Odd description on their Yelp "About" because this is not a rooftop view. It's on the street level. Nonetheless, this place was a great surprise. Our group of 8 ended up here when another Tempe restaurant had a kitchen emergency and cancelled our reso an hour before dinner. Alter Ego was able to accommodate us, and we were glad they did. If you enter from the street side you'd never know you're in a hotel restaurant. It's got an upscale, classy vibe not usually seen in hotel dining. The waiter and bartender were attentive and knowledgeable. The menu wasn't huge but it was a great variety of options. Table had some salads, flatbreads, burgers and a round of butter cake desserts. Each was really, really good. Way more sophisticated plates than expected. Also had a bunch of craft cocktails, unique and well made. Sometimes the best experiences are unplanned. But you SHOULD plan to give this place a try. read more

I came to Alter Ego Tempe this morning with my wife expecting brunch... and instead got an immersive, interactive escape room experience called "Find the Hostess." We walked in and were immediately greeted by... absolutely no one. There was what might have been a hostess stand, or possibly a modern art installation--I'm still not sure. After doing a full lap like we were casing the place for a heist, we confirmed: no hostess, no sign, no clues. Just vibes. Naturally, we migrated to the bar like confused NPCs waiting for a quest. Stood there. Made eye contact. Practiced our "we are clearly humans who would like to eat" stance. Nothing. Not even a nod. At this point, I was considering ordering invisibility cloaks since we were clearly already wearing them. Finally, we move to the front of the bar where someone acknowledges us and says, "Oh yeah, just go to the hostess stand... she'll be back." Ah yes--the elusive hostess. A mythical creature. So we return to the podium of mystery and wait. Eventually, an older woman appears (possibly summoned by our collective confusion) and seats us. Progress. We sit down. No water. No greeting. No "hey, glad you solved the puzzle and made it to Level 2." Just silence. About 7 minutes later, two guys get seated right next to us. Within 4 minutes, a server rushes over to them like they're VIPs at a Vegas club and takes their drink order... while we're sitting there like decorative furniture. At that point, we realized we weren't dining--we were extras in someone else's restaurant experience. So we left. To whoever manages this place: you might want to check the tape. Not even to fix things--just to appreciate the full cinematic masterpiece of how impressively this all unfolded. Honestly, it'd make a great training video titled "What If We Just Didn't?" Would I come back? Only if there's a leaderboard next time so I know how close I was to unlocking the "Order Coffee" achievement. read more

I'm not a fan of writing a bad review before talking to the business but the phone number listed for alter ego does not work! It says their phones are not in service during this time period even though they are currently open. There is no option to leave a voicemail. (TLDR: the salmon was barely cooked, it was crazy over salted and had way too much sweet sauce, valet lost my car and although very kind, the server didn't really know what he was doing.) The server was nice but that is where the good stuff ended. I ordered the miso salmon and it was basically raw most of the way through. There was one end that was dry, but only about half an inch of it. Further, the spice level was way off. It was so salty that it burned my lips and tongue and it seemed like there was also too much sugar in the sauce they added. I am pretty easy to please, I very rarely write negative reviews but I think it is important for people to know about this. The person I dined with asked what came in a dish and the server wasn't sure. He said he thought it came with pumpkin seeds but he didn't know what else. She said she had allergies giving him a chance to go check and he smiled politely. I had to ask him to go find what the ingredients were in the dish. When I brought the salmon to his attention he said something like oh no it should not look like that I'm sorry that happened! Do you want me to remake it? I said no that wasn't necessary just to cook it a little more and when it came back it 100% looked like it had been microwaved! It had not been grilled, I have no idea what they did to it. Further, the complementary valet messed up somehow and we waited 20 minutes for our cars to be pulled around and they brought the wrong cars! They couldn't figure out which car was ours or how to solve it. I suggested letting me show them which key was mine but they couldn't do that so they asked me a series of questions. Telling them my car make, model, contents and license plate was not helpful for them. They were very kind but it took a total of 30 minutes to get our car back. This was when there were no other customers in the restaurant by the way. It's not like this was a busy time. I am going to reach out and try to get a hold of a manager to let them know but I'm not sure when their phones will be open again. Oh and one more thing, I asked for drip coffee and they said they didn't have any but that an Americana was the same price. On the bill it was more expensive. read more

