Came here for a birthday celebration and the food did not disappoint especially the pork chop. The…read moremeat was juicy and well seasoned. Additionally it came with shishito peppers marinated with some buttery sauce and little charred topped with some cheese. 5/5 We also ordered the fundido which was good, but felt the tomatillo sauce overpowered the cheese, so it's just a personal preference. Others in my group did enjoy it. 4/5 Drinks- I don't recall what it was called, but it was a Japanese old fashion and it was a great compliment to my pork chop As for the server- 5/5, he was attentive and knowledgeable with the menu and drink from start to finish. Only caveat- a good portion of their menu is market value, so no clue how much things are. So ask in advance or don't be surprised when it comes out.

Wow, I love the vibe here! It's dark and moody but still energetic. Our server was amazing. The…read moreguys weren't sure which 2/3 oyster types to get, so they said surprise us and the kitchen sent all three (the last was pretty tiny, but the flavor flight was there). The market price steak is pricey, but very well received at our table. Having a big night out? Consider the punch (big black seashell looking vessel). Worried it will be too sweet? We were, too. Let your server know what kind of flavors you're looking for and if your bartender is feeling kind, they'll tailor it to you a bit more so it's maximum enjoyment. The birria dumplings are incredible! Make sure you order those!! I had one of the best pina coladas EVER here, too. Basically, the place is great but it comes at a price so pick your visit date and celebrate something!

I am a big fan of Level 1 Arcade in Mesa. Alchemy 48 is a speakeasy that is located in the basement…read morebehind Level 1 Arcade Bar in Downtown Mesa. In order to enter you will need to see the staff at the back patio and descend down the staircase behind Level 1. You must solve a brief riddle to reveal the entrance. A group of us hung out at Level 1 recently and had a fun time checking out Alchemy 48 afterwards. The bar offers a unique experience with decor that transports visitors back to 1920s Prohibition era. Alchemy 48 has purple velvet walls, unique lighting, creepy wall pictures and a fireplace at the center. The staff is dressed in authentic speakeasy-era attire. There is live music on occasions. There are several cocktail drinks like the Alchemy R N' R, The Peacock, Old Fashioned, Dark Arts Black Manhattan and the Rittenhouse Rye, For food, patrons can sample a charcuterie boards and other light snacks. I love the vibe here and enjoyed a fun evening out with friends for my first visit here.

This is as real as it gets! From the secret entrance to the crafted cocktails. The staff are…read moredressed the part and provide fantastic service. This is a great spot for an intimate date night. Jon and Brandon are gifted mixologists and come up with the best cocktails you've ever had.

Killing time in downtown Mesa, I stumbled upon this particular distillery. The reviews looked good,…read moreand as a lover of spirits and cocktails, I decided to give them a try Through the front doors you take a right and enter a very intimate lounge and bar area. The light is very dim, but you can see the central bar, the almost decorative stills behind glass in the back, and many booths and seating areas You order your drinks at the bar. They have a list of signature and classic options using spirits distilled at the whiskey as well as other spirits. Each cocktail is a work of art. The artisanal elixirs are made to order right in front of you at the bar. This means they are quality drinks, but it also means they take slightly longer because they're made with care... they also might cost you a bit money The staff are friendly. We spoke to a couple about the cocktails, the distillery, eating options in the area, etc The drinks are solid. They aren't the heaviest of pours or too strong. Each cocktail has specific drink rate, garnishes, etc that will accompany it The distillery has a prime location, smack dab in the middle of the downtown Mesa. You can find restaurants, bars, shops, and even a place where you can both play pinball and shop for antiques or a spot where you can eat Cronuts while playing Super Mario Kart (Outcast) Some tips: Tell the bartender what you enjoy drinking and let them guide you towards a selection They offer tours on Saturdays (1hr in length) where you can learn more about the distilling process and try samples They have a couple clarified cocktails that were truly unique and refreshing. If you're into that They are open 7 days a week but their hours vary depending on the day Cheers!!

Updating my original 4 star review to 5 stars! AZ distilling is a fantastic place to grab a…read morecocktail or two, at their beautiful bar situated in downtown Mesa. I've grown to really enjoy the expanded list of cocktails on their menu and that has improved my experience when I go. Plus, I just love sitting at that horseshoe bar. Until next time, cheers!

always a beautiful Ambiance at the Batten.. I must say we ordered Rib Eye Steak and it by far the…read moreworst steak I've had ever!!! very tough !! no flavor!! sad..

