Category: Uncategorized

The Henhouse Cafe, a group of East Valley breakfast and lunch restaurants, has opened its fourth location on the northwest corner of Rural and Ray in south Tempe. The space: It takes over the space formerly home to Babbo Italian Eatery.

Peacock Wine Bar in Gilbert will host a Halloween cookie decorating class from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25. What: Vickie from Mae’s Cookie Jar will teach you how to decorate six sugar cookies, covering the basics of outlining and flooding

TwentyThree01, a high-end nightclub with indoor-outdoor table service, DJs, and a late-night food menu, opens at 8 p.m. Saturday next to The Forum co-working space near the southwest corner of Gilbert and Germann in south Chandler. Did you know? The

Nationally renowned Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour in downtown Phoenix has temporarily closed but will reopen Nov. 1 with acclaimed Jamaican restaurant The Breadfruit & Rum Bar taking over its kitchen. The owners of the new Moxy hotel being built

Ghett Yo Wings will offer 61-cent wings Saturday for its grand opening at Christown Spectrum mall on the southwest corner of 15th Avenue and Bethany Home in Phoenix. The menu: Grilled, naked, breaded, or boneless wings (fresh, never frozen) in

Japanese-inspired Kitsune Brewing, Arizona’s only Black-owned craft brewery, opens at noon Friday on the southeast corner of Bell and 32nd Street in north Phoenix. The backstory: Owner Tyler Smith, who worked for Nike for a decade, has been brewing Kitsune

Angry Chickz – yet another Nashville hot chicken chain, this one out of California – make its Arizona debut at 11 a.m. Friday on the northwest corner of Bell and 51st Avenue in Glendale. The menu: Chicken tenders, served in

Hello..Indian Kitchen, a restaurant offering an all-halal menu of traditional and modern Indian cuisine, has opened in a strip-mall on the northwest corner of the 101 and Raintree in north Scottsdale. The menu: Chicken, lamb, and goat entrees; south Indian

Chefs Adam Allison (Handlebar Diner, Brightside Burgers) and Jeff Kraus (Crêpe Bar) are collaborating on a new restaurant in downtown Mesa in 2023, Allison reveals on social media. The quote: ‘‘That’s all the deets I can give now but I’m

LumberJack Oatmeal Maple Amber, the first in a series of new “Jack” beers from SanTan Brewing in Chandler, makes its debut on store shelves statewide next week. The beer: The fall seasonal boasts a rich, silky flavor with notes of

Pier 88 Boiling Seafood & Bar, a Tennessee-based chain specializing in Louisiana-style Cajun seafood, is taking over the former Logan’s Roadhouse at Mesa Riverview. The history: Pier 88 made its Arizona debut in Avondale in May. Mesa will be its

Texas-based Crawfish Cafe, a Vietnamese-Cajun fusion concept, has made its Arizona debut in front of the Mekong Supermarket on the southwest corner of Main and Dobson in west Mesa. The history: Crawfish Cafe was founded in Houston’s Chinatown district in

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants is offering three specials through Oct. 31 with a portion of the proceeds benefiting local nonprofit Check for a Lump: Pink Out Margarita Sampler: Raspberry, strawberry, passionfruit strawberry, and watermelon

The reopening of the Sossaman location of The Hub Grill & Bar, which has been closed since a fire on New Year’s Eve 2020, has been pushed back yet again. The delays: Insurance and supply line issues originally pushed The

Bamboo Asian Kitchen, a restaurant offering a menu of mostly Americanized Chinese dishes, has opened next to Target at the Christown Spectrum shopping center on the southeast corner of Bethany Home and 19th Avenue in Phoenix. The menu: A huge

After a false start last week, Bonfire Craft Kitchen & Tap House, a 2-year-old restaurant and sports bar in Surprise, has opened its second location in the former 11,000-square-foot Tilted Kilt building just south of IKEA near the southwest corner

Two Hands Seoul Fresh Corn Dogs, a national chain of Korean street food eateries that made its Arizona debut in Mesa in 2020, will open its fifth Valley location in a strip mall on the southwest corner of Cooper and

Sad news for Choco Taco fans: Klondike announced it has discontinued the iconic chocolate-and-nut-coated ice cream treat, citing an unprecedented demand for the company’s other products. Choco Tacos were invented in 1983 by Philadelphia ice cream driver Alan Drazen, who claims

