Coyote Oaties Open Mic Review: A Hidden Listening Room in Downtown Glendale
Some of the best live music spaces are the ones you would never expect to find.
From the outside, Coyote Oaties is known as a bakery and restaurant in Historic Downtown Glendale. Walk farther inside, though, and you discover something very different: a large dedicated music room with excellent acoustics, an upstairs seating area, a piano, and a Thursday open mic filled with experienced Arizona musicians.
Emma and I made the drive to Glendale on Thursday, August 27, 2026, after hearing other musicians talk about the room.
They were not exaggerating.
This may be one of the better-kept live music secrets we have discovered so far for Desert Vibe's "What's Vibin' in the Desert" series.
Quick Details: Coyote Oaties Open Mic
Venue: Coyote Oaties Restaurant & Bakery
Address: 7005 N. 58th Ave., Glendale, AZ 85301
Open mic: Thursday evenings
Sign-up from our experience: 4:00 PM; Music: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Sign-up: Paper list, first come, first served
Host: Normally Clydene, with Glen Gardner substituting on our visit
Set length: Two songs, 10 minutes or less
Cost: Free, with no food or drink minimum during our visit
Stage: Floor-level performance area
Sound: PA, microphones and instrument hookups
Piano: Yes; drum kit/backline: No
Backing tracks: We did not see any, so check with the host
Food: Full restaurant menu plus the desserts Coyote Oaties is known for
Drinks: Specialty drinks, lemonade and soft drinks
Parking: Street parking directly outside and nearby downtown parking
Atmosphere: Quiet, dedicated listening room
Best for: Singer-songwriters, acoustic musicians, experienced players, beginners willing to play for an attentive audience, and anyone wanting to test original material.
Glen Gardner's current performance calendar has also listed the Coyote Oaties open mic from 5:00 to 8:00 PM on Thursday, which supports the schedule we experienced.
You can visit the Coyote Oaties official website here. Coyote Oaties official website
A Listening Room Hidden Behind a Bakery
Coyote Oaties is probably best known for its cookies.
Its official website still leads with freshly baked artisan cookies, but it now describes the Glendale location as a restaurant and bakery, with food and specialty drinks in addition to desserts.
The music room is what caught our attention.
It is separated from the restaurant and kitchen area, so once you are inside, you are not competing with customers ordering food, kitchen noise, televisions, or a busy bar.
There are tables throughout the main level and additional seating upstairs.
That upper area gives the room an almost miniature theater feeling. From there, you can look down toward the performers while still hearing everything clearly.
And the acoustics are fantastic.
As a musician, you immediately notice rooms where vocals naturally sound good.
This is one of them.
Clydene's Open Mic, With Glen Gardner Filling In
Clydene normally hosts the Thursday open mic.
Unfortunately, she was not there on the evening Emma and I attended, so our friend Glen Gardner stepped in.
We already know Glen well from other open mics and from the Desert Vibe Podcast, so we knew sound and hosting were in good hands.
The regular musicians made a point of telling us how much they enjoy Clydene as well. They described her as welcoming, helpful, and accommodating with performers.
That was not surprising.
We had just seen Clydene perform a few nights earlier at North Mountain Brewing, where she was part of one of the memorable Dolly Parton tribute collaborations from that evening.
The Thursday setup itself is straightforward.
Sign-up begins around 4:00 PM on a paper list, and I would recommend arriving then rather than taking your chances later.
Performers receive two songs with a total set of 10 minutes or less.
This Room Is Made for Original Music
Emma and I decided to read the room before choosing exactly what we wanted to play.
The crowd was relaxed, attentive and primarily made up of experienced musicians, so we leaned into some of our more mellow acoustic material.
We played one original and one cover.
Both went over well.
This is definitely a place where I would bring new original music.
A lot of the performers are singer-songwriters themselves, and the audience actually listens. You are not trying to communicate a lyric over somebody shouting across a bar or watching a football game.
If you have written something new and want to hear how it lands in a room full of other musicians, Coyote Oaties is a good environment for it.
Is It Intimidating for Beginners?
A little.
But not because anyone is unfriendly.
It is intimidating because some of these musicians are really good.
The crowd on our visit leaned older, with many experienced and retired musicians. Folk, country, blues, pop and classic acoustic music all showed up throughout the evening.
That kind of room can make a first-time performer nervous.
But once you get past the talent level, the environment itself is supportive.
Experienced musicians know what it is like to be new.
So I would still consider this beginner-friendly, especially for someone who wants to grow comfortable performing for an audience that is genuinely paying attention.
The Family Behind Coyote Oaties
One of our favorite parts of the visit had nothing to do with our own performance.
Denise Quintana spent quite a bit of time talking with us and showing us around.
