Fun and friendly staff on their soft opening night. Sat at the bar and had Hiramasa Crudo. Absolutely delicious! Looking forward to working my way through this eclectic menu. Can't wait for the oyster bar to open up, too! read more

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Nice bar area, but smaller in the summer because it's too hot to have the roll up doors open. Interesting menu with a little bit of everything. Didn't get to try the appetizers this time but the Waygu burger was delicious. Perfect french fries. Had a good mocktail that was a fun play on a Moscow mule. Great little area next to the bookstore too. Excited to go back for the patio when the weather is nicer. read more

Everything was absolutely fabulous! The service was exceptional- the food was delicious and the drinks were so good. The vibe is comfortable and upscale. All the meals exceeded our expectations- but the sweet potatoes and asparagus.... On point. Tried the Olive Oil cake....get the cake. I'm so excited to go back for so many more meals! read more

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Had an amazing meal with my family. Food was good, but our wonderful and hilarious waiter, Eric made our night so fantastic!!!! Thanks Eric!!! read more

When I heard Chef Jared Porter of The Parlor n then Clever Koi is chef/owner I had to go. So glad I did. My friend and I had an absolutely fabulous Sunday brunch. The oysters are divine! The cocktails are yummy! Chicken wings, avocado toast. Fresh n fabulous. Eric's service and hospitality was appreciated. Love the comfy yet chic ambiance. Looking forward to going with family read more

Amazing!!! This place is the cities best kept secret. The food never disappoints. You can share several dishes and get a sampling of all their great options. A lot of unique flavors. Eric is our server and he rocks. Honestly there should be a line out the door here but luckily there is not. If you're a foodie and want to try some place new this is it. read more

I wasn't very impressed with my experience here. The burger was just okay and didn't stand out flavor-wise; it definitely wasn't worth $20. Service was also pretty slow--felt like they could use more staff or better training for the existing team. Overall, I expected more for the price. read more

The menu feels Japanese inspired but I wouldn't really call it fusion. I appreciated the variety of vegetable and fish options. The katsu burger was filling yet fresh. The bread and spread starter was great, it included three different spreads and it was a good portion in size so if you want only a light lunch two people could maybe get by with just that. Their stir fried vegetables were also good. I'd come back. read more

Tesota - Crispy fish katsu - Comfort Food Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Crispy Fish Katsu 18 This burger was such a disappointment. I hate to say that it felt like a glorified McDonald's filet-o-fish. While there were some redeeming factors like the perfectly crispy bun edges, the overall fish katsu paddy itself wasn't crispy at all. Maybe I just caught tesota on an off day, but it was just sad. The waffle fries however were delicious and the yuzu mayo had a nice spicy tang to it that I enjoyed. Wild Salmon 29 For twenty-nine dollars I expected SO much more. Again another disappointment, and all I can really say is that this is a pretty mid or standard salmon dish. It didn't blow it away but wasn't terrible either. Truffle Mac 9 The flavor of the truffle mac was spot on and I would definitely order it again if the kitchen can figure out how to cook the pasta al-dente. It was so over-boiled that the pasta was mushy. White Sweet Potato 8 Okay - this one is a real winner. The miso butter and creme fraiche add a great creaminess to the crispy exterior and soft interior of the potatoes. I would come back only for this dish. Olneya Tesota 13 (purple drink) Interesting cocktail but the overall flavor profile tasted of carbonated mint which wasn't exactly the description of the drink. I'm sure that tesota can make a fine cocktail but this one just did not meet its mark. I had high hopes for tesota after seeing all the great reviews here, but it was such a let-down. Overall, I'd give it an overall 2/10 and wouldn't ever come back. read more

The tuna was amazing as was the kofta. Service was exceptional by Eric. It was our first time...we will be back.

Love, love, love the food, BUT... if it's timely table service you seek, this place is not for you. Let's start with the positive because there are so many great aspects of Tesota. The menu is wide-ranging. It features flavors from all over the globe, home-made pasta, including a most amazing mac cheese, and veggies roasted in ways that could bring a Vegan to tears. They deliver an exquisite fish sandwich that comes with mouthwatering fries or a fresh salad. Another great feature of Tesota is the open-air interior and adjoining patio. The colorful art finishes the international vibe that the restaurant delivers front and center with every menu item. At the same time, if you want a straight-forward cheeseburger, they have that too. Now for the not-so-great aspect of this gem of a restaurant, the service. Maybe because this new business is still new and figuring out staff, or maybe because they want all their patrons to slow the pace that is this Phoenix metropolis ... Noone is in a hurry to take your order or serve up the delicious eats. One has to give the staff high marks for friendliness -- lots of personality, solid recommendations and engaging banter, but there's no sense of urgency, no illusion that your server is focused on you. You might even be tempted to retrieve your drinks you see sitting on the bar as your server is nowhere in sight for 10-min+. Parking is tight, the drinks are pricy, and the well liquor might make your face sour, but the food is out of this world, the prices are reasonable and for all my negative service comments, I will return ... possibly until I've tried everything on the menu. (I just won't be in a hurry, and that might be a very good thing.) read more

Tesota - Comfort Food Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Food was delicious. Love what they've done to the space, it's open and bright. The only negative is that the service was extremely slow. It almost felt like our server was purposely ignoring us. It was late lunch, so not very crowded, still it took them so much time to bring us water, take our order, bring the drinks & food we ordered, and close out our ticket. read more

The food was amazing and unique!!! And we loved the vibe!!! Ethan was our server and he was very informative and personable will definitely return and recommend.. we live in Scottsdale so it was a little bit of a drive but worth it!!! read more

Food was incredible! Staff was great and the restaurant is beautiful. Will definitely go back.

