Jobot Coffee Now Has Dim Sum and New Cocktails

Jobot Coffee has been the place to go for many years, and it's continuing to be a staple in downtown Phoenix even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cool and funky bar, restaurant and coffee shop is still serving up their infamous sweet and savory crepes and Jorita and Jomama breakfast sandwiches, but now dim sum is joining the menu after 3 p.m. Owner John Sagasta says guests can order it for dine in or to go, and the inspiration comes from wanting to celebrate the different cultures that are downtown.

"We stepped into this menu wanting to create what we wanted to eat, what we crave and what we have experienced growing up," says Sagasta. "We are a city of 4 million people, and we were frustrated that we couldn't get any Chinese, let alone Asian food that we truly craved on Roosevelt (Street). That low down, LA, NY, hole in the wall, sort of screaming, 'We are the free world Chinese-Asian food.'"

That means new dishes like shumai, or Chinese pork filled dumplings, fried rice, Chow Mein, BBQ spare ribs and Gai Lan, steamed and seared broccoli in a Chinese sauce. A dim sum brunch is also planned for Sundays.

Sagasta is additionally hard at work adding in a new cocktail program being spearheaded by Tyka Chheng, former bar manager of Undertow and beverage director for Gallo Blanco. The cocktails will pay homage to Jobot's friends and neighbors. One will be called "602 Tuesday," which is a play on a fun Blue Hawaiian cocktail and an homage to the Bikini Lounge. Another will be named "After Hours," a straight forward strong cocktail that will harken back to all the late night places downtown artists and locals used to go to after the bars closed.

Not many would try to implement new food and drink items at a time when the restaurant industry has been struggling to keep up with the many new restrictions and guidelines that come along with our new normal, but Sagasta is a pro. Still when asked to comment on how business has been lately, he says they have been primarily focused on the new menu changes.

"Which has been quite the change for us if you really want to know," Sagasta says. "As for the pandemic, we'll keep this short and bitter — just like it has been for the rest of our food and beverage industry."

Jobot Coffee is open Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to midnight and on Sundays until 5 p.m. A limited breakfast menu is served until 2 p.m. and the dim sum menu after 3 p.m. Coffee is served all day, and alcohol and bodega essentials are also available for purchase. Inside, there is limited seating in accordance with social distancing guidelines, and masks are required.

Jobot Coffee is located at 333 East Roosevelt Street in Phoenix, AZ 85004. For more information, visit www.jobotcoffee.com.