I'm not much of a club person so I don't know how useful my assessment will be. I'm usually much more content to have a drink at Hanny's or get tanked on Sake bombers at Moira. Both times I've been here it's not been very crowded which is just fine with me. The downstairs is cool and they have a nice upstairs outdoor bar as well. Drinks aren't cheap but not too pricey either. The crowd is usually OK too, not too Scottsdale for me. While Bar Smith would not be my first choice of places to go to I certainly would never veto the idea either, read more

Best Saturday night spot! Solstice Saturday's are amazing. Hip Hop downstairs, House upstairs. Best dancing vibes.

Every third Thursday of the month (or so), this fabulous group meets and drinks and vents about their work load and the many ignoramuses (or is it ignoramii) they work with, while handing you their business card with a "call me." No it's not a dating service, it's Az Media Buzz, spearheaded by none other than network spearheading extraordinaire, Joel. Anyway, the last time Az Media Buzz had a get-together, it was held at Bar Smith, tucked away in the middle of downtown, somewhere on Washington. The management extended their happy hour prices to the Az Media Buzz folks up to 8 p.m. (instead of the usual 7 p.m.) AND (the important part), they provided free appetizers, three chafing dishes full...and the group didn;t even ask for it! Now that was extra-special. I personally didn't order any food because...well, I wasn't hungry. I was more "thirsty" if you get my drift. So for me to review them for their food would not be appropriate. Instead, please allow me to review their service. I was lucky enough to meet the manager, this cute and compact Latino man wearing what looked to be a fauxhawk. I approached him,held out my hand, and gave him my sincerest thanks for hosting the group and providing free appetizers (what media person doesn't appreciate that?) to the group. His response to me was: "O my goodness, I've been meaning to go over to your table and say HI but you were kinda intimidating." Bwahahaha! To that I say: "Honey, I ain't intimidating...I'm only 5 feet tall! I don't bite. I may be loud as heck, but I am as friendly as any politician running for president right now!" How sweet of him to even confess that? He gave me his card and gave me a quick tour of the place, and explained where the artwork on the walls are from. He informed me that they serve lunch and that I should give it a try, and for his friendliness, I will! Kudos to that lovely manager for his one-on-one with customers. Now, about my waiter/bartender--DALE. Red-head, already a plus in my book. The guy conversed with me a little bit (in-between serving the Buzz people) about Sol y Sombra chef's new restaurant OverEasy (which apparently was visited by some Yelpers and I wasn't invited...whatever!!!). He was definitely a friendly guy who mixed up some refreshing vodka collins for little ol' me the right way. He encouraged me to visit the rooftop bar, and I did. (That spot is perfect for a small to medium sized party on a balmy spring evening, I must say.) Dale was an absolute doll! I see a lot of potential for this place...the employees are good people it seems. I have to stop by for lunch, though, so I can review them for their food. Bur for now, I am reviewing their service and the people and for that I give them 5 stars! And I feel awful for Abbey having a bad experience, but I think that they just switched management, and things seem to be for the better. Ask for Mr. Madrigal next time...he's super-duper nice. read more

I don't know what Bar Smith is trying to be. I feel like instead of just saying okay we are going to be a X music club on Saturday night they decided to try and appease too many people. 90s R&B and Hip hop on the first floor Techno Electronica on the roof top bar. oooooKAY. I visited the during the 4th Annual Pub crawl at 11:30 at night the place was still pretty empty. Drinks-Meh Crowd-Meh, I am still trying to find the young professional males in this area. Layout- I like it Bouncers-Really big and Super nice but then again I smiled a lot and didn't give them a hard time about my ID. The last 2 is what gives it the A-Okay and not a full out Meh. I could see throwing a party there, people love dancing outside and on rooftops. This has both and the first floor DJ was decent, all things considered. I will give this place another chance. Maybe it can redeem itself up to 4 stars. read more

The force behind Stoudemire's Downtown has opened this great little spot--right on Washington The food is simple-not fussy, tasty, filling and moderately priced. The staff is attractive, energetic, friendly, and especially conscientious of the downtown-lunchhour needs. read more

