June recap: 7 notable restaurants now open in the Valley

🍽️ June was a busy month for the Valley dining scene, with a buzzy Old Town rebrand, a downtown bar-and-seafood double feature, a new Chandler roadhouse, an upscale Indian debut at Desert Ridge, and the most-hyped opening of the year by far: Arizona’s first Buc-ee’s.

Wayward

7217 E. 4th Ave, Scottsdale • 480-687-3955

Liquor Pig closed May 30 in Old Town Scottsdale and reopened a week later as Wayward (pictured), a food-forward rebrand from co-owner Christina Foster and new operating owner Kyla Hein. Executive chef CJ Kahley reworked the menu into a globally inspired lineup, with highlights like a koreano pork belly taco, black cod in tom kha broth, and a bone marrow poutine with foie gras gravy built for two.

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille

1865 S Santan Village Pkwy, Gilbert • 480-788-0897

The Texas-based steakhouse chain made its Arizona debut June 9 at Northside at SanTan Village near the Loop 202. The 11,000-square-foot, 350-seat dining room features four private event spaces, a wine wall, an outdoor patio bar, and the chain’s signature Perry’s Famous Pork Chop – a seven-finger-high cut roasted over pecan wood for up to six hours and carved tableside.

Pinky’s

810 N 2nd St, Phoenix • No listed phone

Downtown’s longtime craft-beer haunt Angel’s Trumpet Ale House gave way to Pinky’s, an Americana-style sports bar and grill that opened June 17 from owners Robert Cissell, Ariel Bracamonte, and Chuckie Duff. Expect pool tables, darts, cheap third-pound burgers starting at $11, and an all-day breakfast menu including a churro-waffle Waffle Melt and 99-cent coffee with free refills.

Chula Seafood

455 N 3rd St #1180, Phoenix • 602-844-8233

Chula Seafood opened the doors to its fourth Valley location on June 18 inside the Arizona Center. It joins the brand’s existing spots in uptown Phoenix, north Scottsdale, and south Scottsdale, serving the usual Chula classics alongside five downtown-exclusive build-your-own bowls and non-seafood options like grilled lemon garlic chicken and beef bulgogi.

Bourbon Jim’s

5945 W Ray Rd #13, Chandler • 480-621-7472

West Chandler has a new neighborhood bar: Bourbon Jim’s opened June 19 in the space formerly occupied by Jersey D’s Tavern & Grill on the southeast corner of Ray and Kyrene. The result is a “rock ‘n’ roll, country, and everything in between” hangout with 20-plus beers on tap, a deep bourbon and tequila shelf, and a state-of-the-art stage hosting live bands every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Buc-ee’s

1001 N Bullard Ave, Goodyear • 979-238-6390

Arizona’s first Buc-ee’s opened June 22, capping months of anticipation with a 74,000-square-foot, 24-hour travel center boasting 120 fueling positions. The city built a 6.5-mile traffic route to handle an estimated 50,000 to 75,000 cars on opening day, with Gov. Katie Hobbs on hand for the ribbon cutting.

Nadu

21001 N Tatum Blvd #40-1360, Phoenix • 480-773-7754

The team behind Chandler’s Feringhee opened Nadu, a Michelin-recognized Indian restaurant from chef Sujan Sarkar, at Desert Ridge Marketplace on June 26. The 86-seat dining room – done up in marigold wallpaper and crystal chandeliers – serves regional dishes like a Delhi-style Dahi Bhalla chaat and a Benne Masala Dosa, alongside craft cocktails built around mango, turmeric and chai.