Remembrance of Restaurants Past

Introduction:

My first meal in Flagstaff, AZ that I can remember took place in the middle of a blizzard sometime around 1979 or 1980. I was still in high school and traveling with my parents. We stayed overnight at the Ramada Inn on West Route 66; the lobby was a magical invitation to chilled, sodden visitors, with a fireplace burning fragrant juniper. After checking in, we trudged through snow to a restaurant in the middle of the parking lot called the Consolidated Logging Company, where they offered a family-size roast beef dinner that still melts in my memory's mouth to this day.

And that is how this whole thing began.

I can safely say that I'm a restaurant buff. I moved to Flagstaff in 1990, and at one point (around 1998) I came the closest to having eaten at every restaurant in town. But I started slowing down, and places starting coming and going faster than I could keep up. Nonetheless, here's my tribute to those places that I still remember, which no longer exist.

7ate9:

This place seems to have jumped around a lot. I first remember seeing their location at the corner of West Street and 6th avenue, and apparently they have also been at Butler Avenue and at the Coconino Community College Lone Tree campus.

I only ever ate at the Hilltop Shops location. Originally that location was a rather mediocre Italian restaurant called the Bella Donna. 7ate9 served really good deli food, featuring incredibly massive sandwiches and good pasta salads; the owner was a charming little old lady who went around offering free samples to people standing in line. It was a shame to see them go.

Then Delhi Palace moved into that location. Originally they were located next door to the Crown Railroad in the Woodlands Village Shopping Center; in the 1990's they had good food but terrible service. Then the management changed, and suddenly everything improved. During the COVID pandemic, Delhi Palace dropped their outstanding lunch buffet, and never resumed it; nonetheless, they continue to be my favorite Indian restaurant.

Air Cafe:

I can barely remember Pine Mountain Cafe at Pulliam Airport; then it became Blu Moon Cafe, which I ate at several times. My favorite item there was the Southwest scramble; they also had a "Black and Tan" burger which I tried once, but I'm not really into monster-sized hamburgers. Then the location was Air Cafe: at first they kept the Blu Moon menu (literally! they handed out a printed menu that still said "Blu Moon"), but then they dropped the printed menu and focused on fewer items (but kept the Southwest scramble). It's closed now, and the location awaits a new concessionaire.

Alabama BBQ:

The Shell Station on Woodlands used to be a Texaco, and for a while they had a drive-through called Alabama BBQ. At the time, they had the best ribs in town, almost as good as Barbecue Express used to be. I heard that the owner kept his money under a mattress and was robbed, but that may be an urban legend.

Babe's Chicago Beef:

In the northern section of MartAnne's current location was Babe's Chicago Beef, and they were the real thing, but they didn't last long. Then Fratelli Pizza originated in that same location. They are notable for their excellent cheap pesto slice. When they moved over to Phoenix Avenue, Mama Burger (a spin-off of Fratelli, I recently learned!), took over for a while before they moved to Fort Valley Road (see Mrs. Brown's Burger Bar).

Barbecue Express:

A couple of doors over from Crystal Creek was Teriyaki Express, and I didn't miss them when they closed. That place was a running joke because they could never serve up a rice bowl order in under 25 minutes. Barbecue Express took over that location, and they served seriously some of the best ribs ever in Flagstaff. For whatever reason, the really nice guy who ran the place sold it to someone else, and it went right down the toilet. After it closed, Little Thai Kitchen opened. Their menu has gone up and down over the years, but they're still my favorite Thai restaurant in town. I miss the Twist and Shout Seafood, and the outstanding green curry, and the steamed dumplings are not as good as they used to be, but I think they made a decent move by condensing their selection and offering more options for each.

Belgium Bistro:

Where Swaddee Thai currently is on Aspen Avenue was at one time Belgium Bistro, which I liked but they pretty much only offered waffles and ham-and-cheese melts. Then it was a Corea House which was not great but not bad: I ate there a couple of times but usually walked by it without seeing any customers inside, and wondered how they managed to stay open.

