I work down the street and I can remember when this was an empty building. It should have stayed empty. Ive been a here a few times during the past couple of years. The first thing I noticed was the price of booze being hiked up at least twice while paying 4$ for a glass. As the night went on and people were getting more buzzed, it was 5$ then the price went up a few dollars to as much as 7$ for a beer. Dont bother getting a mixed drink as it will be watery or icy. Dont order an Adios MF as youll get more juice than booze. When youre waiting at least 10 minutes or more for your next round, you can count on the bartenders to count their tips several times before being helped. When they do come around, they will help their friends first. If youre disgusted with their service, theyll hunt you down asking about the tip.."was it bad service?" Yes! That speaks for itself. Bouncer is a cool guy. The owner is quick to kick anyone out or turn off the lights on patrons at 140am while they are are trying to get their last drinks in, finish their drinks or pay their tabs. Groggys, Yucca Tap Room, Rogue and The Palo Verde are better. The convenience of the light rail does not do this place any justice. Dont mention the shop next door either. Just go in and get your watered down drinks if you have nothing better to do. read more

Never want to go back, no matter who's playing. First of all the stage is shitty and the room is so small my ears are ringing for what I can tell is gonna last for days. Food was poor and overpriced. Our waitress was nice but I spent $10 on a double whiskey something and didn't even feel a buzz. That's saying a lot for the huge lightweight I am, and my drink was at least 24 ounces. Lastly there's barely any parking, and we got towed for parking in an adjacent parking spot where the towing sign was almost on the ground so we didn't see it when we first parked there. read more

Well where to start.....we stop by for a drink this afternoon...we are tourists from Canada down for our 40th birthday So we have a drink and the waiter was a really good guy. So we asked how the bar was at night. He said I'll send over Kennedy who looks after night bottle service. She came over and sat with us for a bit and talked us up and said I'll look after you and make sure you guys have a great night. So we commit to $600 which is no big issue to us as we have had service in Vegas, New York, New Orleans. So we arrive a couple hours later...nice table right beside the dance floor...all of a sudden Kennedy our best friend that is going to look after us just walks by and disregards we were even there. Next we ask for them to send some people to party with...so these "friends" show up. They are all fun and like to party. We notice that all of a sudden there is a bunch of college kids in our private booth and the "friends" are giving our booze away like candy. I go to complain to the bouncer that I want these people out of my booth...so they didn't really do anything about it. All of a sudden within 10 minutes two of my friends are "kicked out" for being too drunk.....And the college kids keep taking our drinks. So over a $1500 later we leave and the "kids" are allowed to just finish our purchase. Total scam show...worst this is we just wanted to have a good time..money wasn't an issue... Just wanted to give the rest of the visitors to Tempe to stay away from this gong show. They never gave us a copy of our receipt either.....nice business... read more

I got wasted, man, and I was well under my allotted budget for alcohol for the evening. The drinks are made stiff and they're inexpensive so if you're looking to tie one on, this is really the place you should be going to. Usually, when I'm tying one on at a bar and I find out that a band is going to start playing, that's like a death-sentence for my evening. The band will play terrible music so loud that any attempt at conversation will be futile and we'll have to lean in and scream in each other's ears. "WHAT?!" "I SAID I HAVE TO TAKE A SHIT!" "WHAT?!" While we were here, a band played inside and, sitting outside, we could still hear the radio music piped out through the speakers. It was perfect. The band played and I still hung out and shot the shit with my buds. I went inside for a bit and the band wasn't bad, either. This place, compared to other dives, is a class ACT. There were no penises scrawled into the wall ejaculating onto a mangled vagina. As much as I love my juvenile coital scribbles, it's kind of nice to drink without having a veiny cock penned somewhere within my field of vision. Aaaand everyone was really nice here. No one treated me like a dick. I paid my tab and jumped onto the lightrail which is approximately fifty feet away. read more

