One of my coworkers had moved here from Belgium years ago. One day, I overheard him lamenting that he's never been able to get a specific Belgian beer in the states. *cracks knuckles* Challenge accepted. After wandering the aisles of Taste of Tops a few times, I decided to ask an employee. He helped me scour the Belgian beer aisle until, miracle of miracles, he found the exact beer I was looking for! Thanks for almost making my coworker cry in delight. You all are amazing. read more

No sports on tv here so don't ask!! Great selection of sour beers and red wine! Love the bartenders read more

Taste of Tops - Wine Bars Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Cozy for its small but warm interior. Comfortable for its low key energy and lack of huge groups. Desirable for its excellent selection of craft beer on tap (as well as its selection for the connected beer store). While I cant say Ive been to every tap room in the Phoenix area, this one felt the coziest of them all. As a solo drinker, of meeting up with a friend or two, this is the spot you want to go to. read more

Atmosphere was chill, beer was great, and pretzels was fresh and tasty!!! Perfect meal for a drinker!! read more

Taste of Tops - and chicken - Wine Bars Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

BEWARE LGBTQ+ Absolutely disgusted with the wait and bartending staff. My friends and I were harassed by a bigoted belligerent drunk customer as they looked on. 12 yrs personal experience in this industry and it was CLEAR this common individual was over served. Unprofessional to allow this kind of behavior to go unchecked in any establishment. Will never return and strongly urge others from supporting this business. One star bc I'm unable to post a zero star rating Do better. read more

Stopped by Taste of Tops this past Friday night. With the crowd from Spring Training mixing with the crowd from Spring Break, a great social time of meet and greet was to be had. The bar was the most packed it has ever been. Even with the standing room only the bartender was swift and quick with taking drink orders and making suggestions according to taste. If you are unsure as to what craft beer you fancy, don't be worried as you are allowed 3 tasters to find your poison. If you prefer to try a beer from the cooler, no problem, silky select what you want and they will surely pop the cap for you. You may even bring a beer that you purchased from the attached store... a simple and affordable cap fee is assessed but wealth worth it. The craft list is extensive and so they have televised listings of the selections as well as the alcohol content that varies from 4.5% to 12.5%. If you drink up and appetite, they got you covered as the Thai place next door will take phone orders and even deliver the food to the bar. If you stop by on Sunday or Mondays don't be surprised if there is a themed show being aired. They love to watch the weekly Walking Dead series and even have movies playing certain nights. read more

Taste of Tops - Beer selection at the moment - Wine Bars Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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When I visited a friend of mine in Tempe, he took me to one of his favorite hangouts - Taste of Tops. Its just a short walk from Mill Avenue and the university, so its not hard to get to if you're roaming around on foot. The place was dark, and had a quiet chill vibe, which was fine with me. They had a nice selection of craft brews and I tasted a couple of their signature ones (though I can't remember which - sorry!). Everybody was having a simple, plain sociable time from what I observed. The place had some great seating areas, including couches. Stranger Things was playing on the TV. Bar staff was nice and friendly. Recommended! read more

Beer heaven. A selection for every taste bud. Variety that could keep you there for hours to try everything that sounds up your alley. Bring Your Own Food !!!! read more

I was searching for a great place to pregame for an ASU game with some friends when I came across an ad for a Stone Halloween tap takeover at Taste of Tops. I had never heard of the place which surprised me, but was willing to give it a shot (plus I can never turn down some Stone beer). Walked in and was immediately in craft beer heaven. Couches line the walls near the entrance giving it a nice lounge type vibe. The bartender(owner?) Matt was super cool and had a great sense of humor. The beer selection was stellar, with some beers on tap I hadn't seen yet in the Valley (Avery strong beers especially). Everything about this place made it a positive experience for me and my friends. We actually left talking about what an awesome find/hole in the wall type place it was. Come check out Taste of Tops for yourself! read more