Service : we were seated but the waiters had no idea we were there Food : under seasoned.. the bread and spreads good but lacked salt and acidity .. rice paper roll way under seasoned, the dipping sauce was not compatible..yakisoba noodles good Old fashion.. too sweet Sun dried martini - average... read more

Just stopped in for drinks and an app with a friend! Service was really good and friendly. I ordered the Sun-Dried Martini and he ordered the Golden Hour. The drinks were both really good! We liked the golden hour a little better but the martini was a nice take on a classic dirty martini. We also ordered the rice paper dumplings which were super yummy. They were kind of like a crunchy egg roll. Overall had a great time. Would go back. read more

Tesota - Sun-dried martini, rice paper egg rolls, golden hour - Comfort Food Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Great new restaurant in the Uptown/Melrose area. The flavors in the ahi poke bowl were great. Eric provided great service too. Although they played lots of 80s music, this will definitely be someplace to return to. read more

Great relatively new restaurant with a creative menu and the service has always been over and above.

Honestly, I was blown away by this place! I stopped in here with my girlfriend for brunch and had some of the best breakfast I've had in a long time. Our server ERIC was incredibly friendly and had great recommendations and he had the bar make me a custom cocktail which was delicious. The atmosphere was good, everything was very clean, staff was friendly and attentive, and the food was absolutely amazing. Prices were really that bad either. Can't wait to come back here for lunch or dinner! read more

Tesota - Steak and eggs and early bird. Steak was perfect, eggs were perfect, and so are the potatoes - Comfort Food Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Food is good, service was mediocre, ambiance is great with windows closed and very loud Camelback traffic noise with windows open. I have been twice.... read more

Best poke bowl I've ever had. My husband and I go out of our way to come eat here. Great ambiance as well.

Love, love, love this place! The service is great, attentive servers. The food is amazing especially the chorizo pizza... just ask for the Thai chili oil. The drinks are quality drinks. I have been here quite a few times and will continue to do so. read more

Great service and great food! I went on a Sunday they had live jazz player and he was amazing! Definitely going back on a Sunday when he's playing. read more

Tesota - Sicilian chicken sando - Comfort Food Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Loved! We were a large group celebrating my daughter's graduation and had a great experience. Really nice space!!, The food was very good, everyone liked what they ordered. Cocktails delicious! and the service was great too (thank you Eric!) read more

I cannot say enough positive comments! Celebrated a friends engagement with a small group of friends. From making a reservation to serving dessert; the entire staff was AMAZING! They set up a beautiful table for us on the patio; had heaters ready as the morning brunch was a tad chilly.. Our Server Eric Michael was so attentive; friendly, accommodating & made us feel very welcomed! The food/menu is SO delicious! We had apps; entrees & dessert. The cocktails are so yummy! Thank you to the entire Tesota Staff for making our day easy and special! read more

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I was really looking forward to checking this place out. The food was delicious, but the service not so much. More than one order was very delayed and another drink order ticket was misplaced so the drink didn't come until the end of the meal. When the waiter brought us our check, we asked for it to be separate. However, instead of separate checks, he divided the check down the center, and then got annoyed that we wanted separate because he thought separate meant the middle. Hopefully they can get their service issues together because I'd like to go back. read more

This place is a gem! We tried a few different menu items and can't wait to come back and try more. Japanese eggplant especially. Eric our service was welcoming, knowledgeable and super friendly! Great patio and beautiful indoor dining. read more

Tesota - Espresso Martini's - Comfort Food Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

As a first-timer who read the previous reviews and based on initial impressions upon walking in, excitement was all I could feel. I joined my party slightly late (15 minutes), and they had yet to receive their first round of drinks. Understandable, as happy hour was wrapping up and, from what I can assume, they were setting up for the dinner rush. There seemed to only be one server running the entire dining room, which seemed odd. I got around to ordering a drink, and my cocktail was simply not to my liking. It had a strong taste of perfume, which was off-putting. I wanted to bring it up to the server to see what my options were, and let's say the ice was almost fully melted before he came back to check on us. I decided to let it go and move on from that. For dinner, I opted in for the half chicken. The chicken was delicious and moist. A solid dish. As the dining room started to fill up, the service just got worse and worse throughout the night. When we were lucky enough to be checked on, the drinks that were put in took forever, dirty dishes flooded our table, waters were only filled once, and dessert options? Good luck. We decided to close out (check took forever and was wrong). I took it upon myself to go up to the bar and ask for it to be corrected all for the woman I approached to suck her teeth and take a deep sigh as if I had just asked her to carry me out to my car on her back while barefoot. The check was corrected, I sat back down, and luckily we were able to wave down one of two apparent servers to process our payments. At this point, I expressed my disappointment in the experience, and all I got was "sorry we're busy" and the server walked away with our cards. I have never experienced such awful service and downright disregard to a negative dining experience. I will never return. Please do better for the people who are willing to give you another chance because relying solely on your food alone to excuse awful service will only take you so far. read more

