Dining Guide | 4 Spots for Great Food & Entertainment in Phoenix

When summer finally hits, it is usually a struggle to convince friends and family to leave the comfort of your air conditioned home or that refreshing backyard pool. So what do you do if you don’t want to be holed up in your house for the next four or five months? We’ve found some great spots that offer up big entertainment with a side of great cuisine, all perfectly chilled for the summer months to make sure that you don’t go stir crazy!

4 Spots for Great Food & Entertainment in Phoenix

Crescent Ballroom
www.crescentphx.com
308 N. 2^nd Ave., Phoenix
602.716.2222
Crescent Ballroom is not your typical music venue. It claims a piece of Arizona history as its building formerly housed the F. L. Hart Garage dating back to 1917 in the historic Hatch Addition. The building construction was part of the transition of Phoenix from a small farming community to what we see now, a bustling cultural epicenter. The venue now is home to varied musical acts, performance artists, speakers and djs, both local and national. No matter what your musical tastes are you’re sure to find something on the calendar that will get you excited. Their onsite restaurant, Cocina 10, is open daily, whether an act is performing or not. The menu, though small, packs some serious flavor and focuses on Mexican flavors. This is exhibited in their tacos, available in al pastor, pollo asado, barbacoa, veggie and fish. At only $2 a taco (with the exception of the fish tacos at $3.25) why not try them all? They also offer a Sonoran hotdog that never disappoints. Check them out before catching a show and embrace a little piece of history and culture.

Lucky Strike
www.bowlluckystrike.com
50 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix
602.732.5490
Downtown Phoenix is rife with exceptional dining destinations with new restaurants popping up all the time. If you are looking for a fully immersive experience, Lucky Strike is calling your name. They offer 12 bowling lanes, billiards, a live DJ on the weekends, large screen TV’s for all the sports watching you can handle, 2 full bars, bottle service and if you are looking for a private upscale experience they even have a 4 lane private suite for parties. This isn’t your parents bowling alley, you’ll find a truly upscale experience here and that is partially exhibited by their food and drink menu. There are no greasy pizza or chicken fingers here, instead you can opt for Ahi tuna poke flatbread, a kale and beet salad or savory poutines. They also have elevated burgers, sliders and street tacos. The cocktails are hand-crafted and feature new innovations on old favorites like their pink elephant, maple old fashioned and a pear prosecco.

Pinspiration
www.pinspiration.com
5410 E. High St., Phoenix
480.636.8010

Photo credit: Patricia Thornham

Feeling crafty? Are your Pinterest boards teeming with projects that you love, but you can’t seem to find the time or tools to make them happen? Pinspiration takes the trendiest Pinterest-inspired projects and makes them possible in their relaxed and inspiring setting. They have a catalog of sorts that boasts over 50 different projects that you can complete in house, no need to gather supplies and risk forgetting that one thing that you can’t move on without. They have everything that you could possibly need including tutorials and an extremely knowledgeable and helpful staff on hand in case you need a little extra instruction or assistance. All that creating is sure to make you hungry and thirsty, and thankfully Pinspiration has you covered there as well. While you can’t indulge on a full meal here, you can definitely keep your strength and spirits up with a combination of their cheese plates, hummus and pretzels and all the sweet treats that they always have on hand. You can also enjoy a variety of spirits while you are getting your art on from craft brews to a mix of white, red, rose and bubbles.

Stand Up Live
www.standuplive.com
50 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix
480.719.6100
Don’t let the heat get you down, escape the outdoors and get to Stand Up Live for a little comic relief. Stand Up Live in downtown Phoenix is the temporary home to some of the funniest folks in the US and you can get an up close and personal experience with them. The venue is large while still retaining an intimate vibe. You have the same required two drink minimum that is standard at most comedy clubs, and thankfully the drinks offered here, which they refer to as a “cure-all laughing liquid” are strong and varied. They have a long list of specialty drinks which include three different types of sangria and a HPNO colada that we are dying to try along with creative martinis and standard wine and beer list. Their starters, referred to as Openers, range from bruschetta to nachos, ribs to soft pretzels and everything in between. They have hearty salads if you’re looking for something a little lighter as well as burgers, steak and pasta that transcend traditional bar grub.

*This article, written by Taryn Jeffries, was originally featured in the July 2016 issue of Uptown Magazine.*