu, and the kitchen runs at volume late into the night. For a no-frills taco stop near Sky Harbor, the execution is well above the price and the nachos share the same quality kitchen. No reservations needed; the line moves.

What to orderCarne Asada TacosChile RellenosAl Pastor Combination Plate Call Directions Scored from the full review record 1028 E Indian School Rd · (602) 358-8830
9 Miel De Agave Tripadvisor

Miel De Agave

Mexican · Phoenix · $$
6.3

Miel de Agave in Phoenix runs upscale-casual Mexican at a two-dollar-sign price point, and the kitchen earns the occasion framing. The quesobirria has become a house signature, and the tres leches is one of the better dessert finishes in the Phoenix Mexican scene. Carne asada and grilled ribeye anchor the savory side. The room reads birthday-and-celebration-ready, with attentive table service and a bar program to match.

What to orderCarne AsadaGrilled Ribeye SteakFresh Ceviche Call Directions Scored from the full review record 705 N 1st St · (480) 690-2872
10 Morning Kick Yelp

Morning Kick

Brunch · Gilbert · $$
8.2

Morning Kick in Gilbert is a breakfast-and-brunch room where portion size is part of the identity, the cowboy burrito and decade breakfast burrito are both built to last most of the day. Chilaquiles Benedict and cinnamon roll French toast round out a menu that skews Mexican-American brunch. The Gilbert farmers market food truck is a separate presence in the Heritage District. Counter-service, family-friendly, and worth arriving early on weekends before the line builds.

What to orderMexican Breakfast BurritoChilaquiles BenedictCinnamon Roll French Toast Call Directions +Read the review

Gilbert's Weekend Burrito Anchor Earns Its Reputation

Mexican Breakfast Burrito

The Mexican Breakfast Burrito is the anchor of the morning menu, a substantial flour-tortilla wrap built around eggs, salsa, and a filling that carries through midday.

Chilaquiles Benedict

Chilaquiles Benedict merges two breakfast traditions into a single plate, with the corn-chip base of classic chilaquiles standing in for the English muffin.

Cinnamon Roll French Toast

The Cinnamon Roll French Toast bridges the pastry and egg-batter programs, treating a cinnamon roll as the bread for a sweeter, richer French toast preparation.

Morning Kick operates as a genuine neighborhood fixture in Gilbert, built around the kind of breakfast that runs through the morning and into the afternoon. The room draws family crowds on weekends, and the format is straightforward: this is a brunch spot where portion scale and execution do the talking.

The breakfast burritos are the anchor of the operation and are priced for the portions they deliver. The cowboy burrito arrives with bacon and potatoes cooked to a proper crisp, salsa worked in, and enough mass to justify the trip on its own. The decade breakfast burrito, also a standout, has earned a following at the Gilbert farmers market through the food truck side of the business, which gives the brand reach beyond the brick-and-mortar room. The farmers market presence is not an afterthought; it is a second proving ground that has reinforced the burrito's reputation across the East Valley.

The Chilaquiles Benedict represents the kitchen's willingness to move across the border between Sonoran breakfast tradition and brunch-menu ambition. Chilaquiles as a base for an eggs Benedict construction is a choice that requires the chips to hold up under the egg and sauce, and the version here has drawn repeat orders. The Cinnamon Roll French Toast reads as the room's sweet-side signature, a draw for the family-weekend crowd that balances the savory-heavy menu.

Morning Kick sits in a metro where the flour-tortilla breakfast tradition runs deep, from South Phoenix north through the East Valley suburbs. Gilbert's dining scene has grown considerably over the past decade, and this room fits the neighborhood character: moderately priced, family-oriented, and consistent enough to sustain a loyal weekend following.

Map showing Morning Kick© OpenStreetMap
HoursDaily: 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Address3076 E Chandler Heights Rd
Insider tip

The cowboy burrito is the order for first-timers; the bacon and potatoes are requested crispy for a reason. The food truck appears regularly at the Gilbert farmers market for those who want to test the decade breakfast burrito before committing to a full sit-down visit.

11 Jalapeño Buck's Yelp

Jalapeño Buck's

Mexican · Mesa · $$
6.6

Jalapeño Buck's in Mesa does BBQ-Mexican crossover better than most, smoked brisket burritos, barbacoa tacos, and BBQ nachos built around the same smoke program. The option to deep-fry the burrito is the kind of move that earns regulars. The room runs casual and family-friendly, and the menu covers territory that most taco shops don't attempt. For Mesa residents, it's become a go-to precisely because it doesn't replicate what's already on every corner.

What to orderBarbacoa TacosSmoked Brisket BurritoBBQ Nachos Call Directions Scored from the full review record 3434 N Val Vista Dr · (480) 459-3050

Frequently asked

Where can I find the best nachos near me in the Valley?
It depends on your city. Gilbert has Arizona Wilderness Brewing and Morning Kick. Mesa has Jalapeño Buck's BBQ Nachos. Scottsdale has multiple options from casual (Carlsbad Tavern) to upscale (Toca Madera, Alma). Phoenix proper has Tacos Chiwas and Miel de Agave. Every pick on this list earned its spot through its Insider Score on Top of Phoenix, no restaurant pays to be listed.
Are these nachos spots good for families?
Several of them are. La Bamba Mexican Grill in El Mirage, Carlsbad Tavern in Scottsdale, Morning Kick in Gilbert, Jalapeño Buck's in Mesa, and Mariscos Playa Hermosa in Phoenix all run family-friendly rooms at casual price points. The upscale Scottsdale rooms (Toca Madera, The Mission) skew more toward adult date nights.
What makes nachos worth ordering at a sit-down restaurant versus a quick-service spot?
At a full-service room like The Mission or Toca Madera in Scottsdale, the nachos reflect the same kitchen running wood-fired proteins and fresh-built sauces. At a counter-service spot like Tacos Chiwas or Jalapeño Buck's, you get a fast, high-volume execution at a lower price. Both approaches are on this list because both work, the Insider Score on Top of Phoenix accounts for value at each price tier, and no listing here is paid placement.
When is the best time to visit these spots for nachos during patio season?
Patio season in the Valley runs October through April, when daytime temperatures are in the mid-60s to low 70s. Carlsbad Tavern and Alma Scottsdale both have notable outdoor seating worth requesting in season. Summer (late May through September) is brutal, 105 to 115 degrees, so the patio call only applies in cooler months. All Insider Scores on Top of Phoenix are generated from the review record; no restaurant pays for a spot on this list.
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The data first, then the verdict

We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →

About the writer
Britt Vance
Guides Editor

Britt builds the best-of lists one dish at a time, working neighborhood by neighborhood across Phoenix until each ranking points somewhere specific. Her guides start with the review record and end with an order you can place tonight.

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