Author: Jess Harter

🍛 Charcoal Grill, a Mediterranean counter-service restaurant, has opened in a former uniform shop on the northeast corner of Thunderbird and 59th Avenue, next to Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, in Glendale. The menu offers beef and chicken shawarma, beef kabobs, chicken

🦐 CC’s on Central, a mother-and-son-operated Cajun restaurant, has opened near the southwest corner of Central and Thomas in midtown Phoenix. Menu highlights include traditional fare such as po’boys, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and shrimp and grits. Open for breakfast

🥃 Trevor’s, a liquor store extraordinaire that opened in south Scottsdale in 2020, has added a second location on the northwest corner of Scottsdale and Mayo in northeast Phoenix. The store features a tasting booth, a pizza kitchen, two golf simulators,

☕️ Flagstaff-based FireCreek Coffee Company has launched its second Valley location in a former shipping container at City Square near the southwest corner of Indian School and Central in midtown Phoenix. Open 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays. FireCreek plans to open a Phoenix roastery

The Parlay Kitchen & Cocktails, a modern American gastropub that opened in Chandler in 2019, opens a second location at 11 a.m. today on the northwest corner of the Loop 101 and Via de Ventura in central Scottsdale. Laurshan Construction did

🍱 Swan, an Asian restaurant specializing in sushi and seafood, has opened on the southwest corner of Alma School and Dynamite, not far from Troon North Golf Club, in north Scottsdale. It’s moved into the former Gatsby’s second-floor space above the Pony

🍗 bb.q Chicken, a South Korea-based chain of Korean fried chicken restaurants that has 3,500 locations in 57 countries, has made its Arizona debut at the 99 Ranch Market plaza on the northeast corner of Chandler and Dobson in Chandler. The

🆓 Colorado-based Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews opens its 19th Arizona restaurant at 11 a.m. today on the northwest corner of Glendale and 91st Avenue in Glendale. The first 50 people in line will receive a free T-shirt and $20 gift

🦉 Night Owl, a neighborhood hangout featuring pizza, smash burgers, and craft cocktails, opens at 11 a.m. today on the northeast corner of Hayden and McDowell in south Scottsdale. A patio has pool tables, classic arcade and pinball games, and a

🍹 Pour Decisions Patio & Kitchen, a new concept from Jackson Armstrong, owner of Ginger Monkey and BLD in Chandler, has opened in the former Loyalty Lounge space – better known as the former Old Town Gringos space – in Old Town Scottsdale. The menu

🌮 Xolo Tacos, a sister concept to Maskadores Taco Shop, has made its debut in the former Tacos & Tequila space on the southwest corner of Thunderbird and Seventh Street in north Phoenix. Compared to its sibling, Xolo has more elevated tacos, enchiladas,

Julie and Fabian Ocampo, owners of the award-winning Que Sazon food truck, have opened a bricks-and-mortar restaurant for their South American cuisine in the historic Teeter House at Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix. The menu features tacos, empanadas, arepas, and Colombian

🌮 Sr. Ozzy’s Tacos Y Mariscos, which debuted in south Phoenix in 2017 and recently began franchising, has opened its third location on the southeast corner of Kyrene and Ray in west Chandler. The expansive menu even includes sushi. Open for

🇯🇵 Japanese discount store chain Daiso, which has nearly 6,000 locations worldwide, makes its Arizona debut at 10 a.m. Saturday next to 99 Ranch Market on the northeast corner of Chandler and Dobson in Chandler. The store sells everything from

🍕 Grand Avenue Pizza Co., which closed last June in downtown Phoenix and was replaced by SnapBack Pizzeria, reopens at 8 p.m. tonight in a new, much larger space about eight miles away near Glendale and Grand avenues in Glendale. The building

☕️ Oregon-based Black Rock Coffee Bar will celebrate the opening of its 31st Arizona store – and sixth in Scottsdale – by selling $2 medium drinks at the new store all day Friday. The store is in the Safeway shopping center on the

⛳️ Popstroke, a golf-entertainment venue designed by Tiger Woods’ TGR Design, opens today just west of Dave & Buster’s and the AMC theaters at Westgate in Glendale. In addition to two 18-hole putting courses, the not-just-for-golfers venue has a full-service open-air restaurant and an

🇯🇵 Matsuri Izakaya on Mill, a Japanese street food restaurant and tapas bar, has opened in the former La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar space near the northeast corner of Mill and Seventh Street in downtown Tempe. It’s part of

🍨 Ohio-based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams celebrates the grand opening of its first Arizona store at 7 p.m. tonight on the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and Marshall Way in Old Town Scottsdale. The store will be giving out free scoops

🥪 California-born Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shops, which made its Arizona debut last month in central Scottsdale, has opened a second location on the west corner of Raintree and Frank Lloyd Wright in north Scottsdale. The menu features hot and cold sandwiches

🇲🇽 Tequila Cocina & Cantina – a restaurant and cocktail bar specializing in dishes from the town of Tequila in Mexico’s western state of Jalisco (known for its production of the famous spirit) – has opened on the southwest corner of Camelback and Seventh

🍝 After a 14-year absence from the Valley, Italian-American fast-casual chain Fazoli’s has opened a location at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. It’s situated between gates B6 and B13, next to OHSO Brewery, in Terminal 4. Open from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Mesa-based Kind

