Author: Jess Harter

Mission BBQ, a Maryland-based chain dedicated to giving back to veterans, police, and firefighters, has made its Arizona debut at PV, the $2 billion redevelopment of the former Paradise Valley Mall in northeast Phoenix. The fast-casual restaurant is located

 Da Kitchin Grill, an all-day restaurant that’s been under construction since 2022, finally has soft-opened in Ahwatukee. The new concept from Charles Stewart, a former managing partner at Biscuits and Cactus Jack’s, takes over the former Trattoria D’Amico space on

California-based microbrewery chain BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse officially opens its sixth Valley location today in Queen Creek. It’s located in front of Costco in the new Queen Creek Crossing Plaza on the northwest corner of Ellsworth and Queen Creek.

 Sana Sana Cerveceria, a new craft brewery honoring the owners’ Mexican-American heritage, has soft-opened on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. It’s located near the southeast corner of Roosevelt and Fourth streets behind Modified Arts and just west of Greenwood Brewing and Il

 Ricemill, a new Asian-inspired fast-casual concept, is scheduled to open Saturday in downtown Phoenix. The 1,789-square-foot restaurant will be located at the Collier Center near the southeast corner of Second Street and Washington. Ricemill’s menu features chef-curated rice bowls like

Filthy Animal – the latest concept from Pretty Decent Concepts, the team behind Phoenix hot spots Wren & Wolf, Chico Malo, and Carry On – has soft-opened in downtown Tempe. The wood-fired restaurant and its soon-to-open sibling cocktail bar

Liquor Pig, a much-anticipated gastropub from industry veterans Scott Casey and Steve ‘‘Chops’’ Smith, officially opens at 4 p.m. Friday in Old Town Scottsdale. It takes over the small brick building near the southeast corner of Scottsdale and Fourth

Jolt N Bolt, an independent coffeehouse and cafe, has opened on the northeast corner of Recker and Guadalupe in Gilbert. Besides a full range of coffee drinks, the beverage options include smoothies, shakes, juices, and lemonade. All-day breakfast features

 Bad Jimmy’s, a pandemic-era burger pop-up that opened a bricks-and-mortar Phoenix restaurant in 2023, has launched a second location in Old Town Scottsdale. It takes over the former Starlite BBQ & Whiskey Bar on the northeast corner of Indian School and

Cali Tacos, a California-based chain of Mexican eateries, has opened its sixth Valley location on the southwest corner of Bethany Home and 75th Avenue in Glendale. The menu offers tacos on a choice of corn or flour tortillas ($2.49-$3.99),

Faava, a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant, opens today behind Chandler Fashion Center on the southeast corner of Chandler Village Drive and Frye. It’s situated next to fine-dining restaurant Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine. Both are part of the Zest Hospitality Group.

Dos Victorias, a Mexican restaurant in Monterey, Calif., has opened a second location in the former Los Favoritos space on the southeast corner of Kyrene and Ray in west Chandler. The counter-service menu features 15 burritos (plus seven breakfast

The Pemberton, a popular outdoor food hall and entertainment venue in downtown Phoenix that closed last March, has reopened with a new look. The original concept, which opened in 2021, featured rotating food trucks, funky art displays and retail

 Title 9 Sports Grill, Phoenix’s first women-focused sports bar, has opened near the northeast corner of Indian School and Seventh Avenue in central Phoenix. It takes over the former Short Leash Hotdogs & Taproom, which closed in December. Title 9’s menu

 Blue Sushi Sake Grill, an Omaha, Neb.-based chain of Japanese restaurants focused on responsibly caught and humanely raised seafood, has opened its second Valley location at the Village at Prasada in Surprise. The concept from the Flagship Restaurant Group made

Dynamite Beer Company in Cave Creek has soft-opened a second location in uptown Phoenix. The taproom, bottle shop, and kitchen moved into the former Huss Brewing space on the northeast corner of Central and Camelback. Unlike Tempe-based Huss, Dynamite

 Miel de Agave, a two-year-old modern Mexican restaurant in downtown Phoenix, has opened a second location in downtown Chandler. It’s taken over the former Buqui Bichi space on the southeast corner of Arizona and Frye roads. The Mexico brewery’s first

