Eating and Drinking in Bisbee, Arizona

So we’ve been to one Arizona town, and we’re ready to move in. Bisbee is great. It’s home to my new favorite bar, St. Elmo’s on Brewery Gulch, and it’s home to a lot of other great restaurants and bars too. Here’s where we went and what we’re looking forward to trying on a return trip.

Places We Went

Jimmy’s Hot Dog Company — Here they serve perfect Chicago dogs complete with Vienna beef hot dogs and poppy-seed buns. Lisa got the pulled pork sandwich which either has a cup of Jim Beam in every gallon of sauce or a pint of booze in every quart of sauce — depends who’s reciting the recipe list. The fries and chips are awesome and homemade. Execution is very high-quality and exacting here, and it’s reflected in the taste of the food. As of right now, they have nine 5-star reviews on Yelp. Amazing.

Bella Roma Pizza — The pizza has a thin crust and it’s yummy. The place only seats about 8, but we got the last table on a drizzly day. Looks like it’s run by a husband and wife team that really cares about doing a good job and serving good food. We’ve got our home picked out around the corner.

Old Bisbee Brewing Company — The brewery is split by an alley — one side has the brewing operations, the other side handles aging and serving. Pipes under the alley connect the two sides. The double IPA and the Belgian white are both great. They have a sampler. Again, the pride is evident in the yumminess.

St. Elmo — Best. Bar. Ever. Done.

Bisbee Grand Saloon at the Bisbee Grand Hotel — So it’s haunted, but we avoided the ghosts. They have Lisa’s favorite, Fat Tire, on tap. Guests have been known to leave in the middle of the night because they’re so creeped out, but we loved the place. And the bathrooms are awesome — they’re jammed against one of Bisbee’s cliff-like faces and the rock foundation is exposed on the back wall. Definitely not a place to get stumble-drunk — there are too many tripping hazards.

Bisbee Coffee Company — They roast their own and it’s yummy.

Reasons to Return

Cafe Roka — Lots of good reviews and the menu looks creative and tasty and modern. Just save up — I think it’s the most pricey place in town.

Screaming Banshee Pizza and Wine Bar — Two of our favorite things in one spot. Closed Sundays and Mondays (the two days we were in town).

Dot’s Diner — A classic ’50s diner next to the old Bisbee mine, we can’t wait to try it. Maybe we’ll move into one of their Airstreams.

Bisbee Breakfast Club — Great name, has to be good.

Stock Exchange Saloon — A bar turned into a stock exchange remote office during prohibition and turned back to a bar in the ’80s, it’s currently closed and getting remodeled (they’re opening a restaurant in the first floor).

“What else should I include in the post,” I ask Lisa.

“I want to go to EVERY place,” she replies. And that’s why we like Bisbee.