New Restaurant Partners Starting September 15, 2026

Arizona Sandwich Co

AZ (5 locations)

Started by a husband-and-wife team in Tempe in 1998 — the tagline is ‘It’s Worth the Weight.’ Five Arizona locations now, three in the Phoenix metro and two in Tucson, with a South Tucson spot opening fall 2026. The #5 Italian Bomber is $10. The #24 Phoenix — roast beef, turkey, bacon, avocado — is $12 and the one regulars swear by. Sandwiches come on shorty rolls with provolone and a house oil-and-vinegar dressing. They also run Pearl’s Coffee Co. and Krispy Krunchy Chicken out of the Tempe University location. Open as early as 6 a.m., closed Sundays.

Barrel And Fork

Cornelius, NC

Prohibition-era bourbon bar and steakhouse built inside a 120-year-old brick building in Cornelius, north of Charlotte on Lake Norman. The cocktail menu is named after classic rock songs — the B&F Old Fashioned ($18) uses Averna and Luxardo, and Don’t Dream It’s Over ($20) is their espresso martini. Pig Candy is $16: crisp pork belly, chow chow, bourbon glaze. Scallops are $56, Filet Mignon $68 for 8 ounces. Dinner only, Tuesday through Sunday. Reservations through Resy.

Beckett’s Burger Bar

Bowling Green, OH

George and Amy Strata bought this downtown Bowling Green bar in 2007. George’s parents joined five years later — three generations run the place now. Every burger starts with a half-pound of hand-pattied ground chuck on a brioche bun, $14.99 single, $19.49 double. The KJ Banana was named for a Savannah Bananas player from BG — avocado, bacon, fried egg. The Pickle Lover comes with house pickle dip and fried Tony Packo’s pickles. Downstairs, The Barrel Room stocks 100-plus bourbons. Wednesday half-rack ribs go for $9.99.

Boondocks Bar and Grill

Shepherdsville, KY

Down a winding back road in Bullitt County, about 26 minutes south of Louisville, sitting on a private 15-acre lake. Brandy runs the kitchen — she hand-breads the tenderloins and catfish and makes everything from scratch. The Tank Burger is enormous. Reviewers keep calling the Fried Green Tomatoes the best they’ve ever had. Kentucky bourbon selection is solid: Buffalo Trace $7, Blanton’s $9, Eagle Rare $9. PBR cans are $2.75. Pool tables, live music, karaoke, and a sloth theme on the decor that you have to see for yourself.

Caldwell County BBQ

AZ (3 locations)

Clay Caldwell used to raise pigs. Then he ate brisket at Franklin BBQ in Austin and went back to Texas seven times touring the state’s best pits. Now he and his wife Susan run three Arizona locations — Gilbert, Queen Creek, and Peoria — smoking everything with mesquite and pecan, no gas, no propane. The brisket goes 20 hours. Simple rub: salt, pepper, garlic. El General Patton sandwich ($19) is the fan favorite — a third of a pound of brisket, pork, and jalapeño cheddar sausage on a Hawaiian bun. Sides are named after family members. Aunt Susan’s Corn Casserole is the one everyone orders.

Chapman & Kirby

Houston, TX

Named after the middle names of Houston’s actual founders — Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen founded the city in 1836. Four partners opened this EaDo spot in 2017: Hoang ‘Juan’ Cao, Mazen Baltagi, Bien Tran, and Tim Soufan, who spent years as the corporate exec chef for Pappas Restaurants. They call it a ‘Gastro Lounge’ — a bar with unusually good food. The patio is 12,000 square feet. Sunday brunch has a live band and $25 bottles of champagne for mimosas. Happy hour is all day Wednesday, and the Thai BBQ Pork Ribs ($18) are worth ordering twice.

Coco’s Bakery Restaurant

CA (2 locations)

Started in 1948 as ‘The Snack Shop’ in Corona del Mar. Down to just two California locations now — Redlands and Mission Hills — after decades of ownership changes. The pies are still the reason to go. Banana Cream is the signature, scratch-made and ridiculously tall. Slices run about $7, whole pies $23 to $29. The Pie Shake blends a whole slice with vanilla ice cream. The Lumberjack Breakfast is $24.75: brioche French toast, bacon, ham, sausage, and eggs. Open as early as 6 a.m.

Curry Up Now

Smyrna, TN

Akash and Rana Kapoor started with one food truck in Burlingame, California in 2009 — a friend told Akash to ‘do for Indian food what Roy Choi did for Korean.’ Eleven-plus locations now. The Tikka Masala Burrito ($12) is the number-one seller. Sexy Fries are ‘poutine but hella Indian.’ All meat is halal except wings and tenders. The Smyrna spot has its own bar, Mortar & Pestle, pouring the Bangalore Old Fashioned ($13) with bonded bourbon and masala bitters. Featured on Netflix, Bon Appetit, and the Michelin Guide.

