When Dino Volpi opened his Purple Penguin Candy Emporium on East 22nd Street earlier this year, he was hoping his independent sweets shop would bring back memories for Tucsonans.
38 restaurants and coffee shops that have opened in Tucson in 2019
Here's a look at restaurants that opened in the Tucson area in 2019
UpdatedReporting by Andi Berlin, Cathalena E. Burch and Gerald Gay.
ATL Wings β 802 N. Fourth Ave.
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A recent dinner at ATL Wings included (from top left) Cajun barbecue boneless wings, deep fried biscuits, lemon pepper wings, ranch dip, ATL style fries and medium hot wings.Β
Ralph and Velveia Bankhead like to think a little heavenly intervention led them to the 1950s-era gas station-turned restaurant on the corner of North Fourth Avenue and East University.
It all started with a business networking meeting at their Phoenix church three years ago. Velveia Bankhead was the keynote speaker, and one of the guests, fellow church member Cianna Kirksey, pitched her and her husband Mikeβs ATL Wings restaurant chain.
Not long afterward, the Bankheads visited the restaurant in west Phoenix β there are eight locations in the Valley β and discovered something Ralph Bankhead called life-changing.
βThese wings do something to you,β he said, sounding like a preacher about to hit that fever pitch of his sermon. βWhen people eat our wings, they love our wings.β
With so many locations in the Phoenix area, the Bankheads, who own the restaurant with Angela and Alphonso Tyson, turned their attention to Tucson and that 2,000-square-foot former filling station at 802 N. Fourth Ave. that had been converted into a restaurant in 2017.
Read moreΒ here.
Baja Mar β 3541 S. 12th Ave.
UpdatedIn 2019, Baja Mar expanded with an additional location on South 12th Avenue.
The seafood restaurant also serves as a market. Plus, kids eat free on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.Β
Barro's Pizza β 410 N. Wilmot Rd.
UpdatedBarro's Pizza opened its second Tucson-area location in January.Β
The first location opened in 2017 in Marana, at 5884 W. Arizona Pavilions Dr. It was the Phoenix chain's first location south of Casa Grande.Β
The chain now has more than 40 locations, most in the greater Phoenix area.
The menu includes classic dishes such as pizza, pasta, salads and subs.Β
Bowld β 13160 E. Colossal Cave Rd.
UpdatedBowld was recently welcomed to the Vail area.Β
The restaurant boasts meal prepping and catering services, in addition to a menu of bowls and "rowls," which are veggies, meat or cheese wrapped in a different kind of meat or tortilla. They're available grilled or breaded and fried.
The menu also includes salads and burgers.
The Boxyard β 238 N. Fourth Ave.
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After more than two years of waiting, The Boxyard, a shipping container food hall on Fourth Avenue, officially opened in January.Β
The bar portion has 15 beers on tap. For food, you can nosh on Sonoran dogs, Vietnamese food and barbecue.
Read moreΒ here.
BZ's Pizza β 7856 E. Wrightstown Rd.
UpdatedThe east side restaurantΒ BZ's PizzaΒ closed in the summer of 2017 after itsΒ shopping center's anchor Safeway pulled out.
But now it's back on the southwest corner of Pantano and Wrightstown. The new spot has 30 draft beers and a menu that includes pasta and seafood entrees like cioppino and lobster ravioli along with the signature thin crust pizzas.Β
Charro del Rey β 178 E. Broadway
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The seafood-centric restaurant Charro del Rey was opened by the Flores family β the same family behind the popular El Charro Cafe.
Charro del Rey sits at 178 E. Broadway, next door to the Flores family's 2-year-old Charro Steak, 188 E. Broadway.
El Charro President Ray Flores told the Star in October 2018 that the restaurant pays homage to his father, Ray Sr. whose name was often misspelled βRey.β
Read moreΒ here.
Charrovida β 7109 N. Oracle Rd.
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El menΓΊ de Charrovida se centra en lo fresco y sustentable, fusionando los patrimonios mediterrΓ‘neo, europeo y sonorense en un menΓΊ que se centra en "alimentos para la longevidad y la sostenibilidad", segΓΊn una descripciΓ³n en el sitio web del restaurante.
The Mediterranean-inspired Charrovida, the newest restaurant from the El Charro family, opened in May.
It is the third new concept that the Flores family has launched in three years.Β Β
Charrovida, 7109 N. Oracle Road, is a Mediterranean-Sonoran fusion restaurant that borrows from plant-based and sustainable-foods philosophies, a passion for Flores family matriarch Carlotta Flores. The emphasis is on healthy, but with an El Charro focus on flavor and innovation.
Read moreΒ here.
