Phoenix to Sedona drive: 16 ranked stops worth the detour

Chef Lisa Dahl's playful 'couture burger lounge' in the Village of Oak Creek, with a marble bar, 40-plus bourbons and boozy milkshakes — the most fun, low-key stop in her Sedona family.

A Mexico City-style torta legend on North 7th Street, featured on Man v. Food and beloved for enormous, overstuffed sandwiches.

A cozy, wood-and-fire smokehouse on 16th Street with pecan-grilled steaks, a fireside cellar-like bar, and a deep wine list.

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain's signature room — farm-fresh American with Asian accents and floor-to-ceiling views across Paradise Valley. Refreshed menus under a new 2026 culinary team; book a sunset table.

A 1937 landmark under Camelback and Mummy Mountain with firepits, lawn seating, and sticky buns that arrive warm at every table. Old Arizona glamour that still delivers.

The JW Marriott Camelback Inn's prime-cuts room, trading on eight decades of resort heritage with a modern steak-and-seafood menu. The expense-account dinner of the PV resort corridor.

The upscale counterweight to Cave Creek's saloons — Southwestern-inspired dining on adobe patios at Rancho Mañana with sunset desert views. Worth timing your reservation to golden hour.