There’s a new restaurant in Newport — and it’s hot, hot, HOT!

Text the foodies and spicy food fans in your world because they’re gonna wanna go and soon.

The folks who brought us Pasta Beach have opened Mr. R on 7 Memorial Boulevard which is all about fusion street food (steeped in Asian, Italian, American inspo) and we popped in last nite for the grand opening. (PS — We asked and apparently the name, Mr. R, refers to a mentor or mentors in the culinary world who have inspired the owners and team running the restaurant.)

The deck out front was filling up fast, so we decided to sit in the ac (ahhhhhh) indoors which has been completely made over to look like a minimalist meets beach-y diner.

The service was exceptional and it is byob but that being said, their mocktail menu is MARVELOUS: Really, you won’t miss the alcohol if you forget to bring a bottle of wine or whatever.

The hubs and I ordered 2 drinks from their Zero Proof menu — the OG Beach, made with Lyre’s Italian Spritz, orange juice and mineral water and the Watermelon YUZU Lemonade made with yuzu, watermelon juice, mineral water, and lemon.

Both tasted like getting seated in the air conditioning at a bright, pristine eatery after walking for a long time in the July heat and humidy, lol.

In other words, revitalizing and exhilarating.

Since the hubs and I had, at that point, already eaten a huge dinner, we went with a few small plates including their fries which were pipping hot, crispy and completely yummy.

If you or your friend group love creative and flavorous spins on classic dishes, then Mr. R has so many small and large plates to choose from, with menu broken up into SMALL BITES (a risotto cake, calamari, quahogs), DUMPLINGS (4 different varieties), SANDWICHES (a burger, a lobster roll), and LARGE PLATES (a seafood curry soap, an Asian spin on spaghetti and meatballs).

They also have this cute system where you mark the items that you want to order on the paper menus by wielding this little red MR. R stamper which is a nice touch.

Try your luck this week and beyond (they don’t take reservations; it’s strictly first come, first served) — before all your food blogger friends and online acquaintances start checking in.

Again, find Mr. R at 7 Memorial Boulevard in Newport, Rhode Island.

As always, if you go after reading THIS, please let them know you were inspired by Patty J and PattyJ.com.