Illegal Pete's Restaurant in Downtown Tempe Suddenly Closes

A popular Mexican restaurant has closed down.Photo byEvan WiseonUnsplash

When Illegal Pete’s first opened just outside of Arizona State University, it made waves regarding its name. However, the restaurant had already existed previously down in Tucson, as well as in Colorado. After the brief uproar, the noise turned from disgruntled to college students enjoying burritos and sipping on beverages. Almost overnight it became a popular hangout destination for students and locals alike. And yet, just days before the start of the ASU calendar year, Illegal Pete’s announced its unfortunate closure. 

The announcement of the restaurant’s closure at 525 South Mill Avenue in Tempe came suddenly. There was no preemptive run-up to the closure, nor was there any real warning. Hopefully, the staff was given some kind of advanced insights into the eventual closure, but for the greater public, there wasn’t any kind of heads-up. 

The restaurant did not post on social media, but instead, the front doors were locked and a sign was placed on the door. The notice said the restaurant was closed and that patrons should visit one of the other locations. Of course, the nearest restaurant is 90 minutes away (without traffic), so, that’s a little more difficult than going to the other side of town. 

Illegal Pete’s was even addressing customer concerns who reviewed the restaurant on Google just days before the closure. Based on the timing, the restaurant likely had to close before the end of the month to avoid paying another month of rent, but even so, it comes across as disingenuous to consult with customers prior to closure when management knew the restaurant would be closing. 

Regardless of the events or how long the owners knew the restaurant would be closing, it does leave a very large gap on Mill Avenue in Tempe immediately before the start of school, as well as a week before the launch of the new college football season, which was often the most popular time to visit Illegal Pete’s. 

The restaurant was generally viewed favorably based on reviews given on Google and Yelp, as it ranged between 4.4 and 3.9 respectively between the two rating services. Either way, fans of the restaurant will now need to find a different location for game days or to get their taco fix. Thankfully, for those who went in order to grab a burrito or drink, there are plenty of other options around Tempe, and hopefully, a new establishment will take over in the coming months.