The Phoenix and Tempe food scene is bustling and diverse with many cuisines; among them are some Black-owned restaurants that emphasize culture and belonging.
Monroe's Hot Chicken
Monroe's Hot Chicken was first introduced to Phoenix in 2019 by Larry White, the owner of Lo-Lo's Chicken and Waffles as well as Brunch and Sip. Since then, the company has opened a second location in Tempe, establishing two restaurants near ASU campuses.
"Well, I thought Monroe's Chicken would be a hit amongst college students," White said. "So, being next to ASU was always a dream of mine."
The restaurant's proximity increases business during the school year and when the University has big home games, White said.
To White, Nashville hot chicken along with chicken and waffles are comfort foods. At Monroe's, the chicken is all about comfort and quality.
The Nashville-styled restaurant menu includes a variety of dishes, such as its classic fried chicken sandwich, Belgian waffle chicken sandwich and tenders.
The establishment also offers customers six heat levels to choose from, ranging from southern, which has no heat, to "what the cluck," which is the hottest level.
"You know, it's so much more than just salt and pepper, so we're real big with flavor profile," White said. "We want everybody to taste the freshness of the ingredients and the time that we put into our passion, into our craft."
Monroe's Hot Chicken location in Phoenix is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Its Tempe location is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Monroe's Hot Chicken's Tempe location is located on 430 N. Scottsdale Rd. Its Phoenix location can be found on 45 W. Jefferson St.
Blue Plate Co.
Blue Plate Co., formerly known as CC's on Central, is located less than a 10 minute drive away from the Downtown Phoenix campus. The restaurant's menu ties everyday American classics with signature Southern dishes.
The owners of Blue Plate Co., Sharon and Devan Cunningham, are a mother and son team that cook up family recipes for the restaurant.
The duo has been cooking since Devan Cunningham's childhood. Devan Cunningham eventually went on the cooking show "Chopped" and won the episode.
The restaurant's signature dishes include fried chicken, catfish, jambalaya and étouffée — classic Cajun and Creole cuisine, Sharon Cunningham said.
The establishment's recent name and logo change was made to appeal to a wider audience, she said.
"Most people think we only do Creole food," Sharon Cunningham said. "We do so much more, so we wanted to kind of cater more so to the offices that are here, next to our building."
She said along with appealing to the surrounding offices, the restaurant would also like to see more student patrons.
"We changed the menu, that's more friendly," Sharon Cunningham said. "We got the burgers, fries, hot dogs and different things like that."
Blue Plate Co. is located on 2800 N. Central Ave. and is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Word of Mouth Grill
Word of Mouth Grill was founded in 2011 by Demetrious Makel and his family. Originally starting as a catering operation, Word of Mouth Grill opened its brick-and-mortar restaurant in south Tempe in 2019.
Born in Boston, Makel wanted to bring the mom-and-pops feel of East Coast food to the Southwest. Makel said grilling has always been a passion for him, and so he decided to make a career out of it.
The family named the restaurant after how they believe the business grew – from word of mouth.
"I came up with Word of Mouth Grill because I wanted people to talk about us," Makel said. "I don't want to do any advertising."
Instead, the restaurant focuses on its social media pages, such as Instagram, providing exclusive menu items and deals to their followers.
"So we do get a lot of people from college that come out, and they help support and they know that its Black-owned," Makel said. "They spread the word and everything."
The barbecue restaurant serves a selection of meats and sandwiches prepared daily on its custom-built double chamber smoker. Dishes are served with the choice of 10 different house-made sauces.
Word of Mouth Grill is located on 7660 S. McClintock Dr. and is open from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
These establishments have created spaces for Sun Devils craving homestyle meals or even looking to try new foods, acting as student's home away from home.
Edited by Natalia Rodriguez, Senna James, Emilio Alvarado and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at dbell39@asu.edu and follow @dhemibell on X.
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Dhemi Bell is a reporter on the community and culture desk and is in her second semester at The State Press.
