There is a modern parable about two wolves. One feeds on anger, regret, chaos, and fear. The other thrives on joy, peace, love, and hope. The version of ourselves that ultimately wins, the story goes, depends on which wolf we choose to feed.
For Bryan McCarrick and Andrew Felix, the lesson eventually became the foundation for what is now Lobo Drinkhouse, Downtown Flagstaff’s newest cocktail lounge and gathering spot. But long before the wolves, there were two young men grinding through the hospitality industry, learning the business from the ground up, and chasing something bigger.
McCarrick grew up in Pontiac, Michigan. His father worked a factory job, instilling in McCarrick the importance of hard work and sweat equity. “I initially studied to be a Spanish teacher, first in Michigan but then at 22 I made the move to ASU, which brought me to the Valley,” said McCarrick. “At first, working in bars just paid the bills, especially when my wife, who is from Japan, had to work through some visa issues and I was the sole breadwinner.”
He spent time teaching in Spain, but hospitality kept calling. Stops at Postino, Zipp’s, Maloney’s, and eventually The Parlor, where he became beverage director, paved the way to Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.
Felix’s tale unfolded differently. A Phoenix native and graduate of North Canyon High School, the first-generation Mexican American started in hospitality as a teen, inspired largely by watching his father work tirelessly to provide for the family after immigrating to the United States. “I started as a wok cook at Pei Wei before moving to the front of the house,” said Felix.
Seeking a deeper understanding of the industry, in 2012, he made his way to the Four Seasons, working his way up via several roles before meeting McCarrick on the property in 2017. “Bryan became my mentor, so he never really did lose that teacher vibe, at least not to me,” said Felix. By 2019, the pair joined Century Grand together, quietly dreaming about creating something of their own.
Then came the pandemic. Rather than wait for an opportunity, they built one. The duo launched Sink or Swim, operating a food cart outside of Century Grand focused on tacos inspired by Felix’s family’s Mexican recipes. “We bartended four nights a week and worked the cart the other nights,” said McCarrick. “Then we moved into a shipping container kitchen outside Wandering Tortoise and just kept grinding.”
As the business grew, so did their dreams. “We knew we wanted a brick-and-mortar space, but the start-up costs were insane,” said Felix. However, while visiting friend Sam Greenhalgh—chef and owner of James Beard-nominated Forêt FLG in Flagstaff—conversations turned toward opening something up north where costs were lower.
Lobo Drinkhouse officially opened its doors in January 2026. “Lobo translates to wolf in Spanish, and the balance of the two wolves is built into everything we do,” said Felix. Inside the 2,300 square foot spacespace, which will soon add a patio, guests find low lighting complemented by flickering fire elements in the winter and cooling blue tones in the summer, nods to the darkness and light of each wolf.
As with Sink or Swim, tacos and Mexican recipes dominate the menu. Look for nods to the wolves on every iteration of the menu, from a chilled crudo to extra hot spices. The menu also has over-the-top delicious elote, Sonoran dogs, and tortillas made from Felix’s mom’s secret masa recipe.
When it comes to cocktails, always expect 12 signature drinks rooted in the pair’s years in Phoenix cocktail culture but filtered through the spirit of northern Arizona and the wolf theme. Among the standouts is Lost in Translation, inspired in part by McCarrick’s wife’s Japanese culture (though she herself does not drink), combining white chocolate washed rye, lemon, matcha, and mulled white foam into something earthy, bright, and unexpectedly smooth. Another must: Not Over My Ex-presso Martini, which offers a playful answer to the espresso martini craze, blending vodka, espresso, 10-year-old brandy, house-made black mole, and demerara. “To be true to our new home—also home to the discovery of Pluto—we also have Pluto’s Plight, a riff on a Saturn cocktail,” said McCarrick.
Still, Lobo was never meant to be only about cocktails or tacos. “You can get a Jack and Coke here,” said McCarrick. “You can get a craft cocktail. You can get a beer. You can get wine. We wanted to create something that felt comfortable for everybody, and that is why we call it a drinkhouse.”
Even as the pair builds something new in northern Arizona, they are not abandoning their Valley roots. This summer, Lobo launches the Fly North Series, a rotating lineup of cocktail popups bringing some of greater Phoenix’s most celebrated bars to Flagstaff, helping locals and Phoenicians escaping the heat discover standout concepts across the state. July welcomes Highball, with Undertow and others expected to follow.
After years of bartending, side hustles, shipping containers, and long nights chasing an idea, the pair finally built something of their own. And inside Lobo, according to McCarrick, nobody drinks alone.
written by: alison bailin batz
photographed by: luke irvin
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