Category: Say Goodbye

Here’s something I missed over the Memorial Day weekend: The Italian Grotto in Old Town Scottsdale has closed after 42 years. The Italian restaurant and bar, prominently located on the southeast corner of Scottsdale and Main, closed May 26. According

Disappointing news for patrons of Old Town Gringos, Camp Social, and Hatter and Hare. All three concepts, known collectively as Glass Half Full Hospitality, have closed. GHFH, a Chicago-based restaurant group, arrived in the Valley in late 2015 to reopen

Porkopolis, a 7-year-old south Chandler barbecue restaurant, will close its doors for good Sunday, June 16. Matt Hamilton and Brady Bogen (pictured) launched Porkopolis in the newly built Santan Gateway South shopping center on the southeast corner of Arizona and

Tasty Kabob, a Middle Eastern restaurant and hookah bar on the northwest corner of Dorsey and Apache in Tempe, has closed its doors after 13 years. But the space won’t be empty for long. Curry & Scoop, a 2-year-old Indian

An MXSW reader sent me a heads-up that fast-food chain Slim Chickens has closed its last remaining Arizona restaurant on the northwest corner of Gilbert and Germann in Chandler. The Arkansas-based chain made its Arizona debut in September 2016 on the

Grubstak, a 2-year-old poutine-like concept in downtown Gilbert, has closed its doors. A second location, which opened in south Chandler in November, remains open. According to a notice on the door of the Gilbert location: ‘‘This location is currently closed

Gourmet Deli Chandler, a European-inspired eatery and shop on the southwest corner of Alma School and Germann in south Chandler, will close its doors this Sunday, April 28. The deli opened in December 2014, but owner Émilie Frances Foote (pictured)

Guedo’s Taco Shop, an updated version of former downtown Chandler landmark Guedo’s Cantina Grille, closed Saturday after two years on the northeast corner of Gilbert and Pecos in Gilbert. The original Guedo’s closed in December 2015 after 30 years in

Osteria, an ambitious Italian restaurant in northeast Mesa, has been locked out by its landlord for the second time in five months. This time it looks permanent. The eatery opened in March 2018 on the southeast corner of McKellips and Alta

Yesterday’s closing of Kona Grill at Chandler Fashion Center reminded me I haven’t written about Sir Veza’s Taco Garage, which closed last month at the mall. The Tucson-based fast-casual concept – which celebrated founder Raymon Flores’ love of muscle cars,

Two weeks ago, struggling Kona Grill unexpectedly closed its 10-year-old location at High Street restaurant in northeast Phoenix. Today, it shuttered the 12-year-old location at Chandler Fashion Center. That leaves the Scottsdale-based Asian fusion concept with just three Arizona locations, including a

High Dive, a well-regarded Arcadia bar and grill that opened on the southeast corner of Indian School and 42nd Place in late August, closed over the weekend. The self-described ‘‘high-class dive bar’’ was a collaboration between Square One Concepts (best

Noodle Bar, a popular Japanese restaurant in downtown Phoenix, posted a notice saying it was unable to renew its lease and will go on ‘‘hiatus’’ Sunday, April 7. Located on the northwest corner of First Avenue and Adams, the 3-year-old restaurant specializes

Scottsdale-based Kona Grill has closed its High Street restaurant in northeast Phoenix after more than a decade. The location had opened in November 2008 in what was then known as CityNorth. The closure leaves the upscale-casual concept with four Valley

Perfect Pear Bistro announced its original Ahwatukee location on the southwest corner of Desert Hill Parkway and Chandler Boulevard will close at the end of May. In a Facebook post, Laura Hove, who opened Perfect Pear with her husband, Chris,

In a move that came as a surprise to both customers and employees, financially troubled Even Stevens Sandwiches closed its remaining stores in Arizona today. The Utah-based chain had closed five of its eight Arizona locations, including one in busy downtown

