Tempe’s Filthy Animal named best new restaurant in US by Yelp

Filthy Animal, a jungle-themed restaurant, in Tempe took the spot on Yelp’s 2026 roundup of the best new restaurants, beating out a Michelin-starred eatery and the steakhouse co-founded by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

The review site compiled the list by identifying restaurants in the U.S. that opened after Jan. 1, 2025 then ranked them using the total volume and ratings of reviews from that date until June 11. It also asked Yelp trend expert Tara Lewis to weigh in.

Food at the restaurant, operated by Pretty Decent Concepts, is American cuisine with influences of Asian, Mexican and tropical flavors prepared by Executive Chef Rene Vargas over a wood fire pit.

“A lot of people told us a restaurant like Filthy Animal would never work in Tempe, but we saw an opportunity to create something bold and unexpected that people would travel from all over the Valley to experience,” Pretty Decent Concepts Founder Teddy Myers said in a news release. “To now be recognized as Yelp’s #1 Best New Restaurant in the country is an incredible honor.”

The eatery opened in March 2025 in a Mill Avenue space that used to be home to a P.F. Chang’s.

Many of the establishment’s menu item received recognition from reviewers. Appetizers that were highlighted included its Milk Bread with miso tomato butter, Tuna Pineapple Ceviche with plantain chips and beef tartar studded with grill-smoked ingredients.

The entrees that earned eaters’ accolades were the Lemongrass Half Chicken with jalapeno jam and the Lobster Mac and Cheese with thick noodles.

“Filthy Animal truly deserves this honor. The food is amazing. The atmosphere is incredible. More than that, Teddy Myers and the Pretty Decent Concepts team literally transformed a long-empty space into a restaurant that draws people from across the country — and helped is draw more restaurants to Mill Avenue,” Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said in a news release.

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