Filthy Animal: Tempe Travel Guide

Yelp’s 2026 list of the Best New Restaurants in the U.S. had openings from Los Angeles and New York on it. The top spot didn’t go to either city. It went to a jungle-themed dining room in Tempe, the college town just east of Phoenix, and the place is named after a gangster’s sneer from a Christmas movie.

That mix tells you what Filthy Animal is going for. It wants to be fun first and taken seriously second, and the people who post on Yelp were happy to do both.

Keep the Change: Where the Name Comes From

You probably know the line already. In Home Alone (1990), Kevin McCallister scares off a pizza delivery driver by playing a scene from Angels with Filthy Souls. That’s a fake black-and-white gangster film made for the movie. The gangster growls “Keep the change, ya filthy animal” and opens fire. Kevin has been repeating the line ever since, and so has everyone else.

A restaurant that takes its name from that line doesn’t expect you to whisper. It’s a wink, and it tells you to arrive ready to enjoy yourself rather than for a hushed tasting menu. If someone in your group quotes the line at the host, that’s half the point of the name.

What a #1 Ranking Does to a Dining Room

The ranking is the main reason most visitors have heard of it. Yelp’s annual Best New Restaurants list is built from its users’ reviews and activity. That means the result reflects what diners rated highly, not the pick of one critic. Topping the national list ahead of LA and NYC contenders is a big deal for a Tempe opening.

The practical result is simple: more people now want a table. A restaurant that was a local talking point becomes something visitors plan a trip around. Assume tables are harder to get than they were before the list came out, and plan with that in mind.

A Jungle in the Sonoran Desert

The theme is jungle. That’s a deliberate contrast in a city where the land outside is saguaro country and summer afternoons are among the hottest in the U.S. Stepping into a jungle-themed room from a Tempe street is part of the fun.

We haven’t been given a menu, a décor list or a house specialty, so we won’t guess at them. Check the restaurant’s own website or social accounts for the current menu. Recent Yelp photos will show you the room as it looks now. Both are better guides than a description that might be out of date by the time you go.

Getting a Table Without the Scramble

Most of the work for this meal happens before you leave home. A few habits help:

• Book early. If the restaurant takes reservations, book as soon as your dates are fixed. Weekend evenings at a nationally ranked spot go first.
• Confirm the hours yourself. New restaurants change their schedules often, so check on the day.
• Ask about walk-ins. If you can’t get a booking, find out whether some tables are held back. Arriving right when evening service starts usually gives you the best chance.
• Be flexible. A weeknight table is usually easier to get than Friday or Saturday.
• Bring a card. Cards are the default at U.S. sit-down restaurants, and tap-to-pay is common.

The usual U.S. tipping rules apply at the table. Tip your server roughly 18 to 20 percent of the bill. Sometimes the check includes a service charge, especially for large groups. Read the bill before you add a tip so you don’t pay it twice.

Building a Tempe Evening Around It

Dinner fits easily into a night out in Tempe, because the city’s main draws are close together. Downtown centres on Mill Avenue, a street of bars and restaurants that runs north toward the Salt River. Just beyond it is Tempe Town Lake, a reservoir on the river with walking and cycling paths along its banks.

Arizona State University’s Tempe campus sits right next to downtown. Its students give the area much of its late-night energy during term time. Before dinner, you could:

• Walk the Tempe Town Lake paths around sunset, when the heat eases
• Climb the short trail up Tempe Butte (A Mountain) for views across the Valley
• Wander Mill Avenue for a drink after you eat

Check Filthy Animal’s exact address before you plan the route. That way you’ll know which of these is a short walk and which needs a ride.

Getting There and Timing the Heat

Tempe is easy to reach. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport borders the city to the west, so the drive from arrivals is short. The Valley Metro Rail light rail runs through Tempe and connects it with downtown Phoenix and Mesa. The Tempe Streetcar loops around downtown and the Mill Avenue area. Rideshare apps cover the whole metro area.

Heat is the biggest factor in when to go. From roughly June through September, daytime temperatures are fierce. A late dinner is more comfortable than anything in the afternoon. Late autumn through spring is the pleasant season for combining dinner with time outdoors at the lake or on A Mountain.

Whenever you go, the steps are the same. Confirm the hours, book the table and check the address. Then let the jungle and the old movie line do the rest.