6 new restaurants are coming soon to Mill Avenue

Tempe’s Mill Avenue has seen just about every kind of restaurant and watering hole you can imagine. Dive bars with cheap beers and wings. Charming home-grown steakhouses. No frills slice shops. Bloated corporate chains. Bass-thumping discos. 

Now, Tempe’s main drag is reinventing itself again. This fall, a new slate of restaurants, bakeries and bars has arrived, and more have announced plans to remake long-vacant spaces.

Find out what spots have opened on or near Tempe’s Mill Avenue, and what’s coming soon.

Now open:

Bad Jimmy’s 

Now open
505 W. University Drive, Tempe
The hip, popular smash burger bar from James Piazza opened a half mile west of Mill Avenue on Nov. 7. Bad Jimmy’s, which replaced Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soup, has exploded in the last year from one downtown location to four around the Valley. Piazza’s cheeky retro diners serve a taut menu of lacy K4 Ranch beef burgers, juicy smoked-and-fried wings and luscious soft serve, along with several sides and a full bar. Bad Jimmy’s well-executed menu and sceney vibe make it a perfect match for Tempe. 

Prince St. Pizza

Now open
680 S. Mill Ave., Tempe
The viral New York slice shop Prince St. Pizza has packed plenty of flavor into its small Mill Avenue storefront. The pizzeria opened in Tempe at the end of August, offering Neapolitan and Roman pies and slices. Prince St. Pizza’s approach to toppings is, “if you can put it on pasta, you can put it on pizza,” according to the company’s website. When we visited the pizzeria before it opened, the Spicy Vodka square slice was a standout bite, topped with a not-too-spicy sauce, prosciutto, mozzarella and Pecorino Romano. 

Proof Bread

Now open
699 S. Mill Ave., #117, Tempe
While most places on Mill Avenue cater to the late-night set, Proof Bread aims to be the go-to spot for the morning crowd. The sourdough bakery uses local wheat and its stalwart starter, Harriet, to make crusty country loaves, sweet cinnamon-laced morning buns, and pillowy English muffins. That thoughtful approach made it Phoenix New Times’ favorite place for bread. In Tempe, Proof also has a coffee bar and bottled drinks, making it a spot to linger with a pastry or grab a loaf and a latte on the go. The Tempe location is also home to Proof’s “R&D microbakery,” says co-owner Jon Przybyl. That means Tempe patrons may be able to sample Proof’s new bakes first. 

Coming soon:

Night Owl Pizza and Drinks

Opening on Nov. 19
2700 S Mill Ave. Tempe
Tempe diners will have even more slices to choose from once Night Owl Pizza and Drinks opens its doors in the former Golden Pineapple Craft Lounge space this month. The late-night pizzeria is a staple in south Scottsdale, serving slices and whole pies, saucy wings and loaded fries. Night Owl is a collaboration among the teams behind The Little Woody, Ziggy’s Magic Pizza Shop and Stardust Pinbar. Night Owl showcases elements of all of those spots. In Tempe, that’ll mean a pinball arcade, TVs airing the latest game and a dog-friendly patio to relax with a pint and your pals.

Wild Barbecue

Opening in November
601 W. University Drive, Tempe
Wild Barbecue originally served its Texas-style brisket and beef ribs from a food truck. Soon, engineer-turned-pitmaster Mo Abu Ghazal will open a brick-and-mortar smokehouse on University Drive, just a half-mile west of Mill Avenue in a space previously occupied by Arizona Distilling Co. In addition to classic barbecue cuts, the restaurant will offer a beef cheek sandwich and tandoori turkey. Those meats can be paired with sides like macaroni and cheese and coleslaw or spiced Mediterranean rice.

Novel Ice Cream

Opening in spring 2026
113 E. Seventh St., Tempe
One of the most iconic restaurant spaces in Tempe will soon be home to a beloved Valley creamery. Novel Ice Cream will open its fourth scoop shop in the former home of House of Tricks. Patrons will be able to order Novel’s irreverent riff on an ice cream sandwich, as well as scoops and cones from a walk-up window. The Novel team will refresh the patio around the historic bungalow to create an inviting atmosphere for ice cream fans to savor their dessert. 

Carmen

Opening in 2026
640 S. Mill Ave., Tempe
ASU alum and restaurateur Julian Wright plans to open Carmen, a coastal-inspired Mexican restaurant in the former home of Anoche Cantina. It’s a space that Wright knows well; he previously ran Canteen Modern Tequila Bar in the same building for three years.  The menu will include some Asian-fusion dishes and a large selection of agave spirits. The eatery will boast a tropical-inspired look for its large indoor dining area and two patios. Carmen will be in good company; Wright also owns nearby Pedal Haus Brewery and the dual-bar Devil’s Hideaway and Idle Hands. 

Roman God of Fire

Opening in 2026
80 S. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe
Roman God of Fire is a hot new collaboration between celebrity chef Scott Conant and Pretty Decent Concepts. The hospitality group opened Filthy Animal, and its hidden bar Drop Dead Gorgeous, one mile south, in April. Roman and its modern speakeasy, Forgive Me, Father, are a “theatrical” experience inspired by co-owner Teddy Myers’ travels to Rome. These dueling concepts will lean into themes of virtue and vice, while serving wood-fired Italian fare with a tilt toward Roman cuisine. When the concept opens next year at Hayden Ferry Lakeside, the group will have capped both ends of Tempe’s bustling corridor. 

Unnamed Glai Baan concept

Opening in 2026
34 E. Seventh St., Tempe
Cat Bunnag and Dan Robinson, the owners of the exceptional Thai street food eatery Glai Baan, will open a new restaurant in the historic Gov. Benjamin B. Moeur House and Hatton Hall. While the details are scant, what’s notable is that the team behind the acclaimed Phoenix restaurant will soon have a second space for diners to visit. Currently, patrons queue up to get on the list for a table or call for reservations at Bunnag and Robinson’s popular Osborn Road restaurant. Their Tempe space is located just off of Mill Avenue on the corner of Seventh Street and Myrtle Avenue.