Public reporting has identified Denise and her husband James as longtime Glendale business owners behind Coyote Oaties. Denise has also been active in Historic Downtown Glendale business organizations.
But what stood out to us personally was how Denise treated the people walking through the door.
She did not feel like someone operating a venue.
She felt like someone inviting people into her home.
She showed us the upstairs area, explained the renovations and talked about the family's plans for developing more of the property into a place where people can gather around music.
Their daughter, Delfina, is part of that story too.
Delfina works with the family but also loves singing and playing guitar. One of the reasons the family wanted to develop the music space was to create somewhere she could pursue that passion alongside the family business.
At the end of the open mic, Delfina stepped away from work, picked up her guitar and closed the evening with a couple of songs.
I thought that was pretty cool.
You are watching a family business develop while one member of that family is simultaneously developing as a musician inside it.
An Old Building Getting a New Musical Life
The building itself adds to the experience.
The adjacent space that became part of the expanded operation was previously home to Zola Bell's Vintage Emporium, an antique store at 7003 N. 58th Ave. Public property information dates that building to 1919 and describes its second floor, old-town character and original architectural details.
Denise told us about the building's long history and the family's plans for continuing to renovate it.
There is also a large rear patio area they are working on, which could eventually create another live music area when Arizona weather cooperates.
If their vision keeps developing the way it is now, I could see this becoming much more than a weekly open mic.
Food, Desserts and Strawberry Kiwi Lemonade
You do not have to choose between dinner and open mic night here.
Coyote Oaties now offers a broader restaurant menu in addition to the cookies and desserts that built its reputation. The official site promotes lunch, specialty drinks, and its Glendale restaurant operation, while local Glendale tourism information also lists it as a restaurant and bakery.
We kept it simple.
Emma and I had hot fries, Sprite, and their strawberry kiwi lemonade.
The lemonade has a family connection of its own, inspired by Delfina's childhood lemonade stand, which is also reflected in some of the restaurant decor.
Around us, we saw burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, chicken strips and plenty of desserts.
Coyote Oaties also had some gluten-free dessert choices when we visited, although our combination of food sensitivities limited the options that worked for us.
For most people, there is plenty to choose from.
Easy Once You Get There, but Glendale Is a Commitment for Us
Parking was straightforward.
We found free street parking directly outside the building, although this is a downtown strip with other businesses, so the closest spaces can depend on how busy the area is.
Load-in was easy.
The harder part for us was simply getting to Glendale.
Coming from the southern part of the Valley during rush hour took us more than an hour.
That is really the only reason this would not become a weekly stop for Emma and me.
If Coyote Oaties were closer to us, we would probably be here all the time.
For musicians in Glendale, North Phoenix and the surrounding West Valley, geography works much more in your favor.
What Makes Coyote Oaties Different?
The room.
That is the answer.
There are open mics with food.
There are open mics with good musicians.
There are open mics with nice hosts.
But this room combines an unusually quiet listening environment with beautiful natural acoustics and an upstairs seating area that gives it an almost old-fashioned theater character.
You can order dinner next door and still walk into a space where the performer gets everyone's attention.
That is rare.
And when you combine the room with a family that clearly wants music to become part of what they are building, it starts to feel like you are discovering the venue before everyone else does.
Would We Go Back?
Absolutely.
We loved meeting Denise, James, and Delfina, hearing the regular musicians, and finally playing in the room everyone had been telling us about.
The only thing working against it for us is the drive.
If you live in Glendale or North Phoenix, that problem disappears.
For everyone else, I would still say it is worth experiencing at least once.
Who Is This Open Mic Best For?
I would especially recommend Coyote Oaties to singer-songwriters, acoustic musicians, folk and blues performers, experienced musicians, and beginners who want a supportive listening environment.
It is also a great place to bring family and friends because they can eat, relax and actually hear your performance.
If you want a loud bar where your music functions mainly as background noise, this is probably not the right open mic.
If you want people to listen, it might be exactly what you are looking for.
Coyote Oaties may be known for cookies.
But based on what we saw, there is something much bigger starting to bake in that back room.
About the Author
James Mattison is a musician and blog writer for the Desert Vibe Podcast. He is one half of Emma & James Music, an Arizona-based husband-and-wife music duo performing mostly original music with select covers that fit their soulful, guitar-driven style.
Emma Mattison is known for her expressive vocal style and also manages the website, social media, marketing and online presence that help Desert Vibe reach listeners and musicians across Arizona.
Together, Emma and James are exploring live music events around the Valley for Desert Vibe's "What's Vibin' in the Desert" segment, sharing firsthand reviews designed to help musicians understand what to expect before trying a new open mic.
Coyote Oaties website Official Coyote Oaties website
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