Although the Garage on 4th closed less than three months ago, it has already reopened under new ownership.
“We’ve always wanted to open a bar and restaurant,” said Josh Hodo, operating partner of Garage. “This just kind of fell into our lap at the perfect moment for us to do it.”
Hodo previously worked at Nimbus American Bistro, Gentle Ben’s, and Barrio Brewing Co. — Hodo and his fiance Samantha Wagner, a manager at Garage, are also both University of Arizona alumni.
“We love the location,” Hodo said. “For both of us being alumni, it just made sense. We have a good network in Tucson.”
While the Garage’s 1,800-square-foot building looks the same from the outside, the interior has undergone major changes. The main dining room now features a full bar, three televisions, new high top tables, and steel ceiling lamps.
The bar features 13 beer taps and three house sangria taps. Four of the beers are “Tucson local,” four are “Arizona local,” and four are non-Arizona craft. The three sangria varieties include Blackberry, Cinnamon, and Peach & Green Apple. The full bar also features spirits from Hamilton Distillers and Three Wells Distilling Company.
Although the menu items are similar with burgers, sandwiches, and tacos, it was created entirely from scratch — aside from the building, there is no affiliation between this incarnation of the Garage and the previous tenant.
“We like to have a southwest twist on American bar and restaurant,” Hodo said. “We also have some Asian influence on some of our food. We wanted to bring a newer concept that was a little more modern.”
The southwest inspiration is subtle — for example, the dressing in the Sonoran Chicken Caesar Salad utilizes their carne asada marinade in the dressing.
Asian inspiration is reflected in two items: the Bomb Mi, their take on a Vietnamese banh mi, and Asian Chicken Salad. The house-pickled veggies for the Bomb Mi are a nice touch.
Inspiration from Hodo’s time with Barrio Brewing Co. is more apparent, however — several Barrio beers are on tap, nothing on the menu is over $10, and portions are generous.
While Hodo tried to keep the menu as small as possible, the team is happy to accommodate dietary restrictions. Their “secret menu” features vegan tacos filled with beer-battered fries and sauteed vegetables.
Garage on 4th Menu Highlights
- Buffalo Mac & Cheese Balls ($6)
- Sonoran Chicken Caesar ($9) – romaine, grilled chicken breast, Sonoran Caesar dressing
- Bomb Mi ($9) – slow-roasted pork, pickled carrot, jalapeño, cucumber, daikon radish, cilantro, hoagie roll
- Beer-Battered Fish Tacos (two for $9.25 with a side of Sonoran-style Charro Beans) – lightly battered cod, habanero cream, cabbage, diced tomatoes, flour tortilla
- Grand Prix ($9) – grapefruit vodka, Rae’s Ruby Red IPA
- Blackberry Sangria ($6)
Operating hours are 3 – 10 p.m. Monday – Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Thursday – Sunday with happy hour from 3 – 6 p.m. daily.
Garage on 4th is located at 802 N. 4th Ave. For more information, call (520) 396-3062. Keep up with Garage on 4th on Facebook.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