What a hidden gem! Like seriously hidden. I would have never known the restaurant is there. Board &…read moreBatten was suggested for our foodie friend dinner by Scarlett M. Great choice! I had it on my list, but it's not in an area I usually go to. It's tucked away in commercial/ industry area around other businesses. Pretty well hidden. You would have to know its location to drive back there. Once you drive into the parking lot, you see all the trees and the white brick building. The interior and outdoor patio is a beautiful space and we opted to sit out there during some nice weather. For a Tuesday night it was surprisingly full, we had a reservation for 6:30 pm and were sat right on time. The service of everyone we interacted with was great. Our server was friendly and did a great job explaining the menu and making suggestions. We ended up splitting a few dishes- the burrata appetizer, octopus picatta piccante, scallop spaghetti, and roasted airline chicken breast with risotto. Everything was cooked perfectly and full of flavor. The cocktails were also well balanced and very enjoyable. All in all, glad we ventured out to that area of Mesa to enjoy a lovely dinner!

The service was incredible. The bartender was extremely helpful and obviously very passionate about…read moremaking something or recommending something I'd enjoy. The ambiance was really pretty and it was a great contrast to Devils Hideaway.

Okay the vibe was so cool! You felt like you were in a different era. The drinks, however, none of…read moremy friends and I enjoyed. We had to make a reservation as well as they get booked up quick.

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.

My husband and I stopped in for an impromptu lunch date over the weekend. The weather was perfect…read morefor sitting on the patio. We got a couple drinks as well as the popcorn chicken and Birria tacos. This wasn't our first time visiting this location and probably won't be the last. It's a great spot in downtown Mesa. There's ample seating for larger parties. They have a couple patio areas as well as a couple bars inside.

So glad I stopped by! It wasn't on my list of speakeasies as this was a bit far from where I was…read morestaying. But a friend wanted to meet for food around the area and this spit popped up on Yelp. It didn't disappoint! I was skeptical at first as having a sign posted at the sidewalk and a bouncer outside the stairs going down, was a sheer sign that this isn't such a secret and speakeasy-like spot. But I was proven wrong very quickly. Dre who was the bouncer and I'd much rather call Drayden, is young but friendly. The hall leading down to the entrance was well decorated. It's hard to miss the door when you can hear people on the other side :). Hostess was nice. Alex immediately introduced himself from behind the bar as I sat down, and Meagan was the main bartender this night. They were both a wealth of knowledge when it came to cocktails. I really wasn't expecting too much but the two drinks I ordered were a solid 5/5. I had the silk bandit and the untold legacy. I like sweet drinks this way. It wasn't too sweet. All the flavors were well balanced and well thought out. They also had a girl singing tonight and she was amazing!!! Thanks for a nice relaxing night. Service was a 5/5 and I'd definitely come back if I'm in the area.

As the self appointed king of speakeasies, I'm back at it with another one. This time was checking…read moreout a speakeasy located in the heart of downtown Gilbert on a Friday evening at 9 p.m. I parked for free on the street before making my way to The White Rabbit. There are some things I really love about The White Rabbit and some that I didn't. Ambiance (3/5): When I think of a speakeasy, I think intimate. The White Rabbit is not that. It's pretty large for a speakeasy with a large bar and a good number of tables/booths. They weren't at capacity while I was there, but there were a good number of people there. Which made it pretty loud. To the point where you have to yell at your bartender when ordering your drink so they can hear you. Perhaps a much different experience on a week day. Getting in the speakeasy was both a hit and a miss. If you're subscribed to their email list, as I am, you get a different password every month. I was excited about this. Upon approaching The White Rabbit, I saw a sign naming the establishment and pointing me in the right direction. This takes away from the spirit of speakeasies which are supposed to be truly hidden without any signage identifying the restaurant. You'll see a velvet rope blocking a stairwell where you tell one of the bouncers the password. I had a reservation. If you don't know the password, as another party there didn't, they ask you to access a QR code to find out or ask others who are waiting. I appreciated the dedication to the cause. Once you get in, you walk down the stairwell, and then enter a cool hallway decked out with Prohibition-style decor. That leads you into the main room. The main room is also Prohibition-style though a bit unremarkable. The bathrooms are clean and also feature some cool paintings (and they also hide that they are actual bathrooms). With that being said, when I liked the hallway and the bathrooms better than the bar itself, that's a bit of an issue. Seats at the bar are bar stools without back support. Never fun for my old man back. I did, on the other hand, appreciate that they have free WiFi. Service (3.5/5): The service was generally pretty good, though a bit slow. They start you off with some water without asking you which is always a nice touch. It was just one of those situations where you have to put some effort into getting a bartender's attention on several occasions. Food (N/A): I had dinner prior so no food for me. I did check out the menu. They have a small selection of appetizers, flatbreads, and desserts. Drinks (3/5): When I'm at a speakeasy, I'm looking for creativity and an interesting blend of ingredients and flavors. While The White Rabbit has a good number of cocktails, many of them didn't attract me. Part of it is a matter of personal preference. There were only two drinks out of about 20 that I was interested in. Overall, I wanted a little more, but with that being said, the drinks were reasonably priced for a speakeasy. Not a bad speakeasy by any means, I have super high standards when it comes to these watering holes. Just not in my top five when it comes to speakeasies in Phoenix and surrounding areas.

