This La Grande Orange review covers what I ordered, how the counter service works, parking, the market, and whether it is worth adding to your Phoenix itinerary.
A friend recommended it before my trip, and I expected good food. What I did not expect was an entire experience. La Grande Orange combines a café, bakery, neighborhood market, wine shop, and restaurant in one stop.
It is especially good for breakfast, brunch, lunch, girls’ trips, and families. Its location is also convenient for travelers looking for restaurants within a reasonable drive of Phoenix Sky Harbor. My Best Restaurants Near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport includes more options for before or after a flight.
La Grande Orange Phoenix is much more than a standard restaurant.
You could stop in for a full meal, meet friends for lunch, grab coffee and a pastry, pick up something to take home, or browse the market after eating. It is easy to spend much longer here than you originally planned.
The atmosphere is one of the biggest reasons I would recommend La Grande Orange.
It felt relaxed and welcoming, but it was also unlike anywhere else I visited during my Phoenix trip. There was always something else to look at, whether it was the bakery case, prepared foods, drinks, or merchandise in the market.
The shop was one of my favorite surprises. It carries fun, quirky items you do not normally find elsewhere, making it especially good for a girls’ trip or anyone looking for gifts and souvenirs to take home.
Leave enough time to look around after your meal. This is not somewhere I would plan to rush in and out unless I was only picking up coffee or food to go.
A reusable Nano Bag would be useful if you plan to buy gifts, pastries, or anything else from the market but do not want to carry a bulky shopping bag for the rest of the day.
I tried a little bit of everything!
The crepes were easily my favorite thing I ordered.
They were light, flavorful, and exactly what I would go back for. If it is your first visit and you are trying to decide what to order for breakfast, the crepes would be my first recommendation.
The Chicken Salad Sandwich was another great choice and made an excellent lunch.
It is a good option if you are visiting with someone who wants breakfast while you would rather order something more lunch-y—that’s a word, right? The La Grande Orange menu has enough variety that everyone does not have to be in the mood for the same type of meal.
For more restaurants I tried during this trip, my Best Restaurants in Phoenix: Where to Eat for Every Craving compares casual breakfasts, local specialties, Italian food, and longer tasting-menu experiences.
The Red Velvet Mini Cupcake was delicious and the right size for trying something sweet after the rest of my meal.
The bakery case had so many tempting options that choosing only a couple was difficult. Honestly, every pastry looked incredible. If I had had more room, I probably would have left with half the case.
I enjoyed the French Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie, but it was not quite my preferred style of cookie.
I usually like cookies that are soft and gooey. This one was heartier and would be perfect for someone who likes dipping cookies in milk. My husband actually prefers this style.
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I ordered a chai latte with my meal, and it paired perfectly with breakfast.
La Grande Orange also works well if you only want coffee and a pastry, although the bakery case may convince you that one pastry is not enough.
There are tables available, so you can sit for a while instead of treating it as a quick grab-and-go stop.
La Grande Orange uses counter service.
You order at the counter, find a table, and the food is brought out when it is ready. Service was friendly and efficient during my visit, and everything moved quickly without feeling rushed.
This setup makes it convenient for families, groups, and anyone who does not want a long sit-down restaurant experience.
Parking was easy during my visit, which is always a bonus in Phoenix.
I did not have to spend extra time circling the area or figuring out where to leave the car. That makes it a practical option when you are fitting breakfast or lunch into a busier day of sightseeing.
A rental car is the easiest way to combine Le Grande Orange with restaurants and attractions across the Phoenix area. You can compare rental-car rates through Discover Cars.
Anyone flying into the city can also use my Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Guide: Everything You Need to Know (PHX) to plan terminals, transportation, airport timing, and what to expect after landing.
Yes, La Grande Orange is family-friendly.
The menu has enough variety for different preferences, and the casual counter-service format makes it easier than a more formal restaurant. Kids can choose from baked goods and familiar meal options, while adults can order breakfast, lunch, coffee, or something from the bakery.
The market also gives everyone something to look at while waiting for food or after the meal.
Travelers planning more than one Phoenix meal may also want to read my Fry Bread House Review: Is It Worth Visiting? for a completely different local dining experience.
Yes. I would return and order the crepes again without hesitation, but I would also save more room for the bakery. There were too many tempting options to fit into one visit, and I would like to come back for the pizza since it is one of the restaurant’s specialties and something I did not get to try.
The food was excellent, but the market and bakery are what made La Grande Orange feel different from a standard Phoenix café. I would recommend it for breakfast or lunch, especially when you have enough time to browse afterward. Just do not schedule your next activity too closely because you will probably stay longer than expected!
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Booked this Bryson City yurt for the ‘ber months and it’s already my top fall pick this year. 🍂
The Junaluska Yurt sleeps six but feels more like a stylish cabin than a yurt, two real queen bedrooms with actual doors, a full kitchen, and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Check-in is just a door code texted to your phone, no lobby, no waiting.
The real win is outside: wraparound porch, private fire pit, free firewood, a gas grill, and Smoky Mountain sunsets that stop you mid-sentence, picture all of that with October color on the ridgeline. Heads up, the last stretch in is a gravel road, so skip the low-profile rental, and there’s no restaurant onsite, you’re minutes from Bryson City, Dillsboro, and Sylva for dinner.
Two to three nights is the sweet spot. (We actually stayed in the dead of winter and it was still stunning, fall just takes it up a notch.) Full review linked in bio.
Italian food felt like the last thing I expected to find in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains... until I sat down at Ilda in Sylva.🍝
They call it Italian-Appalachian, and that’s not just a tagline. Homemade pasta, craft cocktails, local ingredients pulled straight from the mountains around it, this is the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re two hours from the nearest city. It’s cozy, it’s a little upscale, and it is not a walk-in kind of place, call ahead, because tables go fast on weekends.
It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. But if you’re already making the trip out to Sylva, this is the one reservation worth planning your day around.
Full write-up, including what to order, link in bio.
Booked my fall cabin before September even started, and I’m not sorry about it. 🍂
These are the stays that make you actually want the cold to hurry up fireplaces, mountain views, the kind of porch you don’t leave. Not every one of these is going to fit every trip, but if a cozy fall getaway is on your radar, this is the roundup to start with.
One of my favorite travel seasons is almost here, and I have zero chill about it. 🍁✈️
There’s just something about fall trips cooler air, apple orchards, that first flannel of the season, food that actually makes sense with the weather again. I’m already mentally packing for it before September even starts.
If fall is your favorite time to travel too, tell me where you’re headed... I’m taking notes for the list.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