Dive bar...I think not. Bar that people have tended to forget...I think so. 20 years ago, this was the midpoint between my residence and ASU. Back in the day, the drinks were strong, the food was from the restaurant on the corner or across the street at Arco. Today, I walked in hoping to find football, food and beer. I found a bartender and 2 other patrons. 11:15 AM, games are already on...and there are several posters touting cheap beer during games. I ordered a PBR and asked about ordering food only to be told that the cook has not yet arrived nor called in. 11:30 AM, I have finished my first beer and asked for a second. Still no word about a cook. 11:45 AM, I have finished my second beer and I am ready to pick up and go when someone breezes through the front door and announces they have arrived. Looking quizically at the bartender, he says she's the cook. She proceeds to take her coffee behind the bar, fix it with cream and sugar and chat with the bartender for a few minutes...then she's off to the kitchen where I presume she is getting everything turned on. 12 PM...the bartender returns and asks me if I need another beer. Another $2 PBR is set in front of me. The cook comes out and asks what I would like to order. I let her know I want a pound of wings, as hot as she can make them. She asks if I want the wings grilled and I reply that I don't care how they are cooked, as long as they are physically hot and spicy when they are put in front of me. 12:15 PM...I've polished off the latest PBR and wings have not been put in front of me. I ask for another PBR and state that if the wings are not done before I am done with the beer, I am going to head out. 12:24 PM...I am presented with wings. I take a taste and ask for tabasco. The cook asks if they are not spicy enough, and I reply that if they were, why would I ask for tabasco? She scuttles back to the kitchen. I've been careful to pay for each round and the wings when they are presented. I've also been careful to tip exactly 10%, as this is not the service I would want and certainly not what I remember. You want football, wings and beer? You can do better than this. read more

Service is terrible, food is horrible. Moldy walls and ceilings. This place is trash.

So it would get negative starts because I was cussed out flipped off by a red headed bartender on Monday night. It was the rudest occasion all involving an orissa car bomb. I'm 27 years and have had enough experience to know if whether or not I was in the wrong or if there was another way I could've approached the situation. Basically I asked for about an ounce more beer in my glass because it was poured about three fingers. I mix drinks at my work so it was a simple fix or easy discussion to be done. Now I always love this place because of the atmosphere but this girl called me a fag got and told me to get the f out all because of asking for a little more beer. I don't understand why I got that response moreover after I asked she said " what just because the way you look, you believe you deserve free stuff? ". I thought it was a joke and I already paid for it so nothing was free but she kept repeating that and I replied" no, I just didn't think it was that big of an issue. " I tell her I'm having a hard time I just broke up with my girlfriend and would appreciate it. Later she uses that against me and says sorry about you breaking up with your boyfriend calls me a pussy and a fag got and explains that the owner would have her back because he is a penny pincher and does not drink. I'm with a girl friend of mine telling her this place was cool and she was mortified and embarrassed through out and I had no idea this would happen, so I try so hard to calm the situation and she asked after I mentioned I mix drinks, she asked what would you do if someone asked you for free stuff. I explained I paid for it and would do everything in my power to make my customer satisfied. She then called me a push over and that her boss would agree with her that's not how he would like it living in Brooklyn and a non dinner. She was terrible and hope something is done because I would never expect that in any bar or restaurant I owned or manged. read more

Yummy!!!! This dive bar is pretty cool! Very low key, good place to go to grab a bite or a beer. I enjoyed their Juan Pablo burger and onion rings. I couldn't believe how delicious the burger was, coming from this dive bar! I didn't expect much and was blown away! It was a 1/2 lb burger with pepper jack cheese, pablano pepper and chipotle mayo. The combination of all that together was awesomeness in my mouth! The onion rings, were not as crispy as I usually like them, but my friend downed them in about 5 seconds, so I think they were pretty tasty to him. Cheap drinks, good food, laid back atmosphere...... fun place to go to! read more

