Author: Jess Harter

🌮 Taco Cinco, a new fast-casual concept, has opened on the southeast corner of Seventh Street and Thunderbird in Phoenix’ Moon Valley neighborhood. It takes over the strip-mall end cap that briefly was home to Bear and the Honey before

🍹 Upscale neighborhood tavern concept The Vig opens its seventh Valley location – and first in the East Valley – at 11 a.m. Monday at Dana Park in Mesa. It takes over the shopping center suite formerly home to The

🍔 Former burger popup Bad Jimmy’s has opened its third bricks-and-mortar location near the northeast corner of Seventh Street and Bethany Home in uptown Phoenix. It takes over the building formerly home to Cock N’ Tails, which closed in 2023.

🐓 Arkansas-based fast-food chain Slim Chickens has opened its fourth Valley location next to Bubba’s 33 on the northwest corner of I-10 and Bullard in Goodyear. It continues a comeback for the concept, which offers chicken sandwiches, tenders, and wings

🎬 Harkins Backlot, the new family entertainment concept from Valley-based theater chain Harkins, has made its debut at The Shops at Norterra in north Phoenix. Inspired by Hollywood studio backlots, BackLot is a huge sports bar with a cinema-sized main

🍣 Minnow – a new concept from chef Bernie Kantak and the team behind Citizen Public House, The Gladly, and Beginner’s Luck – has opened on the northeast corner of 32nd Street and Campbell in east Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood. The

🍔 Farmer Boys, a fast-casual burger concept out of Southern California, has opened its third Valley location on the northeast corner of the 202 and Val Vista in Gilbert. The chain made its Arizona debut at Higley and Baseline in

🍤 Twin Locos Kitchen, a late-night eatery serving Southern comfort food until 4 a.m., has opened on the northwest corner of Mill and Southern in Tempe. The fast-casual concept takes over the strip-mall space formerly home to Netta Chetta’s on

🍦 Petersen’s Ice Cream & Cafe, which opened in downtown Gilbert in 2015, has launched a second location in the Lowe’s plaza on the northwest corner of Higley and Queen Creek in south Gilbert. Petersen’s, which got its start in

🍔 Culinary Gangster, an award-winning eatery that debuted in Scottsdale in 2022, has launched a second location in downtown Phoenix. It’s moved into the space formerly home to Full Speed Chicken & Ribs, a short-lived fast-casual sibling of Little Miss BBQ,

🥯 Lydia’s Kitchen & Market, a brunch cafe serving American classics, has opened at The Frederick, a retail-and-restaurants complex on the southeast corner of 12th Street and Missouri in uptown Phoenix. The restaurant is a partnership between Jonathan Madrigal, owner

🍷 Tre Bicchieri, an Italian-style brunch and wine bar, has opened on the southeast corner of the 101 and 67th Avenue in Glendale. It takes over the space formerly home to Urban Agave in a deal negotiated by The Restaurant

🍔 Smoke & Grain, a newly renovated bar and grill, has opened inside Unlimited Ammo & Range, a luxury indoor gun club next to Topgolf on the southeast corner of Santan Village Parkway and Ray in Gilbert. The menu features

🌮 Birria’s Mexican Food & Bar has opened in the former Filiberto’s building near the northeast corner of Hayden and McDowell in south Scottsdale. The friendly, family-run restaurant offers tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, and tostadas. Two dozen combo plates are