This place was so sleek! Great concept! Basement speakeasy…read morewith live music. Definitely worth the drive and time spent. Drinks are made to order and such a unique fun experience!! A++++

Such a fun little date night! We went to dinner first and then came here afterward. Definitely make…read morereservations, especially if you want to catch the live jazz music. FYI--the reservation email really doesn't explain how to get in, so here's what you need to know! Go into Level 1, which is an arcade, and walk ALL the way through to the back. Go out the door to the outside patio area and you'll see a security guard. Let them know you have a reservation for Alchemy 48. Someone will come up from downstairs, get you, and take you down to the speakeasy. Then comes the riddle! Don't feel intimidated if you're not good at riddles--I stressed about this part a little bit beforehand. Don't! Just read it. She gives you a clue that basically tells you what to do, and it's super easy. TIP: Make sure you take a picture in the little riddle/entrance room because you DON'T come back through that room when you leave! We almost missed that opportunity. Once you're inside, it has a really nice, romantic speakeasy atmosphere. We loved the live jazz and really enjoyed the whole experience. It would also be so much fun to dress up a little in Prohibition-era style for the night. For drinks, I had the Neapolitan and my husband had a Manhattan. Yes, the drinks are a little strong--but isn't that how they're supposed to be in a Prohibition speakeasy? Overall, we really enjoyed Alchemy 48. It's romantic, a little different, and the hidden entrance and riddle make it more of an experience than simply going out for drinks. Definitely a fun addition to a date night! Service is a tad bit slow

Book Club at Guadalupe on Main…read more Guadalupe on Main made our book club Saturday extra special! We had Jared the bartender create a themed cocktail inspired by the book we were reading, and he absolutely nailed it. The cocktail was gin-based with lemon, pear syrup, and rosemary syrup, finished with a beautiful rosemary garnish. He even added a little handwritten note to make it feel extra personal! The food was just as amazing--Chilaquiles, Corn bread bake, Breakfast Skillet, Guadalupe Benedict, steak and eggs , Green Chile Papas Au Gratin, and chicken fajitas. Everything was delicious, and the whole experience made for such a fun and memorable book club! Definitely a spot we will be coming back to for Book Club!

Fantastic service! Fantastic atmosphere! Fantastic vibe! Fantastic and artistic food!…read moreThe owner (John?) delivered our food with a smile...and thanked us for coming in and trying them out while opening the door for us! Drinks were delicious, food was fantastic! Our friends were in awe of my choice in this spot! Will definitely be back and I continue to spread the word

As a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, I was so excited to try this place! I LOVE the atmosphere here;…read moredimly lit and romantic feel. Sometimes seating is difficult with a larger party, as the tables and seating seem a little compact. There are tons of drinks in their menu to choose from. For a speakeasy, I think their pricing is very comparable, and really did not feel as if it was overpriced. The first time I came here I ordered a bees knees cocktail, and last time I enjoyed a generously poured glass of prosecco. I love the atmosphere, location, pricing, and service at this speakeasy. Can't wait to come back.

I have been wanting to try the white rabbit for years and finally made it over! Expectations may…read morehave been a little bit high on my end at no fault of theirs. I did appreciate that the speakeasy was below ground and required a password. I do think it's odd that when making a reservation online, you are not prompted on how to retrieve the password. Thank goodness my friend receives the emails and let me know ahead of time what to say. You enter down a long hallway and wait at a bookcase that opens. It kind of feels like forever because there's nowhere to go and could create a little bit of potential claustrophobia/panic for people who may be sensitive to those types of environments. The drink menu was good but I really wasn't wowed. They did offer three mocktails which wasn't really impressive and the cocktails did include a variety of liquors and flavor profiles but again, wasn't as extensive or interesting as some other speakeasies around town. The food menu was very disappointing - a lot of dairy and bread - pretzels with cheese, flatbread, queso with chips, and "rabbit food" - hummus with bread and vegetables. We asked to have all vegetables instead of bread and they did accommodate with a generous helping of full-size rainbow carrots and cherry tomatoes. We actually ran out of hummus before we could finish the vegetables. I understand elevated pricing for the aesthetic/experience but I did think the pricing here was a little bit high for what was received.

