A Few Questions about Surprise (Phoenix, Glendale: 2014, consignment, Home Depot)

[mj-rk1]

Looking for the closest good size mall or outlets ?

Any suggestions for good places to eat in Surprise or close by ? we love Mexican, seafood and almost anything else.

Any news on when they expect the new big shopping centre ( Prasada ) to be completed ?.

Is their a Mall in Good year ?

If some one was to open a businesses in the surprise area, is their anything that stands out to you that it needs, something that the other side of the valley has that the west side does not have ?

Some one told me that their is a need for a consignment store in the surprise area, not sure if this is true ?

Thanks in advance

[BuckeyeBoyDJ]

The closest good size mall/shopping center to Surprise is Arrowhrad Town Center in Glendale (a couple suburbs east of Surprise) about a 20-30 min drive depending on where you live in Surprise (Phoenix's suburbs are huge land area wise and are actual cities in their own right)

I'm not sure about specific non chain places to eat as I live no where near Surprise but you will find pretty much any restaurant you can imagine

Not entirely sure about Prasada but Goodyear's mall "Estrella Falls" has been postponed a million times since the housing crisis and recession a few years back....when it opens it opens

The West Valley really needs more malls and more entertainment options (like a Dave&Busters for instance would be a nice addition). Arrowhead Mall in Glendale is THEE ONLY actual nice mall in the entire west valley and that's pretty darn disappointing

[wit-nit]

If you want some of the best traditional Mexican Food on the west side then Rio Mirage is the place to go. It's been voted #1 several time in surveys. They have 2 locations one in El Mirage off Grand Ave and one in Surprise on Bell Rd. We've eaten there many times, never a bad experience.
Here's their website for the Surprise location. Rio Mirage Cafe

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by mj-rk1

Looking for the closest good size mall or outlets ?

Any suggestions for good places to eat in Surprise or close by ? we love Mexican, seafood and almost anything else.

If some one was to open a businesses in the surprise area, is their anything that stands out to you that it needs, something that the other side of the valley has that the west side does not have ?

Some one told me that their is a need for a consignment store in the surprise area, not sure if this is true ?

Thanks in advance

As far as malls. As others said, Arrowhead is the go-to spot. It's a PITA to drive there but it is the only option outside of stores like Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Sam's Club, and about five too many paint stores. Oh, there is a couple of worthless furniture stores too. Pier I might be about the only o.k. "furniture store" in Surprise. It is that bad. The Arrowhead area for instance has 20+ furniture stores. Now you understand why Arrowhead is swamped day and night. The minute they build a mall in Goodyear and Surprise is the day that Arrowhead areas traffic will drop (and those Arrowhead stores will feel a big drop in sales).

Surprise grew fast from 50K people in 2000 to 118K in 2005. When things crashed, there was a lot of open retail space and no motivated businesses to fill them. The problem I would have with opening up a retail small spot (even a restaurant) is the area shrinks about 1/2 in size when the winter vacationers leave. So there are lines to get into restaurants during March yet they are fairly dead in the non-peak months. I suspect the mall developers see this same trend.

As far as a needed small businesses, a higher end consignment store would work. These are always busy here in MN Brand Name Gently Used Clothing - Plato's Closet . But they don't sell junk. You could put in a smaller restaurant in an area where you still have to drive to far (Surprise is spread out with a lot of land area). For instance Reems and Waddell (Marley Park) is in need of anything other than a fast food restaurant. A good BBQ spot would do well. The chain Famous Dave's in Arrowhead is ALWAYS busy. A small BBQ spot anywhere would bring people in because would be consider unique for the West Valley.

Re: good restaurants. There is a lot of decent food in Surprise but I've found nothing exceptional other than Vogue Bistro. Go to Restaurant.com if you want to visit Vogue or you will walk out with a much thinner wallet. It's spendy and in a strip mall. We go to Marley's on Bell (B+), Babbo Italian (letter grade B but KILLER Bruschetta), Red Robin (chain) for burgers (B+), Irish Wolfhound (B+), Macayo's for Mexican (B to B+ but great Happy Hour and quality tasting fajitas), Pei Wei Asian (Letter Grade A which is a Semi-Fast food but FRESH). Nicks Diner makes a great breakfast (best in town). But all and all, expect to eat in a strip mall over 1/2 the time.

