My vacation motto in Sedona was hike hard, eat hard — and the restaurants in Sedona made that easy! I had some of my most memorable meals here. I’m no food blogger, and certainly not a food photographer (as you’ll see), but these were some of my favorite Sedona restaurants.

Elote Cafe
Elote Cafe is perhaps Sedona’s most famous restaurant. People line up hours before it opens to get a table. My husband and I arrived 15 minutes before its 5:00 p.m. opening on a weekday and there were already hundreds of people in line. Have no fear, it’s not that bad: they take your name and then send you to their patio waiting area, where you can enjoy cocktails and free chips and salsa.

My suggestion: arrive at 4:30 p.m. or come for a late dinner when the line dies down. Get a margarita.

The wait was worth it — the food was phenomenal and the margaritas were strong! Below is the sea bass asado (left) and the smoked brisket enchiladas (right).

ChocolaTree Organic Eatery and Chocolate Factory
It’s no secret I love organic and vegan restaurants (even though I eat meat), and ChocolaTree delivered. It has kind of a “one love” vibe — and the food was excellent. We sat on the patio, and they provided blankets since it was cool outside. After dinner, we browsed items in their mini market and took some of their handmade chocolates to-go.

My suggestion: sit on the patio for your meal and then take an assortment of chocolates and baked goods home for later. Bonus for those who care: their entire menu is gluten free.

Below is their sweet potato pizza pie, which was to-die for despite how it may look, and the vegetable uttapam.

Tamaliza
Since I’m from Texas (where there are Mexican restaurants on every corner), it takes a lot for me to eat Mexican food on vacation. But, I heard good things about Tamaliza. The owner is from Mexico and creates incredible dishes from scratch using organic ingredients. I read online that their vegan tamales and enchiladas were impressive, so that’s what we went for, and WOW!

My suggestion: Tamaliza is small (but adorable!), so it can be crowded at times, but it’s worth finding a seat. Tip well — you can tell it’s a family-run business.

Mesa Grill
Near the airport and always crowded is Mesa Grill, which offers southwest style food and incredible views at sunset. Mesa Grill has a big menu with options for meat eaters, vegetarians and even those on keto diets. I ordered the vegan burger bowl which was shockingly good, and my husband ordered blackened salmon and soup.

My suggestion: Make a reservation! Arrive 30-45 minutes before sunset and request a table near the floor-to-ceiling windows for spectacular views of the sky.

Your turn! Have you been to Sedona? Where did you eat that wowed you? Tell me in the comments.