Had a fantastic Wednesday night, and a big reason was our server Max. From the moment we sat down,…read moreMax was friendly, attentive, and genuinely made the experience feel special. The recommendations were spot on, exactly the kind of insider knowledge that makes you feel like you're in good hands. Never had to wait for anything, and Max had a way of checking in at just the right moments without being intrusive. One of those servers who reminds you why going out is so much more than just drink. Will absolutely be back!

They had me at the name... though I will clear the air. There are no killer whales present at…read moreKiller Whale Sex Club. Nor is it a sex club. But, if you're looking for a really cool bar, KWSC is for you. I stopped by on a week day evening around 8:30 p.m. Located in Roosevelt Row, while there isn't parking, I found free parking on the street a few minutes away on foot. Ambiance (4.5/5): My type of spot. Dimly lit with a speakeasy vibe. There are eight or so seats at the bar, and the rest of your seating options consist of comfortable chairs and sofas. You'll see a lot of photos of people's bums on the walls lol. This is indeed part of the appeal. For free, if you would like, they will take a polaroid of your butt and memorialize you eternally on the walls. While I didn't do that, if that's up your alley, go for it. Service (2/5): This is the main area of improvement. After being seated, I was greeted promptly and got my first cocktail promptly. From there, things fell apart. I had to grab the bartender's attention to order my second drink and to close out. It was a week day and they weren't busy. And there were two bartenders. A lack of attentiveness. When I closed out, I noticed that the cocktails were both $2 more expensive than what was listed on the menu. When I inquired, I was told that the menus were outdated... umm what? If you're not going to re-print your menus, give people a heads-up when they arrive. I understand that most people won't notice, but this is deception. Food (N/A): I was on a liquid diet. If you're trying to eat here, all they have is snacks. The menu doesn't specify but I'm thinking it's probably chips or somethign like that. Drinks (4/5): A lengthy, and interesting, cocktail list. Similar to a speakeasy, you're going to see creativity and an interesting blend of flavors here. The most popular drink is Fuck Nazis. We're seeing a theme here. KWSC is an interesting spot. For various dollar amounts, you can get funny things outside of the polaroids of your bum. My first cocktail was great. My second one, a tiki drink, not so much. The menu said that there would be some flame action happening. It didn't. Just another example of the service falling short. If the service were better, Killer Whale Sex Club would easily be a five-star experience.

Great service, I cam with a party of 8 and they were so nice and attentive. Drinks are good and the…read moremusic is good too.

The bartender's are always on point! Rob is an absolute doll and Kyle is so professional, sweet,…read moreconsistent and never ceases to amaze us. We had the personality curated NY Sour, the Rosemary, and a classic gin martini. Ah-May-Zin!!! We love this place . It's a spiritual experience, get on over.

I've been looking forward to having some cocktails at Highball. I was not disappointed. Highball is…read morea chill bar with dark, moody lighting and brick walls. We had a reservation for 3 on a Friday night and I recommend doing that if going on the weekend. It was pretty full when we arrived at 8:45pm. The bar is not a huge place, there's an area up front with couches, bar seats, and high top tables along the bar. Main takeaways for me-- the cocktails are fantastic and complex. Really well balanced. I also appreciate the service was great, even with a busy bar. I love clarified cocktails and there were 3 options, our server was able to help me decide which one to try based on her descriptions and what I like. The menu is detailed which helps as well. My friend is vegan and she ordered the Living Color cocktail but she didn't notice the taro root cream, only after getting the drink and taking a sip, she realized due to how creamy it is. The bartender had no issue with making her a different drink that doesn't include dairy. But just know I'm not vegan, so down the hatch it went! I liked it as my final drink due to the desert feeling it has-- creamy and almost reminded me of an adult milkshake once melted a bit. During our time there, we ordered a couple drinks each, no snacks this time, we had already eaten dinner. Drinks we enjoyed: living color, passion project, quiet luxury, twig & berries, climate control, and a beer & shot. If you like to imbibe at a bar that isn't gimmicky, just great flavor profiles and spirit forward drinks come here. I'll definitely be back.

Lots of fun in a comfortable space…read more We visited on a night that Highball was unexpectedly taken over in a popup event associated with Arizona Cocktail Week by a bartender from Brooklyn. The event was outstanding. There was an interesting assortment of creative and reasonably priced cocktails and a DJ. We look forward to returning for the complete Highball experience!

