Long before Interstate 10 connected us to California, The Bikini Lounge welcomed visitors from the west into town as they exited the U.S.
In a town as young as Phoenix, a bar that’s been around since 1947 certainly counts as a grande dame of the local drinking scene. The Beast is so named in honor of the now-gone 6 East Lounge that was on 7th Street east of Mill Avenue, which everyone called The Beast because the 6 looked like B. At the bar, you may order food, a frothy Guinness, or any number of house cocktails, and watch the cooks prepare dishes using the warped, worn, and charred pots and pans (presumably Cornish’s secret sauce). You might also follow the sound of blaring metal, even a live show, though you’ll have to let your eyes adjust to discover which. The Beast can be accessed by either the dark front entrance, the trash-piled back entrance, or by weaving through the Cornish, past the bathrooms, and toward the red, glowing light on the other end of the restaurant. Do a little exploring inside Cornish, though, and you’ll stumble upon The Beast, which is where you can get some real drinking done. But it’s more of a restaurant than a bar it’s even family-friendly to some degree. The original Cornish Pasty Co., at Hardy and University drives in Tempe is a lovely place to enjoy hearty food and thick beers from the U.K. We'veīy Lauren Cusimano, Benjamin Leatherman, David Hudnall, Chris Malloy, and Jennifer Goldberg These joints - listed alphabetically, not ranked - are the 100 best drinkingĭestinations in metropolitan Phoenix, according to us. Good for a first date.Ī place to make new friends.
Ultimately, every bar in the Phoenix area - every good one,Īt least - has its own personality, its own virtues. Just as essential, though, are the old standbys: The comfortable butĬonfident neighborhood bars and dives that make it seem like a Coors Light,Īir conditioning, and some friendly conversation are all you could ever Motifs or a bonkers combination of ingredients that adds up to a truly deliciousīeer. Of late, we've seen a surge ofĬraft-cocktail lounges and breweries - places where imagination and adventureĪre valued above all else, whether in the form of creative historical design Is deeply varied and constantly evolving. Driving around in this dusty, strip-mall metropolis, the bars have a tendency