Four Peaks Oktoberfest will return to Tempe Town Lake from Friday, Oct. 7, through Sunday, Oct. 9. The outdoor festival will feature live music, food and drink, games, carnival rides, dancing, and a Weiner dog fashion show. General admission will

Dave & Buster’s, a national chain of arcade-themed sports bars, will open its fourth Valley location next to Kohl’s at Queen Creek Marketplace next year. The 19,000-square-foot bar and restaurant is expected to open in the spring, joining others in Tempe,

Hashi Sushi has moved into the former Blu Sushi strip-mall space on the southeast corner of Pima and Pinnacle Peak in north Scottsdale. The menu is divided into basic rolls, fresh rolls, tempura rolls, and speciality rolls. Open for lunch

Jimmy G’s, an independent restaurant focused on pastas and salads, has opened in the Grove Towne Shopping Center near the southeast corner of Alma School and Southern in Mesa. The menu features seven salads and five kinds of pasta with

Enjoy free drinks from 5 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday when Oregon-based Black Rock Coffee celebrates the opening of its fifth Mesa location  – and 27th in Arizona – on the southeast corner of Ellsworth and Ray.

SomiSomi Soft Serve & Taiyaki, a Los Angeles-based chain of Korean-inspired dessert shops offering soft-serve ice cream and taiyaki (fish-shaped waffles with a choice of fillings), will make its Arizona debut on the northeast corner of Chandler and Dobson in

Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue, one of the Valley’s top smokehouses, unexpectedly closed over the weekend due to what owners Bryan and Donna Dooley call a ‘‘family emergency’’ in a social media posting. No word yet on when the Cave Creek

Woo Woo Burgers, a ghost kitchen concept that Z’Tejas Southwest Grill launched last May out of its Chandler restaurant, has expanded with pickup and delivery service now available out of Z’Tejas’ Scottsdale restaurant near the northwest corner of Hayden and

Taco Plus, a quick-service Mexican eatery offering tacos, burritos, and tortas, has opened inside the Chevron gas station near the southeast corner of Price and Guadalupe in south Mesa.

Dog Haus, a California-based chain of gourmet hot dog shops, will open its third East Valley location on the northeast corner of Chandler and the 101 in Chandler. The food: Besides its signature Haus Dogs, Dog Haus offers sausages, burgers, chicken

The Steelyard, a new 4.6-acre restaurants-and-retail development, will bring a mix of fast-casual and sit-down eateries to the southeast corner of Gilbert and Chandler Heights in south Chandler. Three single-story buildings totaling 26,000 square feet are planned. (Artist’s rendering shown above.)

Vietnamese food fans in the East Valley have yet another new place to check out: Vietshack has opened on the northwest corner of Priest and Elliot in south Tempe. The family-run eatery takes over the space that formerly housed Tzikii Pita

MXSW reader Mary Anne asks what I know about Sandbar Mexican Grill opening a location in Gilbert. The popular nightlife hangout with locations in west Chandler and northeast Phoenix is opening a third location on the southwest corner of SanTan

Biscuits Cafe, a 6-year-old breakfast-and-lunch restaurant on the northwest corner of Dobson and Warner in Chandler, has closed. Sources tell MXSW the cafe’s employees were surprised when they showed up for work Sunday and learned the restaurant would close that

Farmboy, the recently farm-to-table smokehouse restaurant in south Chandler, will host a Four Peaks beer and food tasting at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2. The pairings will include a special ale from the Tempe brewery’s Single Tank series: 1st course: Adobo

JC’s Steakhouse in Gilbert takes a trip around the world for its final monthly wine dinner of the year at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13. This month’s pairings feature wines from France, Italy, and New Zealand. The food-and-wine pairings: 1st course: Ricotta Sopraffina

Romeo’s Euro Cafe in Gilbert holds its weekly ‘‘Taste of Romeo’s’’ dinner, hosted by chef Romeo Taus and his wife, Janice, in a private dinning room, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7. The dinners typically feature five courses selected from the restaurant’s regular menu. This

Pizza Pie Cafe, an Idaho-based chain of pizza-and-pasta buffets that made its Arizona debut in Gilbert in 2015, is opening a second location next month at the Superstition Springs Center mall in east Mesa. It’s taking over the former Ruby

Bourbon Jacks in downtown Chandler holds its Monday Night Tapping – the weekly tapping of a limited-release craft beer – at 7 tonight. This week features a pair of ales from Glendale’s Dubina Brewing: Blood Orange IPA and Mr. D’s Nitro Milk

1. Taste of Arizona, an outdoor festival featuring more than 30 restaurants, food trucks, and other food and drink vendors, takes place 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday at Mesa Riverview Park (map). The event is a benefit for the Boy Scouts of America.

