Author: Jess Harter

Samsara, a Persian retaurant that lay claims to being the first hookah lounge in downtown Phoenix, has opened on the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Garfield. The space: Formerly the home of Bliss Rebar, which closed in May 2022

🍩☕️ King Donuts, a 24-hour independent doughnut shop, has opened on the northwest corner of 19th Avenue and Bell in north Phoenix. The food: 40 kinds of doughnuts, bagels, croissants, and ice cream-filled doughnuts. Plus, breakfast and lunch sandwiches. The

El Chullo, a 9-year-old Peruvian restaurant and bar in Phoenix, has opened a long-in-the-works second location on the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and Turney in Phoenix’s Melrose district. The space: The former home of Los Compadres Fine Mexican Restaurant,

🍨🍬🥤🍪🍹 Las Vegas-based Sugar Factory – a celebrity-favorite restaurant, bar, ice cream bar, and candy store – has made its Arizona debut at Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale. The space: With 9,400 square feet indoor and 1,275 outdoor, the restaurant

🕹🍕🍺 Level One Arcade Bar, which opened in downtown Gilbert in 2019, officially opens its second location at 11 a.m. today on the north side of Main, between MacDonald and Drew, in downtown Mesa. The space: The two-story Mesa location

OG’z – The Original Empanada Shop, a Mexican restaurant specializing in sweet and savory empanadas, has opened on the northwest corner of Ellsworth and Ocotillo in Queen Creek. The space: Formerly the home of Chairez Authentic Mexican Restaurant and, before

🍔 Seven Brothers Burgers, a Hawaii-based chain started by (as you might guess) seven brothers, has made its Arizona debut near the northwest corner of Ellsworth and Riggs in Queen Creek. The chain: Launched in Oahu in 2009 by the

🌮 Taco Girls, a small New Mexican eatery, has opened inside the Phoenix Premium Outlets mall near the southwest corner of I-10 and the Loop 202 in west Chandler. The food: Carne asada, chicken, and birria plates, tacos, flautas, quesadillas,

🐓🧇 Chick-in Waffle, a Missouri-based concept offering global twists on chicken and waffles, has made its Valley debut on the southeast corner of Guadalupe and the Loop 101 in southwest Mesa. The concept: Dennis and Sara Alazzeh launched Chick-in Waffle

🍕🍝🍷 Brooklyn V’s Pizza, a locally owned group of New York-style pizzerias, opens its fifth East Valley location today on the southwest corner of Gantzel and Ocotillo in San Tan Valley. The history: Chef-owner Vito LoPiccolo – who operated Italian

🍳🥞🍹 Hash Kitchen, one the Valley’s favorite brunch spots, opens of its seventh location today at Verde at Cooley Station on the southwest corner of Williams Field and Recker in Gilbert. The concept: Hash Kitchen was created by the Scottsdale-based

🍖 Cryin’ Coyote Barbecue, a family-run business that pays homage to several regional styles, has opened in the recently closed Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue building near the northwest corner of Cave Creek and Basin in Cave Creek. The history: When

🇹🇭 East Valley-based Thai Chili 2 Go, a chain of to-go Thai eateries, has opened its 15th Valley location near the northeast corner of the John Wayne Parkway and Hathaway in Maricopa. The food: Traditional Thai dishes like pad prig

🌮🌯🥗 Pronto, the long-awaited fast-casual concept from Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants, has opened on the southwest corner of Rural and Guadalupe in south Tempe. The space: The former sit-down Serrano’s, one of five for the family-run East Valley chain, has been