My expectation for a dive bar: 1) cheap drinks 2) those drinks staying full 3)people watching. Tempe Tavern fits the bill. I like the patio out front. The bathroom is neato. I never have trouble ordering another drink from the bar. I have simple needs. Tempe Tavern meets them. read more

I like the place, in general. Very low-key, hole-in-the-wall-type place. When I went there was a cool art exhibit, but I gotta say...... the wait staff is horrible! The waitress acted like everything was on her time despite the fact that the bar was mostly empty. Ans who was she so busy gabbing with to bring our drinks? Why, the bartender of course. And even if we went to the bar to order, we had to wait just as long to get our next drink. On a plus side, there's a sweet phone booth inside that's perfect for changing into your superhero outfit and round housing the bar staff. read more

After reading several glowing reviews on this site, I decided to sate my curiosity and check out this hidden gem. It's located on the northeast corner of McClintock and Apache, wedged between a gas station and an adult book store. There is substantial parking in the back. As of this writing, you can't reach the rear parking lot from McClintock, so you're best bet is to head west on Apache and use the parking lot entrance. If you're going at night, be careful entering as the driveway is somewhat narrow. The building is quite quaint and fun to admire. The back page of their folded, paper menu tells the brief history of the architecture. The bar is somewhat small and seats probably about 20 people. There are numerous tables throughout and seating outside. If you came to watch TV at the bar, there are few TVs that have a clear line of sight. I usually sit at the south side of the bar and the TV over the bar is obscured by the keg draft handles. Ambiance and location aside, the real reason to come here is for the drinks and food. The food is ultra cheap and the drinks doubly so. As of this writing, they have $2 specials on draft Coors and 1810 (Genesee Cream Ale). If you're so inclined, they have PBR in the can for $2. As of yesterday, the bartender (Cory) informed me that they have a happy hour, between 5PM and 8PM -- two for one well drinks and domestic drafts. I've tried several things on their menu. I'm not crazy about their wings; they're just not spicy enough. They have some deep-fried jalapenos that they call "bottlecaps". They give you a huge portion and they are pretty spicy, so keep that beer handy. Their nachos are OK, especially considering the price of $4. Their chicken strips are pretty good. They do have some amazing hot dogs with lots of toppings. I believe the most expensive item on their menu is $8. Most items are somewhere around $6. Keep in mind that they don't have the hot pretzel basket, even though it is listed on their menu and web-site. The action picks up at night and the place can get crowded. In the afternoons, the place is a cemetery...which is perfect if you're just looking to have a few drinks and some cheap food without any fuss. Service-wise, I have no complaints. I've rarely had to wait for a drink and the food comes out fast. I had chicken strips earlier this week and they were so hot that I had to wait ten minutes to eat them. Sometimes, they can get busy at unexpected times and you might have to wait a bit longer (especially if you're at a table), but that's to be expected. Overall, I enjoy Tempe Tavern and have recommended it to several friends. I think it's a great value and a cool setting. read more

Awesome bar, awesome food, awesome staff, great place overall.....however, today I witnessed the owner get short and rude with his bartender for giving me a tiny...TINY sample of a NEW beer (which me and my friend bought two rounds of). I don't support businesses that treat their employees poorly so I need to find another cool hole in the wall. read more

Came here last night for a concert. They have two areas basically with the bar in the middle. We sat on the side without the concert but could still here it just great. We had a patty melt with sweet potato fries and the BC burger which was basically a huge bacon cheeseburger with fries. Both were $9 and were a very large serving. The food was cooked great and tasted amazing. Definitely worth $9. They have several things on the menu from wings to burgers to salads. They do have a lot of misspelled things on it though like guacomole and peper instead of pepper. But hey it's the food that counts. Service was great, and did not have any issues there. read more

Cold beer. Friends. Music. Its a dive bar, Literally. Get beer, hang with friends, do not judge. Because $3 beers taste better than $5 beers. They do. Nice specials. No bells and whistles. That is what this place is for. No Zagat posting in window. Just relaxed great atmosphere. read more