Taste of Tops - Good times at Taste of Tops! - Wine Bars Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Sooooo....I kinda live here. Let me clarify- over the years I have found myself seeking ToTs as a refuge. Yeah, I come here so often I abbreviate it. Sometimes its like, "Let us check out Taste", but I've reduced myself to calling it "ToTs" when I type it out on my phone. Yeah, it autocorrects to "ToTs". Then I think the phone types "Lush" after it. Let me break it down: Scenario 1) I am exhausted, riding my bike from work, I go to Tops to pick up a beer or bottle of wine...and then see that lovely John Malkevich portal into the lovely inviting, warm, softly lit bar and I am drawn to it like a moth. Like a lushy moth, I guess. I succumb and get a drink and 9 times out of 10 I run into I someone I know anyway. A sad day turns into a happy night (which sometimes turns into a confused morning, but that may be another story). Scenario 2) I have a short time to chat up with friends visiting from out of town, I can convince them to meet me for a high quality beer or wine before they pick up a case at Taste or relax without a bar "scene' impending on our socializing. Scenario 3) I'm a chatty cathy, and I like to shoot the shit with my lady friends (boys I love you, but sometimes you gotta talk some "shits gettin real" stuff with the ladies), and I can rest there in the comfortable booth with too many beers or Sofia Coppola champagne, and not worry about random dudes trying to pick us up b/c this a friendly bar, but not a pick up bar. Scenario 4) I'm hungry. And lazy. Time to eat something and bring it in so I can drink yummy beer while I eat greasy spring rolls. I really like the vibe here, they have honed the menu, the bartenders are always friendly, prompt and professional, their playlist always makes me happy (lovin the Talking Heads rotation lately), and its drunk bicycling distant away for me. ToTs has really come into its own, and I'm glad I kept going here. And yes, the bathroom is just as great as ever. read more

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Cozy calm place with a friendly atmosphere. It's a bit small, but can be a nice stop if You bring your phone or a good friend/significant other to talk too. Music is low, so is the lighting. After a Long work week, this is a good place to unwind. I liked their 4 Oz taste testers for their beer as they have a good amount of choice to try on the cheap for 2 to 4 dollars a glass. You find something you like you should have no trouble getting a pack of it from the conjoining liquor store. However, there really isn't much else to say about this place and can be hard to get a order, only one person running the place whenever I went. It's a low pressure kind of place. read more

I LOVE THIS SPOT!! My sister, my fiance & I came to this sweet little spot last Saturday for a little night cap. We definitely are glad we ended up here. We go into the taste of tops liquor store to buy our alcoholic beverages, so once we were informed about their bar, we knew we had to try it! This place is a little hidden gem. I'm actually not sure if I want people to find out about this spot, because its that good! You don't find too many bars with such great staff and very chill and relaxing too often. The bartender Matt was awesome to say the least! He helped us all pick out our favorite drinks & pointed us in the right direction for some new ones. All his recommendations were yummy, they did not disappoint. We could also buy items from the liquor store & have him pour them for us for a fee, which is way cool!! We will definitely be back here because it was a relaxing small spot with lots to offer! Thanks Taste of Tops!! read more

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Great beers. Really good staff. Nice folks hanging out. Glad we came and we will be back read more

Taste of Tops - Wine Bars Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Stopped here for a drink before we had to head to the airport. Great surprise. Awesome craft beer list and nice wines too. You can get a wine or beer flight from the options as well - I went with the wine flight. There's also a Thai place next store that you can order to go and bring in here to eat. Awesome vibes. Really glad we decided to stop here! read more

Taste of Tops - Yummy wine flight! Cabernet, rioja, and hook & ladder tillerman. - Wine Bars Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Taste of Tops has a top shelf beer selection and is now at the top of my list for places to drink prior to ASU Gammage productions (ha, see what I did there?). A group of us came here prior to watching the Book of Mormon. Not only does this bar offer an awesome seasonal selection (local pumpkin brews, anyone?), it also manages to be chill enough to let customers BYOF (bring your own food). Along with everyone else on Yelp, I recommend grabbing some grub from the Thai restaurant next door before heading over here - what goes better with beer than thai food? Also, Gammage is a walkable (stumbleable?) distance so this makes for a great place to meet up with friends prior to a play or musical. I can imagine this place can get a little crowded on the weekends, but for weekday boozing, we had no difficulty finding a seat. Prices were fair and quantities were generous. Definitely will be back. read more

