Lovecraft is a recently opened ale house at 32nd Street and Cactus Road. (Photo: Courtesy of Rebecca Golden)
The creators of 32 Shea, a trendy coffee/wine bar and bistro in northeast Phoenix, are back with a new eating-and-drinking concept about a mile away. Lovecraft, recently opened at 32nd Street and Cactus Road, is billed as an ale house, bottle shop and smoke kitchen.
“Ale house,” of course, means beer — more than 100 craft brews along with ciders and wine (total taps: 31). “Bottle house” means you can buy booze to take home. And “smoke kitchen” hints at the menu, which combines Texas-style barbecue with the spicy cuisine of New Mexico.
“A lot of the ale houses I’ve been to don’t serve food, so we didn’t want people to get up and leave,” said Rebecca Golden, a former website developer who opened 32 Shea in 2011 with partner Ryan Castillo and sold the place in 2017.
“I saw this building for lease,” she said. “The business before that and about 20 before that all failed in this building, and I saw an opportunity to open something different in this neighborhood.”
Lovecraft, recently opened in northeast Phoenix, is an ale house serving New Mexican tapas topped with Texas-style smoked meat. (Photo: Courtesy of Rebecca Golden)
With 2,600 square feet, Lovecraft (3128 E. Cactus Road) seats about 100 guests. The décor mixes modern with Baroque and Victorian touches, and in addition to the usual TV screens, entertainment options include a gaming area with ping-pong, foosball and board games.
The menu features tapas — street tacos ($3.50-$4.25), stacked enchiladas ($8.50-$10) and mini Hawaiian sweet buns (same range as the tacos) — in a variety of styles and a choice of four proteins from the smoker: chopped brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, and mushrooms for the vegetarian set. Starters include $3 white mac and cheese, and smoked jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon and topped with Texas barbecue sauce.
While researching the concept, Golden visited Smoke, a Texas-style barbecue spot in, of all places, Great Falls, Montana.
“I learned how to smoke, and I decided that New Mexican-style food would pair perfectly with smoked meats,” she said.
Hours are 3-11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 3-11 p.m. Sundays. Golden said she plans to add a lunch menu and happy hour by summer.
Lengel, Kerry. “Lovecraft ale house opens in northeast Phoenix with blend of New Mexico spice, Texas smoke” Arizona Republic, February 15, 2019. https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/dining/2019/02/15/lovecraft-ale-house-opens-phoenix-new-mexico-cuisine-texas-barbecue/2867594002/