I went for dinner here with friends prior to a show at the ASU gammage. The restaurant had a good vibe with a nice and open restaurant area. They also had a great patio that ran along the street. They had an offer with free valet parking if you are attending a show at the Gammage and eat at the restaurant. It was a great deal and nice walk to the theater. Our server, Josh, was friendly, helpful with recommendations and attentive. We shared a side of the Brussel sprouts. They were delicious. I had the vegeyable potstiickers and sticky rice for ny entree. Both were very flavorfulwith good spice.ls. the dipping sauce with the potstickers was very good and not too spicy. Everyone enjoyed their meals. I would definitely dine here again. read more

Alter Ego Tempe - Brussels sprouts appetizer - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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I've stayed at Canopy by Hilton twice now and both times I booked through Amex and had a $100 food & beverage credit, so I got to try a lot of food at Alter Ego. For a hotel restaurant, it's pretty great. The menu has a lot of options and everything is pretty tasty. As a regular restaurant I'm not quite sure I would go if I lived in the area, but I also wouldn't rule it out. Both trips I had the Fork & Knife Breakfast Burrito and it was absolutely incredible. You can EASILY feed two people with this, and I'm sad to say I almost finished the whole thing this morning. Fast forward 10 hours and I wasn't even that hungry for dinner, but I had the miso salmon which the bartender recommended and was great. The menu was slightly different from a year and a half ago so it's nice to see they don't just let the menu sit for frequent visitors of the hotel. Service has always been excellent from both bars/restaurants in the hotel. read more

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Stopped by for dinner on a Tuesday night at 5:45pm. Restaurant was relatively empty with a few tables of people and a few individuals at the bar. Ordered the prosciutto flatbread, miso salmon, a side of brussel sprouts and a side of extra noodles. Server was knowledgable and helpful with recommendations. The prosciutto flatbread was good but was heavy on the balsamic, which was less sweet and more so tart. The salmon dish was also good, but the salmon could have used more sauce. They were willing to accommodate my request for the spice to be removed from the noodle dish, which was awesome, but overall the noodles were relatively bland, so I assume the spice would have helped mask the bland flavor. The brussel sprouts were good and came with bacon and cheese. Overall, the ambience was great, the restaurant was clean, our server was great, and the food was decent. read more

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Our breakfast experience was fabulous. I had a great Bloody Mary and iced chai latte. The French toast was delicious and the açaí bowl was healthy as well as tasty. The vibe was really nice-plants & flowers everywhere as well as great mood lighting. Our server, Jamie, was kind and attentive. Bar looks great with comfortable seating not too close together. Would 100% recommend. read more

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Not the best hotel restaurant I've been too, although I appreciate the experimental nature of it. Came here on my checkout day for a quick lunch - the server looked a little done with it all, lol? Food was ok - the crispy pork belly was over fried and too much flavor, and "sticky rice" is just Asian rice.... Maybe it's just the area The latte was good though, but that was about it. Prices felt a little expensive for the taste but it is what it is at a hotel I guess. read more

Alter Ego Tempe - Crispy Pork Belly - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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UPDATE: 1 month later still no food. As per the manager's request I followed up with a detailed email about my experience 3 weeks ago and never received a response. And to be clear our food wasn't just late. We never received it. So after an hour of waiting with zero communication from anyone explaining what was taking so long, we had to leave. read more

Cool restaurant near ASU. Service is friendly and chill. I only had a Diet Coke and the portion was generous for about $5. read more

Alter Ego Tempe - Dinner menu - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

We were looking for a dinner spot before a show at the Arizona Theatre Company on a Thursday evening. And not only a spot in Tempe, but one close to the Tempe Center of the Arts. I hopped on the trusty Yelp app and came across Alter ego. Pretty cool name for a bar and restaurant. It's located inside Canopy Hotel and they offer complimentary two-hour valet parking. More on this later. Ambiance (3/5): Pretty much your typical hotel restaurant. Nice, yet unremarkable at the same time. There is seating at the bar, some tables, and a small patio. With it being patio season, we decided to sit outdoors. Alter ego is located on a busy street, so if you're on the patio, you'll hear a lot of cars zooming by while you're out there. Service (2/5): We were in a time crunch and our waiter did a fantastic job taking care of us. He was attentive, efficient, and checked in frequently. Just what we needed given the circumstances. Unfortunately, the valet experience is a complete nightmare. Rather than just paying cash, you have to use a website. Long story short, it's a poorly designed website that is confusing and led to me almost being improperly charged after receiving some false info from the valet. The type of stress you don't want to deal with. Drinks (3/5): I give them an A+ for creativity. Most of the drinks have an Asian focus and I ended up trying the Cry Me A River which includes a Chinese liquor (similar to vodka) that I had never tried. Unfortunately, the cocktail wasn't made well by the bartender. My friend didn't like her cocktail either and didn't finish it. Food (4/5): Most of the food menu has food influences, but I went with an item outside of that: the cheeseburger. It comes with beefsteak tomatoes, lettuce, crispy onions, cheddar cheese, and a nice aioli. Served with fries or your choice of another side. I ordered my burger medium. The fries were crispy and well seasoned. The burger had some nice heft to it and the veggies were fresh. All in all, a solid burger and a filling meal. Alter Ego Tempe really needs to fix their valet situation. Without that wrinkle, it would have been a better experience. read more

