Plaid Eatery

Tucked away in a convenient, close, but hard to notice location right behind ASU dorms on Rural and Terrace is Plaid Eatery, a café style restaurant featuring neighborhood artwork (so neighborhood in fact, that some of the photography was taken in Teta’s house), good lighting, and a “dedication to taste.”

As Teta and I walked in, there was only one person in the restaurant which immediately made me think this place might have been a wrong choice, but my first impression was quickly proven incorrect. The overall decor of the place is very inviting, considering the table we chose to sit at was a traditional dining room table with formal chairs. There are also many booths to choose from with individual lamps for extra lighting for those who are studying while having dinner. Or there is a bar area with barstools and a couch for those who want to enjoy their happy hour deals comfortably.

The menu is not particularly large, but certainly provides a variety of options for various diets and desires. I personally enjoyed my strawberry Italian soda and the Spicy Stir Fry. This dish, with a variety of vegetables and your choice of chicken or tofu served over rice, is designed for those who enjoy spice and those only. Teta order the Plaid Thai, which I secretly envied her for, while Lauren and Jocie split the Teriyaki. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their large “Pladders”($8) which all offer the choice of chicken or tofu. Other items on the menu include $8 salads, $6.50 sandwiches, and some sides and appetizers all under $5.

The dessert ($3) menu boasted a plethora of options, but in reality there was only mango cheesecake and tiramisu. Apparently this is a common problem here, so ask before ordering dessert what the options really are. We ended up with mango cheesecake which was only okay in comparison to the entrees.

So why is this delicious and affordable restaurant a ghost town? Perhaps it’s because no one has realized the light-rail construction in that area is now finished and no longer an inconvenience. Maybe it’s because it’s a Monday and that is never a busy day in the restaurant business. It could have been that Thanksgiving leftovers were still abundant. Whatever the reason, it shouldn’t be there. It is an ideal location for many occasions, such as conversation that is audible between the table, studying away from the noise in the dorms, or a warm meal on a colder night.

Plaid Eatery
1044 S. Terrace Rd.
Tempe, Az 85281
480.394.9424