Some of the best food in Arizona is not in a fancy restaurant. It is sitting in a cooler or on a shelf at a roadside stand you almost drove right past.
Across the state you can find farms selling sweet peaches you pick yourself and small shops packed with fresh jerky in flavors you did not know existed. Here are six spots that make slowing down and pulling over totally worth it.
1. Mortimer Farms, Dewey, AZ
A quick drive up State Route 169 from the Phoenix area lands you at a working farm that stays open year-round, which is rare for this part of Arizona.
Sitting right off the highway at 12907 AZ-169, Mortimer Farms runs a Market and Deli, a Windmill Kitchen, a Farm Park, and seasonal pick-your-own experiences. If you have lived here a while, you might remember this land as the old Young family farm.
The Market and Deli is where the roadside magic happens. Shelves hold homemade pickles, jams, and jerky, plus a large selection of meats and canned goods.
The jars of peach halves are a favorite for anyone stocking a pantry.
Hours run Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 6 PM and Sunday from 8 AM to 4 PM. There is a free parking lot and a paid one, so parking is easy no matter how busy the festivals get.
Between the peaches and the jerky, this stop checks both boxes on our list at once, which makes it a smart first st007. Call ahead at 928-830-1116 if you want to check what is in season.
2. Dwaynes Fresh Jerky, Bowie, AZ
Free samples at the front door might be the smartest sales trick in southern Arizona, and this shop uses it well.
Parked along the highway corridor at 1120 W E Business Loop #10 in Bowie, Dwaynes Fresh Jerky is a classic roadside stop that instantly puts road-trippers in a good mood. The shop is small, but the selection is not.
Jerky comes in flavors like teriyaki, chocolate, beef, green chili, apple, and cowboy. Beyond the jerky, you can browse olive oils, dried fruits, candy, and souvenirs, and there are usually a couple of food trucks on site if you get hungry.
People who have driven all over the state have called this some of the best jerky they have had since living in Arizona, which is high praise for a shop this size.
Doors are open every day from 7 AM to 6 PM, with mornings on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday being the busiest. Parking is available on site.
Try a sample or three before you commit.
3. Apple Annie’s Produce & Pumpkins, Willcox, AZ
Heads up before you plug this into your maps app: the Apple Annie’s location closest to the interstate does not carry produce. The orchard and produce stand sit about 20 minutes off I-10 at 6405 Williams Rd, so aim for the right one.
Once you get there, it turns into a real farm outing. Depending on the season, you can pick veggies, pumpkins, apples, sunflowers, and stone fruit, then wander the corn maze and pumpkin patch.
Summer brings seasonal fruits and vegetables, while fall stacks on apples, squash, and pumpkins. The peaches, apples, and plums have been known to show up abundant and in great shape for U-pick.
The property also has a cute mini market, a gift shop, a small restaurant, freshly fried apple cider doughnuts, roasted corn, and fruit-infused lemonades when the season is right.
Open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM with free on-site parking, it has become an annual tradition for families driving down from Phoenix. It earns its spot for making peach picking part of a whole day out.
4. Daniel’s Really Good Fresh Jerky, Quartzsite, AZ
Buffalo, elk, venison, and even tuna jerky share the same shelves here, which puts this shop in a category well beyond plain beef.
Right on the travel corridor at 1349 W Main St in Quartzsite, Daniel’s Really Good Fresh Jerky is a roadside gourmet grocery stop that keeps things clean and stocked. The jerky is fresh, and the variety is the whole point.
Besides the wide flavor lineup, you will find old-time candy, dried fruit, nuts, pickled everything, and an impressive wall of hot sauces, including a few that lean seriously spicy. Samples of most jerky are set out so you know exactly what you are getting before you buy.
Regulars who cross Quartzsite often make this a standing stop every time they pass through. There is a restroom, in-store pickup and shopping, and plenty of parking options.
Hours run 8 AM to 8 PM Monday through Thursday and Saturday, and 8 AM to 10 PM on Friday and Sunday. It is a quick visit that punches above its size.
5. Schnepf Farms, Queen Creek, AZ
Spring is peach season, and at this Queen Creek farm the peaches have a reputation for being about the best you will find in the state.
Located at 24810 S Rittenhouse Rd, Schnepf Farms bills itself as Arizona’s premier family farm, and it backs that up with U-pick peaches and veggies, a bakery, a country store, a cafe, and a coffee shop.
Picking and eating a fresh peach right off the tree is the kind of simple experience families come back for year after year. Many make a full day of it, pairing a walk through the farm grounds with a meal at the cafe.
There is a playground and plenty of kid-friendly activities, so younger visitors stay busy while the grownups load up on fruit and baked goods.
Hours are a bit unusual, so plan ahead: Thursday and Friday from 7:30 AM to 2 PM and 6:30 to 9 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 AM to 2 PM, closed Monday through Wednesday. Getting tickets in advance is recommended for events.
6. Fenway Park Orchards, Morristown, AZ
Sometimes the best pull-over is a small orchard stand sitting right on the road, and this one delivers exactly that.
Planted directly along the highway at 42610 Highway 60-89 in Morristown, Fenway Park Orchards invites road-trippers to stop for fresh harvest goods without going out of their way.
The draw here is straightforward: juicy, delicious peaches and apples at good prices. There is no fuss and no long checklist of attractions, just fruit worth stopping for.
For anyone chasing peaches across Arizona, this makes for a satisfying box to check off the road trip list.
Hours run Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday through Sunday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with the stand closed on Monday and Friday. Because the schedule skips a couple of days, a quick call to 623-388-2603 before you head out is a smart move.
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