Nixa food hall adds Uptown Hog barbecue; Springfield's 2nd Crumbl Cookies opening in May

Susan Szuch, Springfield News-Leader
·3 min read

This week in 417 foodie news, a new barbecue spot comes to Nixa's food hall, a new Mexican restaurant prepares to open and Crumbl Cookies open its south side location.

Food hall adds barbecue to its offerings

Uptown Hog, which offers smoked meats and barbecue, is now open at 14 Mill Market, 203. E. Mount Vernon St. in Nixa.
Uptown Hog, which offers smoked meats and barbecue, is now open at 14 Mill Market, 203. E. Mount Vernon St. in Nixa.

Uptown Hog is now open at 14 Mill Market, 203 E. Mount Vernon St., Nixa. The barbecue business has operated since 2021 as a food truck and catering.

Uptown Hog specializes in smoked meats and the food hall menu includes sandwiches, macaroni and cheese with pulled pork and barbecue sauce and ribs.

Menudo, family recipes inspire new Mexican restaurant

El Gallo Giro, 2040 S. Glenstone Ave., is aiming for a June opening date. Until then, potential customers can content themselves with dreams of menudo, scratch-made tortillas and agua frescas.

Depending on the demand the hours may change, but at the moment owner Reyna Ramirez is looking at being open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

The restaurant, which will be quick service, is named in honor of a business Ramirez's parents ran in another state, and she is using her mother's recipes.

"This business, the name and everything, came from my parents," Ramirez said. "I'm doing this to honor my father who passed away three years ago."

Crumbl Cookies to open second location before Memorial Day

Crumbl at James River Towne Center, 1979 E. Independence St., will host its grand opening on May 24.
Crumbl at James River Towne Center, 1979 E. Independence St., will host its grand opening on May 24.

Springfield's second location for Crumbl Cookies, 1979 E. Independence St., is set to open May 24, according to spokesperson Becca Bevan. The location will be open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday and closed on Sundays.

The grand opening will include face painting, giveaways and a raffle. The first 20 customers on May 24 will be entered in the raffle for a dozen cookies. Starting May 27, customers who order on the Crumbl Cookies app can get one free chocolate chip cookie with the code MOJMSRVR.

The other location, which has different owners, is at 2411 N. Glenstone Ave.

Hungry for more Springfield food news? Get a weekly helping with the News-Leader's Restaurant Roundup newsletter

Missouri Mike's owner looks toward new restaurant

A new restaurant, The PHOENIX Diner, Bar & Grille, is going into 2833 W. Chestnut Expressway, according to Facebook posts. Owner Mike Hickman closed Missouri Mike's BBQ & More in that location on April 27.

Hickman had teased about the upcoming restaurant in previous Facebook posts, changing the Missouri Mike's BBQ & More page to The PHOENIX Diner, Bar & Grille on May 15.

"We are talking some familiar items, new items, seafood, steak and a SALAD BAR with over 30 items," Hickman posted on Facebook along with images of the menu. According to the post, the restaurant will soon be doing soft openings on an invitation basis.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield's second Crumbl Cookies location will open May 24