Picture this: it’s Friday night and you didn’t make plans but you want to go out for dinner. Don’t get trapped waiting forever— go somewhere it’s easy to walk in. Everywhere on this list is a sit down, table service restaurant where you don’t need a reservation even for a weekend dinner.

I will always love popular spots like Glai Baan, Rough Rider, and Valentine, but sometimes you’re hungry and you don’t want to wait.

Saint Pasta

It’s not the fastest spot to walk in (so keep scrolling if you’ve got no patience) but they are wait list only and the list moves pretty quickly. Fortunately, they’re nearby a bunch of great places to grab a drink while you wait.

Alexi’s Grill

I’ve never had to wait at this hidden gem, although they technically take reservations. Their happy hour is the most underrated in town and runs on Friday nights as well.

Grand Avenue Brewing

This is another place where the food is criminally underrated. It’s affordable and has a fun neighborhood vibe. You can be casual at the bar or sit down at a table. If you’ve never had one of their smoked baked potatoes, you’ve never lived.

Hula’s

A good place for tiki-inspired drinks and food on a weekend (but even better on Wednesday’s all night happy hour). On a weekend, I like eating here and walking in to the Captain’s Cabin for a drink if I have a chance.

Cafe Lalibela

If you’re willing to branch out to Ethiopian food and Tempe, it’s usually easy to walk in for an excellent dinner here, even with a group.

Harumi

Since moving to their new larger location, it’s been a lot easier to grab sushi here. I prefer the value of their lunch specials, but if you want sushi for dinner, this and Salmon King are the only options if you didn’t reserve a table on a weekend night.

Mekong & H Mart Plaza

If I’m looking for Asian food more generally, my go-to is driving to Mesa and trying somewhere in Mekong Plaza or the H Mart plaza. Both are absolutely chock-full of great restaurants at varying levels of fancy-ness. Tipsy Chicken, Stone Tofu House, Da Pan, and Sizzling House are all excellent options.

Pizzeria Bianco

You might be stuck waiting for hours at their original downtown location, but if you’re willing to go uptown, it’s much easier to have Phoenix’s most iconic pizza. As someone who’s been to both locations, uptown is my go to for avoiding tourists, parking downtown, and a long wait.

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Good luck and best wishes to all the weekend plan procrastinators! We’ve all been there— I hope this helps.