Build your own beer flight? Yes I think I will. for $8 you can get four 4oz tasters of any beer's on tap of the 24 they have on tap. Granted unless you get all $8 a pint beers you are not getting the full value but you do get to sample many good micro and craft brews. Inside the door is a high top table, tow couches a small bar that can seat about 12 ans several booth chair table combos. It is a small narrow place, cozy if you will. Wood paneled walls add a touch of class. There are a few fridges too for bottles of other exotic beers. From what we saw it is order at the bar style service, so some one will need to watch your seat. It is also BYO food from the Thai or pizza places next door. I enjoyed the fact the music was not too loud and the lights were no too low. It is a coffee shop of beer (and wine) I liked the style. read more

Taste of Tops - Wine Bars Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Taste of Tops has one of the best beer selections in the Valley. I've never been disappointed with the list here. They also have cool beer events showcasing unicorn beers. The bathrooms are always clean, the bartenders are awesome as fuck. So much yes. read more

Large variety of beer and ciders available on tap and in their fridges in the back. And if you want to try something different you can go next store to the liquor store, which has an infinite selection of drinks, a lot of obscure ciders I've never seen before and can't wait to try!! Draft beers are a dollar off during Happy Hour read more

Neat spot. Quite a good beer selection and a very comfortable, unpretentious atmosphere. The bartender was really nice which is not always the case at other places. Good mix of people. read more

Taste of Tops just didn't feel like Tempe...in a good way... My dad had cut out an article in the paper about Taste of Tops and suggested I go there when I got a chance (we both appreciate a good glass of beer). The place is nestled in the conglomeration of shops that makes up this particular stretch of University Ave...Thai Basil...Tops Liquor...antique store...bike store...But somehow, when you enter the doors of Taste of Tops, you are transported to another place: there are people in jackets here, people who I didn't recognize (which to be honest, after years of living in Tempe, is a relief sometimes)--was it somehow colder just at this establishment's address? It is the end of November and still disgustingly warm in the Valley of the Sun...anyway....this place just had a good vibe. Its not huge, but its not cramped. A big group took up the back section of booth the whole time we were there, having a great time. The music was eclectic without being distracting. The beer was good (and the bar staff will give you big tastes if you want to just try one before ordering), wide wide selection and not crazy expensive. I had wanted to try something to eat but we didn't find a menu readily available and had just eaten dinner, so were not hungry enough to ask. The servers are really nice, and even made rounds for refills (even on water) as the night wore on. I wanted to take home and sample every bottle in the fridge in back--there were some really unique ones in there. read more

Taste of Tops - The Bar at Taste of Tops - Wine Bars Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Happy hour here is amazing. They have lots of beers to choose from and overall just very unique. The staff here is friendly , especially Matt, when he's your bartender only good things going to happen! Overall I give this place five stars, great if you had a long day at work and just want to relax and crack open a cold one ! read more

This is a great casual place to sample some beers...and wine, I suppose. But mostly beers!! We have gone here for several years and have enjoyed being recognized as locals. If you are lucky enough to visit on a night when Matt is working, you will be treated to some fast talking witicisms, peppered with deadpan humor, and gifted storytelling. He may even show you one of his cartoons, but if not, you can head over to Tops and view them above the registers :) There are various board games you can play while imbibing your chosen beverage, and the ladies from Thai Basil (housed next door) are happy to deliver food for you eat (because Taste does not serve food). read more

Bar is super cool bartender is very friendly. The ambiance is like a super casual hip bar. Great bear selection!!! read more

The staff is friendly and also very knowledgeable about the rotating taps. The tap takeovers are good events and happen about 5-8 times per month. The happy hour is until 7pm. No food served/available but you can bring in food or order food to be delivered from another venue. You can also pick out a beer or bottle of wine from the liquor store annexed to the taste room to have them open for immediate enjoyment in the venue. Like craft beer/wine? This loungey taste room will satisfy those tastebuds. read more

