Booze and nachos? Yes, Taco Bell Cantina is coming to downtown Phoenix Soon, you'll be able to get a beer with your 7-Layer Burrito. Phoenix is getting its first Taco Bell Cantina, opening downtown in early 2019. The fast-food chain's higher-end concept serves alcohol.

Lauren Saria | The Republic | azcentral.com

Show Caption Hide Caption Taco Bell Cantina is open in downtown Phoenix Taco Bell Cantina, a spin-off of the fast food chain, has opened a location in downtown Phoenix. The higher-end Taco Bell restaurants serve alcohol.

If you've always wanted to enjoy a beer or margarita with your Taco Bell, you're in luck.

The fast-food chain has confirmed to The Republic that a Taco Bell Cantina is planned for downtown Phoenix.

The restaurant is under construction and is expected to open in early 2019. A liquor license application has been filed with Maricopa County, indicating the cantina plans to serve alcohol.

Here's the scoop on the Valley's first Taco Bell Cantina.

Where will it be?

According to the Arizona Department of Liquor website, the Taco Bell Cantina is coming to the Collier Center, 201 E. Washington St. The nearly 600,000-square-foot, mixed-use high-rise is near Chase Field, Talking Stick Arena and Phoenix Convention Center.

Other restaurant tenants at Collier Center include Hard Rock Cafe, The Park Street Food Bar and The Whining Pig. Taco Bell Cantina will open on the first floor.

What's Taco Bell Cantina?

The Cantina concept is part of Taco Bell's strategy to bring elevated dining experiences to urban areas. To achieve this, the company introduced two new models: Taco Bell Cantina and Urban In-Line restaurants.

The first Cantina debuted in 2015 in Chicago. Since then, it has spread to more than 17 locations all over the country, including several in New York City, Austin, Orlando, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Two years ago, a two-story Taco Bell Cantina opened on the Las Vegas Strip.

The Mexican fast-food chain, which is owned by Yum Brands, also has opened at least 13 Urban In-Line restaurants.

What about drive-thru?

All of these more upscale restaurants are smaller than the fast-food chain's traditional restaurants and do not have drive-through services. Besides serving alcohol, other common elements include:

Open kitchen design.

Shareable tapas-style menus.

Free Wi-Fi.

Outlets for charging devices.

Modern interior inspired by the community.

Local art.

Is this a Phoenix trend?

Taco Bell is not the only popular chain getting into the bar business in the Valley.

In October, IHOP debuted its first beer, wine and cocktail menu — and it’s only available at the restaurant's new Phoenix location at Camelback Colonnade.

IHOP's Rise & Shine bar menu includes domestic beers on tap, California wines and brunch-inspired cocktails. The bar also pours a local craft beer.

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Reach the reporter at lauren.saria@azcentral.com. Follow her on Instagram at laurensaria, on Twitter at lhsaria and on Facebook at facebook.com/lsaria.