For many months I watched and waited as Tempe Tavern came to be. I wanted a good local watering hole that wasn't a sports bar or one of those Mill Ave joints that turns into a dance club at 10pm. Tempe Tavern is neither. It's a classic local watering hole. The beer selection is impressive for a place it's size and they offer a good menu. They serve some of the best hot wings I've had since moving to metro Phoenix. Service is friendly and the beer is cheap. On top of it all this is the only place I know of around here that serves Schlitz. When you sit at the bar make sure to try the hot 'n' spicy peanuts in the carafe's. The place has never been too crowded either but I've heard they do have some busy shifts. I assume these are Friday and Saturday nights. I typically hit up Tempe Tavern on Sunday or Monday. My only complaint is petty: there's not jukebox. Maybe that will come along with time. They do pump in music from somewhere. Mostly alternative stuff. There's a little stage for bands to perform and I have hopes of checking out some of the local music soon. Tempe Tavern is a fantastic place. If you're looking for a neighborhood bar and want to get away from the college kid hell that is Mill Ave then this is the place for you. The crowd is still mostly college age but it's not the same cast of Jersey Shore casting call rejects that haunt Mill Ave. read more

Its awesome. For so many reasons. Below is my attempt to adequately detail all these reasons... There is tons of parking which doesn't totally matter to me because I can walk here and stumble home. Its also right next to the Apache/McClintock lightrail station... and this is why Tempe Tavern is the start of my birthday lightrail pub crawl! Perfection. There is outside seating... in a particularly good locale for people watching. The inside seating is really perfect too. There is ample amounts for one thing and the entire place is just really comfortable. Makes you want to stay and hang out. There is a stage... so apparently there must be music sometimes. There is also a random and empty phone booth. Rad. Not to mention the bathroom (only one stall but o well) was very clean. The bar itself is smack dab in the center of the place and has seating on THREE sides... it makes the bar itself feel like the most important part of the place rather than just a counter shoved against a wall... like most bars. The bartender that night was wonderful. Really friendly and talkative (not in an annoying way at all) and suggested drinks/made up drinks for us... always something I love at bars. Drinks are crazy cheap. 2.50 wells I believe. This wasn't happy hour. This is considered normal at Tempe Tavern. They also have these really spicy hot peanuts out as bar food... pretty good.. especially with my cold cheap bottle of Stella *I feel weird giving only four stars but I wish this place had a pool table or two* central Tempe needs more places to play cheap pool and this place totally has the vibe for it. read more

1st time here. I live 5 mins down the street shouldve checked them out sooner. Went to try the monday bogo burgers with my mom. Ordered the bc and the heater burger which were really tasty and great price. Also ordered onion ring, fried zucchini and the bottle cap baskets. All Delicious but my fave was the zucchini (best ive ever had). For drinks ordered angry orchard(so good! Ice cold from the tap) paid about 50 for all of it which isnt too bad. Took a while to get served etc but not a big deal we werent in a hurry. Will definitely be back to try other daily specials. Great little place to relax and eat some great food. read more

This bar has 3 faces. Each very different. The first is that of any bar, tvs, bar games and dim lights. The second is of a hole in the wall bar with a stage. The third is a nice patio facing a park. One of the nice things here is they do have a few craft brews on tap, however this is not enough to hide the fact that this place is in the dive bar category. read more

Came in to Tempe tavern and our bartender was Anthony! He's literally the best! Best service I've ever had here!!! Thanks Anthony! Will be coming back Mondays for sure! read more

Tempe Tavern. What can I say? Good: - I like the ambiance of the old building - staff is incredibly nice - they have great live and local music - beer is cheap - lots of TVs - no cover - directly across from a light rail stop - great bar food, my patty melt was delicious Bad: - smoky - cramped - sound isn't great - parking lot is difficult to get into! You can only enter lot headed westbound on Apache. read more

This is the nicest smelling men's dive bar bathroom I've ever been in! The atmosphere is top notch in the dive bar world!

