Phoenix Guide
The Best Restaurants in Uptown Phoenix
Where to eat in Uptown Phoenix, from the people who work here: Paper Bag and Chewk’s on Missouri, Pane Bianco and Cheese ’N Stuff on Central, and Federal Pizza, Windsor and Chula Seafood around Central and Camelback.
Uptown is our neighborhood. Paper Bag sits in The Frederick on Missouri Avenue, and most days our crew eats within a couple of miles of the shop. It’s a part of Phoenix full of mid-century buildings, shady side streets and locally owned restaurants, with the light rail running right up Central Avenue.
This is our list of the best restaurants in Uptown Phoenix, roughly the stretch along Central Avenue and east toward 16th Street, between Indian School and Bethany Home.
Uptown Phoenix restaurants at a glance
| # | Restaurant | Best For | Order This | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paper Bag Sandwich Co. | Sandwiches | Hall Pass | Uptown | $$ |
| 2 | Chewk’s Cookies | Cookies | Chocolate Chunk | Uptown | $ |
| 3 | Federal Pizza | Pizza | Pepperoni Pie | Central & Camelback | $$ |
| 4 | Windsor | Burgers & Brunch | Burger | Central & Camelback | $$ |
| 5 | Chula Seafood | Seafood | Poke Bowl | Uptown Plaza | $$ |
| 6 | Pane Bianco | Italian Lunch | Italian Combo | Central Ave | $$ |
| 7 | Cheese ’N Stuff | Classic Deli | The Doughboy | Central Ave | $ |
| 8 | Miracle Mile Deli | Hot Pastrami | The Straw | 16th St | $$ |
01. Paper Bag Sandwich Co. — Best Sandwiches in Uptown Phoenix
We’re in The Frederick, a mid-century courtyard complex at 12th Street and Missouri. We bake schiacciata every morning, build every sandwich to order and close when the bread runs out.
Start with the Hall Pass (turkey, whipped ricotta, hot honey). If you like heat, the Fire Drill stacks chicken, jalapeño peppered bacon, cheddar, crispy onions and spicy Calabrian chili ranch.
- Order This:
- The Hall Pass, or the Fire Drill if you like it spicy
- Good to Know:
- There’s parking right in The Frederick’s lot. Order ahead online to skip the line.
- Hours:
- Tue–Sat 10:30 AM–4 PM · Sun 10:30 AM–3 PM
- Website:
- paperbagsandwich.co
02. Chewk’s Cookies — Best Dessert in Uptown Phoenix
Our neighbors. Chewk’s started in 2021 as a food truck run by two Grand Canyon University students and grew into one of Phoenix’s favorite cookie shops, now across the courtyard from us in The Frederick.
The cookies are big, thick and chewy in the middle. Sandwich first, cookie second. That’s the rule.
- Order This:
- Chocolate chunk (there’s a gluten-free version too)
- Good to Know:
- It’s in The Frederick with Paper Bag, a short walk across the courtyard.
- Website:
- chewkscookies.com
03. Federal Pizza — Best Pizza in Uptown Phoenix
Federal Pizza lives in a restored 1950s bank building on Central, originally a First Federal branch designed by Phoenix architect Al Beadle. It’s from Upward Projects, the local group behind Postino, and it does wood-fired pizza, pastas and salads.
Share a pepperoni pie and a salad, and come during happy hour if you can.
- Order This:
- A pepperoni pizza and a salad for the table
- Good to Know:
- Happy hour runs every day until 5 PM, with $6 pitchers, coolers and wine by the glass. There’s a second Federal Pizza at PV in north Phoenix.
- Hours:
- Daily 11 AM–12 AM
- Website:
- federalpizza.com
04. Windsor — Best Neighborhood Bar in Uptown Phoenix
Windsor is Uptown’s living room. It’s another Upward Projects spot, right across Central from Federal, serving American comfort food, craft cocktails and brunch.
Get a burger and fries, or come early for brunch. Churn, the same team’s ice cream shop, is steps away for dessert.
- Order This:
- A burger and fries, or brunch
- Good to Know:
- $6 cocktails, wine and beer until 5 PM every day.
- Hours:
- Daily 9 AM–12 AM (kitchen until 11 PM)
- Website:
- windsoraz.com
05. Chula Seafood — Best Seafood in Uptown Phoenix
Chula is a fish market and counter-service kitchen in Uptown Plaza, the mid-century shopping center at Central and Camelback. It’s where Uptown buys its fish and where a lot of us eat lunch.
Get a Hawaiian poke bowl or the Hatch chile tuna melt, and pick up something from the case for dinner.
- Order This:
- The Hawaiian poke bowl or the Hatch chile tuna melt
- Good to Know:
- Sunday is an all-day happy hour.
- Hours:
- Mon–Thu 10 AM–8 PM · Fri–Sat 10 AM–9 PM · Sun 10 AM–8 PM
- Website:
- chulaseafood.com
06. Pane Bianco — Best Lunch on Central Avenue
Chris Bianco’s Pane Bianco sits on Central just south of Camelback. Dine-in is lunch only, and the menu is short: sandwiches on house-baked bread, salads and NY-style slices.
The Italian combo is the order. Grab a loaf for home while you’re there.