C-Fu Gourmet, the Chinese restaurant that introduced many East Valley diners to the concept of dim sum, has closed after 23 years in business. The 9,000-square-foot restaurant was located on the southwest corner of Dobson and Warner in Chandler. C-Fu Gourmet

Flanny’s Bar & Grill, a mainstay of the Tempe craft beer scene for the past eight years, is closing its doors Wednesday, Feb. 27. Owner John Flanagan made the announcement on the bar’s Facebook page: Flanny’s, located on the southeast corner of

Blasted Barley Beer Company, an unusual combination of brewpub and college nightlife hotspot, has closed its doors after four-plus years in downtown Tempe. Taking over the 5,000-square-foot Hayden Square building that previously housed the longtime Balboa Cafe and then the Tavern on Mill,

Bold Roost Espresso Bar & Cafe has announced it will close Wednesday, Jan. 30, after seven years on the northeast corner of Higley and Ray in Gilbert. ‘‘We are saddened to say that this Wednesday, January 30th, will be our last

Meridiem Kitchen & Lounge, which began as an all-day restaurant on Price Road, just south of the Loop 202, in south Chandler, has closed after 19 months. According to an announcement on its Facebook page: ‘‘We regret to inform you that Meridiem

Mac’s Broiler & Tap, once one of the East Valley’s more popular burger-and-beer bars, has closed after 14 years next to Changing Hands Bookstore on the southwest corner of McClintock and Guadalupe in south Tempe. The bar was known for its

Applebee’s, which once had close to 20 locations in the East Valley, has closed its last two in Tempe, leaving just five remaining in the East Valley. The Tempe closures were on the southeast corner of Rural and Broadway and, most

The Nitro Live Icecreamery (website | Facebook), a Gilbert dessert shop offering custom ice cream dishes frozen with liquid nitrogen, announced it will close Sunday, Jan. 13. It plans to reopen at a yet-to-be-announced location in Queen Creek in March. In the

Mexican restaurant Taqueria Louie, which opened in late August, already has closed on the northwest corner of McClintock and Elliot in south Tempe. The restaurant, which was launched by what it called ‘‘two guys from Chicago,’’ featured ‘‘generational family recipes from

El Palacio Mexican Restaurant & Cantina: Just four days after appearing the Food Network’s ‘‘Chopped,’’ owner-chef Anthony Serrano is forced to close his eight-year-old restaurant on the northwest corner of Gilbert and Germann in Chandler. (January) Happy Joe’s Pizza: Undersized

With this month’s flurry of restaurant and brewery openings in the East Valley, I completely forget to write about the closing of Jimmy T’s Holy Crab in Chandler. The seafood restaurant, which took over the former China King building on the northwest corner

Just 10 days, MXSW broke the news that Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, which once had several locations in the East Valley but had dwindled to just one, was opening a new location in the former El Palacio Mexican restaurant

Osteria, an ambitious Italian restaurant that opened in March on the southeast corner of McKellips and Alta Mesa in northeast Mesa, was locked out – temporarily, it turns out – by its landlord. Doors were locked Wednesday, and the landlord retook

If you read my recent post detailing the mounting troubles of Even Stevens, this should come as no surprise: The Utah-based chain of sandwich shops has closed five Arizona locations, including the one in busy downtown Gilbert (pictured above). The other closures were Scottsdale,

That was quick: Texas-based chain Bush’s Chicken has closed its Gilbert location after just 14 months in business. Bush’s, known for its marinated fried chicken, iced tea, and multi-lane drive-throughs serviced by carhops, opened on the southeast corner of Val Vista and

Pizza a Metro, a well-regarded Italian restaurant in Phoenix, has closed its 4-year-old second location on the southwest corner of Greenfield and Warner in Gilbert. Owner-chef Maurizio Benforte introduced his cuisine to Phoenix diners in 2007, earning an average Yelp

Happy Joe’s Pizza in Gilbert has closed after two-and-a-half years just east of Gilbert and Warner. The franchise of the popular Midwest chain had opened in June 2015 and, at just 1,300 square feet, depended on takeout and delivery. In