I grew up in Las Vegas. I was not introduced to the concept of "Last Call" until I moved to Ohio at 17 years old. It was a huge shock. I couldn't believe other people had the right to tell me when I could or couldn't purchase delicious alcoholic beverages. Despite the fact that I was 17 years old and I was therefore legally forbidden to buy alcoholic beverages for at least another 3 years, this "Last Call" business really chapped me. I'm typically not ready to end the night just because Mr. Last Call wants to be a party pooper and rear his ugly head. I usually plan for this likely event beforehand, but I'm not going to say I'm a stranger to jumping in a cab at 1:50 screaming at the driver with the urgency some may reserve for labor pains that I need a liquor store PRONTO! This leads to me overpaying for the cab, overpaying for liquor, and generally overtesting my patience because apparently to some cab drivers "PRONTO" means "Drive Safely and Obey all Posted Speed Limits". Pussies. This, my friends, is where the beauty of a liquor store with a built-in bar comes in. This way, when last call comes around, I merely need to mosey on down the hall to make my after-hours selection, and patiently ask my cab driver to take me to the destination of my choice. Everybody wins! The bar has a great selection of beers on draft. On our last visit, which just happened to be Halloween night, there was not one but TWO different Pumpkin drafts. The ever popular Four Peaks Pumpkin Porter, and another one which I don't quite remember the name of, but it tasted like pumpkin pie in a pint glass. I was tempted to ask for whipped cream. We experimented with several different beverages throughout the course of the night. I awoke the next morning to find a note written to myself in my phone that merely said: los abbey angel share is the most delciousber of allll time As you can clearly read, Lost Abbey Angel's Share is the most delicious beer of all time. They serve it here, for $13 a glass. It's totally worth it though. It's extremely strong and tastes like a combination of chocolate and jesus. Another win-win. I'll definitely be back to Taste of Tops. Cab drivers everywhere rejoice. read more

I'd been wanting to check this place for quite some time and I finally got the chance last night (Sunday 9/8) as I was there to see an old friend off who is moving away. (It's 8 p.m. and fairly packed. The douche quotient is also a bit higher than I expected.) I was a little underwhelmed with the tap selection, especially when Tops is known for their stellar array of wonderful and varied beers, but I was nonetheless able to find something I'd been dying to try - the Lips of Faith Coconut Curry. A customer was sitting at the bar directly in front of me and overheard me mentioning to my friend that that's what I was going to order. He suggested sampling it first. While the request for a sample was met with some 'tood from the bartender, it was the right call - not something I'd want a whole pint of. For this sample, I was punished and forced to wait 12 minutes before the bartender decided he had absolutely nothing else with which to fake being busy and he was practically forced to approach me again. This time, I ordered a Prescott Heroes 19 - sample not required. I love brown ales and this was decent enough, but also nothing special. At precisely 8:30, the lights dimmed, the volume on the TVs went up, and everyone except my two friends and I had shut the fuck up. I turn around to notice everyone staring up at a TV. Breaking Bad. "Oh," my friend turns to me and says, "it's one of THOSE kind of bars." Because I didn't know conversation during Breaking Bad was strictly verboten, we continued speaking, albeit in a most subdued tone. Dude sitting next to the sample-suggesting gentleman and looking like he'd be more comfortable reading comic books at home in his mommy's basement actually turned around and shushed us! He fucking shushed us!! Are you kidding me???? That was it...time to slug our beers and go elsewhere. read more

I freely admit I'm kind of a beer snob... Now that we've got that untidy tidbit out of the way, Taste of Tops is probably my favorite place to have a drink this side of the Mississippi. A readily revolving reservoir of refreshing remedies, Taste of Tops is a veritable oasis for a beer connoisseur, amateur snob, or DGAF type alike (although it DEFINITELY caters to the former two). I've struck up many a random conversation with individuals with far more knowledge than myself and it has not only expanded my interest in several types or styles of beer I would have not tried, it has also humbled me to the extent of how much one can really know about beer in general. If you're intimidated, it's OK. Step back... take a breath... pick something... and dive in. To be honest, I felt somewhat out of place the first time I sallied up to the bar. It can seem intimidating for someone who's not been in a "speakeasy" style establishment, as seating can sometimes be difficult to come by and it sometimes seems like everyone knows everyone else BUT you. It's worth the wait and the temporary sense of possible discomfort. Trust me. The biggest benefit (for me, at least) is the sheer amount of beers you can "technically" consume whilst at the establishment. For those who aren't satisfied by their constantly refreshing draft menu, you are able to inform your bartender what specific beer from any fridge they have available you'd like to consume (Taste of Tops or Tops Liquors) and after paying a monetary bottling fee, enjoy it amid friends (or enemies, if that's you're bag). Nonetheless, I appreciate the extreme variety of choice that Taste of Tops offers. They constantly have wine or beer tastings, freshly tapped kegs of relatively unknown or difficult to find stuff (HOPSLAM!!!) and a friendly staff of people who honestly appreciate, are interested in, and want to promote the craft beer community. What more could you want? read more