Chef Wang β 356 E. Grant Rd.
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Dong-Bei cold noodles, $10.98, at Chef Wang featured wheat noodles in in a sweet pork broth.Β
The menu atΒ Chef WangΒ is so large, it takes a four-ring binder to list everything they serveΒ β including many dishes you may not have seen before.
Chef Wang, or Zhuang Yuan Lou if you speak Mandarin, is essentially a Northeastern Chinese restaurant. The spot is a partnership betweenΒ Baoge Chen and Chef Hongquan Wang, who are from the city of Shenyang in the Dongbei region of China.Β
The restaurant is inside an old Mariscos Chihuahua on Grant Road, and has a suburban vibe that led This Is Tucson's food writer Andi Berlin's lunch partner to call it "The Cheesecake Factory of Chinese food."Β
Read moreΒ here.
Crema Coffee β 3725 W. Ina Rd.
UpdatedCrema Coffee opened in Marana in the beginning of April. In addition to coffee, the shop offers pastries in partnership with Sweetster's Bakery, according toΒ their Facebook page.Β
Desert Dream Ice Creamery β 210 N. Fourth Ave.
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Zech Bergeron of Desert Dream Ice Creamery holds up a cone with (from top) Blue Dream ice cream, strawberry and Grasshopper.
Although Isabella's Ice Cream moved out of their Fourth Avenue location in 2018, ice cream hasn't left the street.Β
Brothers Zech and Noah Bergeron took overΒ Desert Dream Ice Creamery, after closing its former location on Speedway and Campbell Avenue.
Now in Isabella's former location on Fourth, the Bergerons make their own ice cream flavors like Coyote Tracks and Elvis Pretzel with help from the original owner.
Divine Bovine β 1021 N. Wilmot Rd.
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At Divine Bovine, you can substitute a fried chicken breast for any of the burgers on the menu. A natural choice here is the Flying Buffalo, $10.
The former La Salsa building on North Wilmot Road and East Speedway is now home to a local purveyor of high-quality hamburgers.
Ben Rine, who co-owned and operatedΒ BrushFire BBQΒ for ten years, launchedΒ Divine Bovine BurgersΒ in the 2,000-square-foot space in February.
Rine was looking for a new opportunity in the food service industry since selling BrushFire's two locations more than a year ago.
βI took a year off because you only get one life and I wanted to spend time with my kids,β Rine said. βBut weβve all got bills to pay. I didnβt sell 25 BrushFires, and Iβve wanted a burger restaurant for a while.β
Rine said Divine Bovine offers 15 different types of burgers, all made with βridiculously high-end ingredients.β
Each burger patty consists of a blend of βbrisket, chuck and short rib thatβs really, really naughty,β he said.
Read moreΒ here.
Dutch Bros. Coffee β 10105 E. Old Vail Rd., 9330 E. Golf Links Rd., 1971 W. Valencia Rd.
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Dutch Bros. Coffee is hosting a grand opening Tuesday, Oct. 9, for its shop at South Wilmot Road and East Broadway.
Dutch Bros.Β Coffee, the Oregon-born, hip and happening coffee shop with the sugar-sweet nice baristas, expanded its reach in Tucson.
Dutch Bros. introduced itself to Tucson with its first location last October at 120 S. Wilmot Road.
El Antojo Poblano β 1114 W. St. Mary's Rd.
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A cemita is a popular Mexican sandwich from Puebla. Itβs known for having a sesame bun with different fillings like queso Oaxaca, ham and fried milanesa.
El Antojo Poblano refers to the city and state of Pueblo, southeast of Mexico city.
You can find huaraches, cemitas and delicate molote pockets of fried corn masa at El Antojo PoblanoΒ β Tucson's new food truck that parks in a vacant lot at St. Mary's near Interstate 10.Β
Read moreΒ here.Β Β
El Taquito King β 4602 E. 29th St.
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El Taquito King is owned by the same people behind El Sur on 22nd Street.Β
El Taquito King is owned by the masterminds behind the El Sur restaurant on 22nd Street.
The space was formerly El Sur #2, but the owners recently decided to mix things up and create a different menu with tacos, wings, Sonoran dogs and more.
El Torero β 231 E. 26th St.
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El Torero, at 231 E. 26th St. in South Tucson, has reopened with limited hours.
Fried Rice Hut β 1655 S. Alvernon Way
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The tempura choice combo with shrimp fried rice and chicken tempura, $6.99 at Fried Rice Hut.
Fried Rice Hut is an unassuming dinner spot near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
Yuko Takatori's menu is almost entirely made up of fried rice and deep-fried meats, but that doesn't mean the food is greasy. They also have tasty apple and cinnamon hand-pies that look like sugary egg rolls from the outside.