I have always loved the atmosphere and decor here. We are now regulars here and they have reached…read morethat stage of knowing our names, our habits, and most importantly, how to take care of their regulars. If you establish a presence here, they will take care of you. Consistency is another major selling point. Go here 10 times, and your food is going to be on point about 9.5 of those times. Those are pretty good odds. They have just recently started a soft launch of their fall/winter menu, which means they are experimenting with a few new dishes while bringing back some old favorites. One of those returning favorites is the crispy cauliflower. Last time around, it was fantastic. This time, while still tasty, it had apparently filed a formal complaint against the word "crispy" because there was very little evidence to support the claim. Even the bartender agreed with me that it was somewhat misrepresented. Tip: Get the sauce on the side. It will help preserve what level of crisp that is intended for this dish. Now, let us move on to the star of the evening. The new chicken parmigiana! Holy mother of God. Butter my butt and call me a biscuit. This may genuinely be one of the most beautiful, perfectly textured, and downright delicious chicken parmigianas I have ever had. The chicken was crisped to absolute perfection, and the way they layered the marinara on top was brilliant. Rather than drowning the chicken in a traditional, liquidy sauce, they used more of a bruschetta-style topping, which gave it texture while somehow allowing the breading to remain gloriously crispy. Hands down, one of the best chicken parmigianas I have ever had. Now we just need to pray to whatever culinary deity is responsible for consistency that they can replicate this thing every time, because this one was ridiculously good. One final recommendation: split the dish.Unless you are the kind of person who considers a family-size portion a light snack, there is plenty of food here for two.

This was my first visit to this location. I ordered the Reuben special and it was great. I had a…read moreside salad, though I should have probably gotten French fries to be consistent with how I've eaten Reubens in the past. But, my wife had fries that I could steal and I appreciate having a salad option. The little side salad had a nice bitterness complemented by the slight sourness of the dressing. The meat was flavorful and sliced perfectly while the bread was toasty enough to stay together long enough to hold in all that juiciness. Our server was attentive and friendly and I'll happily go back to try some menu staples ... unless the next special demands my attention like that Reuben did.

This place has been on my list sometime and glad we were finally able to stop by! Tours occur every…read moreSaturday on the hour from 11am-3pm, and can be booked online for $15/person. We had ours hosted by the (co?)founder which was very insightful to their process and included 4 tastings of vodka (nice and clear), gin (very aromatic in a pleasant way), bourbon, and rye whiskey plus a surprise pickle vodka. My go-to are whiskey and bourbon, but all proved to be delicious and any would make for a nice gift. Since we had been drinking previously to our visit, we didn't have room and time to have a drink at the bar, but certainly coming back looking at their cocktail menu online! The main area is a cocktail bar around a horseshoe, an homage to the guiding as it used to be a horse barn if I remember correctly. It gives speakeasy vibes with its dim lights, but certainly up on my list to come back and recommend to others!

AZ Distillery is a great addition to Downtown Mesa. It has a moody, almost brooding atmosphere, and…read moreon a weekend evening it was busy and full of the noise of people having a good time. The bartenders were friendly and chatty, checked in often, and somehow managed to keep conversations going while still getting the work done. The drink selection is definitely geared more toward liquor and craft beer drinkers. My boyfriend enjoys whiskey and a good craft beer, so there was plenty for him. I don't drink much beer anymore and usually prefer wine, so the limited wine selection was a little disappointing for me. I ended up going back to a domestic beer, and $5 for a Coors Banquet felt a little steep. Cocktails seemed to average around $15. I'd love to see a little more variety for people who aren't liquor or big craft beer drinkers. That said, I'm impressed to have a place with this kind of atmosphere right in Downtown Mesa without having to head to Scottsdale for a night out. It gets very busy, so I'd plan ahead if you're going on a weekend evening. Overall, an enjoyable spot and especially a good choice if whiskey or craft beer is your thing.

I didn't take a picture of mythis visit.. so I will have to visualize my food and experience for…read moreyou in words.. Cool bar restaurant with a large outside patio and inside dining. Service was very pleasant and helpful. They have a good size menu with American food to choose from. I went with the Philly cheese steak and fries.. the Philly has thinly slice meat with peppers onions and melted cheese lightly toasted bun option to add mushrooms. It tasted great really tender slices of meat flavor on point. Fries I liked they're the crispy kind. Ive been in before and I always return, I haven't had one thing on their menu that I really didn't so I will keep coming back! :)

Food, service has been flawless over several visits. They are consistent in the food quality and…read moreim still eating the pastrami as my go to!

