The Tastiest Gastropubs in Mesa

The Parlay Kitchen + Cocktails

★★★★☆ 3.9 (602) • $$

"Hubby and I did a "staycation" at a hotel in Chandler this past weekend for two nights. The second night we decided to check out The Parlay restaurant down the street a couple blocks away. I had seen it be built and fitted a few years back, since my office building is also nearby. A friend from church also said it was good. I went online to see the menu and it had a reservation option so I went ahead and did that. When we arrived it was quite loud because there was a singer with a guitar, so it was hard to talk to the seater. But having live music was nice, and at the very end of our visit the guy played "Blister in the Sun" by the Violent Femmes, one of my all-time favorite songs from high/school college era (1980s). Mostly he had been going 90s grunge and 70s rock so this was quite a pleasant surprise! Definitely the highlight for me!But the food was amazing too! Hubby was feeling a bit lightheaded from not having had lunch so we ordered an appetizer, the portobello mushrooms with veggie and cheese filling. It was out of this world! I also ordered the French onion soup, which is their standard soup. It was way more than standard though, with a lovely swiss cheese "lid" baked on top and extremely savory broth filled with lots of onions and bread pieces. Yum-O!I really couldn't eat it all though because then our entrees arrived. I had the Southwest Mac and Cheese -- to die for! -- and hubby had a Gardenburger with fries. The fries were crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle with great flavor, which is very unusual to find. I couldn't come close to eating all my pasta dish so took about half of it home.I also had a blackberry margarita which was as good as it was beautiful. Hubby just had Diet Coke but they were very attentive about refilling that and our waters. The waitstaff was just awesome in general.I also used the facilities while there, and the bathrooms were beautiful! It was a layout I had never seen before, where the men's and women's rooms did not have sinks; they had a collective sink wall outside the restrooms that was beautiful too!I forgot to mention that the whole building is glass walls to the outside, which made it really fun to people watch and look at the views. There was a patio/courtyard in the middle and then the "bar" on the other side. They had sports on big-screen TVs but the sound was off so you could visit.Very nice! Definitely will go back! Not cheap, but super duper delicious!"

State 48 Tap House

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (242) • $$

"Portions are big, flights are good, this place is huge with different styles of seating. Service was amazing and plenty of parking around the building."

The Attic Ale House

★★★★☆ 4.1 (539) • $$

"A fun spot with a beautiful view of Camelback! Service was quick and efficient, and I was impressed with their selection of mead.The spot is small and hidden, but the drink list is extensive with something for everyone. They have a selection of food, as well.Will be back for sure!!"

Cogburn's Big Wings

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (142) • $$

Copper & Sage Camelback

★★★★☆ 4.1 (151)

"So, my friend and I decided to check out Copper and Sage for dinner, but we were those people--you know, the ones who show up early like overeager dinner party guests. The hostess, clearly trained in the art of customer wrangling, kindly redirected us to their bar next door, probably to prevent us from loitering awkwardly in the entrance like lost tourists.The bar was a vibe--great ambiance, comfy chairs, and bartenders who actually seemed happy to be there (a rare breed). The drinks? Whether boozy or booze-free, they were chef's kiss--though let's be honest, anything in a fancy glass makes me feel like a VIP.Once we were seated in the restaurant, we found ourselves at a cozy table--cozy as in, "we might as well be adopted into the next table's family," but hey, it worked. We kicked things off with fried green tomatoes and deviled eggs, because why not start dinner with breakfast-adjacent foods? Then we moved on to the duck and mussels, which were both fantastic--like, "I will now compare all future meals to this and be disappointed" fantastic.Our server was a rockstar--attentive, helpful, and an absolute sommelier-in-training when it came to picking a wine. Honestly, if this place had a loyalty program, I'd be signing up immediately. Definitely going back, and next time, I might even pretend I have reservations just to seem fancy."

Thirsty Lion

★★★★☆ 4.3 (446) • $$

"I think this may have been the best French Dip Sandwich I've ever had. I don't really know what it was, but I think it was the addition of a cheese crisp in the sandwich. The meat was super tender, the bread was toasted, the au jus and the sauce in the sandwich was just all so good!"

Angels Trumpet Ale House

★★★★☆ 4.1 (1313)

"I haven't been to Angel's Trumpet in years but it was so nice coming back. The vibes are great inside and it's a fun environment. Our server (totally forgot to get his name) was awesome and gave us great recommendations on beers to try with their 6-3 oz 12$ flights! All yummy BTW. Our food was also delicious. The mess (their poutine) is my favorite. The pizza was also huge, it could definitely serve 2-3 people depending on appetite! The nachos, tacos, and quesadilla was also great. My only regret is not saving room in my stomach for their homemade pop tarts. No complaints for Angel's Trumpet!!"