It was two years ago this month MXSW reported Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was coming to Chandler. After 24 months of uncertainty and one site change, the much-anticipated Texas-based concept finally has opened its doors. The complex, on the northeast corner of Arizona

If you couldn’t get a reservation for last year’s Stouts & S’mores pairing at The Brass Tap in Mesa, you have another chance The Mesa Riverview craft beer bar and Michigan’s Bell’s Brewery are teaming up again for Stouts, S’mores & Star

San Deigo brewery Modern Times wraps up its first month in the Arizona market with a tap takeover at 5 p.m. today at The Hungry Monk in Chandler. All four of Modern Times’ year-round beers will be on tap: Blazing World amber Black

Somewhere in the rush to get ready for Thanksgiving last week I neglected to mention Sushi Brokers opened in the Heritage Marketplace in downtown Gilbert. But you haven’t missed the official grand-opening party. That takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday

The Brass Tap at Mesa Riverview wraps up Ska Brewing’s reign as its brewery of the month with a Halloween party from 7-10 p.m. On tap: Ska’s Mole Stout Randalled with Candy Corn. Beside the bar’s usual Monday night trivia,

The Hungry Monk in Chandler will have four Halloween-themed beers from the Seattle brewery at 5:30 p.m. tonight: The Great Pumpkin imperial pumpkin ale Punkuccino coffee pumpkin ale Dark O’ The Moon pumpkin stout Night Owl pumpkin ale Bottles of Great

With temperatures cooling off – at least in the evenings – Friday’s Backyard Barbeque has returned to Bernard’s Restaurant at the Ocotillo Golf Resort in south Chandler. The weekly event, which runs from 5-9 p.m., features a choice of four entrees: St. Louis-style

Romeo’s Euro Cafe in Gilbert holds its weekly ‘‘Taste of Romeo’s’’ dinner, hosted by chef Romeo Taus and his wife, Janice, in a private dinning room, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The dinners typically feature five selections from the restaurant’s regular

Want to learn the basics about wine? My Wine Cellar in Ahwatukee launches another of its popular Wine 101 classes tonight. The Monday class will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. tonight, March 19, and March 26. Cost is $60

Hey, look! A fast-casual, build-your-own, cook-in-less-than-5-minutes pizza place is opening in the Valley. The latest addition to this ever-crowded market niche is 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza, a chain based out of New Jersey, which opens today at SanTan Village in Gilbert. To celebrate

Got lunch plans on Thursday? Someburros is celebrating Cinco de Mayo by giving away free bean and cheese burros from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The best part? You don’t even have to leave your home or office. Uber will deliver your

The Thirsty Lion, a Portland-based chain of gastropubs, opens its third Valley location Tuesday at SanTan Village shopping in Gilbert. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, with the restaurant opening at 11 a.m. It’s located between Gordon Biersch

The Manhattan Vine, a pizzeria and wine bar that opened in Queen Creek last October, has closed after being locked out by the building’s landlord. The New York-themed venue was located on the southeast corner of Ellsworth and Ocotillo. It offered thin-crust

Please welcome Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, a locally based and fast-growing chain of burger bars, as MXSW’s newest sponsor. The menu offers 20 specialty burgers, as well as chicken sandwiches, prime rib, BLT, and Philly sandwiches. Sides include five kids of mac

My thanks to Buzzfeed for naming Mouth by Southwest one of the 27 websites – and only food blog – every Phoenician should know about. See their full list here. To paraphrase Navin R. Johnson: Number 18 – Mouth by Southwest!