The wings weren't spicy but had such good flavor. The orange chicken was nice and spicy, loved the flavor and big portion. Drinks were delicious, melon mule with mezcal was a must. The service lag a little but busy with one server who was attentive enough to grab things when we needed. Cute patio to savor the sunshine in Tempe. read more

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Simple day needed a nice drink... didn't get any food yet, the service was fast. The ambiance in here is really nice the wing are good but actually the califlower was the best I am not sure what they dip them in but they were Amazing ....the food was amazing read more

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Yesterday, I had the Togarashi Tofu and it was very well prepared. The tofu was Avery good flavor and very tender. The surrounding veggies and rice made it a really good lunch. The server - Armando was very helpful and professional. Today, I had the Shaved Brussels Sprouts salad with tofu . It was crunchy, sweet, tangy, and downright delicious! The server, Armando was polite, personal and attentive. Well done. read more

Alter Ego Tempe - Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Arugula Salad - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Decided to come for brunch myself on a Sunday. I was so happy I did because there was a live music and a small farmers market in the hotel. I ended up grabbing some gifts to go and even got a free tasting of tequila. I would definitely suggest putting some more veggies with the Benedict maybe tomato or avocado could complement it better. Overall, I had a really lovely brunch with great service. read more

Alter Ego Tempe - Ego Benedict* - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Alter Ego hosted a paint night but I had plans to check out the bar food as I had been missing special events they were having here over the past few months. Surprised it wasn't as busy on a Friday night, but it was near the holidays so people were sheltered with family. Bartender and host for the night was great. He spent time remembering my name and our drink orders which says a lot about the business... I kept it light on the eats, & went with the Ginger Meatballs, Street Fries and of course, a few drinks from the bar. Ginger Meatballs were impressive and had a lot of flavor... so good that I doubled down and got another round (kinda like my drinks). Drinks from the bar didn't disappoint and on par price wise when it comes to "craft cocktails". Looking forward to my next return trip for dinner! read more

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My friend and I stopped in here on a Friday evening for drinks, and there was lots of seating available. We ordered our drinks at the bar, and then sat outside to enjoy the cool weather. The bar tender that helped us was very polite and made our drinks quickly. I don't remember the name of what I ordered, but it had mezcal and tequila in it, and it was absolutely amazing! The smokiness of the mezcal hit right at the end and lingered for just the right amount of time. Highly recommend this spot for drinks. I've heard they also do an awesome brunch, so I'll be back for that soon. read more

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It was overall fine! I ordered the ahi tuna bowl, and it was definitely fresh! However, it lacked some flavor in it, so I would likely try something else next time. The other people I was with had their dry aged burger and ribeye, the burgers seemed to be the highlight! Ambiance is quite nice and decorated for the holidays! read more

Came in for breakfast with my fam and had Jamie as our server. She was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. She checked in at the right times, kept our drinks refilled, and created a welcoming atmosphere. Her positive attitude and great service made our breakfast experience even better. Can't wait to come back! read more

We had a group of 20 guests. We worked with the sales manager Devin Blunt in advance of our large party. Devin was wonderful to work with - she was very responsive and was patient with us through many changes to our group size and group order, up until the day before the event. She gave us a small menu for our group to pre-select entrees, and all of the options were delicious - the ego burger, the katsu chicken sandwich, and especially the orange chicken bowls. Everything on the menu was great, the options are Asian inspired and delicious. Our server was Jamie, and she did an excellent job of taking care of our large party. Thank you Devin & Jamie, and to the kitchen for hot food and quick service. Additionally, the vibes of the restaurant were fun and upscale - perfect for our business lunch that was made up primarily of attorneys and medical providers. Would recommend! read more

