When a new spot opens in town, we’re eager to check it out, let you know our initial impressions, share photos and dish about menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened – an occasion to sample a few items and satisfy curiosities (both yours and ours).
PoNy’s Miches Michelada Bar & Grill is unassuming from Portland Street. There’s still too much daylight left on this hot, sunny evening to see the restaurant’s sign glowing in its signature aqua. But one step through the doors immerses us in cheerful ocean blue and beach club vibes. Behind the host stand, a neon sign proclaims, “PoNy’s made me do it!” Do what exactly? We hoped to find out.
Jose “Pony” Flores and his wife, Analiz Gonzalez, founded the company in 2020, selling michelada mix and shrimp ceviche from the tailgate of their truck, which evolved into a food truck and then a restaurant. They partnered with Sergio Escamilla, an attorney and entrepreneur, to open a fast-casual eatery in Goodyear in 2024. Their first full-service restaurant opened in downtown Phoenix on April 30…