Craft 64, the Old Town Scottsdale pizzeria and craft beer bar, taps its newest house beer – Crafty Blonde – today. The light and crisp American blonde ale with a bright hint of citrus from West Coast Falconers Flight hops weighs

55 Chicago, the new Chicago-themed concept from the owners of The Perch Pub & Brewery, will open right next door to the downtown Chandler venue at 3 p.m. Thursday. The newly constructed building is located on the north side of

AZ International Marketplace, a giant supermarket with foods from around the world, opens today in the former Kmart building on the northeast corner of Dobson and Broadway in Mesa. The guys behind the market, Peter Quach and Jimmy Lai, also are

Boston Market: Get a half-chicken meal with two sides, cornbread, cookie, and drink for $10.40. Chili’s: Get a Presidente margarita for $5. Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers: Get a domestic draft beer for 15 cents. Corner Bakery Cafe: Get a free

Helton Brewing got local craft beer fans all excited last Sunday when it posted the above photo on its Facebook page with the comment: ‘‘Thanks to the cleaning crew who spent all day getting ready for opening day.’’ That led

Chicago favorite Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria finally has announced the opening date of its first out-of-state location: Monday, May 16, in the Uptown Plaza Shopping Center at First Street and Camelback in Phoenix. To publicize the opening, Lou Malnati’s will be providing free meals to

Crisp Greens, a new fast-casual salad concept, will make its debut Thursday in downtown Chandler. It takes over the former Planet Sub space on Arizona Avenue just south of Chicago Street. The concept, which offers ‘‘fresh and healthy meals to busy

Mugsy Dogs, a burger and hot dog shop, celebrates its grand opening today and Saturday in the Lowe’s shopping center on the northwest corner of Higley and Queen Creek in Gilbert. The eatery takes its name from owner Doug ‘‘Mugsy’’ Jones,

Family-owned Ncounter in downtown Tempe has been sold to a franchise group that plans to expand the breakfast-and-lunch concept nationally. Thom and Kathy Coker, who launched Ncounter in 2011 and also own T.C. Eggington’s in Mesa, made the announcement in a video on

Jet’s Pizza, a Michigan-based chain known for its rectangular deep-dish pizzas, has opened its first Arizona location in front of Home Depot on the southeast corner of Arizona and Ocotillo in Chandler. Brothers Eugene and John Jetts launched Jet’s in Sterling

Take a hoppy tour of America’s heartland when Flanny’s Bar & Grill in Tempe hosts its Midwest Fest at 5 p.m. today. The tap list will spotlight five popular breweries: Bell’s (Kalamazoo, Mich.) Oberon Two Hearted Ale Hopslam Oatmeal Stout Founders (Grand Rapids,

The Brass Tap at Mesa Riverview hosts an Arizona launch party for Ironfire Brewing from Temecula, Calif., from 5-9 p.m. tonight. Ironfire was founded in 2011 by John Maino and Greg Webb (pictured), who met while they were brewers at

Please welcome Cuisine & Wine Bistro, a neighborhood wine bar on the northeast corner of McQueen and Warner in Gilbert, as MXSW’s newest sponsor. Fabrice and Mairead Buschtetz (pictured) took over the former MWC Bistro about a year ago. Besides wine and local craft

JC’s Steakhouse in Gilbert will hold its monthly wine tasting at 7 p.m. Wednesday. This month’s focus will be on Spanish wines. The food-and-wine pairings: Gambas al ajillo (Spanish-style shrimp), patatas bravas a la javi (fried potatoes with mayo and salsa), and pincho

The spring edition of Arizona’s twice-a-year Restaurant Week returns May 20-29. More than 100 participating restaurants will offer a three-course prix-fixe menu for $33 or $44 per person, excluding beverages, tax, and gratuity unless otherwise noted. About two dozen East Valley

If you’re one of the thousands of Mouth by Southwest readers who subscribe to the daily email roundup of new posts, you’ll see a new and improved email design today. I think the new design (shown above) is cleaner and easier to read than

Spokes on Southern in Tempe will be pouring rare vertical flights of Sierra Nevada Narwhal imperial stout at 5 p.m. Friday. The restaurant and bar will have the 2013, 2014, and 2015 versions of the velvety smooth black ale — rated

JC’s Steakhouse in Gilbert will hold its monthly wine tasting – which focuses on a different country each time – at 7 p.m. Wednesday. This month’s focus will be on the United State – in particular, Oregon and Washington. The food and wine

JC’s Steakhouse, which opened in Gilbert in December, will host its monthly craft beer dinner at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The steakhouse is offering a four-course menu paired with beers from Mother Road Brewing in Flagstaff: Reception beer: Gold Road Kölsch Style