3.5 stars. I have gone to Bar Smith many times - both on Friday night (Fuse) as well as Saturday night (Solstice). Actually, I've been there a few times on Thursday when UK Thursdays was housed there for a night (Dubstep). So you want to go to a club for music but don't want the "club" atmosphere? Tired of Scottsdale elites? Tired of the horse cops on Mill Ave? Want somewhere that houses a couple different genres of music? Want something close to the light rail? Well, bar Smith might be your place. I had a friend who came out from Ohio where I grew up and he hates clubs. Clubs are simply not something he wants to go and do. He is much more comfortable pulling up a seat at a bar and sipping on a drink. Me, on the other hand, loves to dance and get jiggy. I figured Bar Smith was probably the best place because it is kind of a blend between a bar and a dance club. While it has no barstools or tables, it does have a few benches along the downstairs walls and a small one upstairs. Everyone that doesn't want to dance just stands around and chit chats. Oh and did I mention that the upstairs section is on the roof? Normally they play music rain or shine - overcast or on one of our 100+ summer nights. So what did my friend think about the place? He thought it was the coolest "club" he had ever been to - and all he did was stand against the wall and listen to music. So what can I say that is bad about the place? Well, for starters... this place can get packed. Sometimes when you leave the top floor you won't be able to get back for the rest of the night. Bummer, right? Yeah, that sucks because when a man's gotta piss... a man's gotta piss. Upstairs is open to the elements and due to being crowded... I swear there are nights that the dance floor is more of a swamp than anything. What does this mean? What does this mean to you? It means, don't wear your $150 jeans that you want to keep clean. In fact, the dress code here is generally... go home and change into something that you wouldn't mind fixing your car in. Dont even bother wearing white shoes unless you want them to be grey after the night - you will be stepped on and drinks will be sloshed onto your feet sometime during the night. With that said, the crowd is different than any other place. The people who come here are there FOR the music - not to be seen (good reason why they dress down). This is good for some peoplem and bad for others. If you want to "be seen" then head east for Scottsdale. If you want to dress down (i.e. girls wearing sneakers instead of heels) then this place is for you. What else is bad? I think the prices are pretty steep. I am a weirdo and I don't drink beer (I know, weird male trait) and stick to liquor. I think I have paid more at Bar Smith than I have in Scottsdale for some liquor drinks. So if you only drink liquor like me and want to get trashed, I suggest you pregame in your car (lol). However, if you like beer then they normally have sort of dirt cheap beer special. I'd say that 70% of the people there drink whatever the special is and thusly I am squarely an outcast. This is not really a negative but I will say it anyways incase anyone is concerned - this is an alternative club. A lot of gays and bisexuals party here alongside the straight folks. I know because I don't know how many times I've been turned down by a girl by having her turn around to some other chick and start making out (a nice little hint that she isn't a fan of sausage). So if you are homophobic or closed minded - the crowd is going to freak you out. So what is good? Dancing is awesome. If you like to dance but are afraid of "looking stupid" then this is your place. You are *encouraged* to dance if the feeling strikes you. In fact, some of the better dancers there will cheer you on - and not in that weird high school way where they are really making fun of you. One of the better dancers told me, "it doesn't matter how you move, so long as you move because you want to move. It isn't about showing off, it is about enjoying life and enjoying letting the music move you." If I ever hear someone say that in Scottsdale, I'll shit my pants. With that said, somewhere around 1am there is normally a dance circle where the best dancers come out and battle. Maybe not battle, but show their latest moves. It is actually pretty cool and this may be the only place you can see a breakdancer (Bboy) bust out a windmill, headspin, and into a boomerang. Then the next guy jumps out and shows off his Tektonic moves... then that is followed by something I will call a contemporary electric salsa. Who knows what dancing you are going to see here! I also like dancing outside sometimes - even when it is hot. Even though the bar is expensive they sometimes do cool crap like flaming drinks, juggling, and fire breathing. So what is the verdict here? If you want a place where you can cut loose and party and have nobody judge you... then this is the place to be. read more

It wasn't a bad place at all.. but just not my venue. The patrons are super eclectic from very hot girls that look lost, to some coked up military kid that think he is stomping the yard, to some older fellow with his hat backwards slowly trying to advance his efforts into the bachelorette party. Don't get me wrong, as this provided me with lots of entertainment, and people to interact with everywhere is too loud for any kind of conversation. But, this being said the rooftop was still my favorite, as they had a bar manned with a cute Asian chick that got her duties down.. and a big mingle/dance party that I imagine can be found at a young republican rally. I sure had fun though, I mean it. But will I go back? Yeah, you know what.. I will come back here. Not sure why, but I will. And they have one thing that I usually cant stand but love to be bothered by.. they had a DJ that looked liked he wanted to audition for RUN DMC, but played the most edgeless, dull dance music. It was sad. But people didn't care.. especially not the coked up soldier. Good times, good times. read more

