Back Alley BBQ, a chef-driven smokehouse-style restaurant, is set to open in downtown Chandler at 111 W Boston Street.
The new concept is set to open in Fall 2025 in the former site of West Alley BBQ & Smokehouse, according to a press release. The restaurant is owned by Gilbert-based Hospitality First Concepts, which also operates DTC Sport Grille in downtown Chandler. The space, near the southwest corner of Boston and Oregon streets, became available last month after West Alley was locked out by its landlord. Mike Myers, Principal at Hospitality First Concepts, said in a press release that the team had been working on the Back Alley concept for nearly two years and seized the opportunity once the location became available.
“Downtown Chandler is all about community and local pride,” Myers said in a press release. “We’ve had this concept in the works for nearly two years, and the second this space became available, we knew it was the one.”
Back Alley BBQ will combine traditional Texas-style barbecue with bold Southwestern influences, guided by Hospitality First’s executive chef, Shaun O’Neale, and pit boss, Ken Davis. O’Neale, who won Season 7 of Fox’s MasterChef in 2016, brings national recognition to the role. He previously published a cookbook, My Modern American Table, and most recently helped launch the high-end, Asian-inspired restaurant Three Thirty Three at The Watermark in Tempe. He also serves as a Pit Boss Grills Ambassador.
“I’ve cooked all over the world, but BBQ is home,” O’Neale said in a press release. “This is about bringing real fire, bold flavors, and a place people will want to return to again and again.”
Davis, a 17-year veteran of the Valley’s culinary scene, is known for his signature three-day Arizona Brisket and will bring his expertise to the pit. The new downtown spot will deliver an elevated barbecue experience, featuring low-and-slow smoked meats, Southern-inspired sides, live music, craft cocktails, and a high-energy atmosphere, according to the news release. The location is undergoing a full renovation to match its bold new identity and will also feature a full-service catering program designed to serve backyard gatherings, weddings, and large-scale corporate events.
O’Neale is also leading another upcoming Hospitality First project, Dutchman’s Country BBQ, which is currently under construction in Apache Junction. That chef-driven smokehouse will open this fall at the southeast corner of Apache Trail and Tomahawk Road—about two miles before the Lost Dutchman Museum and three miles before Goldfield Ghost Town. Unlike Back Alley’s urban setting, Dutchman’s will be a destination-style experience on a five-acre site in the far East Valley.
While Dutchman’s looks to serve travelers heading toward the Superstition Mountains, Back Alley will benefit from its placement in Chandler’s busy downtown district. Hospitality First expects to open the Chandler location in October and is finalizing additional locations in Gilbert and Queen Creek.