Original Gravity

★★★★☆ 4.4 (369) • $$

"Stopped into this place on a whim and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It's not an overly large space but it's comfortable and clean and everything you'd expect in a pub with a scratch kitchen. When asked if we had reservations I was nervous (we didn't have reservations) but we found a place at the bar without an issue and there appeared to be one or two tables available.The folks working were very friendly, only caught the name of Mike or Michael behind the bar and he was very conversational and attentive while we sat at the bar. Great beer selection on tap. I had the two darker beers on tap and they were great. They have monitors with the beer selection that's tied into Untappd.The menu has a good variety. I opted for the Beef on Weck and talked to the bartender before ordering, since I'm originally from Upstate New York. The horseradish isn't as hot as you'd get in Buffalo, N.Y. but the roll was right where it was suppose to be and the entire dish was very good. The pork belly appetizer was also excellent.Highly recommended. I look forward to go back."

Vine Tavern & Eatery

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (206) • $$

"I hadn't been here in decades and then saw it during NFL playoffs and stopped in for a game and a burger. OMG the burger was amazing. So, I went back two nights ago to see if it was really amazing or if maybe I was just really hungry. Nope, it was amazing! Perfectly cooked, fresh toppings, great fries, and great service. My friend tried the cilantro jalapeño hummus and it was also really up there in flavor. Next up is to try the wings. Great spot!"

Citizen Public House

★★★★☆ 4.4 (2511) • $$$

"My friend and I needed a quick, small bite in Old Town Scottsdale one Sunday afternoon before an event and decided to try Citizen Public House. We arrived between their Social Hour (Happy Hour) and they weren't busy. The space is classy yet laid back. We sat at the bar and were greeted right away.We ordered the following:Espresso martini $15Beer fondue $8 (Social Hour price)Wild shrimp cocktail The espresso martini was made with vodka, nitro-infused espresso, amaro, and vanilla gomme syrup. It was light and had great flavor. The beer fondue was rich and creamy and came with pear, sausage, and pretzel bread to dip. I really enjoyed it with the pear. The wild shrimp cocktail was tasty, but the portion was very small. It's a great starter for one, not for sharing.I would love to return for a full-service dinner experience next time!"

A Latte Vino

★★★★☆ 4.1 (130) • $$

"Visited this spot a handful of times & never disappoints. Staff is always so kind & attentive. The vibe is always great & they even have live music some days! I come for mainly the wine and the food & to unwind. Every time I visit I have to order the Apple fig bruschetta & my most recent visit I finally tried the homemade chicken pot pie which was recommended by staff and so filling and yummy. Can't wait to be back!"

The Parlay Kitchen + Cocktails

★★★★☆ 4.1 (70) • $$

"A great experience! This was my first time at this location. The menu is so much better than Fat Willies! I ordered the green chile sliders and I thought they were very tasty - the slaw really punches it up! My husband liked his burger too - he like the char on it. He tends to get them plain so the flavor of the burger wasn't hidden by all the add-ons. The atmosphere was very pretty too. We had great service from Hannah. It was a little dark to see the menu, but I chalk that up to old eyes! We will be back!"

Desert Pony Tavern

★★★★☆ 4.4 (44)

"The Desert Pony Tavern is located in the North Scottsdale Hilton in Cavasson. This is a Southwest Style Gastropub that also offers breakfast, happy hour and an all day menu but entrees are served after 5pm.We started out by sharing the Four Peaks Beer Fondue. It took a long time to prepare and we found out fast that training is a serious problem for this restaurant. Our fondue plate came out without the pears. That means that nobody is supervising or expediting, it also means that the cook didn't know how the plate should be and it also means that the server wasn't trained properly on the menu or she would have known that the pears were missing.......anyways...The cheese fondue taste mainly like melted processed American cheese so if you are good with that then you will like it. the plate also came with sausage that was over cooked and dry. We mentioned the missing pears and some pear slices were brought out and were very good.My husband tried the Tavern Stack Burger with onion rings. The burger had a few problems. It came out with an orange colored sauce on it that isn't mentioned in its description. Our server thought it might be thousand Island sauce? Other problem was that he asked for a medium-rare burger and got a medium-well dry burger.........The onion rings were heavily battered and the oil tasted very old.On the bright side the native chopped salad was excellent. Everything about it was fresh and delicious.Our server was cheerful and as helpful as possible. She even brought out a second beverage way before one was needed.You probably won't go wrong with a salad here.2.5 stars rounded up because the server was extra nice and the salad was good."