Dear beer snobs, I am one with you. We are one. I have been devouring delectable and delightful beers at this very dark, sexy, and locally owned establishment for 3 years now. Ever since I first laid eyes on this place after moving here from the East Coast 3 years ago, I have grown more and more in love with the rotation of beers that are readily available via tap and in bottle. I take almost everyone I know that is a beer snob here. Happy Hour blows my hair back and when they have their Holiday beer specials and stout day specials, I get readlly giddy and tipsy. They do not serve food, but that is fine, some of their 11.5 % stouts are thick and yummy and boozy enough to be a meal replacement. Love, The East Coast Foodie and Beer Snob read more

A lovely low key, unpretentious beer bar off Mill Avenue. Accidentally stumbled into Taste of Tops for their Eel River Brewery event, which was amazing in its own right. This isn't your bar average college bar, most peeps are in their late 20's and know their beer. The sampler was amazing, $8 for 4 4oz samplers. Quite a good deal. Technically their tasters are a bit expensive, but their selection makes up. There are at least 18 constantly changing taps, with a pretty balanced selection. 2 beers per style with more pales ales. They had famous breweries like Deschutes, Stone and Maui plus a few local brews. They go 1 keg at a time, so don't get attached like a one night stand. Get a pint or two and love them for the night. The frig was dead on my trip, so they let you bring in food from their neighbors. Go two shops down to Tessios (separate review), and while you wait pick a beer from Top's Liquor next door and try it here. Odd Note. They actually had a few beer magazines like Draft sitting about. If you can't find a nice peep to chat with, grab a magazine or watch some ABC family channel movie. They had Harry Potter The Chamber of Secrets playing, quite unusual movie for a bar. Oh yeah they have a small chilled bottle section in the back. A great place for 3-6 peep sized groups, but they place easily gets full. Stop by for kick back locale with your friends and enjoy your night. read more

Went here a couple times over the long Thanksgiving weekend. The first night was post Downtown Tempe Light Parade (which was quite chintzy, I don't recommend it). We were walking to Casey's from Mill and 3rd and decided to pop in for a drink to check it out. I liked the dim lights and warm atmosphere. The long and narrowness of it reminded me of a Portland or SF bar. It was busy, but not crowded and still had open tables on a Friday night. The beers on tap were posted in good view on the chalkboard (most hover around $6 and go up from there to $10 for a pint - pricey, but this is the good stuff: Lagunitas, Chimay, etc.). They also have a cooler with a larger selection of local/micro brews from all over the country (Ska Brewing, New Belgium, etc). Those were as cheap as $3 per bottle, and up to $8 for the rarer or larger bottles. They have wine as well, but I didn't check out the menu. Speaking of menus...they should keep these (if they even have them? I never saw one) at every table. It's a little disconcerting when you walk in because there are couches, tables and a bar. It's small enough to wonder i f you're just supposed to order at the bar. While you wait to figure that out, you realize only the chalkboard of taps reveals what they carry. So on my first night I just ordered off the chalkboard. But once the server came out to take our order, she was very cool and knowledgeable about the beers, and helped me pick one based on what I normally drink. She offered tastes as well. The second time I came in, my group wasn't in a six-bucks-per-beer mood, so we headed to the cooler. I assumed it was like Papago, where you make your own selection and bring it back to the table or up to the bar to add to your tab (again with that uncomfortable "i'm in a new place and not sure what is protocol"). But eventually a bartender came over and popped and poured our drinks into glasses. As I looked around a little more on the second trip, I realized this place looks just like Starbucks - complete with the same exact light fixtures along the bar. Literally, you could replace the bottles behind the counter with syrups and this would be a Starbucks. All of the sudden this place went from "warm and homey" to "generic suburban cool" and felt uninspired. Compounding that, you can bring in take out from Tessio's and Thai Basil next door, and plenty of people were eating pizza out of the box as they drank their expensive beers. I admit, bringing in takeout is pretty cool, but it doesn't really jibe with the atmosphere and décor they're going for - is this place a stylish new pub or a pizza parlor with beer? But I have such fond memories of Tops the liquor store that of course I'll return to support their latest endeavor. Also, it's yet another step in the chic-ing up of Tempe. I'll certainly drink a six dollar beer to that. read more

