LOCAL EATS: HAYMAKER VERRADO

SUBSCRIBE | FOLLOW | PARTNER

People often ask me how I decide what to write about and feature in The Buzz.

While I do have a very long list of places I want to visit, I've learned to let my intuition guide me on when the time is right. Based on past experience, whenever I try to force a story onto my timeline, it just doesn't seem to work.

Case in point: today's feature.

Haymaker opened its Verrado location at Sunrise Market back in March 2025, and despite it being practically in my backyard, I hadn't made it in yet.

Apparently, I was waiting for my childhood bestie, Buffy, who dropped into town for a few days (specifically to see Hermanos Gutiérrez, but that’s a story for another day).

Before we dig into lunch, you must understand something about Buffy: she knows food.

Not only is she an excellent cook, she has extremely high standards when it comes to dining out—which means I'm usually shaking in my boots when I'm responsible for choosing where we're going to eat.

And when she’s here, we eat out. A lot.

On Monday, her request for lunch was simple:

"I just want a burger… a really good burger."

Well, seeing as I don't really eat burgers, I had my work cut out for me.

After some deliberation, I landed on Haymaker, which also made perfect sense because we were planning to spend the afternoon lounging at the nearby pool afterward.

We walked into Haymaker and there it was…

A BUFFY SPECIAL.

Right there on a sign.

Now, I'm sure you'll agree that Buffy isn't exactly a name you see out in the wild every day. In fact, I don't think I've ever randomly encountered another Buffy.

Neither had Buffy. Totally rare!

She was equally shocked—and highly amused—to discover that apparently she had her own special at Haymaker.

Once we were seated, she studied the deal and kept commenting on what a smoking bargain it was.

"If my husband were here, he’d order The Buffy." Obviously, he has good taste.

When our server, Calvin, came over, naturally, we had a question:

"What is a Buffy?"

Calvin pointed toward the wall.

There, staring back at us, was a buffalo.

Named Buffy. We almost died laughing.

All through lunch I had to tell my Buffy that yes, she would in fact be posing for a picture with Buffalo Buffy and I would be sharing it with about 8,000 of my closest friends here.

Obviously.

Haymaker has a pretty extensive menu, and during my previous research I'd noticed something particularly exciting for those of us who don't eat gluten: they have gluten-free burger buns.

But Human Buffy didn't need a gluten-free bun.

She knew exactly what she'd come for.

The burger.

When it arrived, she cut it into four perfectly neat little sections and took her first bite while I waited.

And held my breath.

You'd have to know Buffy to fully appreciate the gravity of this moment.

If Buffy doesn't like something, there is no polite, "Oh, it's fine."

A Buffy no-like arrives with a BANG.

There have been occasions when we've had to find an entirely different restaurant because the place didn't pass muster. Unlike me, who will generally eat something even if I don't particularly love it, Buffy simply will not.

So when she took that first bite and immediately started oohing and aahing, nobody was more relieved than I was.

Alongside the burger, she ordered what Haymaker calls a Frings —half french fries and half onion rings.

And those onion rings.

They may have been the biggest, thickest onion rings I've ever seen. We actually had an entire conversation about the engineering involved because the batter stayed attached to the onion through every single bite.

You know how sometimes you bite into an onion ring and accidentally pull the entire onion out, leaving yourself holding an empty tube of fried batter?

Not these.

I don't know where they're growing onions large enough to make these things, but I was drooling from across the table.

Alas, they're not gluten-free.

So I stared longingly instead.

I am nevertheless happy—and extremely relieved—to report:

Buffy loved the burger.

Thank goodness! 😅

I ordered the salmon bowl with brown rice.

It wasn't flashy, but that's actually exactly what I wanted.

Fresh, healthy, clean food. The salmon was well seasoned and properly cooked, and everything in the bowl worked together without being overly complicated.

I ordered the four-ounce salmon portion this time, but because I generally only eat twice a day, I'd probably bump it up to the eight-ounce portion next time for a little more substance.

More importantly, I was conducting a bit of an experiment.

Could Haymaker become one of those places close to home where I can order a healthy dinner, pick it up and get back to my life?

Yes!

And there are still quite a few things on the menu I'd like to try—including, ironically enough, a burger.

Next time, that gluten-free bun is calling my name.

Here's something else you might not know about Haymaker.

It's locally grown!

Haymaker is part of Westside Concepts, the same Arizona restaurant group behind Copper & Sage, Cantina Gueros, and several other West Valley favorites.

But the story behind the name is what really caught my attention.

Founder Joey Lucidi grew up in the restaurant business, working alongside his parents at their family restaurant in Poway, California. By age 14, he was waiting tables, and by 17, he was already running restaurant operations.

The restaurant business is in his blood.

In 2013, Joey decided to take a chance and open his own restaurant in Peoria, Arizona. His vision was to combine the warmth and hospitality of a neighborhood family restaurant with the quality, technology, and operational standards of a much larger brand.

And he named it Haymaker.

Why?

Because this was his final shot.

In boxing, a haymaker is a powerful, all-in punch intended to knock out your opponent. And that's exactly what this restaurant represented to Joey.

One big swing. One last shot.

Well, I'd say he landed that punch!

What started with a single restaurant in Peoria has grown into Westside Concepts, with multiple restaurant brands and locations throughout the Valley.

And now, lucky for us, there's a Haymaker right here in our ‘hood.

Which brings me back to my original point about letting stories unfold rather than forcing them.

More than a year after Haymaker opened practically in my backyard, I finally walked through the door because my extremely particular friend Buffy wanted a really good burger.

And waiting inside was a buffalo named Buffy.

See what I mean about not forcing the story? Timing is everything. ❤

📍 Find Them In town:

Haymaker Verrado @ Sunrise Market - 20990 W Sentinel Dr, Buckeye, AZ 85396

📱 Online: Menu + Website + Instagram

⏰ Hours: Sun-Thur: 7 AM - 8 PM | Fri-Sat: 7 AM - 9 PM

🥳 Check out their extensive Gluten Free Menu

As always, if you go, please let them know The Buckeye Buzz sent ya! And tag The Buckeye Buzz on Instagram so I can share your sammie! 😉

✌️❤ 🐝 ~ V.

👉 👉 A note: Every business I feature (meals, drinks, etc.) is paid for 100% out of my own pocket. I only write about places I've personally tried. I will be honest with you about my opinion and will never share about any place that I don’t feel deserves a visit. Good vibes only.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THIS VISIT: I had the pleasure of meeting Haymaker's General Manager, Christy Robles, and thanking her for spreading the word about The Buzz to owner Joey Lucidi. Apparently, quite a few Buzz readers have been stopping in and mentioning us. (Love that!) Unbeknownst to me, Christy graciously comped my meal. My standard practice is to politely decline such gestures because I believe in supporting the businesses I feature, but this one snuck past me! Thank you, Christy, for your kindness and hospitality. 💗

©️ 2026 The Buckeye Buzz | All content and information set forth above was curated, cultivated & then created by Vanessa Kinsey for The Buckeye Buzz and is the intellectual property of this publication. It is protected under US copyright law, including but not limited to “The Digital Millennium Copyright Act.” Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or duplication of any material, in whole or in part, without express written authorization & consent, is strictly prohibited by law and may result in legal action. Violators will be subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.