Every Phoenix Restaurant Opening and Closing in December 2021

The Phoenix restaurant scene saw a busy conclusion to 2021. In December, we welcomed 35 new restaurants to the Valley — everything from sushi joints, a Korean hot dog place, and a hybrid concept of candy and beer flights under the same roof.

The past month saw the opening of The Garden Bar on Sixth Avenue in downtown Phoenix. Mixologist Kim Haasarud, a James Beard honoree, opened her new concept in a 1914 California-styled bungalow. The garden-to-glass restaurant features fresh, artisanal drinks that are sourced locally. Food includes several different grazing (also known as charcuterie) boards. Another hybrid concept, The Sugar Bar, opened this month in Chandler, and combines a candy store and taproom in one place. There are 29 beers on tap and a rotating selection of 80 candies and snacks.

Valley restauranteur Joey Maggiore opened The Mexicano in the former Salty Sow space near Cactus Road and Tatum Boulevard in Paradise Valley. The menu includes Mexican-inspired eats like elote, empanadas, enchiladas, and molcajetes. The ambiance is fun and upbeat.

Chef Robert Bogart opened OAK on Camelback, which originally housed St. Francis. He revamped the menu adding globally inspired cuisine without the unpretentious vibe. Food selections include scallops and risotto, Moroccan meatball wood-fired pizza, and a whiskey jalapeño burger.

Chef Jesus Figueroa has partnered with Teddy and Katie Myers to open Wren & Wolf, an all-day restaurant and bar, on the northwest corner of Central Avenue and Washington Street in downtown Phoenix. The new downtown hotspot is a perfect pit stop for those who want to grab dinner before the game or theater show.

In casual dining news, Los Angeles-based restaurant, Slangin’ Birdz, made its debut in Tempe. The joint specializes in Nashville hot chicken. If you're craving a variety of options like crepes, sandwiches, and burgers, check out Foch Café & Bistro which opened at the Orchid House in downtown Tempe. The west Valley welcomes Myungrang Hot Dog, a restaurant showcasing Korean-style battered hot dogs.

A Vietnamese restaurant, Rice Paddy, opened on the northeast corner of Seventh Street and Rose Lane. The restaurant offers pho, banh mi, and rice dishes.

Cava, a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant made its debut not he southeast corner of Camelback and 16th street in December.

Chef TJ Culp and Esther Noh opened Sottise in the Knipe House, 112-year-old building on the southeast corner of Portland and Second Street on Roosevelt Row. The bistro plates French classics inspired by the café and brasserie culture from the streets of Paris.

December saw an influx of openings in Phoenix; only three notable closings happened this month: The Siamese Cat closed after 34 years, The Vig (Uptown), and Waldo's BBQ and Catering.

Here's the complete list of metro Phoenix restaurants and bars that opened and closed in December:

Restaurants and bars opened this month:

Aftermath Bar & Kitchen,1534 East Bethany Home Road
Angie's Lobster, 835 West Baseline Road, Tempe
Another Broken Egg Café, 2484 South SanTan Village Parkway, #108, Gilbert
Black Rock Coffee, 9895 South Priest Drive, #101, Tempe
BrüCo Taproom, 7529 South Power Road, #103, Queen Creek
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, 17115 North 51st Avenue, Glendale
By the Bucket, 785 West Warner Road, Suite A112, Gilbert
CaliTacos, 225 West Warner Road, Chandler
Cava, 4355 East Indian School Road
Cinnaholic, 9220 East Via Ventura Drive, Suite#118, Scottsdale
Eegee's, 1460 South Crismon Road, Mesa
Foch Café & Bistro, 21 East Sixth Street, Tempe
Fury Brewing, 3831 North 32nd Street, #32
The Garden Bar, 822 North Sixth Avenue
High Tide at the Steelyard, 5045 South Gilbert Road, Chandler
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, 1949 East Camelback Road, #164
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, 3115 South Val Vista Drive, Gilbert; 7507 West Rose Garden Lane
Suite #105, Glendale; and 3510 East Baseline Road, Suite L5-D-103, Mesa
The Mexicano, 4801 East Cactus Road, Scottsdale
Mae Khong Thai Tapas & Bar, 649 South Stapley Drive, #103, Mesa
My Kitchen, 4049 East Williams Field Road, #108, Gilbert
Myungrang Hot Dogs, 9140 West Glendale Avenue, #110, Glendale
Neighborly Public House, 5538 North Seventh Street
NoRa Fresh Asian, 1561 North Cooper Road, #101, Gilbert
OAK on Camelback, 111 East Camelback Road
Rice Paddy, 6219 North Seventh Street
Teriyaki Madness, 4722 East Ray Road, #9
Trapper's Sushi Co., 2 East Jefferson Street
Santé, 15507 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
Shinko Sushi House, 1241 East Chandler Boulevard
Slangin' Birdz, 414 South Mill Avenue, #101, Tempe
Sottise, 1025 North Second Street
The Sugar Bar, 960 East Warner Road #6, Chandler
Thai Chili 2 Go, 16955 North 75th Avenue, #105, Peoria
Uncle Bear’s Brewery, 612 East Germann Road, Gilbert
Wren & Wolf, 2 North Central Avenue, #10

Restaurants and bars reopened this month:

At My Place Café, 3450 West Chandler Boulevard, #9, Chandler
The Womack, 5749 North Seventh Street

Restaurants and bars closed this month:

The Siamese Cat, 5034 South Price Road, Tempe
The Vig Uptown, 6015 North 16th Street
Waldo's BBQ, 1524 East Williams Field Road, #101, Gilbert