George & Gather, an all-day New American restaurant, bar, and market, has soft-opened near the southwest corner of Washington and Frye in downtown Chandler. The 7,700-square-foot, Art Deco-inspired space includes an 80-seat dining room, an indoor-outdoor bar, and a

Torchy’s Tacos, which started as an Austin, Texas, food trailer in 2006, has opened its fifth Valley location at the Village at Prasada near the southeast corner of the Loop 303 and Waddell in Surprise. The menu includes 17

 Cheba Hut, the Valley-born chain of cannabis-themed sub shops, opens its 11th Arizona location today on the northwest corner of Shea and the Loop 101 in central Scottsdale. The 3,000-square-foot-plus end-cap space features a custom mural by Colorado artist Joshua

Chilaquiles Modern Kitchen, an eight-year-old Mexican brunch eatery in west Mesa, has opened a second location in east Mesa. The family-operated restaurant’s new location is at the Superstition Gateway West shopping mall on the southwest corner of U.S. 60

Artisan ice cream shop Sweet Republic has opened its fourth location near the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Second Street in Old Town Scottsdale. It takes over the space formerly home to Tom’s Incredible Ice Cream and, before that,

Chicharron Shack, a restaurant offering Dominican and Puerto Rican dishes, has opened near the southeast corner of Glendale and 47th Avenue in Glendale. The streamlined menu offers both chicharrones de pollo (pieces of crispy fried chicken) or chicharrones de

Super Burrito, a family-operated Mexican eatery near the southeast corner of Scottsdale and Thomas in south Scottsdale, has rebranded itself as Checo’s Taco Shop. Under the same ownership, the huge menu offers a slightly revamped selection of taco, burritos,

Lin’s Grand Buffet, an Albuquerque-based Asian-American concept, has opened its seventh Arizona restaurant in northwest Phoenix. It’s taken over the former Black Angus Steakhouse at the under-redevelopment Metrocenter Mall on the southwest corner of I-17 and Peoria. Diners can

 Real Kabob, a Persian-Mediterranean grill in San Jose, Calif., has opened a second location in the former Subway on the southeast corner of Arizona Avenue and the Loop 202 in Chandler. As the name implies, the self-described ‘‘authentically Persian‘‘ menu focuses

 Macayo’s Mexican Food has launched its new Tempe location at Cornerstone on the northeast corner of Rural and University. The restaurant decided to move when its five-year lease expired at its previous space on the southwest corner of the Loop

Valley food truck Green Chile Love, a family-run concept featuring dishes made with Hatch chiles, has opened a restaurant in the Safeway shopping center on the southeast corner of 40th Street and Chandler in Ahwatukee. The space previously was

 Haymaker, a breakfast, burgers, and barbecue restaurant, has opened its fourth West Valley location at Verrado’s new Sunrise Market on the southeast corner of Sunrise Lane and Village Street in Buckeye. Highlights of the all-day menu include cream cheese-glazed cinnamon

 Caffenio, a chain sometimes referred to as ‘‘the Mexican Dutch Bros.,’’ has opened its first U.S. location near the northwest corner of Alma School and Southern in west Mesa. The coffee giant, which has nearly 200 locations in Mexico, uses

 Detroit Coney Grill, a Michigan-themed hamburger and hot dog eatery in Scottsdale, has opened a second location in Gilbert. It takes over the former Mr. Zeke’s on the northeast corner of McQueen and Warner roads. Detroit Coney Grill offers a

 JL Patisserie, a 2023 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery in the U.S., has opened its third Valley location on the southeast corner of 24th Street and University just south of Phoenix Sky Harbor. Jenna Leurquin launched the bakery –

Philadelphia-based Insomnia Cookies has launched its fourth Valley store just south of Pie Snob near the northwest corner of Arizona and Frye in downtown Chandler. The menu features 17 classic cookies ($2.89 apiece), as well as deluxe cookies ($3.10), cookie cakes, ice cream,

Cien Fuegos, a Mexican restaurant from the son of the owners of Casa Corazon, has opened in the former La Cocina space near the southwest corner of 16th Street and McDowell in Phoenix. Menu highlights include pipian verde (chicken

The Belmont Kitchen & Cocktails, a self-described ‘‘casually sophisticated’’ restaurant offering seasonal cuisine and craft cocktails, has opened in north Scottsdale. It’s located in the former New York Bagels ‘N Bialys space next to Mastro’s on the northwest corner of