I love Tops! I have not had one bad recommendation from the rotating regular bartenders. Issa has an amazing palette and can recommend something to the pickiest of bar snobs. Ryan always has good music playing, and if you're lucky and catch Tops on a slower night, you can convince Kevi to play a game of scrabble. And if you're in the mood for something but can't find it, Matt is great at finding rares hidden away or can recommend something equally as delicious. It's my favorite neighborhood bar. Not every bar needs to serve food, especially when it is snuggled in next to good Thai and decent pizza that can be delivered to your table. read more

If the place is going to host annoying tv-zombie fans, they should put a WARNING. I came here with two visitors from Europe and we were almost not allowed to have a conversation at a BAR just because there was a small group of die hard fans of a tv show watching their episode there. You been warned! ask if there is a special crowd going. I certainly plan to attend to my other regular places and avoid this one. read more

What a gem! Amazing beer selection with over 20 beers on draft and 100s in bottles. Really unique selection you wouldn't find on tap at restaurants. The service is extremely friendly and will direct you to try beers based on your favorite style. Games in the corner and the occasional deliver guy from Thai Basil next door makes this the perfect stop for beer! Happy hour goes till 7 weekdays and all day Sunday which is $1 off draft beers. read more

It turns out, I'd heard of Taste of Tops months ago, but I had assumed that my friend was referring to his own mixed selection from Tops liquor store. This friend has a nickname for everything -- he calls his Tupperware "Tuppies", he calls single cigarettes "Loosies". I should have known that Taste of Tops was not a creation from his imagination when it didn't end in "-ies". Alas, I was a fool, but I love their eclectic and rotating tap selection as well as their bottles and their strange exhaust system that occasionally billows in pizza aromas from the place next door. Another treasure in the stripmall matrix that is metroPhoenix. read more

Oh, Taste of Tops, I kind of love you. Luckily, so do many of my friends so I find myself here on a semi-regular basis. They have great beers, wines and bartenders. I also should probably pretend it has never happened but they don't ever flinch when I bring in my random slice of pizza from next door. I'm always down for some Taste of Tops! read more

MENU They only have a very small menu of appetizers but they're actually pretty tasty. I love the brie and the spinach dip and am not quite sure how they manage to do it without a real kitchen. They also allow you to order in from Thai Basil or Tessio's Pizza in their complex. I recommend both. Although, please don't get double Thai spicy and drink beer with it. It's a bad idea. Trust me. THE BEER Uh-mazing variety. They have a cooler with all the beers they sell and about 8 beers that rotate on tap, including a good variety of 10%'ers. They regularly stock Rogues, Lagunitas, Left Hand, and Sierra Nevada's more obtuse varieties among lots of other craft beers. They do a good job of keeping the tap full of very different-tasting beers and keeping my palate in rotation. Yum. Rarely dislike their tap choices. CLEANLINESS/OVERALL QUALITY New, clean, cute. SERVICE I love the bartenders here. They're all attentive and great at their jobs and never get irked when you want to taste something. Plus, if you order at the bar, they'll still bring it out to you at a table. ATMOSPHERE Sort of bare bones wine bar atmosphere BUT always stocked with great art. They have a new artist every month and I'm almost always into them. read more

