Downtown recs

[catzen]

I will be staying in downtown Phoenix for a few days later this month and need some recs for inexpensive restaurants. Ethnic is good, vegetarian is good as well. We will not have a car so need something near the Wyndham.

[contemporaryscarlett]

You could take the light rail or a cab to Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe. Dynamite soul food, and they advertise that the veggies are cooked without meat (though you might want to confirm this). Its $13 and change for a meal, and I can pretty much guarantee you will be full.

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Mrs White's Golden Rule Cafe
808 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ 85034

[exit2lef]

Good recommendation. Mrs. White's veggie plate is a meatless soul food extravaganza. It's about a half mile walk from the Wyndham, or take the train to 12th St and double back a few blocks.

[Beach Chick]

Mrs. White's doesn't take credit cards..cash only..
Carolina's on Mohave behind the PHX airport is excellent..super dive.
Durant's is an old school steakhouse that is still solid..great drink too!

I was in Scottsdale last week and it was 116 degrees..heads up on the heat.

[contemporaryscarlett]

Actually Mrs. White's does take credit cards these days, though there is a small service charge.

[exit2lef]

Within walking distance of the Wyndham, some ethnic and/or vegetarian options are as follows. Keep in mind that walking distance is a relative term. A breezy half mile stroll in January can be an endurance test in July.

Thai Elephant -- ethnicity is obvious; most dishes can be made with tofu instead of meat; just a block from the Wyndham

The Breadfruit -- healthful Jamaican with some vegetarian options; nearly half a mile from the Wyndham

Sens -- Asian tapas with some incredible tofu dishes. Right around the corner from the Breadfruit

PastaBar -- handcrafted pastas, most of them meatless. Next to Sens.

Moira -- sushi with some meatless options. A few blocks east of Sens/Moira

Verde -- Mexican. Most dishes are meaty, but there the tacos al fresco are a nice summery meatless entree. Near Sens and PastaBar

For the cluster of restaurants at the north end of Downtown, you may wish to walk the half mile, but do with some water and, ideally, a hat. Walking in 110-degree weather takes some preparation. Alternatively, take a pedicab if you can find one in the heat.

For additional ethnic and vegetarian options, you'll find even more choices if you take the train east to Tempe. Some of the stations with the highest concentrations of that type of restaurants are Mill Ave / 3rd St., Veterans Way/College, University/Rural, and Apache/Dorsey. You can view restaurants by station or type of food on the site that John kindly mentioned. If you want to take the train all the way to its eastern terminus in Mesa, you can also visit Mekong Plaza, an Asian-oriented shopping center that is home to Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, and Taiwanese restaurants.

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Thai Elephant
Phoenix AZ, Phoenix, AZ

[johnseberg]

Downtown Phoenix is pretty small, but, walking in the heat can be brutal in July. There are several recent threads on this topic. Also, keep in mind the light rail is nearby. One of the contributors, here, writes a nice food blog with pictures of what's available along the rail line.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/680449
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/709785
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/704061

http://www.phxrailfood.com/