For six years, western-themed Cadillac Ranch bar and restaurant at Tempe Marketplace was a hot spot for Arizona State University students and other party-hard types. But in October 2013, the pub and grill closed its doors for good -- about a year after the bar was caught up in a scandal related to the death of a freshman student who had been drinking there.
Now the spot has been given a new persona as Stadium Sports Grill, an upscale sports bar and restaurant.
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General manager Erron Halen says the new concept will move away from Cadillac Ranch's late-night, party-hard reputation and focus on serving high-quality food instead.
"We knew it was going to be an uphill battle in that location," Halen says. "But we're going to separate ourselves from the other concepts out there and from the past concept."
Stadium Sports Grill's menu features a selection of soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, flatbreads, and other entrees including a bone-in ribeye, vegetable tempura, shrimp scampi, and carne asada tacos. The restaurant will be sourcing many of its ingredients locally from producers including French's Meat Shoppe and About John Anthoney's Italian Bread Company in Scottsdale.
Halen says Stadium will be a "scratch kitchen," with everything from sauces and giardiniera to smoked meats made in house.
The draft beer menu includes local and craft options such as Four Peaks Kiltlifter, SanTan Hefewizen, Lagunitas IPA, and Prescott Liquid Amber Ale. There are also four rotating taps and 20 bottled beer options including Phoenix Ale Brewery's Watermelon Wheat and SanTan Devil's Ale.
Other amenities at the almost 12,000-square-foot restaurant include two full-service bars, 50 HD plasma TVs, a 150-inch HD projector, four sound zones, and a patio. The sports bar also offers video games (think Golden Tee, Big Buck, and darts), ping-pong, pool, and bocce ball. The restaurant and bar will also have a private dining room where Halen says they'll consider using to show UFC fights, depending on the demand.
Happy hour specials will be offered Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. including Drinks $1 off premium wells and drafts, $2 off wines by the glass, $4 frozen margaritas, and $5 Tito's Vodka Moscow mules. Discounted snacks such as Pretzels & Beer Cheese (2 pieces), Edamame, Fries & Queso, Kale Caesar, Beef Sliders, Lettuce Wraps, and Salmon Sliders will be available as well.
Stadium Sports Grill is currently soft open, but will host its public grand opening event on Friday, March 14.
For more information check out the Stadium Sports Grill website or Facebook.
Stadium Sports Grill 2000 E. Rio Salado Pkwy., #2105, Tempe 480-966-4774 StadiumAZ.com
Hours: Mon. to Thurs.: 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Fri.: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sat. and Sun.: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.