Indigenous eats have long been underrepresented in the Southwest, overshadowed by the festive flare from south of the border. But a burgeoning movement of chefs and activists, such as world-renowned “Sioux Chef” Sean Sherman and Arizona’s own James Beard Award nominee Nephi Craig, is bringing attention back to the foods of our tribal ancestors.
The earliest residents of the Sonoran Desert devised ways to grow and harvest plants that sustained their cultures for thousands of years. Tribes supplemented agave hearts, cactus fruits, peppers, corn, and seeds with rabbit, elk, and duck.
“Indigenous cuisine lives in this sandbox of the Three Sisters: squash, beans, and corn. But Arizona is so diverse in its climate and what grows here,” said Thomas Riordan, executive chef at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, home to Native-focused restaurants Kai and Ko’Sin. “There are four seasons of mushrooms, spring onions, ramps. We have palo verde beans, cholla buds, mesquite honey. The Three Sisters is a hallmark and benchmark for what Native cuisine is, but all these products grew here year-round as well.”
The arrival of Jesuit missionaries in the 1600s brought wheat, sugar, cattle, and fruit trees. Over the years, however, the modernization of agriculture and changing societies resulted in the loss of many of these ingredients.
Today, Native-owned farms, such as Ramona Farms in Sacaton and San Xavier Cooperative Farm near Tucson, are dedicated to reintroducing some of the forgotten heritage foods, such as tepary beans, cholla buds, O’odham peas, and 60-day corn. Tucson-based Native Seeds/SEARCH supports Native farmers by curating, documenting, and distributing seeds of traditionally grown crops.
As a result, diners are finding more places to experience indigenous cruise. From small Native-owned food stands to fine-dining concepts, here are nine Valley eateries that honor Arizona’s past and cultivate interest in Native American cuisine
Kai
The only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star Native American restaurant in the U.S., Kai in Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass is more than a meal, it’s an immersive experience in indigenous culinary artistry that honors Pima and Pee Posh heritage. Chef Drew Anderson’s five- and seven-course tasting menus tell a story of the land and culture of the Gila River Indian Community, while floor-to-ceiling windows look out on the Sierra Estrella and South Mountain ranges.
Innovative dishes with indigenous names delight the palette. There’s Ha:L, a black mustard sturgeon with smoked winter squash puree, Hatch chile, and ossetra caviar; Kachk, sea bream and sweet king prawn with wheatberry and tepary bean poshol (soup); and S-Thoa Mu:N, white bean hummus with buckwheat and sumac lavash. With quality comes price, though. The full experience with wine pairings costs $350 per person. 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler, kairestaurant.com
Ko’Sin
If Kai’s fine dining take on Native cuisine isn’t quite to your taste, its sister restaurant on the property, Ko’Sin, which means “kitchen” in the Pima language, offers a more casual yet still elegant approach. Executive chef Thomas Riordan’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus blend American and Southwestern cuisine with Native ingredients and techniques.
For example, the Tepary Bean & Roasted Squash Salad comprises mixed greens, tepary beans, charred honey nut, Delicata squash, roasted peppers, and crispy quinoa. The BBQ Shrimp and Pork Belly Ga’ivsa is a contemporary take on the traditional Pima cob-roasted heirloom corn. It includes butternut squash, peppers, herb pistou, pickled corn, and hominy chow chow. The stunning views of the Sierra Estrella Mountains from the patio add to the experience. 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler, wildhorsepass.com
Fry Bread House
The first Native American restaurant to win a James Beard Award, this Phoenix staple has been serving up iconic Tohono O’odham fry bread since 1992. It’s a must-do stop for visitors and locals alike. Founder Cecelia Miller learned her fry bread technique while growing up in the Tohono O’odham Nation.
Over the years, the restaurant has added additional Native dishes, including Hominy Stew, Posole, and Chumuth, a core Tohono O’odham bread, as well as Mexican-inspired tacos, burritos, and tamales. 4545 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix, frybreadhouseaz.com
Courtyard Café at the Heard Museum
The Heard Museum in downtown Phoenix offers one of the largest collections of Native American arts in the world. So it only makes sense that its onsite eatery would showcase indigenous ingredients. The Tepary Bean Hummus & Frybread features beans from Ramona Farms, while the fluffy bread also shows up as croutons in the Smoked Salmon Rillettes Salad.