Went here for dinner at the end of August so it was pretty hot out still. We sat "inside" although…read more there was no real partition from inside outside. It was hot, to no fault of the place, but I had a bit of swamp *** by the end of the meal. Drinks were designer. Which is fun, but you dont always truly know what youre getting. My drink said it was smoky and it indeed had a smoky taste to it. Different. They so have beer too, but it is not the standard Coors or Bud Light. As for food, lots going into presentation. Lots of dishes coming out in a smoky bell jar. I got the NY steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Potatoes and asparagus was terrific. For the steak, it was not bad but admittedly im not into cuts that have large fat caps. The cook and the flavoring were fine but nothing mind blowing, especially compared to the potatoes and asparagus. Service was friendly. Served from bar. They let you enjoy your food without constantly asking you gow things were. Honestly kind of reminded me of European type service which was welcome as quite frankly American service comes too often.

We came on a Friday evening for a drink. We were seated right away. Our server was very pleasant…read moreand we let her know we were only ordering drinks, no food. We sat in the patio and had a nice view. The staff were attentive and kept refilling out waters glasses. Much needed in the middle of summer. The craft cocktails are on the pricey side, range from $13-$18 but they are beautiful. We ordered the following two drinks: -Sotol So Good: sotol, butterfly pea, coconut rum, pineapple, lime, orgeat $16 -Devil's Heart: tequila, lime and red wine $14

Restaurant week is great for discovering new places you haven't been before. This was our chance…read moreto visit Espiritu in Mesa. There is construction in front so you walk through plywood walls to get to the entrance but the party is inside. The atmosphere is relatively dark and they have VERY old Mexican themed shows on the tv. They also have an incredible drink menu which my adult Daughter took full advantage. The service was also excellent as she tried to decide between drinks. Our waiter was very helpful and they always made sure we had enough water or anything we needed. The start of the prix fixe menu that week was clams or Birria Dumplings. Hello.....Dumplings! Is that really a choice. Went right for the dumplings and thrilled I did. There were a couple dumplings swimming in a red consume that was truly deep in flavor. The wrappers were tender and the beef inside even more so. It was so great, I would return just for those. Next we had the Chicken. I love dark meat and my son-in-law loves the white meat. We started to laugh when they presented a bowl with 2 legs to me and one with a breast for him. We laughed and asked, "How did you know". Both were fantastic. Again, incredible depth of flavor with the sauce, delicious roasted green chile and tasty potato discs. It was great and the legs were big! Finally, for dessert, I went with the Bourbon Flan. Very smooth and creamy with a great flavor and sauce topped with some Bourbon Whipped cream. I will definitely be back to try the Flank steak which a nearby table raved about.

Decided to give this place a try since everyone has been raving about the Smashburger there…read more I'll be honest, I don't see the hype. Is the food bad? no, but it is great? Also no. The menu is quite unique I.e Birria dumplings etc. It just didn't blow me away. Plus it's a little overpriced for my opinion. Now the service and the drinks, phenomenal. Now would I be back? Probably not unless it's for a nice cocktail

Ok! We had the hatch green chili brisket grilled cheese OMG and the sticky ribs with elote. Both…read morewere so delicious! We sat at the bar and our bartender, Angie was so clever by tempting us with dessert before we even got our meals. She was a highly attentive and very engaging. The only downside was the hot air coming in from the door.... But it was 112° today so rather hard to avoid. They have a small menu, that changes monthly. We will be back.

Tried to check this place out and it's closed. There was two women on the back patio. Didn't bother…read moreto come up to the door, wasted my time driving here to find out it's closed.

Loved everything about 12 West Brewing in downtown Mesa! The food was delicious, the drinks were…read moregreat, and the service was excellent. The atmosphere made it even better. Definitely recommend, and I'll be back!

12 west is generally a solid option for food and drinks in Downtown Mesa. I used to really love…read morecoming here when Mike was one of the main bartenders, he made excellent cocktails. I've been here a bunch of times over the years. Giving 4 stars simply due a mix of experiences, good and meh. Most recently we sat at the cocktail bar ordered a beer & whiskey sour. Drinks came quickly but then it took a while for anyone to ask if we wanted food (we originally intended to). I think what happened is that our original bartender may have gone on break, while a new person coming on shift was busy doing things and didn't know to check with us since we already had drinks in front of us. It wasn't a major issue. It just created a long gap which gave us the option to decide to go elsewhere. We also noticed the beer we ordered was flat and we eventually let the new bartender know. She offered to get us a pint of something else but we had decided today wasn't our day at 12 West and move on. Typically beers are great, cocktails are solid, and food is good too. What seems to vary the most is service.