First timer, on a Saturday night. We got in around 1 am; we were listed so no idea what the cover was. Bathroom was tiny but at least it wasn't disgusting. Skipped downstairs (not my thing), went to the rooftop. Yeah, why haven't I been here before?? Loved it. Packed like sardines, effen awesome tunes spun, all kinds of friendly peeps in the crowd, good drinks served by smokin hotties, just a freakinfunfest. I'll be back. read more

3 stars because the music was really good , but "hipster" club it is not. I went expecting it to be a little more from this place from the reviews. Maybe it was because I went on a Saturday night , but I felt uncomfortable. read more

Loud, trashy, costs $10 a person cover even for girls. They also pat down men like they expect terrorists to be showing up. Just terrible and not worth the money. read more

How have I never been to this place before?! The bar itself was fantastic. The light show behind the DJ who was actually really good, and the rooftop bar that was projecting a movie on a wall was a nice change of pace from most of the bars that I've been to in the valley. Overall the atmosphere was great, and even the attendant in the woman's bathroom was nice. Some of the downfalls though... the location next to some other iffy looking bars, and the $10 cover. read more

I have a lot of fun here. The bartenders and security are really friendly, people who come here are nice and drinks are priced pretty cheap. I like the house music on the roof top and I really enjoy being able to have a cigarette and a drink by the dancefloor. The speaker system is awesome and sounds good since it is sandwiched between two buildings. There are usually a lot of people downstairs in the hip-hop area but that's not really my favorite scene. Bar Smith isn't the biggest place but it's still a nice little club, I can stay here all night read more

In PHX for business and after having lunch here (good not great) I decided to come back to check out the nightlife with my girlfriends... The rooftop bar was nice and the bartenders were very nice. Drinks were good and reasonable but I am from the bay so any time a drink is less than $8 I am pretty happy. The crowd was ehhh - I think they were all friends of the DJ who was pretty much an ass - why? Because he was one of those DJs that scratches to show off and ends up ruining the music - lame. read more

A small, but comfy venue barely half a block away from 3rd Street & Washington light rail and next door to Monarch Theatre. I've come here quite a few times, and have yet to be disappointed, especially with the rooftop portion of the venue. Technically, there are two stages at Bar Smith - indoors when you first come in, and upstairs with a rooftop stage. Bars are available on both levels, but the rooftop venue has a great view of the Talking Stick Resort Arena. Staff have been great each time I visit. Great venue, especially during a warm Summer night! read more

Bar Smith - Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I can see where they are going with this place, however it's neighbors will probably be their biggest deterrent. One of three in a bar strip center of sorts in downtown Phoenix - this is somewhat of the "center" of the club nightlife in DT Phoenix. All three clubs are 2 stories, which makes it difficult to drown out the goings-on of the two other places, although they did provide some excellent people watching. Let's just say the crowd that is drawn into neighbor PHX is not the same that rolls into LAX in LA. Anyway, I see what they are trying to do but unfortunately I think this bar will get left behind with the riff-raff of it's neighbors in a downtown that struggles to draw an evening crowd when there are no games going on. read more

This is a great find if you are in the area. If you enjoy the sounds of "A Tribe Called Quest, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, etc" (that type of hip hop), then this is the place to be. Apparently, this is where all the REAL STREET DANCERS hang out. I loved watching their friendly battles, because they definitely know what they are doing. This is one of those rare places where you still see dancers battle on the floor. It's an interesting atmosphere. Downstairs is where they play hip hop- and then on the upstairs deck they play house. I enjoyed both scenes. Drinks are priced reasonably- my friends were definitely pleased with the $3 shots. Also, the male bartenders were very awesome and attentive with our group. Best of ALL: you don't have to get ALL DOLLED up. If i'm in town the next time, I'm wearing kicks and a hoodie. read more

Wow such a simple concept Really goes a Long way here !!! Some friends and I checked this place out on a Saturday night : Downstairs : The Chubby DJ - is NICE !!! this kid keeps the dance floor jumping with hip-hip. It gets crowded but the music will keep you right there in the mix Upstairs : ON the rooftop is chill as well. With house music spinning - its got a nice vibe with a well rounded crowd. - Reasonable drinks Overall - A Great spot read more

