🚫 Here’s a shocker: Golden Oak Barbecue & Taproom, one of my top 10 new restaurants of 2025, has permanently closed in downtown Phoenix after just three months.
The move comes after a dispute with the neighboring Artisan Lofts on Central apartments over smoke from the smoker (pictured) used by the restaurant near the northwest corner of I-10 and Central.
Co-owner Dave Valencia tells Phoenix Magazine, which first reported the news, the HOA’s legal threats chased away Golden Oak’s investors, forcing it to close.
“We’ve been at odds with the HOA regarding our smoker since the day we opened,” he tells the magazine. ‘‘We were working on a solution but apparently not fast enough.”
Golden Oak was a collaboration between Valencia, founder of the recently closed Oro Brewing in downtown Mesa, and Chris Figueroa, owner of former pop-up Nicky’s BBQ.
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