Blair's Fine Dining:

This place existed for a short time during the mid 1990's, which I remember for their chicken cordon bleu, but someone embezzled their money and hightailed it out of town. After that location closed, the business became Thornager's, which was one of the best caterers in Flagstaff. They briefly had a location at 16 W Route 66, which also for a while was Quaff and Nosh: that place was years ahead of its time with its artisan mac & cheese. Main Street Caterers was also there for a while. Thornager's started a banquet venue at Kiltie Lane, which I ate at once for a company party, and the Route 66 location is currently Aloha Hawaiian BBQ, which I have yet to eat at.

Brix:

Across the parking lot from Bun Huggers was the first location of Brix before they moved over to North San Francisco Street; now they're completely gone. Back then they had a lunch menu, and I recall having a very good pheasant breast with wild rice. Then it was Indian Paradise, which had a wonderful tomato soup. Currently it is Himalayan Grill, which was almost as good, but they started going downhill just as Delhi Palace started improving. I haven't been there in a number of years.

Buster's:

One of Flagstaff's great losses: I still have fond memories of their menu, such as the Sonoma chicken, smoked salmon, French onion soup, and zucchini muffins, although I admit I never tried their oyster bar. Then they changed owners, and as much as I like most other Plated Projects restaurants, their takeover was a fiasco nearly as wretchedly abhorrent as the infamous Nackard chainsaw massacre. Almost everything about the original restaurant that I loved went away, in one form or another. The muted interior decor became a Mary Kay horror show, while the zucchini muffins were shrunken and petrified like the proverbial Amazon trophy heads. When Buster's was finally put out of its misery, Trail Crest Brewing Company moved in. While they tried their best at a locally sourced menu, their brewery equipment stood idle awaiting the proper permits, and they finally shut down before they ever started brewing. Then came Grand Canyon Brewery: their spirits (vodka, rum, and gin) are magnificent, though their beer is not as impressive. Originally I wasn't into their food menu, but since then it has improved, and currently they have the best calzones in town.

Cabo Cantina:

This location was the old Bushwalker building, which made luggage and custom cases. Sometime after that business moved out, Cabo Cantina opened. They were great: their Baja style food blew Salsa Brava out of the water. I remember seeing Stanley Jordan perform there once. After that, it was a late night place called Munchies, and then was My Thai restaurant, which was not bad but not my favorite. Finally, Fratelli Pizza moved in from their original location north of the tracks (see Babe's Chicago Beef).

Cafe Espress:

This place was a decent enough restaurant, but one of my friends hated it and called it Cafe Third World. Then the location became Criollo's, which had a decent paella, and is now Teatro, an upscale place which I ate at once but probably will never go to again.

Cafe Olé:

Cafe Olé was around a long time, but never really attracted me. I finally ate there once when they hosted a book signing for Gustavo Arellano's Taco USA, but they finally shut down and I'm not sure what's there now.

Casa Duarte:

Hot Wok originally opened at the west end of Fort Valley Shopping Center, before moving down to South Milton Road. [Sportsman's, on the east end, is still there after all these years.] Some time later Casa Duarte opened at that location; they were a spin-off of MartAnne's, and had a good menu and plenty of parking. Now it's Bow Wow's Street Dogs, which I haven't been to.

Cattle Baron's:

I never went there while they were open, but they featured an annual wild game feast: I always seemed to find out about the event after it happened, and meant to get the jump on it the following year, but then they shut down, to my surprise and dismay. After several years, Louie's Chicken Shack moved in. I went there once or twice, but I'm not really into chicken tenders: I like real hunks of chicken carcass, bones and all, and in my book you can't beat the Popeyes spicy recipe at its juicy, crispy best. Louie's didn't last long, and for a while Santiago's Tamales went in. I wondered about that business decision: their tamales were OK, but not as good as the ones at Oscar's Burritos Fiesta just across the street. Finally, they went away, and now the location is a granite and remodeling business.