Einstein Bros. Bagels

Nationwide (7 locations)

Twenty-plus bagel varieties baked fresh before sunrise — classics, signatures like Asiago Cheese, and gourmet hole-less options like Cheesy Hash Brown and Six-Cheese. The Farmhouse egg sandwich is the top seller. Shmear is their word for double-whipped cream cheese; the Jalapeño Salsa version is the one to try. The $8 Breakfast & Brew combo pairs any sandwich with coffee. Baker’s Dozen boxes for the office. Rewards members get a free bagel and shmear on their first purchase.

Firehouse Subs

WI

Brothers Robin and Chris Sorensen — both former firefighters — founded this in Jacksonville in 1994 with less than $100 in their checking account. Over 1,250 locations now. The Hook & Ladder is the flagship: smoked turkey, Virginia honey ham, Monterey Jack, on their private-recipe toasted sub roll. Every location has a hot sauce bar for customizing your heat level. Their Public Safety Foundation has donated over $80 million to first-responder organizations since 2005. Expanding across Wisconsin with plans for a dozen-plus locations in the southeast part of the state.

Lucy’s New York Style Pizzeria

ID (6 locations)

Three friends — Brian, Tim, and Geoff — traveled to famous pizzerias in New York, Boston, and Connecticut, figured out the secret was 600-degree stone ovens, and opened their first shop in Idaho in 2009. Six southern Idaho locations now. The Zestpian ($34 for 18 inches) is the fan favorite — smokey ranch, pepperoni, ham, chicken, bacon, pineapple, jalapenos. Fried Mutz is their name for mozzarella sticks. Cannoli are $1.50. Monday through Wednesday, slices drop to half off between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Market On Main

Columbia, SC

Owner Josh Willoughby and Chef Howard Stephens opened this on Columbia’s Main Street in December 2019. Howard has 30-plus years in kitchens and won SC Chef of the Year in 2023 — he came back to cooking after beating oral cancer in 2022. The lobster roll has locals swearing it’s the best they’ve had. The outdoor biergarten has a stage, TVs, and heated ‘bubble’ pods for winter that look like life-sized snow globes. They also run Market Party Express, a historic rail car near Williams-Brice Stadium for Gamecock tailgates.

Market On Morehead

Charlotte, NC

Same team as Market On Main — Josh Willoughby and Chef Howard Stephens — but this one opened May 2026 in Charlotte’s South End, steps from the Carson Station rail stop. $6 million buildout. 10,000 square feet. 350-plus seats. The 25-foot LED Jumbotron is the largest in South End. The M.O.M. Burger ($22) is two Brasstown Beef patties with American cheese and Russian dressing. Lobster roll is $39 — Maine lobster, butter, lemon, brioche. Everything fried in 100% beef tallow.

Palenque Grill

TX (7 locations)

Don Pancho Ochoa founded El Pollo Loco in Sinaloa in 1975 — Brad Pitt’s first Hollywood job was handing out flyers for it in a chicken costume. Don Pancho’s son Charles opened the first Palenque Grill in Laredo in 2005. Seven Texas locations now. The food is North Pacific Mexican: Sinaloa, Sonora, Baja. The Parrillada is a USDA Prime combo platter — $80 for two, $160 for four. Camarones Laredo are jumbo shrimp stuffed with cheese and jalapeños, wrapped in bacon, $31. Live mariachi and piano most evenings.

Palermo’s Pizzeria & Family Restaurant

Parsippany, NJ

NJ-style pizza joint in the Morris Hills Shopping Center on Route 46. A 16-inch cheese pie is $15.95. The real draw is the Fat Sandwich menu — eight named varieties, all $13.50, all absurd. The Fat G manages to fit a Philly steak, gyro meat, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, fries, and tzatziki into one sub. Italian Hot Dogs ($9.95) are a genuine NJ specialty: two all-beef dogs with peppers, onions, and potatoes. Cannoli are made to order, $3.25. Zeppoles, 10 for $5.

Parilya

Olmsted Falls, OH

Northeast Ohio’s first Filipino food truck, launched in 2019. Now a brick-and-mortar bakery and cafe in Olmsted Falls — Cleveland’s first Filipino bakery. The Pork Sisig won #1 Best Dish at the 2025 Cleveland Asian Festival. The Chicken BBQ took it in 2026. Ube Cheesecake Cookies are four inches across with a purple yam cheesecake center, $5. Halo-Halo — shaved ice, ube, leche flan, ice cream — is $10. The food truck still books weddings and festivals. Family recipes, all of it.

Pizanos Pizza

Reno, NV

Downtown Reno since 2013, on North Sierra Street. ‘Small Batch. Big Flavor.’ The dough rests 24 hours minimum, gets proofed twice, then hand-stretched to order. Whole milk mozzarella only. Sauce is proprietary, made fresh daily. The Tahoe — garlic pesto, spinach, chicken, bell pepper, feta, tomato, basil — runs $17.50 for a 10-inch, $33 for an 18-inch. Baked pasta is served inside an edible pizza-crust bowl, $8. Validated parking across the street. Open until midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

Ria’s Restaurant

Waterbury, CT

Maria Gagliardi’s father Raffaele was a chef in Italy before immigrating in 1970. Maria opened her first restaurant in New Haven in 1994, sold it in 2016, then started Ria’s in Waterbury. The ‘apizza’ in the name signals New Haven pizza tradition. All specialty pizzas are $15. Ria’s Meatballs ($18) come in marinara with mozzarella and a ricotta dollop. Garlic Gnoccho Fritto — fried dough strips — is $15 and the thing people can’t stop ordering. Take-home pizza kits: $16.50 for dough, mozzarella, and a pint of sauce.

