Prescott’s motto is “Everybody’s Hometown” and it’s an apt description that captures its small-town charm. Named One of the Happiest and Healthiest Cities in America by Time Magazine, it boasts an old-fashioned town square lined with stately elm trees, Victorian homes with wrap-around porches, and a walkable downtown with delightful shops, restaurants and historic landmarks. For a historic overview, spend an afternoon on the self-guided Heritage Trail exploring Whiskey Row (named for the abundance of saloons in the 1800s), The Palace Restaurant and Saloon (the oldest operating bar in the state), the Hassayampa Inn (a beautifully restored 1927 hotel), and museums such as the Western Heritage Center and Museum of Indigenous People.
Crowned Best Destination for Nature Lovers by Expedia in 2018, Prescott is also a city of natural beauty. Nearby Prescott National Forest encompasses 1.25 million acres, and within Prescott and its environs you’ll find parks, lakes and trails ideal for hiking, kayaking, mountain climbing, horseback riding and more.
This former frontier town is also emerging as a thriving culinary community enticing travelers with both modern eateries and historic watering holes. Here are some must-visit destinations for your next excursion to Prescott.
Where to Eat in Prescott
An airy, inviting space on the top floor of the historic Burmister Building, The County Seat elevates its fast-casual concept with a made-from-scratch menu. Choose from indulgent baked goods, pressed juices, house cocktails, colorful salads, sandwiches and vegetarian plates, and a menu offering weekday Happy Hours, all-day breakfast, and weekend brunch. Try pairing your avocado toast with a Bloody Mary complete with mini corn muffin, pepperoncini, cheese and bacon garnish.
For authentic Neapolitan pizzas cooked in 90 seconds in an imported Italian oven, visit Limoncello Pizzeria Napoletana. Head to the second floor of Historic Firehouse for pizzas, antipasti and homemade pastas like lasagna layered with bechamel and ragu or squid ink tagliolini with shrimp and cherry tomatoes. As a grazie, owner Matteo Schiavone likes to treat guests to a complimentary shot of homemade cream limoncello to finish your meal.
Rosa’s Pizzeria is another beloved Italian favorite, serving Southern-Italian dishes and New York-style pizza in a comfortable family-friendly atmosphere. Take a seat in the rustic dining room decorated with exposed brick and red-and-white-checkered tablecloths to dine on an expansive menu of appetizers, salads, pastas and both traditional and pan-baked pizzas. A local favorite is Rosa’s Chicken Martini, a crispy parmesan-breaded chicken cutlet draped in a white cream sauce with peas and asparagus.
For a modern taqueria with an extensive agave spirit collection, make a beeline to La Planchada. Graze on plates like green chile cornbread muffins slathered with agave-cilantro butter, shrimp and chorizo-stuffed poblano peppers, classic tacos (green chile chicken, carne asada) and especial tacos (pork belly with avocado crema, fried chicken with house hot sauce and tomatillo ranch). Don’t forget the excellent cocktails, including seasonal margarita specials.
Prescott is also home to acclaimed farm-to-table restaurants supporting the local community of farmers and ranchers. At Farm Provisions, Chef Ryan Peters helms the kitchen while his wife Brittany runs the front of the house. “Simple food elevated” means choices ranging from burrata and slow roasted tomato salad with wild arugula (seen on the right), to a spectular filet served with roasted garlic whipped potatoes and asparagus ; from juicy burgers made with Arizona grass-fed beef layered with green chiles and avocado, to halibut with AZ citrus champagne beurre blanc. Local ingredients shine in cocktails too – try A Bag Full of Smashed Apples with small batch bourbon, honeycrisp apple, lemon, and more.
Chef John Panza and Cassandra Hankinson of Biga by Senses also celebrate sustainability and Arizona-grown ingredients. Step inside the small and cozy space and you’ll spy a chalkboard proudly listing local sources like Whipstone Farm, L. Bell Ranch, and Greg’s Greens. Dig into farm-fresh salads, sandwiches on bread baked in-house, and entrees such as scallops and shrimp with aged parmesan grits and shellfish brandy cream sauce, or juicy pork tenderloin with sherry peach reduction.
Where to Drink in Prescott
Superstition Meadery’s history began when Jeff Herbert received a home brew kit from his wife Jennifer as a Father’s Day gift. Now they’ve been recognized the world over for their meads (fermented honey wines) with a slew of prestigious international awards. Stop by their tasting room in the cellar of the Burmister Building for an eye-opening exploration of traditional mead, ciders, cyser (mead and cider), melomel (mead with fruit) or pyment (mead with grape juice). Some standouts include Lagrimas del Oro, a mead aged in bourbon barrels, Aphrodisia, a pyment made with syrah grapes and mesquite honey, and Blueberry Spaceship Box Cider, which has been rated #1 cider in the world on Ratebeer.
There’s no shortage of great craft brew pubs in this historic town. Continue wandering around downtown and quench your thirst at local favorites including LazyG Brewhouse and Prescott Brewing Company. And you don’t want to miss a trip to Founding Fathers, a 14,000 square foot warehouse in Prescott’s downtown Entertainment District, home to City Tavern, Arizona’s largest self-serve beer tap room, a specialty coffee shop, haberdashery, barber shop and Seven Six, a members-only speakeasy.
With its exposed brick walls and rafters, Back Alley Wine Bar (pictured below) is a welcoming spot to settle in for some wine research. Located in Whiskey Row Alley, Sheri Shaw’s tasting room serves wine flights, beer, mead and ciders, with a focus on Arizona wines and wine education. Locals gather for live music and daily specials such as $10 Off Tuesdays, Wine Flight Wednesdays and Thursday Pizza nights.
Across the way in Old Firehouse Plaza is the Del Rio Springs Vineyard tasting room. Rick and Maricor Skladzien’s 6-acre vineyard in neaby Paulden grow varietals like Chardonnay, Riesling, Malbec, and one of Arizona’s best Pinot Noirs. Choose between an all-red or mixed flight, and wine educator Mark (he also conducts tasting room wine classes) will share the interesting stories behind each bottle.
Flying Leap’s Estate Vineyards and Winery are located in southern Arizona, and their Prescott tasting room is one of five scattered throughout Arizona’s wine regions. Take a seat and let friendly and knowledgeable Kinsey guide you through the French, Spanish and Italian varietals of the winery’s award-winning portfolio. Tasting flights offer white, red and dessert wines and include a take-home souvenir glass.
For craft cocktail lovers, no visit to Prescott is complete without a visit to The Point Bar and Lounge. Enter through a back door marked with a stag head and enjoy the speakeasy-style ambiance as you sip on some of the city’s finest libations. Here you’ll find house-made bitters and hand-cut ice, and a thoughtful list of classics such as the Vieux Carré and Aviation and house signatures like the Western Negroni with Prescott’s Thumb Butte Distillery gin.
Written by Christina Barrueta
Photographed by Luke Irvin