🍽 Arboleda, an elevated Mediterranean concept, has opened in the former Kona Grill space at Scottsdale Quarter on the southeast corner of Scottsdale and the Greenway Hayden Loop in north Scottsdale. Arboleda’s menu is inspired by the cuisine traditionally served along

🐟 Acqua di Mare, an upscale Mediterranean restaurant offering tableside cooking, has opened on the southwest corner of Boston and Oregon – next to West Alley BBQ and across the street from Pedal Haus Brewery – in downtown Chandler. Owner/chef Nikola Hristov’s menu leans

🦞 Angie’s Lobster, the new drive-through concept from the founders of Salad and Go, finally has opened its long-delayed bricks-and-mortar location on the southeast corner of Baseline and Hardy in south Tempe. The menu features warm and chilled lobster rolls for just

🇮🇹 Rosso Italian, a new contemporary Italian restaurant from Pomo Pizzeria owner/chef Stefano Fabbri, has soft-opened at CityScape in downtown Phoenix. The upscale eatery takes over the 5,000-square-foot space formerly home to The Strand Urban Italian. Open for lunch and dinner daily.

🍺 Hamburguesas Y Cervezas, a Mexican-inspired burger and beer restaurant, has opened on the ground floor of the Union @ Roosevelt apartments on the southwest corner of Roosevelt and First Avenue in downtown Phoenix. The menu also offers appetizers, salads, and tortas.

🍕 Pizza Factory, a California-based chain with Arizona locations in Williams, Payson, and Show Low, has opened a Valley location on the southeast corner of Gilbert and Southern in Mesa. The menu features hand-tossed pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches. An all-you-can-eat buffet

🐴 Desert Pony Tavern, a Southwest-inspired gastropub with open-air seating and views of the McDowell Mountains, has opened at the Hilton North on the northwest corner of Hayden and the 101 in north Scottsdale. A $25 breakfast buffet is offered from

🍳 Matt’s Big Breakfast, a downtown Phoenix institution since 2004, has opened its fifth Valley location (not counting a concession at Sky Harbor Airport) at Epicenter on the northwest corner of Higley and Ray in Gilbert. The no-frills menu features cage-free

🍕 Crust Brothers Pizza, a 2-year-old independent pizzeria in central Scottsdale, has opened a second location on the northwest corner of Baseline and McClintock in south Tempe. Ohio natives Eddie and Mark Miller make what they call ‘‘Midwest-style’’ square-cut pies that

🥞 Country Griddle, a family-run brunch restaurant, has opened in the former Samurai Asian Bistro space on the northwest corner of Van Buren and Dysart in Goodyear. The menu includes several Hawaiian breakfast faves, such as banana pancakes, loco moco

The Palms Mediterranean Kitchen, a fast-casual restaurant that makes its own pita in-house, has opened on the southeast corner of Northern and 12th Street in north central Phoenix. The menu offers the typical favorites like gyros 🥙, shawarma, falafel, and

🇮🇳 Traditional dishes such as chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo, dal makhani, and bone-in goat curry are menu highlights at Maya’s Kitchen, a small, family-run Indian restaurant that just opened on the northwest corner of Bell and 30th Street in north

Colorado-based chain Noodles & Company has opened its fourth Valley location in the former Five Guys space on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Shea in central Scottsdale. 🍜 The fast-casual restaurant offers international and American noodle dishes – including its

Dino and Robert Brescia, the brothers who owned Our Gang Cafe for 25 years, have launched OG Pizza near the southwest corner of 32nd Street and Shea in Phoenix. All pizzas are 18 inches and for takeout only, and only cash is accepted. There

Attention, vegans! Dos Pink Tacos opens at 11 a.m. today in the space that was home to short-lived Mexican seafood restaurant Ay, Chebela near the southeast corner of Roosevelt and Seventh Street in downtown Phoenix. The concept, which operated out of the Tempe Food Court until

Brave KBBQ, an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant, has  soft-opened on the southwest corner of McClintock and Broadway (map) in Tempe. 🥢 The menu: Appetizers, beef, pork, chicken, seafood, lamb, and sides. 💵 The price: $17.95 lunch from noon-3 p.m. weekdays. $27.95

Cocina Chiwas, a new concept from the owners of Chiwas Tacos, soft-opens at 5 p.m. today at Culdesac, a car-free neighborhood on Apache, between McClintock and Price, in Tempe. 🌮 The menu: Chihuahuan-style tacos, wood-fired quesadillas, and Mexican pizzas. Full menu still

If you think the new Dunkin’ Donuts on the southwest corner of Power and Baseline looks a little unusual, it’s not your imagination. The just-opened location is the first in Arizona built from a repurposed shipping container. The company says using the containers

Dirty Dough, founded by an ASU student who began baking cookies in his Tempe apartment, has opened its second Valley location next to the AMC Theatres at Desert Ridge Marketplace in north Phoenix. 🍪 The menu: A variety of gourmet cookies

Trophy Room, a new immersive cocktail bar that doesn’t allow cellphones or cameras, opened Monday night behind its big brother, fine-dining restaurant Wren & Wolf, in downtown Phoenix. 🐺 The concept: While Wren & Wolf is decorated with animal-themed paintings,

California-based Give Me Sum, a delivery-only dim sum concept, has expanded its Arizona footprint to Chandler and Goodyear. 🥢 The menu: Dim sum dishes of assorted steamed dumplings and bao buns, including non-traditional offerings such as loaded fries. The concept: Give Me