When we’re looking for restaurant partners, we’re searching for the best of the best from trendy downtown restaurants to scrappy food trucks to hidden-gem mom and pops. We’re proud of our roster and each year we celebrate it with the Best of Fooda awards, asking you to choose your favorites. The votes are in, and here are your winners for Phoenix’s Best of Fooda 2019. 

Best BBQ | Single Best Lunch – Honey Bear’s BBQ

honeybearsbbq.com

The first year Honey Bear’s BBQ opened, they won the New Times Best of Phoenix Award and since then, they’ve just been racking up the accolades. 2019 is no exception as they take home Phoenix’s Best BBQ and Single Best Lunch awards. Their specialty is Tennessee-style BBQ, which is known for pulled pork shoulder served with a tomato-based sauce. But they’ve also got beef brisket, grilled chicken shredded by hand, mac and cheese, cole slaw, sweet potato pie tarts, peach cobbler, and more. Fun fact: back in the 80s, Honey Bear’s BBQ was the go-to restaurant for the cast and crew of “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” during filming. 

Best Asian – Golden Hawaiian BBQ

goldenhawaiianbbq.com

Family-owned Golden Hawaiian BBQ uses fresh, locally-sourced ingredients to make bowls and salads inspired by The Rainbow State. Each entree comes with macaroni salad, rice, and cabbage that you can top with sliced beef shoulder tossed in BBQ sauce, slow-cooked shredded pork, or a vegetarian stir fry of zucchini, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, celery, snow peas, and baby corn. 

Best Mexican – Illegal Pete’s 

525 S. Mill Avenue,Tempe, AZ 85281

When the first Illegal Pete’s opened in 1995, the focus was on Mission-style burritos, known for their epic size and filled with loads of rice, beans, and avocado. Today, Illegal Pete’s has branched out to serve Fooda audiences burrito bowls, tacos, and nachos, letting them choose their own ingredients including marinated grilled chicken and steak, cilantro lime rice, black or pinto beans, sauteed vegetables, queso, and guacamole.