Chez Marc:

I don't recall ever eating at Chez Marc on Humphreys Street, but I drove by the place all the time while I lived in Cheshire. After that it became Josephine's. My Mom likes the place, and I took her there a couple of times, but am not such a huge fan myself.

Choi's Luncheonette:

This place was very popular. I ate there once or twice but wasn't really impressed. Then it became Downtown Diner. Currently it is Cafe Stella, which I haven't been to.

Christmas Tree:

One of my all time favorite restaurants, originally located on 2nd Avenue where the Flagstaff Family Food Center is (across 2nd street from La Fonda), the Christmas Tree even beat out the Cottage as a charming, quiet, friendly venue for comfort food. Better still, they had no upscale pretensions, unlike so many other places that I've avoided. They served pickled beets and cinnamon rolls instead of a bread basket, and had outstanding chicken & dumplings and beef stroganoff. Then they moved over to Cortland Boulevard (where Toasted Owl currently is), and became the crowded, noisy antithesis of everything they stood for previously. I went to that location once, and was so shocked that I never went there again.

Coco's Bakery:

On the corner of Beulah Boulevard and Forest Meadows Street was Coco's Bakery. After Challis left Mountainaire Tavern, Coco's had the best pies in town for many years, better than Village Inn or Miz Zip's. They also had some good "local favorites" on the menu, such as Denver potato pancakes, corned beef & eggs, Santa Fe quiche, chorizo scramble, stacked hash browns, roast turkey dinner, and liver & onions. At first I heard they were going to close, then I heard that the jury was still out, then I heard they were going independent, but then they closed after all. Now, an Arizona chain called the Porch is moving into the location.

Consolidated Logging Company:

As I said in the introduction, my parents and I ate here once, enjoying a memorable roast beef dinner. Here is an ad in the Lumberjack from 1980. By 1990 it was closed, but the sign was still painted on the door; today the location is a Batteries Plus. The former Ramada Inn is now a Super 8; it was located next to Andy Womack's Flamingo Motor Hotel, which was torn down to build a Barnes & Noble book store, which is now a Goodwill store.

Cottage Place:

I tend to avoid upscale restaurants, but a major exception was the Cottage Place. It was quiet, intimate, and the food and service were worth experiencing as a special treat. The head chef would even come out to chat a bit. I admit I rarely go to the Flagstaff Community Market, but I remember once seeing him shopping there, decked out in his white uniform. That location became Plantasia, then Flagstaff Fry Bread House, and is now closed.

Country Host:

They had a good Midwest-style chili (just like Mom's!), but were otherwise unremarkable. They briefly expanded to the Woodlands Village Shopping Center, where the Crown Railroad was (see Crown Railroad), but finally folded. Now the original location is Dirty Birdies, which I have yet to visit.

Crazy Bill's Saloon & Steak House:

I really liked this place. It had good steaks and BBQ at a decent price. The original building was torn down and replaced with what appears to be office space.

Crown Railroad:

They had the best omelets in town, hands down, no comparison. They also had the best huevos rancheros, Mexican chicken fried steak, posole, green chili stew, and tuna melt. The original location was at a Howard Johnson's, which became homeless apartments. After the owner died, the employees took over, but finally the place shuttered. Soon a Mexican restaurant will be opening there.

For a while they had a second location at the Woodlands Village Shopping Center, which was my favorite place to eat while it lasted. Unfortunately, as seems to happen so often, the landlords hiked the lease, and the tenants couldn't afford to renew. Then Country Host opened a second location there. Now the location is part of an eyeglass shop.

