Four Peaks has great beer. Not just great beer but locally brewed great beer. Nestled at once was an off the beaten path locale on 8th street in Tempe, it now lies sandwiched between several local businesses and an avalanche of college student housing. And here is where the problems begin.
HATE:
Parking is beyond nightmarish and this is where the torment begins. The lot upon which 4 peaks is situated holds enough parking for roughly 20 cars. Sure you can also park on what used to be part of the Santa Fe railroad, but even these coveted spaces fill up quickly. The neighbors are not amused by the amount of traffic that the brewing eatery produces and as such you cannot park in any of the close by business lots even at off hours without your car disappearing via a towing service in a matter of minutes. The over flow of students and 4 peaks rise in local lore means that you will very likely end up parking either around the corner or so far away that you have to walk several minutes before you can even glimpse the well lit patio exterior.
The walk is brutal in the summer time and frustrating any other time of year, but many a times I had made this walk knowing that the ample interior and patio would always have a seat waiting for me. But no longer. Such is the crush and menagerie of the populace that now even on some week nights hostesses now hold sway over seating and my last attempt to simply stop in for a quick Pumpkin Porter were dashed by the half hour wait time and a bar full of people I wanted nothing to do with. So how did my once beloved out of the way Tempe chill spots suddenly turn into a family dining establishments that draws from every age, creed and social base the valley has to offer?
Simply put; 4 Peaks really is that good.
LOVE:
It is a beer lover’s paradise with a massive selection of locally made suds offered up all year round. From heavy stouts to warm and keep at bay the nights chill to light, easily quaffable ales to chase away the summer’s heat 4 peaks has it all. While there are certain styles that I personally shy away from, you can’t go wrong no matter what you order. Not sure what you fancy, then grab a sampler platter. Not a beer person, then order up your favorite mixed drink. One of the first things I did upon returning to this sun drenched paradise was swelter in the noon time heat sipping an apricot ale. More recently I through on a hoodie and made a late evening dash for something with a little more moxie to it; the seasonal heavy weight of Pumpkin Porter.
Pumpkin Porter might just be the greatest beer ever. Ok, so that is totally not true but the fact that it is A) good B) Seasonal and thus only available this time of year and C) Popular because it is so good makes it a highly coveted drink. So obsessed with this brewed beverage are I and my friends we are known to stalk the few local bars that buy 4 peaks beer by the keg and once the brewery is out we mercilessly descend upon these other locales like a pack of vampires and suck the taps dry.
But alas, man cannot live on beer alone and 4 peaks offers up a wide and varying range of excellent food to go with the hand crafted brews. Think pairing food only works with wine? Not so and the folks at four peaks have been doing it for years upon years. After all what good is ordering a semi-gourmet lunch if you don’t have the proper pint to go with it?
Pricing for the beer is decent and most of it can be ordered by the pitcher or even taken home in one of four peak’s custom growlers (not so for the Pumpkin Porter). Food is a bit pricey (this is after all a brewery) but worth the money. No cover and proper attire is never required. Be warned, as mentioned parking is horrendous and if you want to relax and enjoy yourself pick off days and weekend days for the best experience.
And in case anyone wants to ask the answer is no I’ve never been to the one in Scottsdale and probably never will; I’m so not that guy.
Vio Don Dios
The Midnight Rider
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Casey Moore’s; a nice little bartender, just like yours.
Her name is Peaches and she is my bartender and not yours. Sure she’ll still serve you, get you shit faced and maybe even remember your name; she is good at what she does. She’ll take your money, talk some shit with a mischievous smirk and you might even get a genuine laugh out of her from time to time; but she is my bartender and not yours.
You see dear reader; I know Peaches from a time long before she was a bartender and even before I fell in love with and was heading to Casey Moore’s on a regular basis. That is to say I know her from the “real world” that we one and all leave behind as soon as we stumble past Casey’s gates and on to its rustic yet ample and cozy patios. We’ve been friends longer than you’ve been trying to score her number or weasel a free drink from her; which are big No-No’s in the bar world. Peaches is fast, funny, friendly, fair and no, she won’t go out with you; so stop asking. If you get surly with her she’ll give it back twice as hard and even when Casey’s is packed to the gills on a Friday night, with her behind the bar you’ll never be waiting long for that next thirst quenching libation. Combined with how absolutely fucking awesome she is at her job, my pension for draining brews and the fact that Casey Moore’s is going to be around forever, my patronage to this place isn’t likely to waver anytime soon.
Of course Peaches is the reason I still go to the place. With the death of the Mill Ave of my youth, it is harder and harder for me to bring myself to make the freeway dash from my compound in Central Phoenix. But this is a bar review blog, so if she is my bartender and you are either new to the valley or have been living in a hole for the past decade here are some reasons non-bartender related to fork over your hard earned doe for a night of drinking delights.
First off and foremost, Casey Moore’s is one of the last holdovers from what Mill Ave and downtown Tempe once was, a living breathing, drunken time capsule if you will. It is an iconic relic of days past when Hayden’s Ferry still actually made flour, before the dried up Salt River bed was terraformed into a stinking, mosquito infested swamp and when the only tendrils of corporate Americas extension was Fat Tuesdays. Everywhere you ventured were dive bars, tiny music venues, independent stores and family owned eateries. And now a decade later Casey’s is the last bastion standing all alone as a reminder of the “good ole days”.
