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Take a Utah food tour without leaving Mesa

Get your dirty sodas and the perfect chocolate chip cookie at these spots.

News

Utah-born restaurant chains have found fertile ground in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mesa" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/mesa/2026/08/19/best-things-to-do-downtown-mesa-arizona" data-vars-content-id="57490b2b-0709-43e6-92a3-2a5b1545b0f4" data-vars-headline="Take a Utah food tour without leaving Mesa" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/mesa/2026/08/19/best-things-to-do-downtown-mesa-arizona" target="_self">Mesa</a>, bringing dirty sodas, oversized cookies and fast-casual favorites to the East Valley.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Utah&#x27;s cultural influence" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/07/23/salt-lake-fine-art-museum-utah-culture-artists-local-julia-reagan" data-vars-content-id="57490b2b-0709-43e6-92a3-2a5b1545b0f4" data-vars-headline="Take a Utah food tour without leaving Mesa" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/07/23/salt-lake-fine-art-museum-utah-culture-artists-local-julia-reagan" target="_self">Utah&#x27;s cultural influence</a> in Mesa gives companies a built-in customer base, particularly for fast-casual concepts catering to suburban families.

A Mesa happy hour you can get twice a day — and weekends, too

Lucky Lou's is a laid-back sports bar with a charming Vegas-themed decor.

One of the East Valley&#x27;s most generous happy hours — at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Lucky Lou&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://luckylousaz.com/" data-vars-content-id="a7fe83cd-6f27-40f0-b7fd-f7b89e4fedb1" data-vars-headline="A Mesa happy hour you can get twice a day — and weekends, too" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://luckylousaz.com/" target="_blank">Lucky Lou&#x27;s</a> in northeast <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mesa" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/06/10/mesa-gets-a-world-cup-glimpse" data-vars-content-id="a7fe83cd-6f27-40f0-b7fd-f7b89e4fedb1" data-vars-headline="A Mesa happy hour you can get twice a day — and weekends, too" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/06/10/mesa-gets-a-world-cup-glimpse" target="_self">Mesa</a> — also offers some of the greasiest, most delicious bar bites.The vibe: A laid-back sports bar with a charming <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Vegas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/09/las-vegas-tourism-slump-signals-wider-economic-slowdown" data-vars-content-id="a7fe83cd-6f27-40f0-b7fd-f7b89e4fedb1" data-vars-headline="A Mesa happy hour you can get twice a day — and weekends, too" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/09/las-vegas-tourism-slump-signals-wider-economic-slowdown" target="_self">Vegas</a> themed-decor, friendly staff and great deals.

How to spend a day in walkable downtown Mesa

Your ultimate guide for food, dessert and T-Rexes.

Things to Do

Tacos, dinosaurs and a few scoops of ice cream are just a few ways to spend a day walking around <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="downtown Mesa" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/05/21/mesa-neon-signs-historic" data-vars-content-id="425901d2-fd11-4c9d-89ea-fb4dec494993" data-vars-headline="How to spend a day in walkable downtown Mesa" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/05/21/mesa-neon-signs-historic" target="_self">downtown Mesa</a>. Dig in: Start with tacos — pastor and asada — and a medium horchata at Valley favorite <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tacos Chiwas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/06/20/reader-recommendations-best-mexican-restaurants-phoenix" data-vars-content-id="425901d2-fd11-4c9d-89ea-fb4dec494993" data-vars-headline="How to spend a day in walkable downtown Mesa" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/06/20/reader-recommendations-best-mexican-restaurants-phoenix" target="_self">Tacos Chiwas</a>. (Total was $13.06.)

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