Dan's Italian Kitchen:

By the time that Dan's Italian Kitchen opened on Fort Valley Road, I was already familiar with NiMarco's on South Beaver Street. Run by the same owners, they had the same basic pizza recipes, and I could get a good sausage and green chili pizza there. But their masterpiece was the Calabrese spinach pie: a monstrous whale of a calzone stuffed with spicy marinated spinach and cheese. It was epic, never offered anywhere else in Flagstaff, a monument to culinary history. Since then, the location flipped a couple of times, and is now a Fratelli Pizza.

El Charro:

El Charro on South San Francisco Street was a good, old-fashioned restaurant. Whether true or not, it felt and tasted like a place that had never seen a microwave oven. I've been told that the owners were relatives of the guitarist Carlos Montoya and that he sometimes visited: as far as I know, that's just an urban legend. Later the location became the Mayor, which eventually moved to the old Mad Italian location (see Mad Italian). Then it was B66, which used to be Bandoleros north of the tracks.

Fazolli's:

This was one of my favorite fast food places. The sauce was fresh, the pasta was perfect, and the breadsticks were to die for. Now the place is Freddy's, which I didn't impress me when I tried it.

Fiddler's:

This location was once Fiddlestix Night Club, which I never went to. Then it became Mulligan's Sports Pub and Fiddler's Restaurant. I liked both places while they lasted. Eventually Mulligan's became a SuperPawn and Fiddler's became Mandarin Buffet, which had the first Mongolian grill in town, but I only went there a couple of times. Since then the building has been torn down and is now a parking lot.

Field House:

This location was originally Pizza Furiosa, which was a reboot of Pesto Brothers, which had been located downtown (see Pesto Brothers). The pizza was OK, but the original Pesto Brothers had a better overall menu. Then the location became Field House, which not only had the best hash browns in town, but also the best catfish and collard greens. Like Taverna, Field House was originally a Plated Projects restaurant; then it changed owners and wasn't quite as good. Plated Projects took over the location again, turning it into Over Easy, which currently has the one of my favorite breakfast menus in town. [Tiki Grill in the Sherwood Forest Shopping Center currently has the best catfish.]

Golden Dragon:

Golden Dragon, which still exists on the east side, had a west side location which I liked, but closed almost as soon as I discovered it. Five Guys is there now: I ate there once, and they were not as good as Mama Burger.

Grand Canyon Cafe:

The original Grand Canyon Cafe was an old-time local favorite, but I don't recall ever eating there. Then the place changed owners and it didn't last long after that. Then it became Proper Meats, which is a good deli, but I still miss 7ate9.

Granny's Closet:

I only went to Granny's Closet a few times. The place reminded me of what in Wisconsin we would call a supper club. When my parents retired out here, they really liked the place. I thought it was OK, but not great. After it closed, NAU bought the property, but the building is still standing. Before my time it was the Lumberjack Cafe, which was the origin of the fiberglas cast of Paul Bunyan, the mold of which was recycled for the infamous Muffler Man seen across the nation.

Gretel's Black Forest Haus:

On Riordan Road was Gretel's Black Forest Haus, which served decent wiener schnitzel and strudel and had a good selection of German bottled beer. At that time, while attending a training in Scottsdale, I discovered a place called Oregano's. Years ago, in Detroit, I was fond of a pizza place that featured a "stuffed pizza:" a deep dish pan pizza that featured thin bottom and top crusts, loaded with cheese, spinach, and sauce in between, with another layer of sauce on top. Oregano's offered the nearly same style, and I liked it so much that, even though I missed Gretel's, I was delighted to see them open there. However, it turned out to be a terrible location, way too small, and I was glad when they expanded and moved to two other locations. And yet, I can be nostalgic about Oregano's because they are one of those places (like Plated Projects restaurants) that periodically change their menus. Granted, new favorites may appear, but old favorites tend to vanish. Gone, perhaps forever, are the stuffed pizza, O'zone, "Shroom Boom" pasta, and sausage & peppers.

Grimaldi's:

While I originally questioned the concept of bringing a coal-fired oven into Flagstaff, I must admit Grimaldi's had the best, freshest tasting pizza since Scott's folded (see Manzanita's). I sincerely miss them.

