There’s plenty of history in the building near the corner of Oracle Road and Orange Grove Road. The restaurant was originally a Swensen’s and opened up back in 1977 and years later, it became Sullivan’s Eatery & Creamery before closing in June 2022. Both of these concepts came equipped with comfort food, ice cream, and a model train truckin’ around near the ceiling.
For nearly half a century, the space catered to multiple generations of hungry folks. Now, the new restaurant Redbird Scratch Kitchen + Bar is aiming to open up at 6444 N. Oracle Rd. this fall, and the team behind the scenes is looking forward to making new memories.
“Our mission is to close the gap between your neighborhood bar and your full-service upscale restaurant, offering everyone’s bar food favorites and a craft cocktail list made from scratch with a quality mindset,” said Sergio Pinon, General Manager of Redbird. “We’re also providing a friendly environment to bring the community together and experience warm hospitality.”
A full-on remodel is in progress right now and Pinon and the team, which have more than 60 years combined of restaurant experience, are aiming to open the restaurant sometime in November.
So, what’s going to be on the menu?
Well, the family-friendly restaurant will serve “approachable classics with a focus on executing them with high-quality ingredients.” Some of the dishes include Green Chile Bacon Waffle Fries, Quesabirria, and a trio of salads.
“Between the bun” they’ll have a classic burger, a Sonoran Burger with roasted chiles, a mushroom burger, a black bean veggie burger, burgers with plenty of bacon stacked on ’em, a Crispy Nashville-Arizona Chicken sandwich, and then something called Die in Your Sleep 3×3 Burger (there are three burger patties on this one layered with bacon, cheese, green chile, onions, Redbird sauce, and a triple cheese sauce.
Redbird will also serve hot wings. They’ll serve Classic Wings that come in at least 10 different flavors but then a group of Loaded Wings with flavors like Buffalo, Honey Soy Ginger, Caribbean Jerk, Elote, and Pastor. The options on the Loaded Wings menu are just as they sound — they’re loaded, bro.
For example, the Elote wings are topped with roasted street corn, roasted chile, candied peppers, cilantro-lime crema, Tajín, and Fresno chile.
Redbird is also partnering up with local and regional purveyors like Mendez Bakery & Tortillas, Maya Tea Company, Presta Coffee Roasters, and Frites Street from Willcox, Arizona (this is where their waffle fries come from).
You can check out the full menu online.
Wet Your Whistle
To pair with all of that food is a full bar menu with draft beer, wine, and signature cocktails like the Redbird Old Fashioned, Espresso Martini, and the Filthy Bird — a concoction made of Tito’s Vodka, dry vermouth, and house-stuffed olives. There’s also a cocktail named the MPS. It’s not named after me (Matthew Paul Sterner) but instead made with mezcal, pisco, lemon juice, and flavored foam.
Oh, and they’ll be making mocktails, too, like a Kiwi Strawberry Limeade, Pineapple Cucumber Agua Fresca, and a Dry County Mule.
In other words, there’s a good amount of options in the beverage department and the full drink menu is available online as well.
Family-Friendly Fun
They’re not labeling Redbird as a sports bar but there will be enough televisions at the bar to catch a game. Plus, they’re working on a new patio area for additional seating.
Stay tuned for the hours of operation and an exact grand opening date but expect it to be sometime this November. They’re also hiring for all positions.
Redbird Scratch Kitchen + Bar is located at 6444 N. Oracle Rd. For more information, visit redbirdrestaurants.com and follow Redbird on Instagram and Facebook.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