Detroit Coney Grill has closed its year-old location at Superstition Springs Mall in east Mesa due to a ‘‘lack of business,’’ according to a Facebook post. The locally owned hot dog and burger concept still operates its 5-year-old original location in

2018 already has turned out to be a year of extreme highs and lows for Anthony Serrano. Just four days after accomplishing one of his career goals by appearing on the popular Food Network show ‘‘Chopped,’’ the chef is closing his eight-year-old

Looks like 2017 claimed one final restaurant before officially closing its ledgers: Talebu Coffee & Wine Cafe in Chandler. The popular hangout and live-music venue opened in December 2012 on the northeast corner of Alma School and Warner. Besides coffee drinks and wine, it

There’s a double whammy of closures in downtown Tempe this week. My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, a Valley-born concept that’s had plenty of ups and downs over its 11-plus years on Mill Avenue, has closed. It was the last remaining location of the

One of Arizona’s most iconic craft beer venues – Papago Brewing in Scottsdale – announced today it will close its longtime taproom in three weeks. Its final day will be Saturday, Dec. 2. The move was not totally unexpected. Its large shopping

Modern Grove Neighborhood Eatery & Market, a two-year-old casual restaurant with a front lawn patio, has closed its doors on the northwest corner of Gilbert and Brown in north Mesa. The concept – which offers a menu of burgers, sandwiches,

Sad news for East Valley macaron lovers: After 10 award-winning years, Essence Bakery Cafe in Tempe is closing at the end of May. The restaurant and bakery, located on the southeast corner of Hardy and University, serves a European-inspired menu for

Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream has closed the Tempe location it took over just last summer. The location, on the northeast corner of McClintock and Southern, previously was home to Nello’s Pizza. Iowa-based Happy Joe’s entered the Arizona market by opening a Gilbert location

Rania’s Kabob Grill, a three-year-old Afghani restaurant on the northwest corner of Higley and Baseline in Gilbert, closed its doors Saturday night. As its name suggests, Rania’s specialized in kabobs (also spelled kebobs) – fire-grilled skewers of marinated beef, chicken

Harvey American Public House, a neighborhood-centric bar and grill in Gilbert, will close Saturday night after nearly five years in business. It made the announcement Wednesday on Facebook: Sadly, Harvey American will be closing on March 25th at 12am. Please come

HopWerks, the craft beer bar that replaced World of Beer at San Tan Village in Gilbert last October, has closed after less than five months. The two other former WOB locations in Arizona – in Tempe and Tucson – were

Flip’s Burgers & Brew has closed its doors at Mesa Riverview shopping center in west Mesa. The sports bar opened in January 2016, taking over a space formerly occupied by Volcano Buffet.

IncogNitos, a family-run sports bar specializing in made-from-scratch food, has closed after five months on the northwest corner of Alma School and Warner in Chandler. The restaurant, which had taken over the longtime home of Gallagher’s Sports Grill, posted the news Thursday

After two years on the southeast corner of I-10 and Ray in west Chandler, Stingray Sushi abruptly has closed it doors. According to various social media reports, staff was not informed of the closure until Sunday. The original Stingray Sushi debuted

Citing a disgreement with its landlord, Unwined Bar & Bistro has closed on the northeast corner of Desert Foothills Parkway and Chandler Boulevard in Ahwatukee. The wine bar opened in February 2014, and was sold to Jeff and Karen Stefl in

Cowboys Saloon appears to have ridden off into the sunset. The country music restaurant and bar concept, which was taking over former Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill locations nationwide, unexpectedly has closed its two Valley venues that reopened

After languishing for months, House of Brews has closed its doors on the southeast corner of Cooper and Warner in Gilbert. Based on reports from several MXSW readers and some of my own observations, it’s been a tumultuous week for