$25 for a a party? WTH!? The place is too small. The rooftop is nice but still, too small. The sound system is not the best but it's ok. I'm not sure if we'd come back read more

The weekend scene here SUCKS. It's just too packed, and unfortunately with tons of hipsters. And there's rarely more than a few women. Just avoid this one unless it's a Wednesday. read more

A great night club! The rooftop is fun with the screen showing different "trippy" graphics and the music is usually on point. Drinks are average priced. read more

Decent venue that occasionally books good DJs and producers. The resident DJ's are ok I guess. Never ate at the restaurant, only been there at night when its a club. read more

Right off the lightrail, and across from the stadium downtown, so pretty nice location. I went this past Saturday around 11pm, and it was a little crowded because it is a smaller club but I like that it caters to different crowds. It has the hip hop downstairs and a rooftop that plays dance/ house music. I don't really stay for the house music but I will probably stay on the rooftop and check out the vibes next time I go. DJ played a mix of different songs from early 90's hip hop-current. Downtown is becoming a nice spot to hang out so I will be returning. read more

You know there's a problem when the guys are separated from the ladies for pat downs and purse inspections at the front door. Was I being arrested or is this common check in practice at this establishment? The door staff seemed to find pleasure in bossing patrons around and may be taking their hostess authority a little too far. There's nothing special beyond the threshold here either. The venue, cocktail quality and staff all tragically fail. The only glimmer of hope rests on the ghetto-tastic music that leads to contagious head boppin' & bootty shakin'. The music was great and is the only reason why I give two stars but I don't plan on ever returning. read more

On Thursdays, it's also a happening spot. DJ's Mara and Brazilia take the decks upstairs and spin a mix of electro, funk, old school rap, and whatever. Mara is a short, cute, hispanic lesbian who has been rocking the decks in Phoenix since her days as a rave DJ in the early 90's. Brazilia is a tall, gorgeous Brazilian woman who knows how to rock a party and play to the crowd like few DJ's I've ever seen. Local electronic musicians often show up with their laptops and MIDI gear to perform mind-blowing, live, improvisational performances. It's much less crowded than Saturdays, but it brings an interesting crowd. You can actually have a conversation, unlike on Saturdays which is mostly wall to wall dancing people. Not that that's a bad thing. Downstairs is hip-hop, which attracts a hypersexual, young ASU crowd. It's usually super crowded, and they're all grinding on each other with abandon before heading back to the dorms and contracting genital warts or who knows what. read more

Bar Smith, you mediocre bar my friend. There's 3 good things I liked about you on a Saturday night. 1. 4 of us got in for the price of 1 because cover charging makes no sense ($7), 2. You played Wu-Tang, son and 3. Rooftop bar. The 3 things I didnt like, 1. You're extremely way too dark when there's an abundance of latina juiciness all throughout the main (hip hop) floor. 2. Bathroom attendant, why? 3. Put my drink in a rocks glass, not a plastic SOLO cup. Head to the roof and you're a cool, compact club scene. Almost too compact, especially when you have breakdancers taking up the joint. Check it out if you're scratching that uncontrollable itch called herpes.... I mean Old Town Scottsdale. read more

I've recently become a regular patron of this place thanks to their new Wednesday night rooftop electronica dance extravaganza. If your looking for a place to get out on the dance floor and shake your groove then this is a fun spot in downtown Phoenix. read more

Bar smith is one of those places where you go to unleash your wild side. I love to come here to dance my as off for hours at a time. I am in love with the rooftop bar and dance floor. I always get my house fix when I come, as I am a die hard Electronic music junkie. Ditch the heels and be prepared to dance all night, if you are into House music! read more

For $10 cover and $10 drinks and to top it off it was EMPTY. Feel like i wasted money loved the music. But 98 degrees is way too hot to be upstairs on the patio. And the bartender acted like i needed to know her to get a drink read more

Had an amazing night on Throw Back Thursday! Danced all night until my feet hurt. The DJ was on POINT. Service was little slow at the bar due to one man trying to hold it down. Ladies get in free and dollar wells before 11. People must not know about this spot because the crowd was limited. All that said I will definitely hit it up again! read more