It's a fine bar with friendly staff and locals. Not a bad little open make comedy night on Mondays either. I'd recommend it.

Any place where I can get Old Chub in a can (for I think 3 bucks?) is a freakin gold mine in my book. Not sure why the bartenders get so much bad rap. They seemed fine to me. Maybe stick with beer and get your girlie drinks somewhere else. Tempe Tavern will forever hold a place in my heart for another reason as well- I proposed to my girlfriend here. Yeah, I'm pretty romantic. What can I say, you drink a few Old Chubs, get a little emotional, and decide that this is the right time and place to do this shit. We're getting married next month in Maui. I will probably get stuck drinking Mai Thai's with my toes in the sand as a young Hawaiian boy rubs oil on my calves, buuuut I'll get my Old Chub fix when we get back. read more

Vanessa is the best bartender ever!!!!! She's not only attentive and thoughtful, but she's got a nice ass You won't be disappointed!!! read more

My friends and I went to the Tempe Tavern for St. Patrick's Day. The staff was welcoming and not far if we needed anything. There was no problem pulling the tables together to allow for 9 people. There was also no fuss with having separate checks. The atmosphere was upbeat and exciting and the holiday cheer was in the air. We took advantage of the fun promotional girls handing out freebies and enjoy the great appetizers that were on the menu. Haven't been to this place much before but am interested in coming again. read more

I live directly across from Tempe Tavern. Do you ever watch How I Met Your Mother? Tempe Tavern is kind of like our "McLaren's". In fact, we call Tempe Tavern "McLaren's" because too many dive bars are called Tavern and it's getting way too played out. The food quality has greatly improved and the service is decent. My 4 star rating is a bit inflated because they are dog friendly on the patio and that is HUGE plus for me. They even bring a doggy bucket of water for your pooch. Pretty badass getting drinks with your dog and then just walking back home. Just don't get hit by the light rail. If these guys weren't dog friendly, I'd give them a solid 2.5 or maybe a 3 star because the waitstaff doesn't come to the patio very often to check up on you. Also, there are a lot of strange old people who hang out here during the day and talk about how this place was in the 80's. I guess it gives the place character. Like the others say, the tables are kinda sticky and the place is pretty dark in general, but it's a pretty fun place to hang out especially because it's right on the light rail. I've never been to nearby Long Wong's, but I heard that they compete with Tempe Tavern. read more

Love this place! I just moved here from Oregon and was happy to find a great dive bar that I was missing from back home! Love the decor and the phone booth is great!! Nice patio area for smokers so they dont feel kicked to the street! read more

Came in after work and had Anthony bartending and he was the best. Will be coming back on Mondays for him.

Had the wings today. They were $7 for a pound and they were good. Staff is always friendly and make u feel like a regular, even if your first time in. The staff are appreciative. read more

Excellent dive bar. Wide selection of beer - tap and otherwise - and good food, inexpensive. The bar is open early so an early lunch is possible. It has a friendly staff (especially the female day bartender and the male evening bartender), who actively engage all patrons not just the regulars (even though we've become regulars since discovering the place). Cleanliness and an open floor plan make this a very inviting place. While I'm not an active fan of sports (unless it's baseball or hockey season), they do promote sports and have many TVs, all tuned to different games, so everyone is covered. Some nights there is live music - sometimes well-organized and other times more-or-less like an open-mic event - in a wide variety of styles. The smoking areas in the front and back offers comfortable seating, although it is a bit cramped on Friday and Saturday with people trying to smoke and talk. During non-football season, the bar offers drink specials like two-for-one etc that are pretty spectacular for an evening out. They also offer raffles,with decent packages, not just the usual bar swag items seen in many places, on some days if food is purchased. This is a bar I frequent and highly recommend - casual, comfortable, and lively. read more