Hassib's:

Hassib's was pretty much the only Middle Eastern restaurant in town, although I considered it more of a deli. It was a great source for olives at the time, but I took exception to the fact that they used ground beef in their dolmas. Later the place was Friends, and then Aladdin's. Flagstaff has yet to have what I would call a really good Middle Eastern restaurant; I have fond memories of a Lebanese restaurant in Anthem called Cafe Afify. [Pita Jungle is way overrated. My Pita Wrap currently has the best Middle Eastern food, but I don't consider it a real restaurant.] Then the location became Uncle Buzz's, which was a chocolate and Yerba Maté place; I never tried it. Then it was the Center for Indigenous Music and Culture, which I always wanted to get involved in, but it never happened; now I believe the location is vacant.

Hog's:

On Butler Avenue, where the Days Inn is, was the Kettle Restaurant, one of the first places I ever ate at when I moved to Flagstaff. I don't remember much about it, but then it became Hog's Family Restaurant, which I thought was even more disgusting than The Place on Milton Road. I went in there once and it reeked of spoiled milk. The food was actually edible, but OMG I couldn't stand the stench. Finally, that location was taken over by Ponderosa, which changed its name to Northern Pines, and today that place is excellent.

Hong Kong Cafe:

Another old-time local favorite, which I only ate at once: I had a roast beef platter that was decent and very cheap. The location became Karma Sushi.

Horsemen Lodge:

I ate at Horsemen Lodge once many years ago, and thought it was great, but it was so out of the way for me that I never got around to eating there again. Navajo Gaming took over the property, and it remains to be seen what will happen to the location.

IHOP:

The IHOP on Woodlands Boulevard had decent omelets, but my favorite dish was the Swedish crepes. Another location opened at Postal Boulevard: about the only time I ever eat there is when I actually need to go to the Post Office. The original Woodlands location shuttered during the COVID pandemic, and still stands empty. For a while, I saw people repairing the roof, and was hopeful for a reopening. Alas! No such luck.

Jackson's Grill at the Springs:

This was a lovely place on South 89A, and lasted all-too-briefly. They had a really good menu, featuring the best chicken crepes I ever had. Viola's Flower Garden is currently there.

JB's:

In the early 1990's there were two JB's locations. The west side location was originally a Big Boy, but that was before my time. The east side location became an auto parts store, and is now a coin & collectible shop.

The west side location became Galaxy Diner, which was actually a JB's subsidiary chain, with several other locations in Utah. But as time passed, the others all closed, and for several years the Flagstaff location was the last one left. Then the JB's chain vanished altogether, and Galaxy Diner, after a hiatus, reopened as an independent.

JB's was OK, but for me, Galaxy is much better. They have always been notable for a their fried egg sandwich (except for a while when they tried serving it on a greasy croissant: ugh!) and a good patty melt. Years ago, however, they had a great dish on the specials board called the Hash-O-Rama, which anticipated the popular stacked hash brown dishes of today. Today, their coleslaw recipe is still one of my favorites, and I was recently surprised by their excellent steak & eggs. I hope to try their pie sometime.

Kathy's Cafe:

Kathy's had the best corned beef hash in town. They closed after a kitchen fire, sat vacant for ages, and went through a couple of places I never ate at before Na Di Li opened, which was a good Korean restaurant. They had a great sizzling stone pot. I remember eating there once when a busload of Korean tourists showed up. Most of them ordered sizzling stone pots as well: I really enjoyed seeing their faces light up with pleasure. Since then, the location became Big Bowl Noodles, which I haven't been to.

La Bellavia:

La Bellavia was a nice little breakfast place, with decent eggs benedict, but I only ate there once in the early 1990's and thought it was a bit limited and pricey for what you get. They spun off Brandy's Restaurant & Bakery on Cedar Avenue, which I actually like much better: I especially enjoy their trout and eggs. Just recently, La Bellavia became Brandy's Cafe.