Had a nightcap on 11.12.25:…read more A quaint place in a small plaza with plenty of parking. There was a live Jazz jam session which happens every the 1st & 3rd Wed of the month. There's different live music, game nights and even movie nights depending on the day. Bartender on Wed was Ivan & he was super friendly & gave great customer service! Def give this laid back bar a try!!

This used to be one of my best friend's and my favorite bars. After discovering it, we started…read morecoming pretty regularly throughout the year because we genuinely loved the atmosphere, the drinks, and the overall experience. Unfortunately, compared to our first couple of visits, our experiences gradually started going downhill. I will absolutely give credit where it's due -- the drinks and craftsmanship here are excellent. The bartenders really know their craft, make great recommendations, and we've had some seriously amazing cocktails here. Unfortunately, on multiple visits we started to feel increasingly unwelcome. It's honestly difficult to explain because there wasn't necessarily one specific interaction I can point to, but there was a noticeable feeling that we just weren't wanted there. Whether it was certain interactions with staff or simply the overall energy around us, we both picked up on it more than once. I don't know if it was because we didn't necessarily fit the typical demographic or vibe of the crowd there, and I don't want to assume anyone's intentions. I can only speak to how we felt, and unfortunately, we repeatedly left feeling uncomfortable and out of place. It's genuinely such a shame because we loved this bar so much in the beginning. It has such a fun atmosphere, and the cocktails are fantastic. We have some really great memories from our earlier visits, but after feeling this way on multiple occasions, we've decided we won't be returning.

Myself and two friends made a reservation for a Friday night out. We had no idea just how amazing…read moreour experience here would be. Our beyond incredible experience was due not only to the delicious cocktails, but our waitress Lo! Everyone who helped us was wonderful, but Lo literally took time out of her busy work night make sure everything we got was perfect, and she really listened to what we liked and suggested the best drinks to order. She was right every time, and we couldn't have been happier. We don't get out often as a friend group, and this place really made our night! We will definitely be back.

This place is so cool!! I like the speakeasy vibe but they also have food! So many unique drinks…read moreand martinis! I stopped in to try their happy hour, and I am very pleased with the gin collins! They give you a nice big glass, and it looks so pretty! Service has been great, with very friendly and attentive bartenders who are talented! I'm excited to try this place again!

A fabulous experience with enjoyable mocktails, cocktails, creative menu items that were high…read morequality and full of flavor. Engaging and friendly team enabled a relaxing and valuable night out with colleagues.

I love that they have an indoor and outdoor seating area. Isaac and Tyler both provided great…read moreservice and recommendations on the cocktails. I had the road runner and donkey. Donkey was a little sweeter than I anticipated. Both were delicious. And I ordered the roasted beets. Although I don't know how "roasted" the beets actually were, all the flavors were very well put together - flavors that I would never have thought to pair together with, and I was surprisingly full after eating it all.

Sal and his team are amazing! We loved our time in The Trophy Room!…read moreThe heart shaped vice as a mocktail was incredible! So tart! I loved it! Fire!! I hope they never take it away!! I totally hope to peak at Carry On!

It's the perfect place to take someone you actually like talking to. Cell phones aren't allowed and…read moreit's a much needed break from having your attention hijacked by an inanimate device. The vibe is basically "Rich Grandpa's Hunting Lodge on Shrooms." There are taxidermy animals everywhere, but they're wearing jewelry or holding martini glasses, and look like they've seen things they can't unsee. It's like the animals had a coup, took over the mansion, and started a high-end cocktail program. It's dark, moody, and fancy enough that you forget you're in downtown Phoenix. In all seriousness though, I love this place and go as often as time allows.

We weren't sure what to expect when one of our favorite bars closed for almost a month…read more Happy to report we went to the reopening Thursday night and the place was full. Captain Alex had things running smoothly with the help of Captain Dave (formally of Coabana) The decor is the same, and the drink menu is a bit smaller - 8 signature cocktails and 9 tiki classics. The back page of the menu was all food items. The three cocktails we had were boozy, yet perfectly balanced. The flavors of the drinks were un mistakable, making them more pronounced, and quite frankly, just plain delicious! Glad The Captains Cabin is back, and you can bet we'll be stopping by to say hi to Captain Alex and Captain Dave and enjoy more great tiki cocktails.