Really enjoyed our time at Alter Ego for breakfast! Found it on Yelp and figured let's try it. Our server was lovely and attentive and so courteous, we enjoyed him serving us and offering us options when we needed help (I'm indecisive and always ask for help between 2-4 dishes!) and that was great. Went with the Egocado toast and the Eggsando which is a sandwich which was really tasty. It had a special sauce in it and the insides were so tasty. I enjoyed mine with eggs and chicken sausage, it's chopped up and mixed with the egg and went in the sandwich. The hash browns that came with the sando were BOMB though! Wowza, perfectly crispy and flavored very nicely. My girlfriend had an espresso martini and she said it was tasty. I had cold pressed juice which was premade and bottled, it was very tasty. The ambiance of the place was cool and casual, with a bit of flare as they had a live guitarist and singer playing some cool 90s and 2000s acoustic style. That was awesome. Not sure if they do that only on weekends but it gave it a special feel with it playing in the background. Overall we enjoyed it, food was good, spot was good, and service was great. read more

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Looked at Tic Toc for a recommendation and this restaurant didn't disappoint. Ordered belly pork bowl and orange mandarin chicken both with noodles. Both were delicious. The restaurant is part of a hotel. Decor was very tasteful and just simply a pleasant place for lunch. read more

Alter Ego Tempe - Bar area - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

We live in the East Valley and wanted to get out, find a new spot on a patio for breakfast as family, now that the weather is absolutely beautiful. Alter Ego popped up as an option for our Saturday morning adventure. While it is in a hotel, it's still very easily accessible as it's right off the entrance of the hotel. You can park in nearby garages or valet or find metered street parking. I ordered the Tempe Breakfast Hash which was absolutely fire. Sooo good and had the perfect amount of spice. My fiancé got the salmon board which he gobbled up pretty quickly so I presume it was good. We shared a cinnamon roll which was a great balance of gooey and structured. We also got the chicken sausage, bacon and two eggs to share with our toddler. We sat outside on the patio and relaxed in the sun while listening to the amazing live music they had for about 2hrs as it was pretty early and the crowd hadn't come yet. Our waiter was so attentive and kind, very helpful with getting our little guy situated in a booster seat and then in a high chair when he was over the seat lol. Overall great experience and we'll definitely be back. read more

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Excellent food small menu but everyone a gem. Fab dumplings and shrimp to start , great salads , run don't walk

Good food, good service and good atmosphere. We enjoy being in downtown Tempe. We will be going back. read more

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Head's up for folks-this place is in the Canopy by Hilton, which I did not realize when I made the reservation. Oops. Perhaps I didn't look carefully enough. Our table bordered on the lobby, but there are tables deeper in the restaurant where it might be less apparent that you are eating in a hotel. The decor is modern with green velvet booths, white bistro tables, bar seating, and a wooden high table with high chairs. We made a reservation for brunch the night before, which turned out not to be necessary. There was plenty of room when we arrived at 9:30 am on a Sunday. We were greeted almost immediately, even though it wasn't immediately clear to us where we should check in. Our server was attentive, even though she seemed busy with a number of other tables. The food was good. Two of us had the standard varsity breakfast. Mine with poached eggs, the other with sunny side up. We were happy with these dishes, which are pretty standard American breakfast fare. My partner had chocolate croissants with a strawberry banana smoothie. He noted that the chocolate croissants were very chocolatey but appeared to have been pre-packaged. It isn't a bakery and they aren't advertising their pastries as the star of the show here, so fair enough. They have some more fun and adventurous choices on the menu than we went for today (like chicken and waffles). I'm not sure if we'll be back because there are many more places for us to explore in Tempe, but this was a solid spot for breakfast. read more

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The bacon was delish! We had a great bartender who was very attentive and made awesome drinks. Bloody Mary was amazing and spicyyy (I asked for it to be). Our friends loved the mimosas and different juices too. The açaí bowl was good but was much more of a yogurt bowl so just be prepared for that! There were a lot of public parking options around the restaurant as well! Would def go again read more

Alter Ego Tempe - Vibes - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Great staff. Very convenient in the Hilton Canopy. Very nice open space. Good food and drink. Nice relaxing space.