Late for the Train:

An old gas station on Fort Valley saw the birth of Late for the Train, still my favorite coffee in Flagstaff. [I know Macy's has its cult following, but I went there a few times during the 1990's, and each time thought their coffee tasted like tepid muddy Colorado River water dripped through a hay bale]. Currently the location is The Station, which is pretty good, but I've only been there a couple of times.

For a while they had an additional location on Milton Road, which I went to a couple of times before they closed. Now the location is Cold Stone Creamery.

Their current location is downtown on Aspen Avenue. In the 1990's that location was Cafe 19, which was a favorite of mine, especially after they opened up the courtyard in the back. Then they became Pasto's, which initially had a good lunch menu, but they dropped it and became a dinner place only.

Lone Spur Cafe:

Just south of Discount Tire on Milton Road was a Souper Salad. They had a the best soup and salad bar in town, although I thought it was pricey at the time. After standing empty for a number of years, it became Picazzo's, which had good pasta and great coffee, but I never liked their pizza. For a while they offered some excellent soups (their pea & dill and potato & leek soups motivated me to go online to study recipes and make my own versions). Towards the end they had a memorable Sriracha coleslaw, but you couldn't order it just as a side dish. Still, it was a shame to see them go. When Lone Spur opened at that location, however, I loved it: they had an outstanding chorizo scramble, and huevos rancheros that rivaled those at the Crown Railroad. Then they lost their liquor license, the food went downhill, and now they're gone.

Mad Italian:

The Mad Italian was an interesting place in its time. "Mad I" was like something out of Casablanca, where cowboys, hippies, frat boys, construction workers, and nerds could rub shoulders, drink, and eat a slice of pizza that was not quite as bad as Totino's frozen. They also had good bouncers that could chuck the fighters out the door. I only went there during a couple of months that they showed movies on their big screen TV, and never went back. Some time later, Whyld Ass opened in their location, offering a vegan menu that was pretty good. Then the location became the Root, an upscale restaurant I avoided, and then the Mayor, which was meant to appeal to the college crowd but also went defunct. The Mayor was the only Plated Projects restaurant that I never bothered to visit.

Main Street Grill:

I only ate at Main Street Grill on South San Francisco once or twice before they moved north of the tracks and then switched to catering. Now the location is Dara Thai, which was the first Thai restaurant in Flagstaff, originally opening at the Western Hills motel on East Route 66. I ate at the original location once, and the current location once. I still prefer Little Thai Kitchen.

Mama Luisa:

Mama Luisa was in the Kachina Shopping Center for many years, and was OK but not great. The red clam sauce was decent, and their pesto was very good. [My favorite Italian restaurant is currently Mesa Italiana in Holbrook.]

Manzanita's:

Known for their fresh tortillas, Manzanita's was originally on West Street; I ate there once but wasn't really impressed. After they moved downtown, the original location became Las Gorditas. They have excellent carnitas, better than Salsa Brava, but their masterpiece is their fish soup. On the rare occasion that I go there, that's all I ever care to order anymore.

The downtown location was an old gas station on the corner of Birch Avenue and Beaver Street; they lasted for several years before they closed. Then a German restaurant called the Matterhorn took over, and they were excellent, better than Gretel's. Unfortunately, the Matterhorn didn't last either. Then came Scott's Chicago Pizza. They started out at the gas station at Railroad Springs, and featured the sloppiest and most luscious pizza in town. They literally drowned their pizza in sauce to the point where I wanted to put on a bib. When they moved downtown, they expanded their menu, including good old Chicago Beef sandwiches, but couldn't pull it off. They were replaced by India Palace for several years, which I never ate at, until Dark Sky Brewery expanded into that location.

