There’s no obvious entrance to The Ra Ra Room, but that’s kind of the point. One doesn’t just show up at a hidden club inside the Mortgage Matchup Center, you have to make a detailed plan.
Luckily we did, and on a recent Friday night we pulled up to the arena, home of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, with instructions to look for a single clue: a maroon umbrella. No signage. No grand entry. Just nonchalant valet attendants waiting curbside. It’s almost like you’re on a secret mission, and the mission is dinner.
Once we arrived at the year-old club, things got even more interesting.
After handing off the car, we checked in, passed through security, and were escorted through back-of-house stairwells and hallways sports fans don’t normally see inside the venue. It felt less like arriving at a restaurant and more like being quietly ushered into an exclusive backstage pass experience.
Then suddenly, a door opened, and we found ourselves guests of the Ra Ra Room.
The Secret Dinner Extravaganza
The Ra Ra Room is exactly what one expects from a members-only club backed by Major Food Group. The brand runs iconic concepts in cities from New York to Hong Kong, including Carbone, ZZ’s Club, The Grill, Torrisi, Villa Miami, and now, has a foothold in Phoenix.
Inside the hidden space we took in the softly lit, Art Deco-inspired, and effortlessly chic surroundings with highlights of red, gold, and burnt orange. Tables are spaced generously, the bar glows in the background, and at 5:30 p.m., the vibe leans more intimate date night than buzzy hot spot.
Once sat, we were greeted with a glass of bubbly before even opening the menu, and from that point on, the service never missed. That night we got the kind of seamless, white-glove service one expects from an exclusive club.
Uncovering the Menu
Start the adventure with a Dirty Martini ($22) with Grey Goose vodka, olive brine, and a choice of regular or blue cheese olives hit all the right notes. On the food side, the Yellowtail Ceviche ($27) ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the night. It’s the kind of dish you almost skip because you think you’ve had it before, but the server nudged us toward it. We’re glad we listened. The outcome was a bright, fresh, and slightly spicy treat for the senses.
Don’t sleep on the Pigs in a Blanket ($25). The mini beef hot dogs come wrapped in bacon and pastry and served with mustard and Russian dressing to dip the elevated low-brow bites. We also enjoyed the tableside Caesar preparation, both for flavor and presentation.
For mains, you can’t go wrong with the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka ($34), Mario’s Meatballs ($30), and the crispy Chicken Milanese ($42), which came out incredibly juicy, making it one of the best chicken dishes I’ve had. Not only did the food stand out, but the servings were enormous, giving us a chance to try it all again the next day.
Experience a Playful End to the Meal
Though the entree portions are more than enough, don’t skip dessert. The sundae service ($25) arrives as a full production, complete with three oversized scoops of ice cream and a build-your-own lineup of candy toppings.
But that wasn’t the end of the mission. Ra Ra Room gave us one more surprise in the guise of a whimsical room filled wall-to-wall with candy. Think old-school dispensers stocked with jellybeans and hard candies you can pour into little bags, plus lollipops and boxes of everything from Nerds and Skittles to Milk Duds, M&M’s, Mike and Ikes, and Sugar Babies. There’s even a fresh popcorn machine with a lineup of savory and sweet seasonings.
Grab some goodies to go as a sweet reminder of the exclusive evening.
The Catch to Dining at the Ra Ra Room
The Ra Ra Room isn’t a restaurant you can simply make a reservation for, it’s a private, members-only dining club. Membership comes with a price tag of a $15,000 annual fee and covers two people, along with perks such as concierge booking, valet, private dining spaces, and priority access to Suns and Mercury tickets and events.
Members can book reservations for guests, even if they’re not there, which is one of the only ways non-members ever get in. Yup, it’s probably time to make some new bougie friends. We also heard a rumor that you can book with an AMEX Platinum card through Rezy, though we haven’t been able to confirm this yet.
So, while the food, service, and overall experience absolutely live up to the hype, the real barrier is getting through the door in the first place. Once you do, the menu itself is actually priced on par with other high-end spots in Phoenix. But one thing they don’t offer is the adventure into the bowls of an arena, into a space designed to wow all the senses. It feels exactly as special as it’s meant to.