Heemee Coffee and Bakery β 20 E. Congress St.
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This Korean shaved ice, or bingsoo, at Heemee Coffee + Bakery is topped with matcha powder and green tea ice cream, $7.50.
Tucked into a little nook on Congress Street,Β Heemee Coffee and BakeryΒ has a minimalist aesthetic with white clean walls and a pastry case full of whimsical treats. But back in the kitchen, there's a veritable assembly line of people busting butt.
This new downtown cafe makes its own baguettes, cupcakes, sweet buns and Japanese cream puffs from scratch. The pastries are a mix of American and French cafe staples with unique creations from Korea and Japan.Β
Read more here.
Hop Street Lounge β 7215 E. 22nd St.
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Tucson's east side just got another destination for locally produced craft beer and wine.
Hop Street Lounge is located in the Palo Verde Plaza shopping center at 7215 E. 22nd Street, halfway betweenΒ Arizona Beer HouseΒ at South Kolb Road and East Broadway andΒ BlackRock BrewersΒ at East 22nd and South Pantano Road.
The new venture offers up to 35 beers on tap, eight wines, coffee, kombucha and more than 600 bottles in coolers.
Eight television sets show the sporting events of the day, and seating in the space includes couches.
βI want people to be super comfortable,β owner Damion Jenkins said. βIt is going to have a loungy feel.β
Read moreΒ here.
Irene's Holy Donuts β 340 N. 4th Ave.
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Midsize doughnuts range in price from $1.55 to $3.25.
Irene Heiman was selling real estate in her childhood home of Hawaii and she was doing pretty well, making money while making a name for herself.
But she would go to sleep every night with this gnawing feeling that she wasnβt doing what she was meant to do in this world. Around 2014, the mother of three said she heard a voice that told her to open a doughnut shop.
She spent a year of trial and error, experimenting with glazes, yeasts, fillings and doughs, and was told by some folks honest enough to deliver bad news that her doughnuts were pretty awful.
She admits she was discouraged, but her husband wasnβt. He told her that once she had the proper equipment and space, those doughnuts would be just fine. And when they opened Holy Donuts in the mall of their small hometown of Kailua-Kona in 2015, he was proven right. People loved them.
Irene Heiman was confident people in Tucson would feel the same way.
Read moreΒ here.
Just Kabab β 10420 N. La CaΓ±ada Drive
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The beef kubideh, $8.99, at Just Kabab is made up of ground beef balls that are seasoned with onions and spices. We also ordered some hummus and falafel to go with.
The new Oro Valley restaurant brought the art of the Persian kebab to a casual setting, with counter service and an open kitchen where you can see your meat being grilled.
Start with a classic skewer of ground beef kubideh and go from there. They also plan to serve traditional stews such as ghetme and ghorme sabzi.Β
Kukai β 267 S. Avenida del Convento
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You may recognize The Mt. Fuji Don, $13, from Kukai's sister restaurant Samurai on Oracle Road. The rice bowl has spicy tuna, cucumer, avocado, masago and more.Β
Kukai opened quietly in February at the Mercado Annex, making it the second food vendor in the shopping area.Β
And you may recognize the familiar face of Setsuko Mochizuki inside the shipping container kitchen. Her husband Kazuo Senda is the owner ofΒ SamuraiΒ on Oracle Road, which has been Tucson's go-to rice bowl joint for more than 30 years.Β
Kazuo is partnering with his son-in-law Michael McCormack at Kukai, crafting a menu that feels like Samurai meets Instagram. They're making everything from onigiri rice balls and ramen to thoseΒ takoyaki octopus balls you may have lined up for at Tucson Meet Yourself.Β
Read moreΒ here.
The Libertine β 402 E. 9th St.
UpdatedThe Libertine opened in June in the spot that once housed The Coronet.
Ran by the The Coronet's owner, The Libertine is a casual bar with a kitchen serving small plates.Β
The Coronet moved out of the Ninth Street space and reopened in the location that was once home to Cushing Street Bar and Restaurant.
Read more here.Β
Longhorn Grill & Saloon β 28851 S. Nogales Hwy in Amado
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New owners Greg, right, and Amy Hansen pose in front of the iconic cattle skull outside the Longhorn Grill and Saloon, 28851 S. Nogales Highway in Amado, south of Tucson. Many travelers to and from the border visited the roadside attraction for many years.
A long-closed restaurant whose steer skull façade has served as a roadside attraction for generations of travelers heading to and from Mexico recently reopened.