The bar itself is technically a restaurant, serving up very good if not slightly over price grub. It also one of only a handful of places in this desert oasis that I would recommend eating an oyster from; that’s right, ice cold and on the half shell honest to goodness oysters. It is a great place to grab a cool one on a beautiful October afternoon and the solace of the location (in a residential neighborhood and literally, off the beaten path) is broken up at random intervals by passing freight trains.
On the drinking side, Casey’s has a cramped interior where you can throw a few darts or pony up to the bar; and if you are feeling froggy you can even grab an honest to goodness meal in the interior dining area. But where the place truly separates itself from the pack is the patio. Running the entire length of the property it is an enormous “L” shape. There are tons of trees, tables, benches, heating lamps (for those chilly winter months) mister systems and hurricane fans (when it is hot), a Koi pond, full service outside bar and the infamous Blarney Stone all of which make the outside hospitable and desirable year round. There are a dozen or so beers on tap and most days and night there is some of drink special running for all you college kids on a budget. Even though Casey’s has a hardcore following of loyal customers, the medium age for patronage is roughly 21-26 and due to its proximity to collegetown a vast majority of these are college students and artistic types. During the summer months, when all that is left in this sun scorched hell on earth are the hard core locals and those too stupid to leave, you will find me there. And maybe if you are lucky enough you can join me and find your own bartender, just like mine.
Casey Moore’s has no cover charge and proper attire is never required. Depending on what is going on in the valley (or more specifically Tempe) it can be packed to near capacity or eerily dead. Food is moderately priced and actually pretty good. There is almost always something on special so ask your waitress/bartender.
850 S Ash Ave
Tempe AZ, 85281
Casey Moore's!
Vio Con Dios,
The Midnight Rider
You see dear reader; I know Peaches from a time long before she was a bartender and even before I fell in love with and was heading to Casey Moore’s on a regular basis. That is to say I know her from the “real world” that we one and all leave behind as soon as we stumble past Casey’s gates and on to its rustic yet ample and cozy patios. We’ve been friends longer than you’ve been trying to score her number or weasel a free drink from her; which are big No-No’s in the bar world. Peaches is fast, funny, friendly, fair and no, she won’t go out with you; so stop asking. If you get surly with her she’ll give it back twice as hard and even when Casey’s is packed to the gills on a Friday night, with her behind the bar you’ll never be waiting long for that next thirst quenching libation. Combined with how absolutely fucking awesome she is at her job, my pension for draining brews and the fact that Casey Moore’s is going to be around forever, my patronage to this place isn’t likely to waver anytime soon.
Of course Peaches is the reason I still go to the place. With the death of the Mill Ave of my youth, it is harder and harder for me to bring myself to make the freeway dash from my compound in Central Phoenix. But this is a bar review blog, so if she is my bartender and you are either new to the valley or have been living in a hole for the past decade here are some reasons non-bartender related to fork over your hard earned doe for a night of drinking delights.
First off and foremost, Casey Moore’s is one of the last holdovers from what Mill Ave and downtown Tempe once was, a living breathing, drunken time capsule if you will. It is an iconic relic of days past when Hayden’s Ferry still actually made flour, before the dried up Salt River bed was terraformed into a stinking, mosquito infested swamp and when the only tendrils of corporate Americas extension was Fat Tuesdays. Everywhere you ventured were dive bars, tiny music venues, independent stores and family owned eateries. And now a decade later Casey’s is the last bastion standing all alone as a reminder of the “good ole days”.
The bar itself is technically a restaurant, serving up very good if not slightly over price grub. It also one of only a handful of places in this desert oasis that I would recommend eating an oyster from; that’s right, ice cold and on the half shell honest to goodness oysters. It is a great place to grab a cool one on a beautiful October afternoon and the solace of the location (in a residential neighborhood and literally, off the beaten path) is broken up at random intervals by passing freight trains.
On the drinking side, Casey’s has a cramped interior where you can throw a few darts or pony up to the bar; and if you are feeling froggy you can even grab an honest to goodness meal in the interior dining area. But where the place truly separates itself from the pack is the patio. Running the entire length of the property it is an enormous “L” shape. There are tons of trees, tables, benches, heating lamps (for those chilly winter months) mister systems and hurricane fans (when it is hot), a Koi pond, full service outside bar and the infamous Blarney Stone all of which make the outside hospitable and desirable year round. There are a dozen or so beers on tap and most days and night there is some of drink special running for all you college kids on a budget. Even though Casey’s has a hardcore following of loyal customers, the medium age for patronage is roughly 21-26 and due to its proximity to collegetown a vast majority of these are college students and artistic types. During the summer months, when all that is left in this sun scorched hell on earth are the hard core locals and those too stupid to leave, you will find me there. And maybe if you are lucky enough you can join me and find your own bartender, just like mine.
Casey Moore’s has no cover charge and proper attire is never required. Depending on what is going on in the valley (or more specifically Tempe) it can be packed to near capacity or eerily dead. Food is moderately priced and actually pretty good. There is almost always something on special so ask your waitress/bartender.
850 S Ash Ave
Tempe AZ, 85281
Casey Moore's!
Vio Con Dios,
The Midnight Rider
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