staff didn't seem like they wanted to be there, food tastes like cardboard and drinks taste like fresh cut grass. best thing - it's needlessly expensive. atmosphere is nice, if forgettable. 10/10 would mention during a satirical bit. read more

My Yelp-writing days are behind me, but I had to hop on to give the Tesota team a shout. We had a large party celebrating a friend's engagement this weekend that was booked without any issues or extra fees/prix fixe menus/private room needed, which is almost impossible to find for nice restaurants here. Brunch is a new addition for them but you'd never know from how smoothly things ran, and you can also order from the regular menu. Everyone raved about their orders so you can't go wrong -- the white sweet potatoes are a standout! Beautiful restaurant, great service, extensive/amazing menu, easy parking across the street, and Changing Hands is right next door to walk it off after. Thank you Tesota! read more

Tesota - White sweet potatoes (regular menu) 08/2024 - Comfort Food Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This was my first time visiting this establishment and I was extremely pleased. We had cocktails and food. The drinks were really good and the food was amazing! My friend had the macaroni and cheese and I had the spicy pizza. My friend so enjoyed her macaroni and cheese that she took home another order for her husband. My pizza was fantastic! I knew my daughter would love it as well so I ordered one for her. She wholeheartedly agreed! I know we will be going back again soon. read more

There's nothing that's cherished quite like a great neighborhood restaurant that feels like an extension of your own home and that's exactly what Tesota is. Each time we go, we're greeted with warm, friendly, familiar faces of friends. Nothing about the experience is transactional. We don't often dine out but have found ourselves returning week after week for the exceptional food (the most "basic" Margareta pizza is artistic and lovingly produced with fine, local ingredients), an incredible array of happy hour offerings, and regulars who grace the bar and invite conversation. Our most recent meal was this evening with Eric and Brittany who have a knock for making a meal into a magical evening. We can't thank each member of the team enough for creating a place that we'd recommend to anyone and bring everyone to. It's such a comfortable space for enjoying a sunset on the patio, feeling the bustle of the city in the dining room or even popping into the adjacent bookstore between bites. read more

Went here with my mom. Can't wait to come back! The ambience , food and music were fantastic. Eric rocks!

Great service and delicious food. The shakshuka was excellent and really inventive cocktails. Can't wait to go back!

Great food and service very pleased. Our first time here and we will be back. Eric, our waiter, was a very personable guy with great recommendations. Warner Old Fashioned, Black and Blue Burger, Poke Bowl, Gemelli pasta. All excellent. read more

This place is a must if you're in the uptown area!! The happy hour deals are unbeatable. Not only that, the portions are great for two people. The mushroom pizza was probably one of the best I've ever had! Our server went above and beyond to take care of us! Causal and cute ambiance! Definitely recommend. read more

From the ambiance to the service to the food what an amazing experience! The food was so delicious and we tried several different appetizers and they were all so good! The shrimp was cooked to absolute perfection. All of our entrees were amazing and we all sampled each others. We were lucky enough to have Eric as our server. He is such a professional and really understands the menu. His recommendations were spot on! Even the drinks were great. One of the best old fashions I've ever had. We will definitely be making this a regular stop. read more

We had the best time at Tesota! Ashli was extremely accommodating for a last minute reservation for 20+ of us. Eric was the absolute best and provided a wonderful experience for our group. He was so accommodating, patient, and funny! Compliments to Chef Jared for the delicious food and for taking the time to chat with us. The white potatoes (SUCH A HIT), veggies, mac and cheese, roasted chicken, spread board- pretty much everything we ordered was great. And compliments to the bar tender for some phenomenal cocktails! Try the snap tea and golden hour because WOW! A new fav spot whenever I'm in Phoenix. read more

Wow...what a great surprise in Tesata's. Went in for the Happy Hour to check it out and we left completely satisfied. Started with draft beer and oysters and truffle Mac n cheese. We then ordered the pizza, salad and house wine special. The asian salad was soooo good and we loved the margarita pizza, the crust is to die for. The service was perfect and Jenna was very good and took care of us. The other servers were not afraid to remove empty dishes or fill your water as they passed. Our experience was exceptional and this will become a frequent stop for us. They hit it out of the park with food and service and for a very reasonable price. See you soon Teaota!! read more

The atmosphere was casual, the staff was friendly and helpful. The food was amazing. We had the ceviche, peas and carrots pasta and grilled cabbage. Everything was bursting with flavor. read more