I wanted to try out a new place when meeting up with friends and my choice became this oddly located place. This night they had an open mic night and anyone and everyone is welcome to take the mic - I find this pretty cool. As I wouldn't necessarily go here if I was a talent scout, I sure would if I wanted to show off my awesome banjo talent for peers and perhaps get a beer out of it. The prices are right. The service is right. The atmosphere is friendly (to my surprise, I expected a more institutionalized mentality where the grace only fall on the locals but I was wrong) and welcoming, both from patrons as from the staff. There isn't much to this place - but I can't find one thing that I disliked with it. Well, the only thing (and I doubt this is a common sight) was that when I came in there was 5-6 kids under the age of 10 in there. I have no idea why they were there, nor did they stay.. but the patrons treated them with respect and they didn't bother anyone in return. As I said, if this is common I wouldn't like it, but if it's not - I couldn't care less. read more

I have to say the customer service is flawless! From the minute I sat down to right now (which is probably an hour) service all day! I didn't have to ask or wave anybody down, the server WAS ON IT! She approached before I said anything with the biggest smile and I can tell she really appreciated my presence let alone business! 10 stars all day and don't get me started on the food (10 stars). Her name is maddy and ask for her, trust me you won't be disappointed. read more

I have been coming to Tempe Tavern for a couple of months now. I just have to say that Diana the bartender is my favorite. She always helps me with a smile. The food is absolutely delicious and affordable. You can also tell they clean their lines bc the beer always tastes great. Will keep coming back!! read more

Cool Tempe "dive" bar. Good sound for a band, very cool decor. My only complaint would be our waitress. She brought us the wrong drinks twice, from then on it was straight to the bar. read more

this is the perfect dive bar. it's right off the light rail so if you've had too much you don't have to worry about driving. the service can be slow, but whenever i go it's with a bunch of friends so we're in no hurry anyway. the food is OK. it can be greasy. but honestly, i don't go there because of the food. it's a great location to hang with friends and have a great time. you never know what's going to happen while you're there. Something out of the ordinary always seems to happen. And it's next to an adult bookstore. what could be better? ;) as for parking, park across Apache in the parking structure underneath the apartments. make sure you park in the metro/light rail spaces. it's free. read more

I heard heard HORRIBLE things about this place. I had head drinks were watered down, over priced and you got service with an attitude and the door guys were dicks, and that everything felt dirty there. AND YET.. i still went to see for myself. They seem to have all male bartenders all the time, who kinda know what they are doing..waitresses on the other hand seem unfriendly and lay. I was actually asked to take a tray of drinks outside to my table cause the waitress had had a long day and was tired... no joke Either way- things did seem a little high priced.. like i asked for 5 of the cheapest shots and that totalled 29 bucks?.... I do like it tho- cute boys- dark inside.. ill be back read more

Surprised to discover this little gem with my buddy. And loooong happy hour on Tuesday nights so that's great! Love the Rogue Hazelnut Brown ale and the two for one "1810" cream ale is the bomb. Marsha was awesome and very helpful suggesting all the best drinks. Love it read more

Tempe Tavern - Nice bar setup and great prices - Dive Bars Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

I'm not a big fan of the dive bar scene but this place is pretty cool. Found it in 2012 I wanna say when a friend of a friend was performing. They have live music during the weekends but I'm not too sure about the weekdays. I love how original the place is. Covered in art and graffiti and the bartenders are always nice and accommodating. I like to go on Fridays around 9. Not busy or crowded like some bars can be and It's located literally right by the light rail so you can go there to have a few drinks and hop on the light rail to wander around downtown Phoenix. The only con is that it's located by an adult arcade? Lol to each their own. read more

Tempe Tavern - Ladies room - Dive Bars Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Their kitchen is much better than the place's format would suggest. Whoever's back there, good job! Comfortable atmosphere, can get a little packed but that's probably because it's a kickass tavern in a young area. UNF!! read more

A true gem, one of the best bars I have been to in a long time. Walking in, the atmosphere is fantastic. A great vibe all around. The food is always hot, fresh, and delicious. The drinks are great, and I love the live entertainment they have from time to time. Definitely my favorite spot in Tempe. read more