MartAnne's:

On North San Francisco Street, MartAnne's was in what I only learned later was the old McGaugh's news stand before they in turn moved to the corner of Aspen Avenue. I ate there a couple of times before they closed, and then Lola J's took over. Lola was out of San Diego, and I loved the people and the food there, but a lot of customers complained about the long wait for orders. One time they held a unique and magnificent Thanksgiving feast, but I was the only one who showed up. Then they left and went into catering. After that, for about six months, a Texas chili place was there. The chili was great, but that was all that the poor guy could do. He couldn't run a restaurant worth beans. After he folded, MartAnne's took over the place again, until they moved around the corner next to Arizona Music Pro. Now Red Curry is at the old location.

Monsoon:

At the southern edge of Sherwood Forest Shopping Center, Monsoon built a lovely new building and offered a good Asian fusion menu. They moved downtown and now are gone (currently that location is BarBazul, which I haven't been to). A decent Mexican restaurant called Plaza Bonita moved in for a while, but eventually they closed and the building was torn down and replaced by Raising Cane's. I'm not into chicken tenders myself, but that place is quite popular, which makes me scratch my head since Louie's Chicken Shack failed to pull it off so close nearby.

Mountain Oasis:

Mountain Oasis had a nice vibe and a good eclectic menu, though their hummus was way too salty. Now the location is Shane Knight Gallery.

Mountainaire Tavern:

When I first came to Flagstaff in 1990, I rented a room in Mountainaire, and fell in love with the Mountainaire Tavern. Bob and Challis, from Berlin, Wisconsin, were the co-owners then. At the time, Challis made the best pies in town, bar none. My favorite was the apple pie (served hot with melted cheddar on top). They also had excellent pizza, steaks, biscuits & gravy, and the best liver & onions with mushrooms and bacon. But Challis left, along with the pies. Technically, the restaurant still exists, but after I moved into town, Mountainaire faded away for me.

Mrs. Brown's Burger Bar:

At the south bend of Fort Valley road was Mrs. Brown's Burger Bar, a place that was popular but I thought was overrated. I had a buffalo burger once, which was dry, and a patty melt, which was burnt. Then Mama Burger moved there from downtown. They were one of the best burger places in town. Since then they changed their name to Mama B's, but I have yet to check them out since they reopened.

Nomads Global Lounge:

Nomads, on Phoenix Avenue, was a brilliant flash in the pan, and was my first delicious encounter with currywurst, which apparently is all the rage elsewhere in the world. They had other excellent, eclectic menu items, and it was a shame to see them close.

Oasis Bar & Grill:

On Fourth Street, tucked around behind the current location of Hunan East (which used to be further north) was briefly Oasis Bar & Grill, which was a good folksy place, but I only ate there a few times.

Our Daily Bread:

On Plaza Way was once a pizza buffet that was wrecked by Pizza by George. To this day I don't know how a business so adept at taking over and ruining others could stay afloat. Finally, however, they bit the dust, and RIP. Then for a while the location was Our Daily Bread, which everyone raved about, but as with Crystal Creek, I thought them rather overrated. They moved over next to Michael's, then closed. That location was then a bird feeder shop for a while, and is now Mountain Spirits. For ages, the location on Plaza Way was a temp job company, and now is a cannabis dispensary.

Pesto Brothers:

Pesto Brothers opened up in the old Vino Loco location in Old Town Shops. They had a great menu, and knocked Pasto's out of the ring. I seem to recall that they originally started out on South San Francisco Street, but I can't remember where. They closed their downtown location and reopened on Woodlands Boulevard as Pizza Furiosa (see Field House). The downtown location is now MIX Flagstaff, but I haven't been there.

Pig in a Poke BBQ:

On Hwy 89 and Silver Saddle Road was Pig in a Poke, which had excellent smokehouse barbecue, and was most memorable for their smoked potato salad. The place was run by an old retired couple but they didn't last long.

Ramona's Cantina:

I never actually ate at that place, but its first and second locations later became restaurants that I truly miss. The original location was on the east corner of Plaza Way and Yale Street; then they moved to a new location on the north corner of Woodlands Boulevard and Beulah Boulevard.

