We are an authentic Italian restaurant reminiscent of New York's Little Italy located in Tempe, AZ. RigaTony's has been locally owned and operated since 1994. We offer Dine In, Carry Out, Pizza and an Italian Market. We look forward to seeing you soon. If we can help you further please call us @ 480.899.1111.
RigaTony’s first opened in Chandler in August of 1994. It was my second restaurant, the first being Chops which opened five years earlier. Chops was a very nice steakhouse and was extremely popular but in my heart, and my actual genes for that matter, I longed to open a neighborhood Italian restaurant, the kind I had grown up with in Syracuse or had been enamored with when I visited Little Italy in New York City.
Mexican restaurants have always been the staple of the Phoenix area but whenever I went out to eat I was always looking for that great home cooked Italian meal and I was usually disappointed. It is in bad taste to make disparaging comments about competing restaurants, but at that time, the Olive Garden was the new craze to get your pasta fix.The situation reminded me of a certain situation in Las Vegas decades ago, if I can digress briefly. In the late 50′s – early 60′s my grandfather ended up living in Las Vegas (I’m tempted to digress even further here to discuss that circumstance but that’s a much longer story so I’ll resist) Every year or so he would make a pilgrimage back to our home in Syracuse New York because he missed his family. Read More.