The Longhorn Grill and SaloonΒ opened in late May in Amado.Β
The property's new owners Greg and Amy Hansen, no relation to Star sports columnist Greg Hansen, purchased the Longhorn in 2018 in hopes of turning it into a destination steak house, catering to tourists, Tucsonans and residents from the surrounding communities of Green Valley, Tubac, Rio Rico, Nogales and Arivaca.
The Longhorn serves everything from high-end steaks and fish plates to burgers, sandwiches and salads.
Read moreΒ here.
Maru Japanese Noodle Shop β 1370 N. Silverbell Rd.
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I dressed up my curry udon at Maru Japanese Noodle Shop, $8.50, with ingredients from the toppings bar, like dried seaweed, pickled ginger and more.Β
More Japanese food has graced Tucson's west side.Β
Maru Japanese Noodle Shop is a casual counter-service spot from the people behind Yoshimatsu, just with an emphasis on ramen and udon noodles.
In addition to the familiar beef and curry udons, the restaurant also does a spicy tantan udon, sweet tofu kitsune udon and a cream udon with a sauce similar to fettuccine alfredo.Β
Small snacks, such as takoyaki balls and onigiri, are also offered.
Mendez Bakery β 1219 S. Sixth Ave
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The building that used to house Le Caveβs Bakery has undergone multiple renovations to house the new Mendez Bakery and Tortillas.
Nearly two years after Le Caveβs closed amid a flurry of failed health department inspections, Fernando Mendez opened Mendez Bakery and Tortillas at 1219 S. Sixth Ave.
Mendez said that from the time they set out the βnow openβ sign on June 12, they had customers from the neighborhood trickling in, many of them curious to see how Mendez has cleaned up the place and to catch a glimpse of the display cases filled with empanadas, tortillas and fresh baked rolls.
βWe started from the bottom and cleaned everything,β Mendez said Thursday afternoon, ticking off a laundry list of repairs that included replacing the plumbing and electrical and repairing the flooring in the kitchen that stretched the length of the 100-year-old building.
Read more here.
Mission Coffee Imports β 606 N. Fourth Ave.
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Mission Coffee Imports opened for business on Thursday, serving small-batch roasted artisan coffee by the cup or bag.Β
For the past four years, Brian Jerome Peterson and his partners have peddled their fresh-roasted coffee at area farmers markets.
But those nomad days are behind them.
In late January, Peterson and his partners John Howard and Matthew DeVore openedΒ Mission Coffee ImportsΒ in the small street-front space atΒ 606 N. Fourth Ave.Β that was home for nearly a decade to Revolutionary Grounds Books & Coffee.
Read moreΒ here.
Original Cuisine β 1800 E. Fort Lowell Rd.
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This spicy chicken and crispy pepper dish, $15.99, is the star of the show at both the Mesa restaurant and the Tucson location.Β
The Arizona Republic speculated thatΒ this may be the best Chinese food in the Phoenix area. Lucky for Tucsonans, a location opened up in the Old Pueblo.
The Sichuan menu caters to adventurous eaters who enjoy dishes such as rabbit with pickled pepper and baby ginger.Β
Read more here.
Pescaderia y Taqueria Yami β 1926 S. Fourth Ave.
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We enjoyed these shrimp tacos, $2.99 apiece, at the new Pescaderia y Taqueria Yami on South Fourth Avenue.Β
This casual mariscos spot on South Fourth Avenue serves food from the coastal town of Guaymas, Sonora. This means you'll find shrimp cocktails, ceviche, various tostadas with octopus, crab and more.
Pescaderia y Taqueria YamiΒ also has a small market up at the front where you can purchase seafood to-go.Β
Plaza Eats at Hotel Congress β 311 Congress St.
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Cashier Betsie Dries watches from the Plaza Eats food trailer as hotel employees enjoy a serving of french fries during the soft opening of the new eatery, which will offer many of the same items available at Hotel Congressβ Cup Cafe.
Downtown weekend revelers with late-night hunger pangs have a new dining option, located within the plaza area at Hotel Congress.
The historic hotel, which is celebrating its 100th year in 2019, recently installed a food trailer meant to accommodate evening traffic, including bar hoppers and post-concert crowds, until 2 a.m., Thursdays through Saturdays.
Dubbed Plaza Eats, the trailer offers a mix of favorites from the hotelβs Cup CafΓ© β menu items like the Picacho nachos, lettuce wraps and a plant-based Beyond Burger β and classic international street foods.
Read moreΒ here.Β
Purple Penguin Candy Emporium β 3392 E. 22nd St.
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Dino Volpi is the owner of The Purple Penguin Emporium, located at 3392 E 22nd Street. He opened the candy store earlier this year for the primary goal of making people happy. He poses for a photo on September 5, 2019.
