The Most Flavorful Music Venues in Mesa

Crescent Ballroom

★★★★☆ 4.2 (692)

"I've lost count of how many times I've witnessed the mesmerizing performance of The Ocean Blue, but this is undoubtedly their second mind-blowing show at this venue. Trust me, the vibes here are off the charts! The acoustics? Absolutely killer! Though I must admit, the staff can be a tad curt, and the drinks might leave you thirsting for more flavor. But hey, let's focus on the bright side--they constantly bring in phenomenal bands that rock this joint to its core!"

The Van Buren

★★★★☆ 3.6 (411) • $$

"I had never been to this venue before, but I saw Jimmy Eat World's 20th Anniversary show for Futures here 10/17/2024 (AMAZING best show by the Jimmies I've ever seen, but that is not what I'm reviewing). It was great. It's basically all GA, there was some VIP seating on a balcony. You can take water in if it's in a sealed bottle. My favorite part of the venue itself -- the HUGE fans that I was standing under. That made it so much more comfortable. The bathrooms were nice and clean.I liked this venue."

Handlebar J BBQ Restaurant & Bar

★★★★☆ 3.9 (329) • $$

"This is the Arizona country bar in my opinion. There is live music, dancing and I even had a dance lesson here one time! I had a blast. There is a cover charge (only during peak hours to pay for the great live entertainment) so be prepared- bring some cash and a good attitude. The crowd is always friendly and the patio is large. I always enjoy myself here. Fun spot. If you love country- this is not to miss! If you even like country a little- not to miss. *closed on sundays*Last night, I noticed that they sell some fun merch too.... Pictured here the "welcome to the "shitshow" hats! Cute."

Yucca Tap Room

★★★★☆ 4 (306) • $$

"Love love love this place! Amazing place to see up-and-coming, bands, or even open mic night, DJ night is always fabulous and hilarious. The bar staff is amazing, especially Dan the bartender who is so super friendly! And don't get me started on the food! All the tacos are delicious, my friend loves the cheesy mac & cheese balls, i've had the pulled pork sandwich, and that is super delicious.. so barbecuyy and yummy! Menu prices are great and very affordable. Today I'm excited to have the fry bread which is described as crispy, Golden, and topped with honey, cinnamon and powdered sugar. What heaven am I in?? I sooo love it here!"

Shady Park

★★★★☆ 3.6 (377) • $$

"This place was the ONLY place that had superb service out of all the places I visited while I was in Tempe. The $10 Cup O' Noodles Special is insanely priced. You get a cup of Ramen, a pint of Kirin, and a hot Sake for only $10. Heck, I sometimes pay more than that to dine at a freaking Mickey D's! And the cup of ramen that you get with this deal is big enough to fill me up. Yeah, you have to pay more for protein, it's still worth it.Our server was super cool and super friendly. I want to say her name was Ashley, but honestly, I can't remember. She was this super nice tatted girl in glasses with an awesome smile. Kudos to the only server in all of Tempe who actually provided awesome service!Next time I'm in Tempe to attend Innings Fest, I'm definitely making a stop here again."

Pho Cao

★★★★☆ 3.5 (356)

"Pho Cao: divey, but surprisingly authentic!Pho Cao is an interesting concept, one I've never seen before; Vietnamese food/American Karaoke bar. I was concerned with the authenticity of the Vietnamese food given the concept, but was appeased by the Vietnamese on the menu and the steady influx of to go orders while we were there. We were there on a Wednesday evening so there was no live music which I believe is on the weekend. We ordered spring rolls, Bo lu lac (shaken beef), and Cao's special fried rice (Chinese sausage, bbq pork, and shrimp). There were some beer specials for Bf and I requested a piña colada- although they did not have coconut crème. The waiter asked the bartender what they were able to do and they made me a coconut rum/pineapple juice/lime blended concoction which was almost as good as a piña. Really I appreciated the fact that they were willing to work with me! The spring rolls were lackluster, mostly filled with cabbage, a sliver of pork, and shrimp that was not listed on the menu. They stuck to the plate and each other and were dull. The peanut sauce was on the runnier side. Of everything we ordered we would not get this again.The bo lu lac (shaken beef) was some of the best I've been able to find in Arizona! The beef cubes could have more consistent in size and there could have been a smidge more bell peppers but the taste was spot on! The portion was more generous than my eyes had lead me to believe! Cao's special fried rice tasted authentic, the way my friend's mom used to make! Not too salty and not under seasoned. The meat to rice portion was great; there was more meat than rice which you don't see often! We ate about half and took the other half to go.Overall a very unique and cool spot definitely worth checking out!"

