Best Phoenix Area Take-Out?

[marthat]

Greetings Phoenix Chow-ers. I'll be visiting Phoenix from New York in a couple of weeks, meeting up with a West Coast friend for our annual Spring Training Extravaganza.

Although we always enjoy eating out in your fair city, one of our guilty-pleasures is getting some good take-out and staying in the hotel to catch up on all the movies we missed this year.

We'll be staying at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio on N. 7th, attending games at Scottsdale Stadium and Phoenix Municipal Stadium, and also doing a couple of spa days at Sanctuary in Paradise Valley.

So we're looking for some Take-Out recommendations that won't take us too-too far off the paths between these places and our hotel. We've been to and enjoyed Hap's Pit BBQ and El Bravo. We're both adventurous eaters so any cuisine is welcome.

Thanks so much!

[Herbalicious]

Marthat - put Super Dragon on your list for next year if you're at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio again -- what better movie watching chow than Chinese eaten straight from the boxes with chopsticks?

Super Dragon - 12th St & Northern

[Beach Chick]

Just got back from Phoenix and went for lunch at Carolina's in downtown PHX..
This is one of the best places for Mex..down the street from the BOB/Chase Field on 12th and Mojave.
I had the combo with 2 enchi's and my DH had the green chile burrito..cheap and so out of this world good!
Take-Out or eat there..dive but one of the best!
www.carolinasmex.com

[tastyjon]

I'm not sure if the OP is still around, but since we're on the topic...

My fave takeout in PHX is... Long Wongs for Hot Wings

Strip mall spartan places spread throughout PHX metro. Wings are made to order, served in styro and too few veggies. But picked up hot, they are a perfect quench when needing a bit of fat/heat/fried food kicked up a notch.

[andrewkfromaz]

Not too far out of your way is perennial fave Chino Bandido - Chinese food served in Mexican food. Sounds crazy but you said you were adventurous. Actually, the most adventurous part of getting food from this place is the restaurant itself: not particularly clean. The food's good though, certainly worth a trip if you're interested.

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Chino Bandido
15414 N 19th Ave Ste K, Phoenix, AZ 85023

[marthat]

OK - we have a lot of Chinese/Mexican places here in New York (usually a reflection of the staff ethnicity), but not Chinese served IN Mexican. This will definitely go on the list (though I'm not sure my friend is quite this adventurous, but I'll try to persuade her). Thanks!

[mamamia]

You won't be sorry, if you are able to make it.

[tara17]

I agree. The jade red chicken (sweet & sour) burrito with chicken fried rice and refried beans is a great combo!

Oh, and the snickerdoodle for dessert? Worth the trip in itself!

[Firenza00]

Chino is definitely an interesting place. The machaca is really good and the carnitas is a favorite as well. I usually get a combo with one of each in a burrito. They also offer samples of all their items, so you won't be stuck with something you don't like. Ordering is kinda confusing the first time, but the staff is always on the lookout for first-timers and will walk you through it. I like mixing my refried beans with the chicken fried rice. Like Tara said, they go great together. They also offer jerk fried rice, and it's pretty spicy. It was given to Tara (who has no spicy heat tolerance) by mistake once and nearly made me single again.

[boingo2000]

I definitely second (third? fourth?) the Chino Bandido reccomendation. It sounds strange, but it works! And you don't have to be adventurous to like it (the comfort of the snickerdoodle that comes with your meal helps).

[Seth Chadwick]

Do indeed try Chino's. It is just so unique and you have that moment where your brain stops when you look at the menu because you are trying to wrap it around an Egg Foo Yong Burrito or a Sweet and Sour Chicken Quesadilla or Pork Fried Rice with Refried Beans. But, it works and it works well.

Truly one of the most "inspired" restaurants in the Valley.

[ziggylu]

OK I have to go against the grain. Chino Bandido does absolutely nothing for me. The concept is novel but the execution...ugh. Nothing but a big greasy gut bomb. The only things we like there are the black beans and the cookies.

Definitely not somewhere I take my out of town visitors....

[boingo2000]

Yes, it is a big greasy gut bomb. You say that like it's a bad thing. :-)

[themis]

Sometimes, a big greasy gut bomb is exactly what you need. The morning after an all-night tequila bender, for instance. Sometimes -- not so much.

It is testament to how tasty their offerings are that I still consider visiting after the time I ordered the Emerald Chicken Relleno . . . and it came out deep golden and crunchy, battered in (I'm really not kidding) crushed saltine crackers . . . and I cut into it and fryer grease gushed out and drowned the rest of my plate, and the grossness made me woozy, but I ate half of it anyway.

It's an interesting place, but now I'm more careful when I order, and I don't send people there who I'm not absolutely sure will appreciate the place.

[ziggylu]

oh my, themis...you made me queasy with that!

we've tried a few times and just never enjoyed it. Maybe the Chandler location isn't as good?

