A family-owned restaurant in downtown Phoenix is giving the community the chance to “bring back the art of conversation.”
Located in the Grand Avenue Arts District, El Charro Hipster Bar and Cafe serves the community a variety of menu items as well as a platform to express their creativity.
In addition to the inside of the restaurant being decorated with paintings and murals from local artists, El Charro Hipster hosts open mic nights on Wednesday and Thursday evenings for comedians and musicians to perform.
“We wanted to be for the community and there were a lot of different people who didn’t have a stage to share their talents,” said co-owner Gigi Peralta.
The Peralta family said they value the artistry in the community where their restaurant is located and wanted to serve as a safe space to showcase these local talents.
“The open mic atmosphere at many places can be timid and unorganized. It’s refreshing to walk into a place like El Charro and automatically feel like family and that you’re a part of something truly magical,” said local performer Ray West.
West has been performing at El Charro Hipster since January. Since then, she said she has performed almost every Thursday.
“Each week it seems like the crowd of people gathering to this event gets bigger and more diverse with everything from poets, full bands or even the occasional harp player,” West said.
Most performers on Thursday nights are regular open mic attendees, according to Estevan Corrales, a musician who has been performing at El Charro Hipster off-and-on for over two years.
“It’s a good place to try out new material. See if the crowd likes it and what not. You’re not going to get booed off stage here, it is very welcoming,” Corrales said.
Corrales said he performs the songs he writes for the sake of his artist credibility, but he’ll entertain the crowd every now and then with a classic hit. Corrales as well as other artists credit the Peralta’s for the space they created for these local performers.
“I really enjoy the family, the Peraltas are great,” Corrales said. “Truly a staple to the community.”
Not only have the Peralta’s given the community a stage to sing, but they’ve given artists a chance to get their names out there.
West says she owes it to the creative minds at El Charro Hipster for helping her secure some recent gigs at other locations. She added that other artists have even inspired some of her songwriting.
“I wrote a song titled El Charro for my friends and every new face walking through the doors to express my gratitude for the nights where I see people lose themselves in the music and feel nothing but love in the room,” West said.
Chris Crockett and his wife Thea have been regulars at El Charro Hipster since it opened. In addition to the unique menu and warm family, Crockett said Thursday evenings, too, make El Charro Hipster special.
“A lot of people come back every week and you make friends with them. It’s just like this little family of musicians,” Crockett said.
Crockett, also known by his stage name Nocturnal the Poet, is a lyricist who occasionally performs at the open mic nights.
By giving a space for the community to share its talent, the Peralta’s are receiving a gift just the same.
“I’m being very selfish by having good live music every Thursday night,” Gigi Peralta said.
The open mic nights have been an important part of the restaurant’s ambiance since it started to host them.
“We wanted to create a vibe, a culture. This is an artistic neighborhood, so having paintings and music was important,” co-owner Francisco Peralta said.
Not only does the restaurant feature vibrant paintings and unique music, but also an intentionally colorful menu of food and drink items. Since opening in 2018, El Charro Hipster has served an eclectic menu of artisanal cocktails, in-house ground coffee and an inclusive menu of modern Mexican food items with gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options.
Whether you are an avid foodie, a cocktail connoisseur, like a good laugh and live music, or all of the above, El Charro Hipster has something to offer.
Visit El Charro Hipster Bar and Cafe
The restaurant hosts its open mic comedy night every Wednesday and open mic live music every Thursday night at 7 p.m.
The restaurant is located at 1325 Grand Ave Suite #4, Phoenix, Arizona 85007 and is open Wednesday through Sunday.
To learn more about El Charro Hipster visit its website here.
Contact the reporter at csheerin@asu.edu.