I have yet to find an exceptional Mexican restaurant in AZ. I have no idea why. I went to the original Garcia's and thought the atmosphere was fantastic but the food was a letter grade B. We had 7 people and I tasted everything. Nothing was great but everything was good. People brag it up but I now question their taste buds. But I had a home on the beach in Mexico and have a higher level of expectation. To my taste buds, MN Mexican restaurants are superior to AZ Mexican restaurants and that should not make much sense. There is a couple of Surprise Mexican restaurants that I will leave nameless that are a letter grade D. It tastes like gas station food.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeBoyDJ

The closest good size mall/shopping center to Surprise is Arrowhrad Town Center in Glendale (a couple suburbs east of Surprise) about a 20-30 min drive depending on where you live in Surprise (Phoenix's suburbs are huge land area wise and are actual cities in their own right)

I'm not sure about specific non chain places to eat as I live no where near Surprise but you will find pretty much any restaurant you can imagine

Not entirely sure about Prasada but Goodyear's mall "Estrella Falls" has been postponed a million times since the housing crisis and recession a few years back....when it opens it opens

The West Valley really needs more malls and more entertainment options (like a Dave&Busters for instance would be a nice addition). Arrowhead Mall in Glendale is THEE ONLY actual nice mall in the entire west valley and that's pretty darn disappointing

I think you will see Estrella Falls break ground about the time the 303 completes - late 2014 with a completion in 2016. They claim that they have the rooftop count and income demographics they need. Financing is the tough part.

[mj-rk1]

Thanks for all the information, much appreciated

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

If you want some of the best traditional Mexican Food on the west side then Rio Mirage is the place to go. It's been voted #1 several time in surveys. They have 2 locations one in El Mirage off Grand Ave and one in Surprise on Bell Rd. We've eaten there many times, never a bad experience.
Here's their website for the Surprise location. Rio Mirage Cafe

I've been their a few times. It's fine but I would never go out of my way for it. Fun ambiance and o.k. food. The enchiladas were pretty good. 68 reviewers give it an average rating of 3 stars out of 5. I personally think it is rated correctly. See Yelp for the 68 reviews. Rio Mirage Cafe - Surprise, AZ

[wit-nit]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

I've been their a few times. It's fine but I would never go out of my way for it. Fun ambiance and o.k. food. The enchiladas were pretty good. 68 reviewers give it an average rating of 3 stars out of 5. I personally think it is rated correctly. See Yelp for the 68 reviews. Rio Mirage Cafe - Surprise, AZ

That's your opinion. We've been there a dozen times, it's always packed, the food and ambiance are great, Mariachi's play there frequently and everyone we talk to loves the place.
I have very little faith in Yelp they are not much of a standard for references. The other dozen or so rating services give it higher ratings than Yelp does. It really doesn't matter, what matters is how you like it. Everyone's taste is different. Like the MN so called Mexican Cafes. everyone in MN we talk to say's they wish they had good Mexican restaurants like AZ and other Southwest states have. Taco Bell is the primo Mexican restaurants in MN. That tells you a lot.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

That's your opinion. We've been there a dozen times, it's always packed, the food and ambiance are great, Mariachi's play there frequently and everyone we talk to loves the place.
I have very little faith in Yelp they are not much of a standard for references. The other dozen or so rating services give it higher ratings than Yelp does. It really doesn't matter, what matters is how you like it. Everyone's taste is different. Like the MN so called Mexican Cafes. everyone in MN we talk to say's they wish they had good Mexican restaurants like AZ and other Southwest states have. Taco Bell is the primo Mexican restaurants in MN. That tells you a lot.

Your last statement speaks volumes. No reason to take it personal unless you own Rio Mirage.

I use to spend 10+ weeks in Mexico a year. Rest assume the Rio Mirage isn't the bomb. Also, a couple of spots in San Diego (Old Town) blow away the Rio Mirage.

[wit-nit]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Your last statement speaks volumes. No reason to take it personal unless you own Rio Mirage.

I use to spend 10+ weeks in Mexico a year. Rest assume the Rio Mirage isn't the bomb. Also, a couple of spots in San Diego (Old Town) blow away the Rio Mirage.

What does San Diego and Mexico have to do with El Mirage/Surprise area. OP asked about Mexican restaurants in Surprise/West Valley.