Orchard Tavern

★★★★★ 4.7 (53)

"New and exciting gastropub! We came on Wednesday after work for drinks and a meal. Firstly, the facility is modern and airy. There is a beautiful patio with lots of shade on the east side of the building. We sat at the large bar to be more social, though. They have TVs but it's not a sports type bar. The bartenders were super friendly and made us some yummy cocktails. Some higher end hooch would be nice. There are many Keto options on the menu. We decided to share three appetisers: the deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail, and the brussel sprouts. All were tasty, but none of them stepped outside the box to be great. The happy hour apps were small but priced accordingly. All the staff had a great fun vibe, which translates to a fun experience for customers. We felt like the pricing was good value. We will certainly be back for cocktails and food."

Huss Brewing Company - Uptown Taproom

★★★★☆ 4.4 (242) • $$

"The staff here at Huss are among the best in the industry. They have a great variety of beverages and food items. The Koffee Kolsch is a longtime favorite of mine. Tried their Ranch Water recently and that stuff is ridiculously good. The Papago Blueberry Wheat is another EPIC beer from this great Arizona brewery. The location is easy to get to from all part of the Valley it is nestled deep in the corner of the AJ Fine Foods Shopping Center on the N.E. of Central ave. and Camelback rd.L.A.T. (Love Always Tim)"

Thirsty Lion

★★★★☆ 4.3 (907) • $$

"The Thirsty Lion is geared toward a younger crowd. The staff is young. The food choices are comfort chow. Our waitress was very friendly and accomodating. I ordered a Manhattan straight up light on vermouth and received something that tasted like Fireball whisky with lots of spiced bitters. I sent it back with a light hearted comment concerning my age (72) and she gladly exchanged it for some rye on the rocks.The food is pretty good. I had a roast beef dip which was very good. Stacked with plenty of beef on a crusty roll"

Hundred Mile Brewing

★★★★☆ 4.2 (213) • $$

"Review #1500I have been to Hundred Mile Brewing a few times and really enjoy coming here. This hidden gem is located on the north side of Tempe Town Lake near the 202 freeway. Hundred Mile Brewing is a quick drive from where I live. I love the chill neighborly atmosphere that they have created here and how spacious this place is. The outdoor patio area is a great place to hang out during the cooler months. It is dog friendly and has patio games.The first time I came here, I sat at the bar. I was reading and chatting with the bartender about all of the events that they do here. I am a pretty active person and like places that promote a healthy lifestyle. Hundred Mile Brewing hosts community events like a fun 5K run, bike rides and a weekend lap around the lake. They also have trivia nights, paint nights, tasting events, a water drive and many seasonal events during the holidays. Hundred Mile Brewing is female-owned and has a few events to celebrate women's history month. Not long ago, I came here after running Pat's Run and appreciated that they opened up early to offer $10 breakfast burritos for us runners. Hundred Mile Brewing is a small batch brewery and has a nice selection of IPAs, pilsners, ales, sours and seltzers. You can get a glimpse of their fermentation tanks as you walk in. I really enjoyed the 'A' Mountain Amber Ale. It is an ode to the mountain that I had to run up and down when I was on the track team at Tempe High School. They also have cocktails and wine. The food menu has burgers, salads, sandwiches, tacos and shareable appetizers. The food is good and there is something for everyone on the menu. I am always down for something with a little heat and recently got the Hatch Green Chile Burger.Hundred has daily specials like Taco Tuesdays and Wing Wednesdays and brunch on Sundays."

Wally's American Pub N Grill

★★★★☆ 4.3 (307) • $$

"This place won't disappoint.Take a break from the other sports grills and check this place out you will not be disappointed. The restaurant is spacious, clean, and the staff are welcomingOn this visit we shared the French Orime Rib Dip Sandwich, fries, burger, onion rings, and the Cuban panin onion strings and everything was excellent. The Cuban was pilled high, flavorful and the onion strings added the perfect touch. The French dip and burger were also very good. Meats were juicy and perfectly oreoared. Can't wait to go back and try other menu items. Great service, food, fun atmosphere, and reasonable prices. Stop by you won't be disappointed"