Gut bomb...I'll get slayed for this but when I do crave a gut bomb(admittedly very rare in my middle age)....I hit the JITB across the street from the Chino down by us for a taco!

[Firenza00]

You'll go to JITB over Chino? Say it ain't so. :) Just go to Cheesecake Factory if that's the case. :)
We've been to the Chino in Chandler and it seemed to be about the same as the one up here (we live in N Phx) but the owners were there at the time as well. Not sure how it is when they aren't there keeping watch over everything.

[seatonytoaz]

I moved here from New York City and I am familiar with the Mexican/Chinese restaurants that you refer to...the one by my house in Astoria didn't even know what an enchilada was! Be that as it may, Chino isn't anything like that so don't let it deter you! Enjoy your time in the sunshine. I constantly call my NY friends when it's 80 (like today!) and ask them what the temps are like there. :)

[Alice Letseat]

Basic American, but apparently very good....Corbin's on North Central Ave. (corbinsbarandgrill.com) ...and what about Cherry Blossom Noodle Cafe...(www.cherryblossom-az.com)? That's different - and very good. Spinato's for pizza. (12th and Glendale) (spinatospizza.com)..Sushi at Hana on 7th Ave and Missouri... All have takeout...

[marthat]

Lots of options here - I'll check them out.

[themis]

I like the kind of take-out that you don't get the guilties for, so I might divert to one of the Pita Jungles. They do med / middle eastern / vegan / healthy fare, but they don't skimp on the flavor. Something like the chicken combo platter or the lentil fettoosh salad, or a lahvosh pizza, or the shrimp puttanesca, or the roasted salmon. Great prices, no buyer's remorse there.

I also think Thai for takeout, it travels well. Swaddee is a good local chain, and there's Wild Thaiger on 7th.

Between downtown and PV there's La Grande Orange; a pizza to go, with their fresh hand-pulled mozz and organic veggies -- that would be a nice indulgence. You could pack up a pint of gelato at Arlecchino's while you're there, or get a couple of famous ooey-gooey cupcakes for dessert. Definitely valet, it's worth the lack of hassle.

If you're really adventurous, stop at any of the many Mariscos places on Thomas and get some cocteles, sopes or tortas if they have them -- crazy fresh seafood and bright citrus flavors, slow heat from chile.

Instead of Dick's, I'd send you to the marketplace at Phoenix Ranch Market. It's the best takeout ever, and much less of a hassle. Head to the carniceria and get a quart of carne asada and some fresh tortillas, salsa and fixings -- maybe some dulce tamales from their stand or some pastries for dessert, some fresh fruit licuados while you're strolling.

[modthyrth]

I know I'm in the minority, but I can't stand Pita Jungle. Any place that makes a faux garlic sauce with mashed potatoes (potatoes!!!!) and passes it off as the real thing... or makes me beg and battle the servers for pickles for my chicken schwarma, even though it lists them as an ingredient in the menu description... Every time I went in there I came out unhappy and dissatisfied. Eventually I wised up and stopped going.

[Alice Letseat]

I think you're right about Pita Jungle, but the garlic dip with potatoes is very much a traditional Greek dish...it's skordalia. Potatoes, garlic, olive oil, lemon....but lots of garlic.

[modthyrth]

Interesting point about the skordalia--I didn't know that, so I'll cut them some slack if they *call* it that on the menu. But to use that on the chicken schwarma, that's just lazy (and nasty).

[marthat]

Thanks! I love Middle Eastern food, though living in Brooklyn I can get a lot of it here. The pizza place and gelato sounds fabulous though. What does 'PV' refer to?

[johnseberg]

PV = Paradise Valley.

[johnseberg]

After the game at Phx Municipal, call Dick's Hideaway and order take-out. Then, take the 202 West, to 51 North, and exit on Bethany Home West. Dick's is on the West side of 16th St. just North of Bethany Home. Pickup your chow, head over to 7th St and back to the hotel.

The Carne Adovada is a must.

http://burningembersphoenix.com

[marthat]

Yowza - Dick's looks great. We had planned to try to hit Richardson's sometime on this trip (I've been doing my Chow research). Looks like we'll be having New Mexican food more than once (ain't that a shame.) Thanks for both the rec and the directions!

[asu2usc]

FYI - by my understanding, Dick's and Richardson's are *essentially* the same restaurant - they share a kitchen, but have separate dining rooms. (Richard = Dick, et voila.) Dick's is more casual fare, while Richardson's is everything you've read about. I would recommend that if you want to do Dick's for take-out, you should do something other than Richardson's for one of your nice sit-down meals.

[Firenza00]

Actually, the night we went to Dick's, we were given menus that said Richardson's. Basically anything on Richardson's menu is available at Dick's. I enthusiastically second the Carne Adovada. It's amazing.

[marthat]

That's helpful. If we go to Dick's for takeout, that just opens up another option for dinner. I have to say, I've been coming to PHX for spring traning since 1994 and the dining options just keep getting better and better.