Copper State Taphouse has opened in the former Papago Brewing space at Mesa Riverview. The iconic Papago closed a couple weeks ago after a two-year resurrection. While Papago boasted 60 beers on tap, Copper State’s tap list offers 28

Hope’s Brunch House has opened in the former IHOP building on the west side of Central about halfway between McDowell and Thomas in central Phoenix. Highlights of the huge menu include oven-baked biscuit sandwiches (two for $14), smokey grits

 Bubba’s 33, a Kentucky-based restaurant and ‘‘garage bar’’ concept from the founder of Texas Roadhouse, has opened its third Valley location on the southeast corner of I-10 and Warner in south Tempe. The late Kent Taylor created Bubba’s – a

Scottsdale-based brunch concept Over Easy has opened its 17th Valley location  at GSQ in downtown Goodyear. Menu highlights such as banana nut French toast, chicken fried steak, and ham with red-eye gravy have been featured on the Food Network’s

The Bar, a self-described neighborhood tavern ‘‘particularly reminiscent of the state of Michigan,’’ has soft-opened in uptown Phoenix. The locally owned concept’s second current location takes over the former Mateo’s Beach Bar space on the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue

Sweet Paris Creperie & Café, a Houston-based chain specializing in sweet and savory crepes, has made its Arizona debut at the Scottsdale Quarter. It’s located next to the Apple store on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Butherus in

Omatase Japanese Kitchen, a new restaurant from the former owners of Sushi Stop in Mesa, has opened in the food court at the Asiana Market on the northeast corner of Dobson and Southern in west Mesa. The menu offers

La Cocina, a refined Mexican restaurant inspired by ‘‘the iconic dining experiences of Southern California,’’ has opened in far north Scottsdale. It takes over the former Hacienda’s Mexican Grill space (a few spaces south of the new Patricia’s Pizza)

Is Peruvian rotisserie chicken finally becoming a thing in the Valley? Mi Corralito Charbroiled Peruvian Chicken has opened in the old Tacos Chiwas space in the Pep Boys Plaza near the northwest corner of Alma School and Warner in

Carolina’s Mexican Food, one of my favorite Valley restaurants, has opened its seventh Valley location on the southwest corner of Alma School and Warner in Chandler. It’s great news for East Valley residents, whose only other Carolina’s opened in

Kill Club, a new lounge and restaurant from Jocque Concepts (The Montauk, Diego Pops, The Hot Chick, and Eat Up!) has opened in Old Town Scottsdale. It takes over the former Philadelphia Sandwich Company space next to DJ’s (across

Casa de Julia, a polished Mexican restaurant and bar named in honor of the owner’s grandmother, has opened in downtown Phoenix. It takes over the space formerly home to French bakery and cafe La Madeleine at the Luhrs Tower on the

Authentic EthioAfrican, a well-regarded Ethiopian restaurant and bar that’s been serving Phoenix diners since 2013, has opened a second location on the southeast corner of Hayden and Indian Bend in central Scottsdale. The menu offers individual and communal meals,

iThai Bistro has opened in the strip-mall space formerly home to Ah-Wok-Tukee Asian Cuisine on the northeast corner of Chandler and Desert Foothills Parkway in Ahwatukee. The menu features curries, wok dishes, noodle dishes, rice dishes, barbecue chicken and

Tired of paying nearly $20 for a burger and fries? Head over to El Camino, a new bar and grill in Old Town Scottsdale (of all places!) where you can get a double cheeseburger and fries for just $9.45.

Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop, a Scottsdale-based sandwich chain, has opened its seventh Valley location in the Safeway center on the southeast corner of Chandler and 40th Street in Ahwatukee. Founded by Frank and Michele Fagundes in San Mateo, Calif.,

Edo Japanese Grill, a Canadian chain of Japanese fast-casual restaurants, has made its Arizona debut in Chandler. It’s opened in the former Pasta 78 space on the northeast corner of the Loop 101 and Chandler Boulevard. Edo’s core menu

French Toast Cafe, a neighborhood breakfast and lunch eatery, has opened on the southeast corner of Sossaman and Guadalupe in southeast Mesa. The namesake menu item comes in three varieties – berry, cinnamon, and Nutella ($10.99 alone or $13.99