I had been waiting what felt like an eternity to try out this disco-themed speakeasy! Disco balls,…read morelots of moving lights, swanky vibes, groovy music, and attentive and intelligent servers! Love it! I started out with a cocktail - the Mega Viral! Once you try it, you will understand the name. One of the more innovative cocktails I have ever had... and I ended up having two! So delicious and an experience in itself!! We enjoyed some light bites as well - the Edamame Hummus and Shishito Peppers. Both were fantastic! I love that their menu points out which items are gluten-free... and our server even warned me that the plantain chips in the Edamame Hummus could have cross-contamination... so I very much appreciate that heads up! I opted to order them anyway and I am so glad I did - so good! And I experienced no gluten issues. Awesome! I'm already looking forward to a return trip! Overall rating: *****FIVE STARS***** Gluten-free rating: *****FIVE STARS*****

Drop Dead Gorgeous is a 70s themed speakeasy located inside of Filthy Animal. My friend and I…read morearrived around opening hour and got a good spot in the middle of the bar. I love the giant disco balls and the aesthetic of this place. We started with the appletini and lemongrass highball (non-alcoholic). My friend and I ended up switching drinks because we liked each other's more than our own. For the second round, we ordered the brandy spritz and primrose martini. We weren't fans of the brandy spritz, although my friend grew into it. The primrose martini was quite good, I liked it better than the appletini. For snackies, we ordered the glizzy gaunlet, which was basically a tower of carbs. It came with 5 mini dogs with milk bread, and potato wedges. There were 3 sauces, my favorite in order were the: truffle dijonnaise, kosho aioli, and korean ketchup. We enjoyed this more than the food at Filthy Animal. Although it was pricey ($22) for just carbs and hardly any protein. The milk bread was delicious and the mini dogs were pretty good too. The potato wedges were cooked perfectly, slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Would I return? Probably not. The food was better than the drinks but it wasn't outstanding.

Thanks for hosting my family here from San Diego. What a great Chinese place we found after we…read moreweren't able to get into our first choice restaurant since we didn't make a reservation. This is a Korean pub. Soooo cute. They had a "Christmas tree" made out of Soju bottles! Sooo smart, so creative! I think I should do that next year. But yea, no thanks my dog will knock that down in an instant and it won't be pretty. We chose 6 different items to share. We all had different types of Soju, but I can't remember which ones. Some were specials, so I don't remember (yikes...did we drink that much). Food: fried Mandu (potstickers), french fries, parmesan garlic mandu, salt & pepper shrimp and tteokbokki, chicken wings (pina flavor), pineappple fried rice, and pork belly salad (had to have some greens)

Service was great Had specials…read more Clean Lots to choose from on menu Tasted great Good size portions

I'm a broke grad student or else this would get 5 stars…read more Pros: A dark, intimate ambiance with accents of color in geometrically-pleasing ways. Music was upbeat, house-ish type vibe, perfect volume for date convos but not really for group outings IMO. Staff and community seems friendly and healthy, and there were even little easter eggs on the menu to discover! And the menu? It was literally like a magazine, very entertaining while also informative. Cons: They charged New York prices for their cocktails. And honestly, it was a pretty new york experience in some ways, but if you're living on a budget this is not the place for you. Not a great place to go to meet new people IMO. Bar was a little cramped for me, but that's not hard to do, long legs and such. SUMMARY: This would be my spot if I achieve all my dreams and make a bajillion dollars. Amazing vibes, great service and staff, creative interior design. *Aesthetic*, but exclusive.

Service was fantastic. The reason for the two stars is how loud the music was. I love having music…read morein the background but not so loud you have to yell across the table to have a conversation. The booths were sunken too low for the table, needs a slight update with the furniture IMO of course. Has a lot of potential to be really great.