Review: Filthy Animal is the Latest Hit for Pretty Decent Concepts
Filthy Animal surrounds guests with a polished interpretation of the jungle: deep green leather seating, tropical foliage, richly figured stone, warm wood and bold animal imagery. Designed as an immersive dining experience, the interior balances its primal references with tailored materials and intimate lighting. The Tempe restaurant is part of the growing Pretty Decent Concepts hospitality portfolio, all designed by Peter Maxwell Bowden and the talented team of PETERMAX Co.
PHOENIX magazine restaurant critic Nikki Buchanan places Filthy Animal on the shortlist of the year’s best new restaurants, describing it as an immersive, jungle-inspired destination unlike any other in the Valley.
The review highlights the restaurant’s opulent combination of animal prints, tropical plants and a life-size jaguar. This theatrical setting provides the backdrop for a globally influenced menu centered on wood-fired cooking, with hanging cuts of meat displayed in the open kitchen.
Among the dishes singled out are milk bread with miso-tomato butter, oysters with aguachile foam, smoked beef tartare, wood-fired Napa cabbage, ancho-chile pork chops, lemongrass chicken and miso cheesecake finished with a tableside pour of dulce de leche. The beverage program complements the restaurant’s adventurous atmosphere with imaginative cocktails.
The article concludes that Filthy Animal continues Pretty Decent Concepts’ run of distinctive hospitality destinations, pairing a memorable environment with ambitious food and beverage offerings.
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