From reading these previous reviews, I chose Bar Smith as the rendezvous place for my birthday. I had never been there and I live downtown...so I wanted something close and cool. This place looks great from the outside too. Turns out that the experience sucked. They list their hours online for Saturday as open 4pm-2am. I told my party to show up at 8pm. When we got there, they were not open and they told us that they wouldn't be open for "a while". They acted like we were idiots for showing up. It really pissed me off. Thankfully they let me put a sign on the door directing my party next door where we waited at another lame bar. When most of my party showed up, we bolted for Bikini Lounge. What a bad start for a b-day night. Two thumbs down for Bar Schmutz! read more

By far my favorite place to go listen to some house music. Rooftop bar is where it's at. It has always always reminded me of a small club in NY because it's not 200 of the exact same person like places in Scottsdale. Its good to see a diverse and cool crowd. Not pretentious at all, although the regulars can be a bit clicky . Either way I'm a big fan and try to go get my dance on there whenever I can :) read more

Sunday is raggae night and it's so fun. It is dead tho before 12 but the music selection is perfect

I stopped in at Bar Smith again last night, and the entire block (Silver, Sky Lounge, etc.) was PACKED. Lots of dancing downtstairs, the house music on the roof was fun & funky and everyone seemed to be having a good ol' silly time. It was really exciting to see so many people at the downtown clubs! I think they are being to become more strict about covers and dress code but for now it is still pretty relaxed. I hope once the lightrail opens, everyone finds somwhere other than the tracks to hang outside, though-it makes me nervous! read more

I can't comment on the evening or weekend activity, but as a lunch spot in the downtown Phoenix area, I thought Bar Smith was damn good. Went here recently for a business lunch and found the food to be really good for a lounge/bar. I ordered the steak salad, which was really tasty. Other than the food, the vibe seemed cool. I'm sure I'd check it out for happy hour if I ever find myself in Phoenix again. read more

If you love house music then you need to check out Solstice on the rooftop portion (2nd level) on Saturday nights. There is also various DJ's that spin different genres on the main floor. The thing I love the most about Bar Smith is that there is no specific type of scene going on here. You got hipsters, b-boys, gay, straight, and just generally people that love to get their groove on to some of the best music you can hear in the valley of the sun. I have yet to go here and not have a blast. There is a cover after 10:30, but never too pricey and well worth it considering the drinks are good and a good price. Parking can be a pain but it's downtown Phoenix. Take light rail if you can, much easier and stops right by Bar Smith. read more

Two floors and two very different crowds. Both floors were very entertaining, as in great people watching! We chilled on the upper floor for a while- enjoyed the techno music (complete with a girl dancing next to the speaker who was on some substance other than alcohol). There are partial views from the rooftop bar and energetic DJ's. Downstairs was dimly lit with great hip-hop music. We danced for over an hour and stayed until closing. We don't go downtown much, but may go more often now. read more

I might be a little over eager here, but I am so excited about Bar Smith! Angelina C., Khamis H., and I went this Friday for the time. Paid the $5 cover with minimal bitching. Went upstairs and immediately began dancing our feet off. The music was wonderful. Electro-y and cleverly mixed. The crowd was deliciously diverse and dancey. My favorites were a black couple that danced on each other, eyes closed, nonstop for the entire night, the enormous and muscly European guy who put my dance moves to shame, and the bouncy, pretty girl who I fell in love with. I fell in love with at least three girls on the dance floor. A good night, I'd say. I don't know about the drinks (I had been pre drinking before I got there, obviously) or the scene downstairs. I will be back to check them out. I am so glad to have an alternative to Homme or Amsterdam for the nights I want to dance! read more

Piece of Shit place. Disgusting atmosphere and bathrooms. Security was rude. Only thing good about this place is cheap drinks. I don't recommend. read more

I love love love the rooftop at Bar Smith! The electro music, lights, fresh air, the view, it's amazing! Definitely something to try if you live in Phoenix at least once! The crowd is pretty cool, everyone is so friendly. The attire is trendy/indie/electroish. Sometimes they have a cool photo booth. Bar Smith totally rocks (UPSTAIRS!). Downstairs it's a whole other world. It's more of the mainstream hip hop and more skanified lol. read more

Dub-step hipster bar - maybe I am getting too old for this stuff, but after a few drinks and some fun girl date company it wasn't so bad, especially since this is not my scene. The roof dance floor with projector screens of trippy colors made the whole thing as well as the hipster sightings. read more