Pomo Restaurant Group is opening SALTA, an Argentine-inspired steakhouse, at 705 N. First St. in Downtown Phoenix in late fall 2026. The restaurant sits next door to the group’s existing Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana. Owner Stefano Fabbri is stepping outside Italian cuisine for the first time.
If you dine or spend evenings downtown, this changes your options
Downtown Phoenix has lacked a live-fire steakhouse built for the arena district and office core. SALTA is designed to fill that gap. Fabbri says he wants the restaurant to attract a young, lively crowd. He wants it remembered for more than just a great steak.
That matters whether you’re planning a date night or meeting a group after work. It matters if you want somewhere to eat before or after a game. A 25-seat-plus bar connects the dining room and patio. The space works for a solo cocktail or a party of eight. The bar alone signals the intent: this is not a quiet fine-dining room. It is built for a full evening downtown.
The new restaurant also adds a second Pomo Restaurant Group destination at the same address. That deepens what is quietly becoming a restaurant row on N. First St. Every new concept here gives neighboring businesses more foot traffic and signals to other operators that the area sustains evening crowds.
What is SALTA, and why does the name matter?
The name is a deliberate geographic reference. Salta is both a province in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of that province. That dual meaning frames the concept from the start. This is not a generic South American grill. It is rooted in a specific Argentine culinary tradition — asado, the live-fire cooking culture that defines the region.
SALTA’s menu is led by Executive Chef Dylan Harper in collaboration with Argentine chef Carlos Alberto Lopez. Their menu draws from asado traditions while targeting a modern Downtown Phoenix audience. Expect fire-grilled meat and seafood, handmade empanadas, wood-fired provoleta, milanesa, house-made pasta, salads, vegetables and shareable plates.
The live-fire grill at the heart of SALTA’s kitchen concept — a custom Argentine-style parrilla built in Spain and tailored for the space. (Pomo Restaurant Group)
The centerpiece is a custom Argentine-style wood-fired parrilla and oven built in Spain and sized specifically for the SALTA kitchen. It is engineered for precise control over heat, smoke and char. The grill will be visible from the dining room. The fire itself becomes part of what guests see and smell throughout the meal. A dedicated cocktail program and fire-grilled small plates round out the experience.
Stefano Fabbri steps outside Italian cuisine for the first time
Fabbri built his name in Phoenix on Italian food. Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana, Rosso Italian and Luna Gelateria are the three concepts that define Pomo Restaurant Group’s track record. Each is Italian. SALTA breaks that pattern entirely.
The shift is significant for Valley diners who know his work. Fabbri mastered Neapolitan pizza and Italian dining. Now he is bringing Argentine asado to Downtown Phoenix’s main dining corridor. That is the real story behind the announcement.
The SALTA dining room interior, designed by Shea, Inc., features velvet banquettes, floral wallpaper and a gold-accented bar area. (Pomo Restaurant Group)
The space: Shea, Inc. designs the interior at 705 N. First St.
Shea, Inc. is handling the design. The firm is based in Minneapolis and was founded in 1978. It works across architecture, interior design, branding, graphics, and full production and procurement. It specializes in restaurant and hospitality experiences. This is not a generalist firm brought in to finish a space. Shea has spent nearly five decades building environments that shape how guests feel before the food arrives.
Shea, Inc. announced its design partnership with Pomo Restaurant Group on Oct. 7, 2026. The firm described SALTA as bringing “an all-new, exciting restaurant experience to the Phoenix community.”
The layout connects a dining room, a 25-seat-plus bar and a patio as one flowing space. The bar is the physical bridge between the indoor dining room and the outdoor patio. It works as a gathering point, a throughway and a destination all at once.
A dining room view showing the open-kitchen layout concept that SALTA will bring to Downtown Phoenix. (Pomo Restaurant Group)
When SALTA opens and what to expect when it does
Pomo Restaurant Group has confirmed a late fall 2026 opening for SALTA at 705 N. First St. in Downtown Phoenix. No specific opening date has been announced. The restaurant sits adjacent to Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana. The two concepts will operate side by side on the same block.
No menu pricing, reservation platform details or hours of operation have been confirmed. Watch Pomo Restaurant Group’s channels and InsideTheValley’s Phoenix dining coverage for updates as the opening approaches.
SALTA is one more signal that Downtown Phoenix is drawing serious private investment. Other projects are reshaping the same area. See our coverage of the SISU Roosevelt & Arcada groundbreaking on Roosevelt Row and the JW Marriott Downtown Phoenix office conversion. For dining options opening across the Valley this year, our roundup of new restaurants on Mill Avenue in Tempe is worth a read.
