1. Chez Bubba's Caribbean & Creole House
Enjoy delicious Caribbean and Creole cuisine in a relaxing setting; specialties include Shrimp Creole, etouffee, blackened chicken, and greens; Mon-Sat 11a-3p, Fri-Sat 5p-9p; 801 N 1st Street at E McKinley Street; 602-254-5477
2. Karim's Cobbler Shop & Bakery
Great downtown location; nice atmosphere with jazz music in the background and African American art on the walls; specialties include sandwiches, barbecue beef, corned beef, soups, salads, catfish, vegetarian dishes, peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, cakes, cookies, donuts and ice cream; Mon-Fri 10a-4p, Sat 9a-4p; 333 E. Jefferson #102 at 3rd Street (across from the Phoenix Civic Plaza); 602-257-1801
3. Mrs White's Golden Rule Cafe
Don't let the non-descript front fool you, this place is crowded during the lunch hour; serving down home southern cuisine in an old fashioned diner setting; specialties include chicken & waffles, smothered chicken, meatloaf, and pork chops; Mon-Fri 11a-5p; 808 E Jefferson Street at S 8th Street; 602-262-9256
4. Bev's Kitchen
Specialties include catfish, smothered pork chops, okra gumbo, macaroni & cheese, candied yams, fried chicken, shoo fly buttermilk pie, sweet potato pie, peach cobbler; Mon-Wed 11a-3p, Thu 11a-6p, Fri 11a-8p; 5815 S 16th Street at Southern Street; 602-323-0721
5. Stacy's Down Home Cookin'
Serving soul food; specialties include catfish, hot links, pork chops, smothered chicken, sweet potato pie, peach cobbler; Mon-Thu 10a-7p, Fri-Sat 10a-10p; 1153 E Jefferson Street, Suite 5 at 12th Street; 602-254-1736
6. Hip Hop Cafe
Serving catfish, red snapper, hot wings, garden burgers, turkey burgers; Mon-Fri 10a-10p, Sat 10a-10p, Sun 1p-8p; 702 E Roeser Road at 7th Street; 602-268-0077
7. Honey Bear's BBQ
Serving barbecue favorites; specialties include chicken, beef, and rib dishes; Mon-Sat 10:30a-10p, Sun 11:30a-9:30p; 2824 N Central Ave at Thomas Road; 602-279-7911
8. Chars Has the Blues
Club attracts diverse 21-40 crowd; groove to Blues, R&B, Funk; call for entertainment schedule; nightly 7:30p-until; 4631 North Seventh Ave at West Coolidge Street; 602-230-0205
9. The Rhythm Room
Jazz and Blues club attracting diverse 30-45 crowd; outdoor barbecue available on warm summer nights; Tue-Sun 8p-until; call for entertainment schedule, 1019 East Indian School Road at 11th Street; 602-265-4842
10. Decades
Club attracts diverse 21-40 crowd; dance to music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s; Fri-Sat 8p-until; Phoenix Live, Arizona Center, 445 Third Street (upper level) near Van Buren Street, 602-252-2502
Mesa
1. Down Home Soul & BBQ
Popular restaurant with indoor/outdoor seating; serving all of your soul food favorites; specialties include ribs, fried chicken, catfish, barbecue tri-tip, smothered chicken, hot links, oxtails, greens, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, pork chops, peach cobbler, banana pudding; Tue-Fri 11a-1p, 5p-10p, Sat 2p-10p, Sun 12p-5p; Carriage Lane Plaza, 2655 West Guadalupe Road, #14 near Price Road; 480-777-2511
Tempe
1. Cafe Lalibela
Award winning Ethiopian restaurant; specialties include Doro Wat (chicken), Alicha Sega Wat (beef), Gomen (collard greens), Lalibela Exclusive (sampling of meat and vegetarian dishes), Ethiopian imported beer and wine, Tiramisu, Chocolate Hazelnut Torte; Tue-Thu 11a-9p, Fri-Sat 11a-10p, Sun 12p-9p; 849 W University Drive near Hardy Street; 480-829-1939
Scottsdale
1. Velvet Room
Upscale 1940s style supperclub that attracts diverse crowd; call for calendar of events; Tue-Sun 5p-1a; 7111 E 5th Ave near Scottsdale Road; 480-941-6000
2. The Famous Door
Jazz Club attracts diverse crowd; live jazz, mambo, swing music; call for entertainment schedule; Mon-Sat 4p-1a, Sun 5p-1a; 7419 A Indian Plaza; 480-970-1945
3. Leland's House of Fine Food and New Orleans Jazz
Restaurant attracts diverse crowd; live jazz music Thursday-Saturday nights and Sunday Brunch; house band has worked with Duke Ellington and Count Basie; menu specialties include jambalaya, Louisiana shrimp; Tue-Sun 11a-11p; 37433 N Cave Creek Road near Carefree Highway; 480-488-4094
4. The Phoenician
Beautiful resort featuring live jazz & contemporary pop music in Mary Elaine's; menu includes North African, French, Italian and Asian cuisine; Mon-Sat 6p-until; 6000 E Camelback Road near N 60th Street; 480-423-2444