The original location became Papa-San rice bowl. Papa-San had a fantastic ginger salad dressing, but would never sell it by the bottle. They seemed to do great business, but they closed and were replaced by Tacos Los Altos, which had an excellent steak ranchero and mojarra frita, but they moved to the east side into what I believe was a Dunkin Donuts, and became basically a burrito stand. Several years later, they reopened a west side location at the Hilltop Shops on Woodlands Boulevard, and while the menu has wandered back and forth over the years, it's still one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. Currently the Plaza Way location is Hiro's Sushi, which has excellent miso soup.

After moving to the Woodlands location, Ramona's folded almost immediately, and the place became Cilantro's, which had the best chili rellenos I ever ate. However, Pizza by George took them over, and the food went downhill. That business originated over on Cortland Boulevard, but they had a magic touch of failure, and were amazingly adept at wrecking any location they took over. Today the Woodlands location is a credit union.

Roma Pizza:

Normally I'm not into thick crust pizza, but Roma Pizza had the most awesome, golden, crispy, scrape-the-roof-and-melt-in-your-mouth crust you could hope for. Then NiMarco's took over, which I'd known for years at their original location on South Beaver Street; and I still enjoy their sausage and green chili pizza. They also used to have the best crispy, brown calzones in town, until they dropped them from the menu.

Salsa Brava:

Although their original location is still open, for a while they had a second location at the Green Tree Mini Mall, and like their east side location had one of the best salsa bars. When the Green Tree location closed, one of the cooks opened El Capitán in its place. Their salsa bar was not nearly as good, but they excelled in a different way: on the weekends they offered a good breakfast menu, even though they didn't open until 10 AM. My favorite dish was the relleno pancakes. Since then, they were taken over by Kachina Kitchen, which moved from their original downtown location (which I ate at a few times years ago), and they've also gone away. Now the location is Mexican Restaurant Mi Lindo Veracruz, which I haven't been to yet.

Strombolli's:

Another of Flagstaff's great losses: located in the old-old Pizza Hut building, they had the best lasagna in town. Their braided bread and house salad were also to die for. Then the original owner died, and the place started going downhill, even though for a while they had a Cajun chicken pasta dish that rivaled Gurley Street Grill in Prescott. After they closed, Hickory's BBQ moved in, and they had the best, moist, tender, smoked half-chicken I've ever had. For whatever reason, their menu went downhill and they closed. Then came Stinkin Crawfish, which had the best gumbo in town (I never liked Satchmo's recipe). That place is also gone.

Szechuan:

Szechuan was a very popular restaurant years ago, although I still think Hunan West is better. Since then Hot Wok moved in from their original location in the Fort Valley Shopping Center (see Casa Duarte). Their distinction was a decent squid with black bean sauce, plus a very good oriental grocery. Then they became Tang Taste, which I haven't been to yet.

Tamale Pot:

The Tamale Pot was actually more notable for their excellent stuffed sopapillas. If anything, however, their business model was even worse than Lola J's: it was a tiny stand with a drive-in window, but orders took forever to fill, and once you were trapped in line there was no getting out again. Years later Satchmo's opened there, before moving over to 4th Street: they still have the best ribs and jambalaya in town. Now the location is a dog groomer.

Village Inn:

Their pies weren't quite as good as Coco's, but I did like their breakfast skillets. The location next to University Plaza Shopping Center was torn down and is now Chipotle and Panda Express. There was also a second location on the east end of town, which is now a NiMarco's.

Whisk and Whiskey:

Whisk and Whiskey was another Plated Projects restaurant. Once I had there a flank steak with lime rice and elote, and it was heavenly. Nonetheless, it's probably for the best that it was replaced by another Over Easy, to help ease the strain on the Woodlands location.

September 8, 2024

[Revised March 4, 2025]

The Circular File