Downtown Reno's New Restaurants Moved Into Buildings You Already Know
One building near the ballpark has now held three restaurants in a row. At 180 E. First St., the building was Vistro, then King Sushi. As of this fall it is Guadalajara Grill, and the bright orange exterior that made it easy to spot is part of its history now.
That building is a small version of what happened across downtown Reno in 2026. The new places you've walked past since summer did not go into new construction. Local operators took over storefronts that already had a name attached, and several of them keep longer or later hours than the tenants before them. If you live near the river or walk First Street often, it's the same buildings with a new set of keys.
Here is where the year's changes landed, in or close to the downtown core. Three of the five have started serving, one is announced, and one is still a target.
| Address or space | Before | Now | Status this fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 180 E. First St., near the ballpark | Vistro, then King Sushi | Guadalajara Grill | Open, Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| West 1st Street, counter on Ralston between First and Second | Schwarmageddon | One West Kitchen | Opened Oct. 1, 2026 |
| 243 S. Sierra St. | Old Granite Street Eatery, closed April 2026 | Taqueria Los Primos, planned 24/7 | Announced, opening date not set |
| 960 S. Virginia St., Midtown | A former Junkee space | Bora Mediterranean | Service listed from Oct. 16 |
| The Polo Lounge | Closed since May for maintenance | Speakeasy under new ownership | October was the target, reopening pending |
Most of these operators are small and local. Some already run a restaurant elsewhere in the region, and one is opening his first. The buildings are the familiar part and the operators are the new part. That's why the changes are easy to miss from a car and obvious on foot.
Guadalajara Grill already had a following before it reached downtown. This Is Reno reported on Oct. 11 that the family-owned restaurant started in Fernley in 2021 and has now brought the concept to downtown Reno. The location puts it a short walk from Greater Nevada Field, which matters more in November and December than you might expect. The ballpark's holiday season, covered below, brings evening foot traffic to that block well after baseball ends.
Guadalajara Grill's site lists downtown hours of Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the restaurant is closed Mondays. Plan around that if a Monday dinner is your usual downtown night.
A few blocks west, One West Kitchen opened Oct. 1. Edible Reno-Tahoe notes that the address reads West 1st Street but the storefront faces Ralston Street between First and Second, set among several apartment complexes, in the space that was Schwarmageddon. Owner Walter Caceres is 22. It's a walk-up with outdoor seating only, and the menu goes well beyond the cheesesteak listing it shows on Google. Burgers, sandwiches, salads, wings and onion rings share the board with all-day specials like Beef Saltado, fajitas and an Umami Bowl, plus kids' meals and dessert.
With outdoor seating only, the season matters. One West Kitchen opened right as evenings started cooling, so its first winter will test how a walk-up does on Ralston when the weather turns.
The turnover on Sierra Street involved bigger names. Peg's Glorified Ham n Eggs closed its downtown Sierra Street location in July after 27 years. The door notice was dated July 8, and the reason was not made public.
At 243 S. Sierra St., Old Granite Street Eatery closed in April 2026. The Reno Gazette-Journal reported on July 31 that Taqueria Los Primos is taking over the building, which has been a downtown Reno fixture for more than 80 years. The new tenant plans to switch the menu from new American to Mexican and stay open around the clock. A sign on the building announces Los Primos as coming soon, and an opening date has not been set.
If the 24/7 plan holds, this block's clock changes more than any other. A building known for sit-down new American meals would be serving all night.
Nearby, The Depot Craft Brewery & Distillery stopped regular restaurant service after 11 years and held a farewell feast on Aug. 9. It still brews beer, makes spirits and canned cocktails, and hosts private events. The building is still in use. Only the dining room changed.
South of the river, Midtown's 2026 openings also went into spaces that already had a name.
Alioto's Focacceria opened July 11 at The Sticks, in the space that was Jus. Chef Alexander Alioto, who also owns The Kitchen Table, runs the Italian deli.
Bora Mediterranean is the newest. Brothers Can and Bugrahan Uzay, who also run Mediterranean Bae, took a former Junkee space on South Virginia Street. Bora's site lists 960 S. Virginia St. and service starting "October 16," which matches the fall opening Edible Reno-Tahoe reported. Breakfast runs 8 to 11 a.m., the main menu 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and late-night service 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. That's three menus in one day, and the weekend kitchen stays open until 2 a.m.
The Polo Lounge is the last piece. It closed in May for maintenance, and new owners plan to reopen it at the same location as a nostalgic speakeasy. October was the target, but no exact date has been announced. Until a date is posted, treat it as coming soon.
Taken together, Los Primos plans to stay open all night, Bora serves until 2 a.m. on weekends, and The Polo Lounge is coming back as a speakeasy. More of downtown and Midtown is set up to stay open late than it was at the start of the year.
The new tenants have their first winter ahead, and several dated events between now and the end of December will bring crowds within walking distance of First Street and the river.
The Aces event matters most for the ballpark end of First Street. Nineteen evenings of ticketed visitors at Greater Nevada Field put people a short walk from Guadalajara Grill at 180 E. First St. Check which nights you're planning around: Black Friday falls on a Friday, but Dec. 23 is a Wednesday, and Guadalajara Grill is closed Mondays. The two Wine Walk Saturdays bring the same kind of crowd to the river side. One West Kitchen's outdoor counter on Ralston sits between those two areas.
For a weeknight downtown before the holiday crowds arrive, the dates are easy to plan around. Before Nov. 27, the ballpark block is quieter in the evenings. After that, the light show sets the pace until Dec. 23.
Watching the storefronts change is part of following a market closely, whether you live downtown, keep a second place in Reno, or split your time between Truckee and the Truckee Meadows. If you're thinking about how Reno's downtown and Midtown pockets fit your plans next to a Tahoe home, Tahoe Truckee Real Estate Group can take you through what's changing block by block. Schedule a Free Strategy Session, and we'll start with the streets you already know.
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