The Dirty Drummer

★★★★☆ 4.1 (208) • $$

"I went to see Rita Hamilton's band play on Sunday, 3/7, and the band was really good! My sister ordered fish and chips and fried zucchini and a mixed drink that was grapefruit juice and vodka. She liked her drink. I had a Ladmo Bag drink and it turned out to be a can of Wild Ness. It was good. We shared the food which was typical bar food but definitely delicious. The server was really nice. Because it was Rita's party someone went around and offered everyone strawberry shortcake cupcakes. They were delicious. I had a great time! Fun and friends and drinks and food. You can't go wrong!"

The Forum Lounge

★★★★☆ 4.1 (75)

"We had a good time here. This establishment is recently open and we wanted to hear from live music. The spot is not too far off the 202. Location is deep in a commercial neighborhood of Chandler. Parking was easy. We were seated close to the stage. Since the place is new we, they were giving baby tours. Inside they are attached to a sports bar. There are also several karaoke rooms available for rent. Near the stage is a VIP room that is open and can be rented out. For food we tried a range of things: wings, sushi, and onion rings. Overall good bar food. We also grabbed a few drinks for the table. Drinks moderately priced. Live music was good. They had a nice band playing from 6pm to 9pm. Overall we enjoyed our evening. If lived in the valley would maybe host a special occasion here in one of the karaoke rooms."

Park Tavern And Market

★★★★☆ 3.6 (80)

"Fun neighborhood bar located adjacent from an ice rink. It's a great place to watch a game. Lots of tv's and one really big screen. Great selection of drinks too. It seems they've improved their wine list. I tried a couple of nice wines at a really reasonable price.There's one not so good thing. Their pretzels bites. My husband has always loved them. They used to be buttery and soft. He ordered them the other day and they were overcooked/very dark and oily. The oil smelled really bad. Our server took them back and replaced them with a new batch. They were still just as bad, but not as oily."

Walter Studios

★★★★★ 4.5 (37)

"Love that they have their own parking lot, at 1am on a Saturday night it was only 1/3 full. They also have events every month.This was a normal night, main room and main bar was empty, the bouncer was very nice and helpful and told me about the other rooms.Restrooms are at one end, the Blue Room is at the opposite end. The Blue Room has a DJ, dance floor and bar and was EDM. The side rooms are more for conversation. There is a trippy mushroom room, and there is also a library classy room.Interesting concept."

Gypsy's Roadhouse

★★★★☆ 3.6 (50) • $

"We stumbled upon this bar one Saturday while out running errands .. the kind of place that does not judge you for having jack Daniels and Diet Coke before noon .. the regulars don't care that you've stopped in.. the pop corn is free and the vibe is easy goingThe bartender told us the wings and fish & chips were good so we returned on a Friday for happy hour and fridays special Fish & chips.. Lindsey was our bartender.. she kept our drinks full and Bill was the chef .. he was funny and entertaining.. the food was hot and the fish was fried right .. the wings smelled amazing (Marty sitting next to us ordered them and when he was concerned about the heat .. Bill brought him a baby spoon so he could try it) and yes we made fun of Marty as a group We will definitely be back to try the wings .. and listen to Casey Brooks from 5-8.. cherry bombs are $1.. the green tea with Jamison, peach snapps & lemonade is delicious This is a dive bar .. it might be Smokey and dark inside and rough around the edges but they are welcoming of outsiders .. thanks for the cold drinks, good food and laughs AND Bill see you next time.."

El Pacifico - Mesa

★★★★☆ 4 (13)

"El Pacifico in Mesa is the kind of place that will likely get very mixed reviews. Some will love it and some not so much. Firstly, it's a place where you can expect noise, often live music. The ad we saw for it said family friendly, and although kids are welcome, it's more of an adult environment, at least in the evenings. When I go back, it will be with my wife and/or friends.In terms of the food, i ordered the shrimp and octopus cocktail. It was good, although I wished it tasted a little fresher. It was still enjoyable, just not a 10/10. I also tried the ceviche tostadas, and those I didn't like. They lacked flavor. Side note: the tables are bare, which means, for example, no salt shakers. To drink, I ordered the limonada mineral...and it was absolutely delicious! You can tell the limonada was fresh! Oh and it was huge! Someone else at my table ordered horchata, and they said it was also great.To summarize, the ambiance is fun, if you're in the mood for a festive, borderline loud, environment. The food is good not great, although I'm definitely going back to try other dishes. And the service today was excellent.So far not a place I would praise to my friends, but one that is good enough to try it again."