Shari’s Cafe and Pies

CA/ID/WA (8 locations)

The Pacific Northwest’s largest family-style restaurant brand, going since 1978. Eight locations across California, Idaho, and Washington. Pies are baked on-site at every location — Marionberry Cheese, Banana Cream, Chocolate Cream Supreme, Dutch Apple. The Turkey Bacon Club on parmesan-crusted sourdough with hand-carved turkey and Applewood-smoked bacon is the house favorite. Tillamook cheddar on the burritos. Open seven days a week, some locations until 2 a.m. on weekends.

Sidelines Sports Bar And Grill

Brunswick, OH

Regulars call it ‘the Cheers of Brunswick.’ Big rectangular bar, four corners, wall-to-wall HD TVs. The wings have been in the running for best in Cleveland per the Plain Dealer — half dozen for $3.49, dozen for $5.99, 13 sauce options. Fish fry nights move 300 pounds of fish. The Lake Erie Monster is a half-pound battered Pollock fillet on a hoagie bun. Thursday burger special is $6. Homemade chicken and dumpling soup, $1.99 a cup.

South Block

Northeast (26 locations)

Amir Mostafavi’s parents owned video stores in Northern Virginia. He opened his first juice bar at GWU in 2006, rebranded to South Block in 2011. Twenty-six-plus locations across Virginia, DC, Maryland, and now North Carolina. Organic acai from a small fair-trade farm in the Amazon. The Warrior Bowl — organic acai, bananas, strawberries, organic granola — is the go-to. They’ve donated over 106,000 pounds of produce through their Fruitful Planet charity. Catering handles groups up to 1,000, including build-your-own acai bars.

Steel Grill

Gering, NE (2 locations)

Restaurant and bar in Gering, Nebraska, right next to Scottsbluff in the western part of the state. The prime rib is the signature — hand-cut steaks, full bar. Steak nachos are a popular starter. Fish and chips, burgers, chicken alfredo, and a kids menu round it out. Expect around $20 to $30 a person. Open Monday through Saturday starting at 4 p.m.

Tande Craft Kitchen & Cocktails

The Colony, TX

‘Tande’ — pronounced ‘taan-dee’ — comes from a Thai blessing: eat well, live well. Founder Paul Imjard grew up in Thailand, spent 15 years in investment management, went back to Bangkok for a year and a half to study food trends, then finished Le Cordon Bleu. The result is elevated Thai-inspired cooking with USDA Prime steaks at The Colony’s Grandscape development. The Handcut 12-oz Prime Ribeye is $45. Panang Beef Short Rib is $49 on weekends. Prawn Pad Thai runs $28. Complimentary valet parking.

Underdogs Too

San Francisco, CA

Owner Doug Marschke lives in the Sunset and opened this at 3600 Taraval, walking distance from Ocean Beach, in November 2018. Snake River American Wagyu for the carne asada. Snake River Berkshire Pork for carnitas and al pastor. Mary’s Free Range for the chicken. Housemade chorizo. Nick’s Way tacos wrap a crispy tortilla inside a soft one with Monterey Jack, beans, pico, and guac. Taco Tuesday: $3 street tacos. Weekend breakfast starts at 9 a.m.

Underdogs Tres

San Francisco, CA

Same owner, same concept, different neighborhood. Doug Marschke’s second spot at 1224 9th Avenue in the Inner Sunset, near Golden Gate Park. Same Snake River Wagyu carne asada and housemade chorizo. Wing Wednesdays drop to $1 a wing from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Bottomless Mimosas are $25 for 90 minutes on weekends starting at 9 a.m. Back patio with picnic benches. They even have an UnderDog Menu — actual dog-safe treats for your four-legged dining companion.

West Coast Sourdough

CA (50+ locations)

‘San Francisco Born & Bread.’ Fifty-plus locations across California, Nevada, Indiana, Tennessee, and Texas, including two inside Sacramento International Airport. The sourdough comes from a mother dough starter dating to 1995, baked in San Francisco — just flour, water, salt — then served in continuous fresh batches throughout the day. Twenty sandwich varieties: French Dip with au jus and Swiss, BBQ Brisket with jalapeño ranch coleslaw, Chicken Salad with dried cranberries and almonds. Clam Chowder and Tomato Bisque daily.

Zoe Coffee And Kitchen

Pullman, WA

Family-owned coffeehouse and restaurant across from Washington State University in Pullman. Breakfast all day, every day. The Crab Benny tops out at $24.99. Chicken & Waffles come with candied peppered bacon and sweet spicy syrup, $21.99. Steak & Eggs pair a charbroiled 8-oz steak with two eggs for $24.99. They’ve also got a BBQ menu called ‘Zoe Smoke n’ Fire,’ cocktails, and a drive-thru. Tillamook cheddar and Applewood-smoked bacon on anything that calls for cheese and bacon.