The specialty, though, is the Dreamcatcher Salad, which plates tomato, avocado, corn, dried cranberries, Ramona Farms Pima wheat berries, pepitas, and baby greens around a cup of balsamic vinaigrette. Make sure to leave room for the Fry Bread Sundae. A sweet fry bread is coated in a chocolate drizzle and topped with a scoop of ice cream. 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, heard.org
The Stand
If you’re driving through the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, you might not take notice of the ramshackle roadside stand on the corner of Alma School and Indian School roads. But you’re missing out if you don’t stop. This open-air kitchen, built from arrowroot and cactus ribs, dishes up some of the state’s best fry bread, green and red chili, tacos, and menudo.
In fact, in February, it was named one of the best restaurants in the country by USA Today. Owner Michael Washington, who’s of Pima, Maricopa, and Tohono O’odham heritage, and his late wife, Cindy, opened The Stand in 2008, and it is now considered a pillar of the community. The Stand doesn’t take cards, so bring plenty of cash, because once you try the food, you’ll want to get extra to take home. 4020 N. Alma School Rd., Scottsdale, no website
Frybread Lounge
As part of the Native Art Market, Old Town Scottsdale’s first and only Native-owned restaurant serves up traditional dishes made from local ingredients. Chef Darryl Montana, an O’odham Community member, ensures that each dish celebrates the culture, seasonality, and sustainability of the region.
Tepary beans from Ramona Farms are featured in the O’odham Hummus, Frybread Flight, Three Sisters Salad, and Native Frybread Taco, while prairie harvest bison is available in ribeye, ground, birria, or asada form. Many dishes, including the Navajo Roasted Blue Corn Mush, are topped with Wojapi, a traditional berry sauce from the Lakota and Dakota peoples. Wash it all down with a Wild Navajo Tea, Piñon Coffee, or White Blueberry Tea. 7211 E. Main St., Scottsdale, thefrybreadlounge.com
Carcara
The signature restaurant of the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown is a celebration of the Grand Canyon State’s heritage and history. From the earthy color palette to the 24-foot tree that spreads out from the center of the dining room to the patio dotted with Cara Cara orange trees, the design focuses on the sense of place.
At the same time the menu of Native American-inspired dishes incorporates locally grown and heritage ingredients. Try the Navajo Chile Verde, served with tepary bean pico de gallo and Navajo fry bread, or the Northwoods Elk Loin, topped with a huckleberry demi-glace and pine nut gremolata. The restaurant recently introduced a quarterly Chef Series with chef Dominique St. Pierre that explores the rich flavors and culinary traditions of indigenous Arizona. More than a tasting menu, it showcases traditional ingredients transformed through contemporary techniques. Each intimate dinner is limited to 35 guests. 320 N. Third St., Phoenix, carcararestaurant.com
Hope’s Frybread
Chef and owner Hope Peshlakai started her fry bread business in 2011 to help raise funds for a neighbor. For more than a decade, she sold the crispy, chewy rounds of fluffy fried dough from a food stand. Then, in 2022, she opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Mesa. Native-designed elements are displayed throughout the shop, including a large mural of herself, her youngest daughter, and her grandmother making the namesake dish.
In addition to the classic fry bread topped with honey and powdered sugar and the popular Navajo Taco, diners can get it wrapped around beef patties (Navajo Burgers), loaded with lamb filet or chicken teriyaki for a more international taste, or smothered with sweet treats, such as Nutella and banana or marshmallow cream, graham crackers, and chocolate syrup for a Sonoran upgrade on the campfire s’more. 144 S. Mesa Dr., Mesa, hopesfrybread.com
Indian Village
At first glance, Indian Village looks like your typical tourist trap. Step inside, and you’re met with piles of blankets, t-shirts, hats, toys, and just about any cheesy souvenir you could think of. But head to the back of the store, and you’ll find a tiny kitchen that serves up an extensive menu of Mexican and Southwest dishes.
Most diners opt for one of the eatery’s 15 varieties of fry bread. Enjoy it plain as a side with a bowl of spicy chili or get it topped with beans, red chili, cheese, or all three. The house specialty is the Navajo Taco. And for dessert, you can have it with honey and powdered sugar or apples, sugar, and cinnamon. 6746 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek, indianvillage.com
