DPCP: City Hall Grill at Phoenix City Hall

[Author's note: this entry is from 'The News from Downtown Phoenix', and I encourage you to check it out.]

For the latest installment of the Downtown Phoenix Cafeterias Project, Sam and I went to Phoenix City Hall's 10th floor cafeteria, the aptly-named City Hall Grill to sample a long-established Thursday tradition, Mexican Food Day. Known to City Hall staffers and the ASU folk as some really good Mexican food for really low prices, it was definitely worth the walk in 105F+ daytime heat.

The present Phoenix city hall is the fourth incarnation of the civic seat. Although the first building has been torn down (was located where Central Station is presently), nos. 2 and 3 still exist as a county courts building and the Calvin C. Goode Municipal Building. Phoenix's newest City Hall was approved by the City Council in May 1990 and the twenty-storey, $83mln tower opened January 1994. Of interesting note is that the Orpheum Theatre was renovated as part of City Hall's construction. For more information and a lot of photos, check out this website.

While architectural history makes for interesting conversation, let's get to the real reason we're here: food.

As mentioned before, the cafeteria is on the 10th floor of City Hall. To get there from street level, find the elevators that service floors 2-10 (the north bank). Once off the elevators, find the signs that direct you to the cafeteria. (On one side of the elevator bank at the 10th floor is the Fire Prevention Office and the City Photographer's office. If you enter those offices, turn around.)

Since it was Mexican Food Day, I opted to have a chicken taco salad with all the fixin's - rice, beans, salsa, jalapeños, guacamole, sour cream, olives, and everything else. The food was as good as it was reasonable - a rather large portion for $5.49. With drink, I was out the door for $6.50. In addition to the specials, the usual cafeteria fare is there - salads and grilled hamburgers are specialties of the house. The view was as good as the food: the seating area has north, east, and south views (and everything else in between) so you can see the Maricopa County complex, CityScape construction, Chase Field, South Mountain Park, and Midtown.

The cafeteria is open from 8am-4pm with lunch being served in the middle of those hours. Aside from city employees eating, a lot of county court jurors were eating there. Which is for a good reason - good food for a good price brings everyone out!

So in short, the cafeteria is in Phoenix City Hall, 200 West Washington Street (at Marvin Andrews Way) on the 10th floor. Go eat there and enjoy!

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

To stay abreast of the Downtown Phoenix Cafeterias Project information or to recommend cafeterias for us to try out, e-mail cafeterias@edwardjensen.net and thanks!