I just reposted an entry from last year (so it would show on Localism- that's what the Q & A recommends) entitled "How to speak Payson". Since its almost supper time, this is a natural follow-up.
For a small town, Payson has quite a few good restaurants. This list is purely subjective, these are places we frequent.
"Meet you at Beeline for lunch", Long time residents will know that you aren't planning on hanging out on Beeline Hwy and looking hungry. You mean the Beeline Cafe. This cafe has been around nearly as long as Payson has. It has good old hometown American food, the best breakfasts in town, Americanized Mexican food on Wednesdays, and a good fish fry on Fridays (with usually fried cod and one other choice of fish). My husband has the phone number in his cell phone so he can call and ask "what's the special today?" Beeline Cafe is located on South Beeline, on the East side of the street. If you're heading North and you come to a stop light at Main St. you've gone too far.
For Mexican food (take out) try Alfonso's drive-in. It HAS a sit-down area, but its not much atmosphere. What they have a LOT of, is taste. We grew up in Yuma, near the Mexican border, We tell people we miss friends and the food. Alfonso's comes the closest to what we were used to. Their burritos are HUGE, their flour tortillas are flat and leathery (the way they SHOULD be- flour tortillas aren't supposed to be soft or floury), their hot sauce is (as far as I'm concerned) a food group by itself, the beans are great. Alfonso's is on South Beeline Hwy. on the West side of the street. It is between the stop lights at Main St. and Bonita.
For Chinese we like the Mandarin House (or as we call it- the Chinese Place). It doesn't have much atmosphere, either, but the food is good, and the Owner remembers us and what we drink. They have a buffet with lots of spicy dishes and lots of vegetables. It makes a great quick lunch. The Mandarin House is located at the far South end of town, on the West side of Beeline Hwy. Look for the sign, as it is set off the road somewhat.
If you like hamburgers Macky's Grill has an "Ooey Gooey Burger" that lives up to its name. Their burgers also come in sizes (from Little Macky on up), and are really good, if a little messy. They also have good soups, and great pie. Macky's is now located near the theater in the Sawmill Crossing shopping center, on the West side of South Beeline Hwy., South of Main St. The center is so named because it is the site on the real sawmill that operated until just a few years ago. If you hear a loud whistle morning, noon, or quitting time it is the old sawmill whistle.
For a really nice sit-down meal we like Gerardo's. It is Italian food, very good. I'm not a fan of red sauce, but they make really great sandwiches, pizza with a thin and crisp crust, salads, as well as specials. The food is always good, the service is prompt and friendly, the atmosphere is relaxing. Wine, dessert, what more could you want? Gerardo's is located on North Beeline Hwy., Between the lights at Hwy. 260 (the center of town) and at Walmart.
I'm getting too hungry to keep typing, and will have to continue this another time. Payson has many restaurants, and I don't mean to offend anyone if I didn't mention your favorite. Food is a subjective thing.
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