The first few months of 2019 are bringing new bars to downtown Phoenix. All of them have their own unique menu options and atmospheres that set them apart from existing establishments downtown. Here are some of the latest bars open now and coming soon.
Arizona Wilderness DTPHX
Arizona Wilderness is a local brewery that already has a location in Gilbert. They specialize in beer brewed in Arizona using locally sourced ingredients like barley from Sinagua Malt in Camp Verde.
The bar and restaurant had a soft opening to the public on February 18 and have a grand opening date set for March 1.
Marketing Coordinator Carly Jones said Arizona Wilderness was inspired to open their downtown location because it is a different culture from Gilbert.
“We really wanted to bring our wilderness vibes to the heart of Phoenix, just to kind of show our culture and infuse the two,” Jones said.
As the name implies, the bar has a theme based on natural and wilderness areas of Arizona, including patio seating with chairs around fire bowls.
Drinks served include wine made in Arizona and state-inspired cocktails. The cocktails include a Mezcal Paloma, which features Mina Real Mezcal Blanco tequila and grapefruit flavor, and a Whiskey Del Bac New Fashioned, which Jones described as old fashioned with Arizona Wilderness’s own spin on it.
Arizona Wilderness also serves food, specializing in burgers made of meat from the Arizona Grass Raised Beef Company. The burgers are served smash burger style, meaning there are two patties on each burger.
Vegan and vegetarian options, including cauliflower wings and black bean burgers, are also available.
The fries also have a unique twist: they are fried in duck fat.
“It adds a little bit of extra savoriness to it,” Jones said.
Available toppings for the fries include beer cheese, pulled pork and bacon bits.
Arizona Wilderness’s business hours are 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. It is located at 201 E. Roosevelt St.
Via Della Slice Shop
Via Della Slice Shop is currently under construction and aiming for an opening date toward the end of April. The bar and restaurant plan to serve 20-inch pizzas and large slices with thick crust.
Owner Tanner Locust said he was inspired to open Via Della after visiting a New York pizzeria called Best Pizza. He said he liked how it was a neighborhood spot where people could congregate and get to know each other.
“It’s a big deal for us to know the people that drink with us,” Locust said.
He said the pizza recipes at Via Della will be designed by Best Pizza’s owner, Frank Pinello, who hosted Vice’s “The Pizza Show,” where he traveled around the world exploring pizza options.
The location will be relatively small, which Locust said he intends to use to give the shop an intimate atmosphere.
He said available drinks will include craft beer and wine sourced from around the world, including flavors imported from Europe. Cocktails will be familiar recipes, such as Jack and Coke.
Locust said Via Della is planning to be open for dinner initially, and eventually adjusting the hours to be open for lunch and also late into the night. Once open, the restaurant will be located at 222 N. Fifth Ave.
Punch Bowl Social
Punch Bowl Social is a chain of entertainment complexes oriented toward the millennial market. Currently, there are 15 located across the country, with nine more locations planned, including the one in Phoenix. The company was recently named in business magazine Fast Company’s top 50 innovative companies around the world.
The company is working on creating its downtown Phoenix location, with a planned opening in fall 2019.
The complex will include entertainment available in the form of video games, bowling, arcade games, a mini-golf course, ping pong, karaoke and more.
The complex will also include a bar and restaurant featuring local beers, wines, non-alcoholic cocktails and unique signature punches. Food options include chicken and waffles with special chipotle syrup, street tacos and chorizo fries.
Thompson emphasized that the mini golf course, called Putt Club, will be unique compared to most courses.
“We’re able to do it in a more compact area, which is helpful for us,” he said.
The course will feature nine holes inside and nine outside, with the beginning and end of the course ending at a bar.
Thompson said that given the hot Arizona summers, the patio will be cooled via hanging cooling elements.
“We imagine that the patio will be open all year round,” he said.
Punch Bowl Social will be located at the existing building at 903 N. Second St. Planned business hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. during weekdays, 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and an opening time of 9 a.m. on Sunday. Thompson said the location may close earlier on Sundays and Mondays.
Contact the reporter at thomas.triolo@asu.edu.
Downtown Devil's community section editor. I also write the Downtown Digest, a weekly column with things to do, with experience writing news articles and creating news videos as well. Graduating from ASU in May 2020.
