Living Arizona

If you’re looking for a special night out in Gilbert, check out Origen on Recker Road. It’s a modern Mexican steakhouse serving mesquite-fired steaks, seafood, and Yucatán-inspired flavors. Origen also has a location in Mérida, Mexico, with Downtown Phoenix coming soon.
📍 2472 S. Recker Road, Suite 101, Gilbert, AZ 85295

The Smoke Show — Gilbert
Country music, BBQ, wh***ey, and a whole lot of fun are coming to Gilbert! The Smoke Show is Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Gilbert Regional Park, 3005 E. Queen Creek Road. The lineup includes Treaty Oak Revival, 49 Wi******er, Corey Kent, Gannon Fremin & CCREV, and Eddie and the Getaway. There’ll also be 30+ BBQ vendors, a wh***ey tasting area, line dancing, co****le, mechanical bull riding, and more. It’s an all-ages event; food, drinks, and merchandise are sold separately.

Copper Country Music Fest — Casa Grande
Get ready for a full weekend of country music in Casa Grande! The second annual Copper Country Music Fest runs October 16–18, 2026, with the main festival day on Saturday, October 17, at the Casa Grande Rodeo Grounds, 400 W. Rodeo Road. Featured artists include Randy Rogers Band, Tyler Nance, Noeline Hofmann, Kruse Brothers, Taylor Hunnicutt, Lacey Rashea, and more. The weekend also includes camping, a Friday night camp session, food vendors, a market, and a Sunday brunch after-party. The festival is hosted by Pinal 40, which raises money for local youth, education, and agriculture programs.

Hondo Rodeo Fest — Phoenix
The Hondo Rodeo Fest returns to Chase Field in Phoenix, November 13–15, 2026. Each night pairs rodeo competition with live country music: Friday features Tim McGraw and Miranda Lambert; Saturday has Blake Shelton and Turnpike Troubadours; and Sunday features Parker McCollum and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The ticketed rodeo and concert are part of the same evening experience. There’s also a free Hondo Street Fest outside Chase Field each day, with vendors, live music, shopping, and family-friendly activities

If you’re in San Diego and have a sweet tooth, check out Nibble Chocolate! It’s a small, family-owned local business making small-batch chocolate right in San Diego. You can stop in for chocolate bars, truffles, rich drinking chocolate, or coffee—and they also take online orders if you want to enjoy their treats at home. 🍫☕
They have two locations:
📍 Pacific Beach: 2830 Garnet Ave., Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92109
📍 Old Town: Fiesta de Reyes, 2754 Calhoun St., San Diego, CA 92110

If you’re in La Jolla or visiting the San Diego area, stop by Blue Whale La Jolla for a relaxed coastal meal! They serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, and coffee with locally sourced ingredients. It’s a lovely spot to grab a bite while you’re out exploring La Jolla. 🐋☕🌊
📍 834 Kline St., La Jolla, CA 92037
🕗 Open daily, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Did you know The Original Pancake House has been around since 1953? It was founded in Portland, Oregon, by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke, and today the family-run brand has more than 150 locations.
The Chandler location has its own family story, too. It’s owned by brother-and-sister team Blake and Megan, who grew up working in their family’s restaurants and previously operated an Original Pancake House in Norco, California.
Now they’re bringing that breakfast tradition to the East Valley, with favorites like pancakes, omelets, and the famous Dutch Baby. You’ll find them at 4010 South Arizona Avenue in Chandler. Who’s ready for pancakes? 🥞✨
The Chandler owners and their background are from the post you shared; the founding history and location count come from the restaurant’s website.

The Original Pancake House
4010 S. Arizona Avenue,
Suite 4
Chandler, AZ 85248


Scottsdale location at 6840 E. Camelback Road. It’s a separate, independently operated franchise, owned by Ron Horton, known locally as “the Pancake Man.” He opened it in 1988

Three locally loved Arizona coffee shops to add to your list! ☕️🌵
☕ 10:19 Coffee in Chandler
A family-built mobile café serving lattes, cold brew, matcha, and other handcrafted drinks. They now have a permanent spot on Arizona Avenue!
📍 777 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, AZ 85225
☕ Cafecito in Yuma
This family-owned Downtown Yuma coffee shop is “Loyal to the Soil,” serving craft coffee, house-steeped cold brew, small bites, and locally roasted Spirit Mountain beans.
📍 176 S. Main Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
☕ Matador Coffee Roasting Company in Flagstaff
A Flagstaff favorite since 2005, serving freshly roasted coffee, espresso, tea, breakfast items, and more at two locations!
📍 West Side: 203 S. Milton Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
📍 East Side: 7133 N. Highway 89, Flagstaff, AZ 86004

Did you know there’s a brewery right next to Mesa Gateway Airport where you can enjoy great food, drink a locally brewed Arizona b**r, and watch the planes take off and land? ✈️🍺

Barrio Brewing Company’s story began in Tucson in 1991, when Arizona natives Dennis and Tauna Arnold opened Tucson’s first full-mash brewery. It originally operated as Gentle Ben’s Brewing Company near the University of Arizona before eventually growing into Barrio Brewing Company.

More than three decades later, Barrio is Arizona’s longest-operating brewery and the state’s first 100% employee-owned brewery. Their b**rs are now available throughout Arizona!

The Mesa location sits right beside the airport, but you don’t need a plane ticket to visit. They serve burgers, wings, nachos, sandwiches, tacos, salads, and plenty of Barrio’s signature b**rs. With great food, local brews, and a front-row view of the runway, it’s such a fun and unique East Valley spot!

📍 5803 S. Sossaman Road, Mesa, AZ 85212

📍 Phoenix Deer Valley Airport
702 W. Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, AZ 85027

📍 Original Tucson Brewery & Taproom
800 E. 16th Street, Tucson, AZ 85719

Did you know Dave’s Hot Chicken started in 2017 with just $900, a portable fryer, and a couple of folding tables in an East Hollywood parking lot? 🔥🐔

What began as a small late-night pop-up created by childhood friends quickly became a worldwide success. Thanks to Instagram, word of mouth, and people lining up around the block, Dave’s has grown to locations throughout the United States, Canada, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and Ireland! 🌎

Dave’s brought the heat to Arizona in October 2022, opening its first Arizona location right here in Gilbert. Since then, it has continued expanding throughout the state.

📍 Arizona locations:

• 1567 N. Cooper Road, Gilbert, AZ 85233
• 2566 S. Market Street, Gilbert, AZ 85295
• 2760 W. Chandler Boulevard, Chandler, AZ 85224
• 475 E. Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85022
• 15237 N. 87th Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
• 7616 S. 56th Avenue, Laveen, AZ 85339
• 14980 W. McDowell Road, Goodyear, AZ 85395
• 16329 W. Cactus Road, Surprise, AZ 85388
• 5615 E. Broadway Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85711
• 3915 W. Costco Drive, Marana, AZ 85741
• 1525 S. Yuma Palms Parkway, Yuma, AZ 85365

What spice level can you handle?

Did you know you can grab a freshly made pizza or slice at Whole Foods? 🍕 You can pick up a slice for a quick lunch or take home an entire pizza for the family. Grocery shopping and pizza in the same trip? Yes, please! 🙌

Bring it on