- Order This:
- The Italian combo
- Good to Know:
- Lunch is Monday through Saturday, 11 AM to 2:30 PM. Takeout pizza at dinner, Wednesday through Saturday.
- Website:
- pizzeriabianco.com
07. Cheese ’N Stuff — Most Classic Spot in Uptown Phoenix
A Central Avenue deli since 1949, Cheese ’N Stuff nearly disappeared in 2025 before new owners reopened it that November with the same recipes and menu. They even got the old neon sign lit again.
Order the Doughboy: turkey, bacon, avocado and mayo on toasted sourdough.
- Order This:
- The Doughboy
- Good to Know:
- Hours have changed since the reopening, so check before you go.
08. Miracle Mile Deli — Best Deli Near Uptown Phoenix
Miracle Mile Deli is a short drive east on 16th Street, and it’s been family owned since 1949. Think hot pastrami, matzo ball soup and pie.
Get the Straw (hot pastrami, Swiss and sauerkraut), the top seller for decades.
- Order This:
- The Straw and a cup of matzo ball soup
- Good to Know:
- Open Monday through Saturday, 11 AM to 7 PM.
- Hours:
- Mon–Sat 11 AM–7 PM
- Website:
- miraclemiledeli.com
Uptown Phoenix restaurants by block
Uptown is easy to eat your way through. Here’s how this list maps out.
- Central & Camelback:
- Chula Seafood in Uptown Plaza, plus Federal Pizza and Windsor facing each other on Central just north of Camelback. The Central/Camelback light rail station is a short walk away.
- Central Avenue:
- Pane Bianco south of Camelback and Cheese ’N Stuff just north of Camelback.
- 12th Street & Missouri:
- Paper Bag Sandwich Co. and Chewk’s Cookies, neighbors in The Frederick.
- 16th Street:
- Miracle Mile Deli, a few minutes’ drive east.
- Coming Soon:
- Lado A Lado, a wood-fired Sonoran restaurant from the Tacos Chiwas team and Upward Projects, is taking over the old Joyride space at 5202 N Central Ave, with an opening planned for fall 2026.
A perfect day of eating in Uptown Phoenix
Brunch
Windsor. Brunch on the patio, then walk it off along Central.
Lunch
Paper Bag + Chewk’s. A Hall Pass at Paper Bag, then a cookie across the courtyard at Chewk’s.
Dinner
Federal Pizza. Happy hour until 5, then a pepperoni pie.
How we picked
This one’s personal. These are our neighbors and the places we actually eat. Every spot had to be:
- In or right next to Uptown. Roughly Central Avenue to 16th Street, Indian School to Bethany Home.
- Locally owned. Uptown Plaza has national chains too. They aren’t on this list.
- A regular stop for our crew. If we wouldn’t walk over on our lunch break, it didn’t make it.
New spot in the neighborhood? Tell us on Instagram.
Uptown Phoenix FAQ
Where is Uptown Phoenix?
Uptown Phoenix is the part of north-central Phoenix around Central Avenue and Camelback Road, roughly between Indian School Road and Bethany Home Road. It’s known for mid-century architecture, Uptown Plaza and locally owned restaurants.
What are the best restaurants in Uptown Phoenix?
Our picks are Paper Bag Sandwich Co. and Chewk’s Cookies in The Frederick, Federal Pizza and Windsor on Central, Chula Seafood in Uptown Plaza, Pane Bianco and Cheese ’N Stuff on Central Avenue, and Miracle Mile Deli on 16th Street.
Where should I eat lunch in Uptown Phoenix?
Paper Bag Sandwich Co. at 1215 E Missouri Ave for sandwiches on fresh-baked schiacciata, Pane Bianco for Italian sandwiches or Chula Seafood for poke.
Where is the best happy hour in Uptown Phoenix?
Federal Pizza and Windsor both run happy hour every day until 5 PM, and Chula Seafood has an all-day happy hour on Sundays.
Can you take the light rail to Uptown Phoenix restaurants?
Yes. The Central/Camelback light rail station is a short walk from Chula Seafood, Federal Pizza and Windsor.
More Phoenix food guides
- The 10 Best Places to Eat in Phoenix
- Our top ten across every category, from tacos and BBQ to sushi.
- The 8 Best Sandwiches in Phoenix
- Italian subs, hot pastrami, tuna melts and schiacciata.
- The 8 Best Lunch Spots in Phoenix
- Where to go when you’ve got an hour and you’re hungry.
Sources: Axios on Cheese ’N Stuff’s reopening, Phoenix New Times on Lado A Lado, Phoenix Magazine on Chula Uptown and each restaurant’s own website. Hours and menus change, so check with each restaurant before you go.
Photo Credits: Photos are courtesy of each restaurant and link to their source.
- Paper Bag Sandwich Co.: Paper Bag Sandwich Co.
- Chewk’s Cookies: Chewk’s Cookies
- Federal Pizza: Federal Pizza
- Windsor: Windsor
- Chula Seafood: Chula Seafood
- Pane Bianco: Pane Bianco
- Miracle Mile Deli: Miracle Mile Deli
In Uptown?
Lunch Is on Missouri.
Fresh-baked schiacciata, real ingredients, built to order. Made fresh daily — once it’s gone, it’s gone.