This place is simply awesome!! So much fun!!! The cocktail menu is absolutely incredible!…read more They have very cool mocktails as well. The staff were wonderful, attentive, in character, very friendly! Absolutely loved the speakeasy environment and vibe!!

First things first, the place is beautiful and smells divine. Loved the cozy quiet feel after the…read morefun time upstairs. Wish we would have just passed through. I do feel bad for the bartenders, there were only 2, but it wasn't that busy, I mean the first place we went there was one guy and the place was packed, he kept up & was quick to get your drink to you. Now the ordering, each person explained what they wanted, our bartender tried to upsale us, or tell us what we wanted was wrong. I asks for a good fruity mocktail, he told me I was no fun. I let him know "I know my limit, and I am at it. I don't want to have anymore alcohol" he was not pleased. Our drinks, ick. One tasted like any fruit juice they had behind the bar was poured into a glass with gin topper. Another one was like a soggy black licorice dripping in something unrecognizable. Mine was on fire which was cool, yet was so sickly sweet I could barely get through half. Now, this could have been a one off. But, wish we would have saved our time and money.

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!

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!!

We chose Board and Batten to celebrate my friends birthday today…read more The food was delicious and the service was outstanding! Matthew took GREAT care of us and did a fabulous job helping us deciding on the perfect wine. We love the ambiance there. It's clean, friendly and inviting. We will definitely patronize this establishment for many more occasions. Thanks Matthew for the best service ever!!

Met some friends for lunch, we love this place, have been coming here before the restaurant…read moreformally opened. Today was no different, the service was perfect, just enough interaction that ensured no one waited for anything. The food was really good, I had the lamb slider, if there is anything I can say that's negative it would be the slider was too big to even fit in my wide mouth.my wife had the chicken sandwich which she loved and gas another lunch from the left overs, our friend had the zucchini grilled cheese which she completely enjoyed. The setting is beautiful, very large open windows and high ceilings. We really like this place, you should try it.

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.

I've been to Idle Hands twice, about a year apart, and there's a lot to like. The most recent was…read moreon a Thursday night around 10:30 p.m. This speakeasy is located on Mill Ave., the center of Tempe's party scene. Because of its location, parking isn't easy. If you're looking for free parking, you're going to have a long walk. Outside of that, you'll have to pay for parking in a garage or metered street parking. Ambiance (4/5): Hint hint. Idle Hands is located inside Devil's Hideaway. A true speakeasy shouldn't have signage outside indicating its location. Unfortunately, there's a sign for Idle Hands outside of Devil's Hideaway which takes away the sense of mystery and intrigue that a true speakeasy provides. Outside of this hiccup, it's a cool speakeasy. It's intimate, with 10 or so seats at the bar and about 10 seats in booths facing the bar. There's a projector screen behind the bar that had mystical motion graphics the first time I stopped by (thinking wizards) and Halloween motion graphics the second time (with it being a day before the holiday). There were some other Halloween decorations up. The only area of improvement? The music often doesn't match the vibe. A lot of the music they were playing on my last visit was Irish music that would be fitting for a pub. Service (4/5): I had the same bartender each time. He knows how to make a good drink and is pretty efficient. When you close out, he only gives you the merchant copy. Which is a pet peeve of mine. Let me get that customer copy too. But overall, a good experience. Especially at a college bar. Food (N/A): I've only had drinks both times. Idle Hands actually doesn't have food, but Devil's Hideaway does. And you're allowed to bring food from there into the speakeasy. Drinks (4.5/5): It's pretty surprising to see a speakeasy on a college campus. I was impressed with the creativity of the menu, both in terms of the ingredients used and the fusion of flavors. I've had a different cocktail each time, and they've all been great. My favorite was one served in a box filled with smoke. Talk about a cool presentation! The hallmarks of a solid speakeasy are elevated cocktails, nice ambiance (dimly lit), an intimate space, and mystery/intrigue. While the intrigue is lacking at Idle Hands, and the music can be improved, they hit it out of the park in the other areas. One of my favorite speakeasies I've been to in Phoenix (and surrounding areas). I am, after all, the self-appointed king of speakeasies. The king gives his stamp of approval.

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.

We love a good speakeasy! It was super fun to need a password and try to find it and walk into the…read moredark hallway. Inside was clean and bright. Would've liked it a little more seedy. Drinks were spectacular! You have got to love a bartender that doesn't have to grab a book to figure out how to make a drink. The wait staff was on point and very in- tune to their patrons needs. The food was OK, but I probably wouldn't come here to eat. All in all a pretty great experience

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.

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*****

I really wanted to love this place. Let me set off with the positives. The decor, the DJ, the…read moreseating ambience, and overall just vibes are 100%, 5/5 out of five stars. The chicken tenders were fire!!! What is lacking on this occasion was service. The server that we had was so unattentative. I have never been in a cocktail lounge in my life and had to beg for drinks. Our server would wait until every drinks was made for all of her tables before bringing out drinks. It was ridiculous. She was nice but seemed high. I ended up only having 2 drinks. We would have ordered more but they have 90min max seating and we didn't event get drinks for the first 30min. No exaggeration. Also one of my drinks I had to send back. My apple martini tasted like soap. It was like they did clean the glass after giving a soap bath. No bueno. So they need to get their service to match the vibe of a true cocktails lounge. Yes it is a 70s vibe but doesn't mean the lackadaisical style service. I would come back and try again. The music, the atmosphere and the food was good. They gotta get these cocktails together and service. We ended up walking to nearby competitors and that was money lost for DDG.

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)

My friend suggested we come here for girls night and we were so glad we did! We ordered bulgogi and…read morepopcorn chicken to share. We also had the yogurt favored soju. Service was so prompt and they are quick to bring all the goods. We all had such a wonderful time. The vibe and ambiance is quite fun!