The store specializes in selling the candies, chocolates and craft sodas from your youth, no matter what part of the country you hail from.
Grow up in the Pacific Northwest? Have an Idaho Spud with all of its cocoa-marshmallow, soft chew goodness.
Midwest residents can pick up a Cherry Mash, a chocolate shell with cherry-flavored filling, still made in the small Missouri town where it was created in 1918.
If youβre a transplant from Pennsylvania, a few bottles of Pennsylvania Dutch Birch Beer might satisfy your thirst for home.
The store works with 16 suppliers across the country for inventory.
Read more here.
Rush Bowls β 1058 N. Campbell Ave.
UpdatedRush Bowls, a Colorado-based smoothie shop, opened in the former Desert Dream Ice Cream on Speedway and Campbell Avenue.Β
Rush BowlsΒ offers a range of frozen yogurt, granola and acaΓ bowls and even has something for your dog, according to the website.Β
Sentinel Peak East β 9155 E. Tanque Verde Rd.
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Waitress Sean Harley, left, pours a beer for a customer at Sentinel Peak Brewing Company, 4746 E. Grant Road. A letter writer is opposed to a government plan to possibly rescind an Obama-era ban on tip pooling.
Sentinel Peak Brewing Company headed east with a second location.
The midtown craft brewer took over theΒ Stillhouse Grill and BarΒ which was rebranded Sentinel Peak East, said Jeremy Hilderbrand, who co-owns the 5-year-old craft brewery with two fellow firefighters.Β
The Stillhouse menu will eventually be incorporated intoΒ Sentinel Peak's menu of barbecue and smoked meats and burgers, but to what extent will be determined after Hilderbrand's staff has had a chance to settle in and chat with customers.Β
Read moreΒ here.Β
Sweetscape Desserts at Casino del Sol β 5655 W. Valencia Rd.
UpdatedWhen walking near the bingo hall at Casino del Sol, you'll come across the eclectic menu at Sweetscape Desserts.
The dessert shop was created by Chef Ryan Clark and his culinary team. The menu includes gelato, shakes, floats, sundaes, breakfast sandwiches and more.Β
But you'll probably be drawn in by the colorful donuts from pastry chef Gina Skelton. Her whimsical flavors include fluffernutter, fruit cereal and maple bacon.
Tortillas by Che West β 2105 S. Sixth Ave.
UpdatedYou may have seen Jose Zavala's colorful corn tortillas atΒ American Eat Co., but now the local chef is opening his own storefront.Β
Tortillas by Che WestΒ has a variety of non-GMO handmade corn tortillas in creative flavors like garlic green onion, Hot Cheetos, El Pato and more.
He's also selling a variety of flour tortillas and pan dulce from La Estrella Bakery.
Trident Grill IV β 2912 W. Ina Rd.
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Trident Grill IV, 2912 W. Ina Road, is down the street from Pima Community Collegeβs northwest campus. It opens July 4.
After months of construction and remodeling including installing a βgarageβ door, Trident Grill IV officially opened on July 4.
It is the fourth installment of the Trident concept from the trio of Nelson Miller, Danny Gallego and Jason Machamer. And itβs the trioβs second restaurant opening since December, when they launched Trident Pizza Pub in the old Grimaldiβs Pizzeria at 446 N. Campbell Ave.
The owners for several months had been renovating the 4,065-square-foot space at 2912 W. Ina Road that was home to CiCiβs Pizza, which closed in spring 2014.
Read more here.
Tumerico β 402 E. 4th St.
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Owner/chef Wendy Garcia sprinkles cilantro to complete a plate of butternut squash tamales in the kitchen at Tumerico, 2526 E. Sixth St. Garcia, a yoga enthusiast, opened the restaurant in November.
Wendy Garcia has been a tireless ambassador for vegetarian Mexican food at her popular midtown restaurant Tumerico.
In June, she opened her second outpost of Tumerico along bustling North Fourth Avenue.
The location at 402 E. Fourth St., on the corner of North Fourth Avenue, offers a scaled back menu of grab-and-go meals and snacks to complement a full beverage menu of lattes, juices and teas. On weekends, she offers a limited made-to-order menu mirroring whatβs offered at the original location, 2526 E. Sixth St.
Read more here.
Wings on Fire β 9040 E. Valencia Rd.
UpdatedWings on Fire opened in the Rita Ranch area earlier this year. The wing restaurant serves a variety of flavored wings including lemon pepper, honey mustard and spicy barbecue.Β
Also on the menu: salads, sandwiches and hot dogs.
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
Gerald M. Gay
Reporter
