The team behind one of the nation’s most celebrated barbecue joints is trading offset smokers for a flat-top grill. Anthony Garcia, owner of Eric’s Family Barbecue, is developing a new burger concept called Army Ant’s Cheeseburgers, and he’s eyeing a spot on Western Avenue in Old Town Avondale to open it.
A Mom-and-Pop Gap in the Market
Garcia told Phoenix New Times that the area lacks a locally owned mom-and-pop burger joint, and that gap is what’s driving the new venture. He and business partner Victoria Kays are developing the menu and design together, though the New Times reports that the restaurant’s menu is still under development and not yet finalized. Garcia said he plans to expand from slow-smoking beef into grinding and grilling it, a natural next step for a chef who has spent years perfecting mesquite-smoked brisket.
The name pays tribute to Garcia and Kays’ service in the 82nd Airborne Division, according to the same report. Garcia’s military background runs deep — he cooked for fellow soldiers at Fort Liberty in North Carolina before studying culinary arts at the Art Institute of Phoenix through the GI Bill, according to the Phoenix Independent. That service connection already shows up at Eric’s Family Barbecue, which extends a year-round 15% discount to veterans and active-duty service members, according to Phoenix New Times.
What’s on the Menu
Army Ant’s Cheeseburgers will serve cheeseburgers, fries and shakes, plus a grilled chicken breast sandwich, per the New Times report. The signature cheeseburger centers on a third-pound beef patty griddled on a flat-top, topped with American cheese, tomato, red onion, aioli, pickles and shredded lettuce tossed in oil and vinegar, all served on a toasted bun. Garcia said the acidity from that dressed lettuce is meant to enhance the cheese, and the whole thing gets wrapped in paper and foil so the burger steams together.
Customers will be able to customize their burgers with extra patties or other toppings, and the menu may also include bacon cold-smoked on an offset smoker at Eric’s Family Barbecue. Fries will be double-fried, a technique aimed at extra crunch. “I’m going to do a unique, yet honest cheeseburger, with shakes and all,” Garcia said, describing his approach to the new concept.
Retro Drive-In Inspired by Old-School Funk
Kays said the restaurant should evoke 1950s and 1960s drive-in culture, and Garcia described the inspiration as old school funk. He promised Army Ant’s will have a distinctive atmosphere, envisioning it as a drive-in destination inspired by classic movies rather than a standard fast-food stop. Garcia said each restaurant in his growing portfolio should maintain its own special and unique character — he doesn’t want multiple locations of the same restaurant, and instead plans to operate several different concepts, with hopes of opening more restaurants in Avondale down the line…