Queen B Vinyl Café

It started with his wine operation, Caduceus Cellars, and the Merkin Vineyards tasting room. Later, Merkin expanded to a hilltop trattoria (as explored in Arizona Highways’ November 2024 issue). A fried chicken endeavor, Four-8 Fried Chicken, recently moved from a brick-and-mortar location to a food truck. And now, with Queen B Vinyl Café, Keenan pays homage to his musical roots.

When the bright, light-filled space opened in October 2024, the goal was to cultivate not just a place to grab a cup of coffee or a quick meal, but a place to linger and listen to music, too.

“We play all types of live music and vinyl and offer fresh-roasted coffee, along with delicious and elevated food,” culinary director Brett Vibber says. “I build our menus based on the seasons and what we are growing at our farm. The eggs we serve come from our chickens. The vegetables in our salads and ramen bowls are grown by our farm team specifically for the dishes they’re designed for. It’s the only way I know to prepare dishes seasonally.”

The tonkotsu ramen, nourishing and vibrant with every slurp, is one of three ramen options on the menu and features pork belly chashu, locally grown mushrooms, bamboo shoots and spring onions in a rich pork broth. Other menu favorites include the Judas Burger, a hefty hunk of wagyu beef served on a toasted brioche bun with sharp cheddar cheese, pickles, Queen Bee sauce and onion jam; and the Devil’s Mess, a scramble of steamed eggs, spicy turkey sausage, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo and crispy rosemary potatoes. The latter is served with a side of toasted ciabatta.

Once you’re fueled, pay a visit to the record store next door, where you’ll find a solid collection of new and used vinyl, along with plenty of band merchandise and assorted gifts and novelty items. You might even consider a trim at Barbifer, an on-site barbershop.

So what’s next for Keenan and his team? “Right now, Maynard is working on getting a gin distillery started in Cottonwood,” Vibber says. “This will be housed in the original Merkin Osteria location, right on Main in Old Town.”

Soon enough, it seems, guests will be able to walk to each of Keenan’s Cottonwood endeavors — maybe even in a perfect circle.