Santo Arcadia was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in January. On May 31, the modern Mexican restaurant will close.
The final service won’t be the end of the story for the eatery or its sibling bar, Pecado, says chef and co-owner Roberto Centeno.
Centeno says he and co-owners Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin are on the hunt for a new, smaller location. Santo is located in Phoenix on Osborn Road just east of 44th Street and the aim is to stay in the same area.
The final service won’t be the end of the story for the eatery or its sibling bar, Pecado, says chef and co-owner Roberto Centeno.
Centeno says he and co-owners Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin are on the hunt for a new, smaller location. Santo is located in Phoenix on Osborn Road just east of 44th Street and the aim is to stay in the same area.
“Santo’s been a really cool project and obviously we’re trying to relocate,” Centeno says, referencing the restaurant’s closing announcement posted on social media on May 4. “I think we have multiple ideas of what the restaurant needed to be and I think for the direction that we truly want to go, it’s small… it’s more intimate.”
Plans for the dual-concept Santo and Pecado – Spanish for saint and sin – were announced in late 2023. Santo and Pecado took over a building formerly occupied by the restaurant and shop, The Vintage. The large restaurant opened in January 2024, followed by its sibling speakeasy-style bar in February.
The restaurant put a global spin on classic Mexican flavors, creating unique dishes including the lamb and grits.
Tirion Boan
Santo offers modern Mexican cuisine with a global twist. There's a Southern-leaning entree of lamb and grits or birria dumplings, which arrive in a bowl of rich, umami-loaded beef broth studded with Chinese broccoli. Santo was Phoenix New Times’ Best Upscale Mexican Restaurant in 2024 and one of our 10 best Mexican restaurants in the Valley.
Pecado, meanwhile, is Santo's alter ego. The restaurant is airy and bright, while the bar is dressed in dark decor with low lighting from desk lamps and dripping candles. Santo's food is bright and fresh. The drinks at Pecado lean toward sinful indulgences, such as a fat-washed bacanora cocktail served with a side of pork rinds.
The bar team's work has likewise been noteworthy. Santo and Pecado bartender Nicole Long won the challenge to create the city’s official cocktail in June 2024. Pecado is among the New Times’ Top 100 Bars.
True to its name, the Pride cocktail at Pecado grabs the attention of everyone in the room.
Sara Crocker
Despite its accolades, the overall space is just too large, Centeno says. With 200 seats, private dining space and the hidden bar, Centeno concedes Santo would need much more of his time to keep it humming along. As he and the team continue to branch out with other restaurants, he's not able to solely focus on one place.
“We love what we do, we love our craft and we love that community,” Centeno says. “But at the same time, we have to be diligent as far as how the business runs, and sometimes it just doesn’t make sense and it could jeopardize a lot of other things.”
Since Santo opened, Centeno, Hernandez and Holguin have also opened Main Burgers, a fast-casual burger joint in downtown Mesa. The trio, plus awarded chef Rene Andrade, also run Espiritu, a small bar and restaurant just down the street.
Ideally, the next iteration of Santo will be more similar in size to Espiritu, Centeno says.
“Santo and Espritu are like my babies,” the chef says. “I’m going to take the time to find the right spot and not rush it.”
That also means that Santo and Pecado may no longer be attached to each other and could operate in separate locales.
In the meantime, Centeno notes there’s still time for guests to visit Santo and Pecado in Arcadia.
“We’re gonna stay true to who we are all the way until the end,” he says. “From there on, we’ll see what happens.”
Santo Arcadia and Pecado
Closes May 314418 E. Osborn Road