The food here is amazing! I cannot wait to go back! Josh took really good care of us. Very attentive service and kept the water glasses full! I got the crispy cauliflower, bang bang shrimp and Thai salad. They were all seriously so incredible! Heard the chicken sandwich is bomb as well. The whole that vibe there is very nice. String lights, brick walls, Quiet setting, casual but can be dress up as well. This place is a hidden gem. read more

Alter Ego Tempe - Lobby of the hotel/restaurant - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Very limited menu, so we figured since they only make a few things, they must do them well. Not the case. We arrived just after 11am on a Friday. There were only 5 other people in the restaurant. We placed our order immediately and it took more than a half an hour to get it. It looked like they only had one person working in the kitchen, but again, there were hardly any people in the restaurant. We ordered a crispy pork belly bowl. It was completely flavorless and the pork belly was severely overcooked. Asked for it over noodles, got it over rice. Also ordered a Thai peanut noodle salad with chicken. Very heavy on the noodles, very light on the salad. The dressing was tasty, but the chicken was overcooked and very dry. All in all, it was a letdown. Our server was very nice and attentive and the restaurant was very clean with a pretty outdoor patio. read more

Alter Ego Tempe - Thai Noodle Salad - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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We came here for after-dinner drinks and to check out the roof top view. The bartender was friendly and welcomed us even though we weren't eating dinner. I went the route of the El Jefe brink with mezcal, prickly pear, and lime. The smokey flavor of the mezcal paired perfectly with the prickly pear and lime flavors. My husband had an old fashioned that he enjoyed as well. The view from the restaurant/bar is great for that part of Tempe. You can see the surrounding area and that night we enjoyed watching the monsoon storms that were coming in/out of the area. read more

Alter Ego Tempe - El Jefe - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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I wanted to give two stars but that was pushing it...limited over priced menu! Went Saturday with my daughter. Had the universal breakfast and she had the burger. Waited long because they lost our order...when the food finally came it was cold! Open seating so be prepared for birds and flies to join you. You are only paying for the location! read more

5 stars all because of Gina ! Best server ever. She is a literal angel , buys her own edible glitter to spice up drinks and make people's days. My cousin was graduating and she comped her a specialty shot! She recommended the buffalo cauliflower which was also the best thing we had!!! All around amazing, she's usually on the rooftop so we'll have to be back to visit her there! read more

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We decided on Alter Ego for our friends birthday celebration. We walked into a delicious smelling, crisp and cool atmosphere and were warmly greeted. The Chef, Brittney, instantly made a connection with our entire group. She is amazing and kind! Cheesecake was Devine! Thank you for treating us well! read more

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Stopped here before a show at Gamage during their brunch menu. Beautiful, bright room with large glass garage doors that would be open when the weather is nice (was 100 and getting hotter when we were there). Interesting ceiling too. Fast and friendly service. Decent variety on the menu. I had the SRIRACHA CHICKEN SANDWICH and my wife had the EGOCADO TOAST, but being better that average and good portions. The Chicken sandwich had a bit a heat too! And a better than average Bloody Mary. Was a good idea to stop there before our show. read more

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I stayed at the Canopy for 3 days and ate most of my meals at Alter Ego. They have multiple menus, are convenient and I enjoyed their great customer service. I specifically want to call out Cody. He was kind, attentive and gave me great recommendations. If I'm being 100% honest their food was probably 4 stars, but the service I received edge my overall experience to a 5 start. My favorite dish was the Asian noodle salad and my favorite drink was the espresso martini read more

Alter Ego Tempe - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Be sure to use valet for them to cover parking! We didn't realized it was apart of the Canopy hotel but we were able to access it from the street side. A little sign might help but not a big deal for us. Our server Faith was amazing! I had just flown in and my mom wanted to grab some brunch before doing some errands so we popped in to Alter Ego since it was like 8 mins from the airport. Faith welcomed us with some water and brought the hot tea pots we ordered. We are easy so she took our order immediately. Once our food arrived ( it was delicious too) she was sure to bring some condiments and check in on us to make sure we were enjoying it. read more

Alter Ego Tempe - New American Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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It's a cute, vibrant restaurant with lots of natural sun coming in. The crowd is younger and often hotel guests. My husband and I will come here on the weekends for an easy brunch. The service is a bit spotty but their food is good. The last time, there were 2 tables being served and staff asked if we had a reservation. We didn't, and she didn't like that answer. With attitude, she said "ummmm, I'll have to see if we can seat you" then walked away. Odd, given that there's only 2 tables being served. Most recently we've gotten the katsu chicken sandwich, which I loved. My husband got the chilaquiles which was also good. They didn't have any fresh pressed juice so we did lattes instead. read more

We came upon Alter Ego when our reservation for a large group was canceled at another restaurant due to a kitchen issue. Glad we found this place. From the atmosphere, food, & great service it was all a great experience! The cocktails crafted by the bar staff were all amazing. We had a variety of food, salads were delicious, great pizzas & burgers. Good menu, something for everyone! If you're in the area highly recommend you give them a try. We will be back! read more

Food was yummy service was also good it's inside a hotel but also right on the street of Tempe! The meatballs were delicious!!