Dining · Phoenix

Mrs. White's Golden Rule Café

Mrs. White's Golden Rule Café is a family-run soul-food counter that has been feeding downtown Phoenix since 1964. It's a small, unpretentious room full of regulars, and the kind of place that has earned its loyalty one plate at a time.

The fried chicken is the headliner, with catfish, smothered pork chops, black-eyed peas, greens and cornbread rounding out a menu that hasn't needed to change. Portions are hearty and the welcome is warm. Note that it typically keeps daytime, weekday hours, so plan lunch around it.

It's centrally located downtown and an easy stop between sightseeing. This is the real thing — exactly where we send guests who want honest, home-style cooking.