You need to know that I want to love this place. It has all the elements of a perfect bar experience: huge, rotating beer list featuring multiple local options; a large wine list; it's even literally attached to a liquor store! So let's break it down: THE GOOD Everything I mentioned above. I visited with a friend last night and totally nerded out over the seasonal pumpkin options - there were multiple. I'm all about that first-time experience, and the menu here gives you everything you need to try new each time. I like that. The artwork. I like that Taste of Tops features local artwork, oftentimes for sale, too. I'll always appreciate businesses that support their local community in this way. It really matters. Kudos to you for that, Taste of Tops. THE BAD Ugh. I hate to say it, but: the service. I don't know how to accurately describe this, but last night, the girl behind the bar made me feel like I was inconveniencing her by trying to place an order for drinks. Very strange, and while I totally understand that sometimes people just have bad days, it caused me to think back to all the other times I've visited Taste of Tops. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't think of one single notably positive service experience. In fact, for the most part, I would describe the service here as "nonexistent". I might as well step behind the counter and serve myself. The irony of this is that Top's Liquor, just next store, is the polar opposite! Staff goes out of their way to help you. They LOVE talking about their alcohol - they love helping you find what you're after. The incongruous nature of service between the two is a real head-scratcher to me. The interior is also very dark, with only minimal seating. CONCLUSION A LOT of locals consider Taste of Tops a home away from home. I suppose I can see why, but I lived in the Tempe area for nearly two years and, no matter how many times I visited, it just never quite "clicked" for me. Who knows? Maybe I've just had bad luck. I would never turn someone away from Taste of Tops. But I wouldn't recommend it, either. I'll be quick to recommend its neighbor, but I'll likely forego mentioning the bar. :-/ read more

Ahhhh Taste of Tops. I remember when I heard about this place opening I was like, "Oh, my god. I'm never gonna leave. I'm gonna spend upwards of five thousand dollars a year at this place. Tops is the shit so if they're opening a beer and wine bar it's going to be nothing short of epic." And the bar is good. I do enjoy it when I go out, but I don't go there nearly as much as I imagined I would. I've been a handful of times, somewhere around 5-10 times and have usually had a good time there. So, why only 3 stars? I don't know. It's cramped, relatively expensive for my neighborhood bar and the tables are just too close to each other. I always end up sitting hip to hip next to someone I don't know and it's just a little awkward. Sometimes the couches are all filled up with really loud, obnoxious people who go, "Whooooh!" a lot. Whooh is an expression that in certain situations will drive me nuts. It's like when bulls get pissed from seeing the color red. It's like that, but I'm not as badass or fierce as a ball, I'm more like a fat kid who goes, Quuuiiiit iiiit! The best time to come here is when it's relaxed and there's only a few people. On the few occasions I've come in when it's subdued and the bartender is wanting to shoot the shit with you, it's a really fantastic, great place. Get yourself a beer on tap or champagne in a can and soak it all in. I'm still a fan of the place, I like it, I just wish it were bigger. I wish it had more sparkles too. I dunno, sparkly things around the bar seems fitting. Like a shiny thing-a-ma-jig hanging up somewhere. That's not entirely necessary, but it would be awesome to have. But hey, at least Taste of Tops, their refrigerated beer isn't piss warm like the liquor store itself :-D read more

Wanna find a pack of happy beer nerds? Head on down to Taste of Tops, where their rotating drafts always feature some of the best and most eclectic beers around! If you are a true beer nerd, start chatting up the bartenders and they'll hook you up with some small samples of their favorites on tap. You will be sold! If you can't find what you're looking for in the bar, you can go into the Tops Liquor Store (attached to the bar) and the bartender will bring it over to Taste for you! The atmosphere here is small, warm, and inviting, usually packed with locals and college kids. I haven't tried the food yet... maybe one day... but let's be real, this place is about the beer! read more

Bring your own food, grab a fantastic beer, and enjoy the company of friends and friendly bartendars. They've got a great selection of beers on tap and even more in the fridge! There's a good selection of wine too. There's no pressure to drink quickly or leave tables, just sit back and unwind after a long day. My biggest downside... the oodles of college kids that haven't learned how to handle their drink yet. read more