Union Grill & Tap

★★★★☆ 4 (464) • $$

"I didn't take any photos of the food here in large part because our son-in-law's mother was with us and we knew she didn't like having her photo taken. Plus, I'm sure she never heard of Yelp :)We were here on a weeknight for an early dinner. In addition to son-in-law's mother, we also had son-in-law and one of our grandsons with us. Since the other two grandsons were getting ready for their graduation, we had to eat early in order to get there on time.As for ambiance---No joke---this was the noisiest restaurant we've ever been in. There were lots of people sitting at the bar and in addition to their loud talking, there was extra loud music in the background.Our waiter was friendly and efficient but due to the noise, the poor man had to keep repeating himself when we were trying to give him our orders. Still, he managed to get everything correct.For starters, we all had soft drinks except for my husband who had a light beer. When it came to the food, this is what we ordered --- Son-in-law and I had the "fish and chips" which consists of: "hand cut Atlantic cod with a panko crust, house fries and coleslaw".Son-in-law's mother had "chicken tenders" which consists of: "handmade southern style chicken tenders, your choice of sauce, served with fries".Grandson had "Cajun jambalaya" which consists of: "Andouille sausage, jumbo shrimp, grilled chicken breast, celery, bell pepper, onion, spicy Cajun broth, green onion, jasmine rice".My husband had a burger with onion slices plus fries.As for the food, I thought the fish and chips were okay. The fish seemed to be somewhat overcooked as it was dark brown. The coleslaw was mildly seasoned and the fries were okay. Son-in-law agreed with my assessment.Grandson (who is a growing boy) ate all of his jambalaya. He said it was spicy and he really liked it. As he has gotten older, he's now embracing spicy food.My husband said his burger was just fine.The main reason we ate here was because it was steps away from our hotel...but...we still drove there because son-in-law's mother and my husband don't walk very well. Plus, we figured that we would just hop in the cars after we ate and head to the graduation.I don't know if we would go here again due to it being very, very noisy. If you don't mind such an atmosphere, the food is decent enough."

The Perch Brewery

★★★★☆ 3.7 • $$

"My boyfriend and I are pet bird owners. We visited The Perch Brewery many years ago but wanted to go back when the weather was nicer, since it's mostly an outdoor restaurant. We visited on a recent Wednesday night in December.The birds are well taken care of and are in large aviaries. They have several Amazon parrots, which are our favorite, as well as macaws, cockatoos, African greys, and conures. The birds are from Arizona Exotic Bird Rescue in Scottsdale. We sat outside on the main level, in the central patio area. Each table had their own heater/lamp, which could be pulled down for more intense heat.Our server was fantastic. She was very knowledgeable about the restaurant, the birds, and the menu. She made us feel like honored guests.I ordered the fish and chips, which I got with tots. It also came with an incredible house-made slaw, which was light and flavorful. This was one of the best fish and chips meals that I've ever eaten. The portion size was generous as well. My boyfriend devoured his hamburger (Perch Burger) and fries. It had a light jalapeno relish on it, which added a small amount of kick to the burger.There was plenty of street parking available nearby on a Wednesday night. There's also a parking garage nearby. We were impressed and will definitely be back!"

The Parlay Kitchen + Cocktails

★★★★☆ 4.3 (191) • $$

"We found this place a head of time when we planned to visit the Enchantment Holiday event at the stadium just 5 minutes away.We made a 7pm reservation, but it wasn't necessary as they were very slow on a Saturday night.The host was very friendly and sat us at a nice table near a glass wall filled with wine.They have live music on the weekends and he was good but so loud we could hardly hear each other. I was happy when he took a long break. Alevenia (not sure of the spelling) greeted us immediately with ice water and a welcoming smile. She answered our questions and our appetizer arrived about 10 minutes later.We started with wings (honey BBQ and Asian) which were very crispy and grilled to perfection. They're based on weight, but we got 4 of each flavor. Loved that they were served with both celery and carrot sticks. So many places only offer celery these days. What gives?!I ordered a coke with lime (refilled without me asking!) and their crispy honey hot chicken sandwich with fries. I asked for extra crispy fries and they were hot & delicious. Like a few reviews I had read about this sandwich, the hot honey sauce lacked a bit of flavor. I prefer a thicker and spicier sauce but overall, it was good. Especially good option if you don't like really spicy food but want a kick of flavor.Hubby ordered their pulled pork sliders with fries and a local IPA. He loved his meal.They have a large patio with a firepit, and their bathrooms were clean. Their menu is half classic options (with a bit more upscale entrees) and also the typical bar type food. Something for everyone. A great choice if you're looking for an American meal with great pricing and service."