US Fries, which specialized in traditional Canadian poutine with an American twist, has closed after one year at Mill and Fourth Street in downtown Tempe. The Calgary, Alberta-based chain opened its first Arizona location in Tucson in 2014, and added the

TQLA, a stylish yet casual Mexican and Southwestern restaurant and bar, has closed after four years at Dana Park on the northwest corner of Val Vista and Baseline in Mesa. The spacious restaurant opened in September 2012 in a stand-alone building that originally

Asia – a small but popular Asian eatery that launched a dozen years ago as Simply Noodles and then was known as sN Asian Pacific, has closed on the northeast corner of Stapley and Baseline in Mesa. The restaurant abruptly shut down

Fine-dining restaurant ShinBay, a “Best New Restaurant” semifinalist in 2012 at the prestigious James Beard Awards, has closed on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Indian Bend in Scottsdale. AZ Central’s Dominic Armato confirmed Sunday night’s closure with chef Shinji Kurita. Kurita originally

Is it game over for the legendary Cactus League hangout that famed sportswriter Roger Angell once called ‘‘the best baseball restaurant in the land?’’ The Pink Pony, a Scottsdale landmark for nearly 70 years, has closed for the third time in seven

The Grind, one of the forerunners of the burger-bar trend that hit the Valley earlier this decade, has closed in east Phoenix The Arcadia strip-mall restaurant made the announcement on its Facebook page: It is with great sadness and a heavy

Talk about your late-breaking news: The Upton in Scottsdale announced this afternoon this will be its final weekend. An email sent out by the casual-yet-upscale restaurant and bar reads: Our little sanctuary has been home to so many classic restaurants over

Marcello’s Pasta Grill, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, has closed its doors on the southwest corner of McClintock and Warner in Tempe. The full-service restaurant was opened by Tony Romano, a fifth-generation restaurant owner from New York, in 1995. The

Matta’s Restaurants, a local chain that specializes in what it calls ‘‘west Texas-style Mexican cuisine,’’ has closed two of its four locations. The closures: Matta’s Cantina on the southeast corner of Ellsworth and Brown in northeast Mesa. Matta’s Mexican Grill

From Monti’s La Casa Vieja in Tempe to The Landmark in Mesa to Brunchies in Chandler, the old guard of the East Valley dining scene have been disappearing. The latest to join this unenviable club? Rudy’s Restaurant, which has been serving residents

I hate to start the week on a down note, but award-winning Dilly’s Deli has closed its north Scottsdale location (pictured) after 11 years on Scottsdale Road north of Thunderbird. The closure comes nearly six months after owners Shaun Kelley and Jeff Weninger

Rancho de Tia Rosa has closed its last remaining full-service restaurant at Higley and Guadalupe in Gilbert. The restaurant made the announcement on its Facebook page: ‘‘With heavy hearts and lots of sorrow we are so sad to announce the

MJaye’s Pub & Eatery, a family-owned restaurant that focused on made-from-scratch comfort food, has closed its doors in Gilbert after less than a year. The restaurant opened last October in the country-themed JD’s Homestead center on Gilbert Road about halfway between Elliot

Brunchies, a downtown Chandler breakfast-and-lunch spot owned by the family behind the Serrano’s Mexican Food restaurants, will close Saturday after more than three decades in business. “We thought long and hard,’’ Stephanie Serrano tells the East Valley Tribune. ‘‘It was not easy,

Jorge’s Chicken & Waffles, which opened in February on the northeast corner of Terrace and Apache in Tempe, has closed. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of popular local chain Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles, the new concept had described itself as

The Arizona expansion plans of Burger 21 – a Florida-based fast-casual concept from the owners of The Melting Pot – have come to an abrupt halt with the death of the local franchisee. The last Valley location – on the southeast corner of the

La Calabria, the wonderful mom-and-pop Italian restaurant on the northwest corner of Val Vista and Ray in Gilbert, is being booted by its strip-mall landlord, according to an email from the owners: Most of you know that we are at