What Restaurants In The Eastmark Area Do Residents Love?
Eastmark is a large-scale community located in the East Valley of Phoenix, near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and just east of the Santan 202 freeway in Mesa. It is a community that prides itself on strong connections and strives to be a special place where neighbors not only know each other but are connected personally. Living in Eastmark is meant to be “the mark of something special”.
When the residents of Eastmark get hungry, they’re also in search of something special, and it’s not hard to find great restaurants near this East Valley community.
Handlebar Diner
One of the best restaurant options locally for Eastmark residents is the Handlebar Diner. Located smack-dab in the middle of the Eastmark community on Ray Road and Inspirian Parkway, this chef-run farm-to-table diner opened in April 2017. The restaurant is a refurbished Valentine Diner from the 1940’s, featuring candy cane-colored diner vibes. The inside of the restaurant includes a 10-seat indoor dining counter and the outdoor space includes expansive patio seating and an extended garden area.
This casual diner might remind you of old-fashioned Americana, but their menu is far from traditional. Chef Adam Allison cooks up delicious diner eats, including tasty breakfast classics like a double stack of pancakes to an inventive potato hash. Lunch and dinner have endless options as well, featuring loaded tater tots, mac and cheese, and award-winning burgers. The menu also includes chicken wings, nachos, fish tacos, salads, as well as a vast kid’s menu. Happy hour is served Monday through Thursday from 4pm to 6pm.
The expansive menu and functional outdoor seating space make this a great place for Eastmark residents with families and pets to spend an evening dining while the kids have space to roam. In addition to serving local families, Handlebar Diner has started an initiative to donate meals within the community. The restaurant is currently hosting the opportunity to donate a meal to healthcare workers going above and beyond for our health and safety, as well as to school children who rely on the school system for lunches. You can make a donation on their website at: https://www.handlebardiner.com/donate-kids-lunch.
Parrish’s
Two miles east of Eastmark is another dining option called Parrish’s. This is a family owned and operated restaurant and bar located in the nearby Bella Via neighborhood. It features fresh, homemade food including sandwiches, salads, soups, seafood, and bar snacks. They also host a daily happy hour from 3pm to 7pm.
Parrish’s indoor seating includes both booths and table seating, as well as bar seating, and features a handful of TVs for watching the game. They also have a lovely outdoor dining patio space, which could provide an excellent opportunity to catch a breathtaking Arizona sunset.
Caldwell County BBQ
If residents of the Eastmark community have a taste for some BBQ, they should head to Caldwell County BBQ, which is situated about 5 miles west of the community in Gilbert. This Texas-style BBQ joint is described by owner Clay Caldwell as “if Texas and Arizona had a baby”. Their meat is 100% wood-smoked, fueled with a mixture of mesquite and pecan woods, in a “low and slow” cooking style that creates the desired juicy tenderness and natural smoke flavor.
This charming, farmhouse-style restaurant has a large dining room and a backyard full of picnic tables. The owners are very hands on and wanted the location to feel like attending a family friend’s backyard BBQ.
They offer Texas meat-style barbecue with nods to Arizona features, such as citrus and green chile zips. The menu contains slow cooked beef brisket, fall-off-the-bone St. Louis ribs, and tender pulled pork. They also make their own sauces in-house, which include a House sauce with molasses and cane sugar, an Amber Mustard sauce, and a Hot n Sweet sauce. The menu also includes unique sides, such as Aunt Susan’s Corn Casserole and Lemon Poppyseed Cole Slaw. Caldwell County sells their unique brand of BBQ daily from 11am-9pm or until sold out (which does happen, so don’t delay!)
The next time you find yourself hungry in the Eastmark community, don’t hesitate to check out one of these amazing community-run restaurants!