The Henry on Coronado has a sizzling scene

That buzz you’re hearing is coming from Coronado, where a summertime swarm has descended on the newly opened Orange Avenue eatery, The Henry.

Since debuting on Aug. 27, the all-day coffee shop, restaurant and cocktail bar has attracted crowds of locals and tourists to the sprawling space, according to a Coronado resident in the know and The Henry founder Sam Fox himself.

“On opening night, it did more business than The Henry in Dallas — and the Dallas location is No. 1 in the entire company” in sales, said Fox, whose Fox Restaurants Concepts (North Italia, Flower Child, and more) was recently acquired by The Cheesecake Factory and is now a subsidiary.

While new restaurants are always the latest shiny object in the dining world, The Henry fills a niche that Coronado has been missing — the sexy scene. From the snazzy booths to the sleek open kitchen, a wrap-around inside-outside bar and expansive sidewalk patio complete with a fireplace, The Henry’s 6,600-plus stylish square feet gives Coronado a hotspot like no other. The vibe is very much modern-industrial meets the beach.

At a pre-opening party, we tasted rich (but somewhat salty) short rib potstickers, a bright and light (and a little salty) bowl of handmade ricotta cavatelli with pesto and sweet corn, and the star of the night: an extravagant, but not-too-sweet, dark chocolate molten peanut butter cake with peanut butter ice cream, salted peanuts caramel and what tasted like heavenly peanut dust.

The cocktails and seasonal spritzes look and sound festive (especially the Butterfly Plum and the Fig & Ginger Mule) and we’re impressed by the well-priced, interesting wine list. Wines on tap are a good bargain and the delicious Delille D2 Columbia Valley Bordeaux blend and the Lioco Fox Block XIII North Coast pinot noir are bottled just for The Henry.

Cheers, Coronado.

1031 Orange Ave, Coronado, 619.762.1022, thehenryrestaurant.com/locations/the-henry-coronado