Fun dinner conversation: "Have you ever been to a…read morespeakeasy? "No" "Let's go to one!" "OK!" Off to The Captain's Cabin we went. You enter through a door with a porthole and red light. You are then transported to a pirate themed tiki bar kinda thing with great drinks and a super friendly bartender. We didn't order any of the specialty drinks, but ours were really good anyway.

This place is a hidden gem. Delicious food and wonderful atmosphere with great customer service…read more We will return to enjoy more of their food. The empanadas are a must have!

Get the sazarita (house marg!) -- it is premade and sweet but not sickeningly so. So it's quick and…read moreeasy, but also delicious! During our brief stay, we saw a couple get into a heated altercation before storming out (drama!!) but it was nice to see a few of the service workers go out and check on them to make sure things didn't escalate. We stayed in the indoor portion, so we didn't really explore the DJ area, but this place was packed on a Friday evening (~10:30pm) and folks seemed to be enjoying themselves! I will also note this place is efficient -- almost to the point of making you feel like they want you gone. The minute my sister finished her drink, the bartender scooped it up. That said, the efficiency is also quite appreciated because a server broke a glass right next to our table and within 2 minutes it was cleaned up!

Another speakeasy unlocked! Located inside Valentine, this one has a very swanky, casual feel to…read moreit. Very nicely decorated, with a bit of sophistication. The bar is clean and the surrounding tables and chairs make for a good hangout spot with friends. They do have an extensive menu of drinks to choose from and the bartenders are friendly and efficient. They do offer some desserts and some light bites as well. The restroom is pretty bougie and I'm mad that I didn't get any pics or videos because that has got to be the fanciest toilet I have ever seen in public! Lol You just have to see it for yourself! If you're looking for a casual vibe with a good drink selection, this is a good one to try. Great for a date night, too! Have yourself a ball at Bar 1912!

The self-appointed king of speakeasies is back at it with another one. Located in the Melrose part…read moreof Phoenix, I checked out Bar 1912 after having dinner at Valentine (hint, hint: the speakeasy is located inside the restaurant). They have a small parking lot, but it's free and I was able to find a spot on a Friday evening. Ambiance (2.5/5): Speakeasies are known for their sophistication and for their hidden entry. Bar 1912 isn't much of a mystery. There are two entry points. Either a door in the back of the restaurant or a hallway inside the restaurant that's relatively easy to find as there isn't a door or anything in between the restaurant and the speakeasy. Our waiter took us there after our meal. Bar 1912 is nice, but just about average in terms of ambiance compared to other speakeasies. Part of the reason is that it's very loud (seats 30 people or so) and all of the seating at the bar are back-less bar stools (which I personally hate due to my back). I would have preferred to sit on the various couches/sofas next to the bar. Service (4.5/5): Friendly, attentive service. Exactly what you hope for when you're grabbing a drink (especially when they take a little longer to make due to their sophistication). You're provided with water without asking which is always a nice touch. I had to grab the bartender's attention once or twice, but outside of that, a job well done. Food (N/A); Since I had dinner at Valentine prior, I skipped food here. They have a small menu consisting mostly of appetizers (many, but not all, which are offered at Valentine). One option which isn't at Valentine, but which piqued my interest is the Sonoran hot dog. Had I been hungry, it would've been a no brainer. They have four or so desserts on the menu, and I had room for dessert, but none of them seemed appetizing. Drinks (4/5): When I'm at a speakeasy, I look for creativity and an interesting blend of ingredients. You certainly have that here. There's a focus on Native American and Hispanic influences here, which is pretty cool, and fitting since we're in Phoenix and everything. I tried two cocktails, one was a hit and one was a miss. I'm pretty flexible when it comes to cocktails, and I know what I like, so I rarely miss. Unfortunately, it happened here. With that being said, I tried some liqueurs I had never had before which is awesome. And I enjoyed the cocktail menu. This isn't the type of spot you'll find an Espresso Martini...thankfully. With a couple of tweaks, Bar 1912 could be in line with some of my favorite speakeasies in town.