#1711 - Cave Creek Tap Haus, Cave Creek, AZ - 3/21/2012

 A large seafood and pasta family restaurant with 50 beers on tap and an odd hodgepodge decor.

6900 E Cave Creek Rd, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 - (480) 488-3300
Est. Nov. 2011
cavecreektaphaus.com - phoenixnewtimes - ratebeer - urbanspoon - yelp

#1710 - Cocomo Joe's, Cave Creek, AZ - 3/20/2012

Update: Cocomo Joe's closed in April 2014

A big sports bar in the guise of a tiki bar.

28244 N. Tatum Blvd, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 - (480) 538-8008


cocomojoes.com - facebook - critiki - yelp - azcentral -

#1709 - Dirty Drummer, Scottsdale, AZ - 3/19/2012

Pleasantly divey.
 
2730 N Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85257 - 480) 949-2797
dirtydrummer.com

#1708 - En Fuego, Scottsdale, AZ - 3/19/2012

A pretty typical hotel restaurant and bar with pretty good food and not so good cocktails.

5401 North Scottsdale Road Scottsdale, AZ 85250 - (480) 947-5400
web site - yelp -  azcentral

#1707 - Bikini Lounge, Phoenix, AZ - 3/18/2012

I had few expectations of the Bikini Lounge -- I envisioned just a dive bar with a cardboard thick devotion to the tiki theme. I was delightedly surprised.

It certainly is divey, as many of the best tiki bars are, and it has its insensate, day-glo tiki after-thoughts. But it also has aged charm and quirky appeal. Duane, the bartender (and member of the band Iconoclast, although I imagine they spell it differently), happily told us a few stories of the place, with many of the items dating back to its 1947 founding. The centerpiece hula girl painting behind the bar is said to be to have the head of the original owner's wife and the body of his mistress. While it was owned by a gay couple, the hula girl apparently had her breasts painted over and the grass skirt added, then the subsequent owner restored the bosom to its former glory.

 The New Times claims that this is the oldest bar in Phoenix.  Basically, it has an earnest quantity of tiki, and everything a you need for a dive bar of integrity, including the location in a dicey neighborhood. I don't imagine that I will ever go to Phoenix again without stopping in.

1502 Grand Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85007 - (602) 252-0472
Est. 1947
thebikinilounge.com - tikicentral - critiki - azcentral - yelp

#1706 - Hula's Modern Tiki, Phoenix, AZ - 3/18/2012

Hula's is a swank, mid-century place with good tiki drinks and very good food.  We met fellow tiki aficionados Mike M. and his wife, who were very friendly, as tiki people generally are, and compared notes on Phoenix and Tucson (from whence they had just come and we were just heading).

Hula's has some familiar sites for the tiki crowd -- glass cases of Munktiki mugs under the bar, a Tiki Tony carving, a Bosko shield.  It's romantically lit and as full of mid-century shapes and angles as a Shag painting.  The concept is well executed and the people are friendly.  It's a great exception to the strip mall, chain store dreariness of so much of the valley of the sun.

4700 North Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85012 - (602) 265-8454
hulasmoderntiki.com - facebook - critiki - thetikichick - backpage - centralphoenixfood -  phxrailfood - phoenixmag - yelp
Est. 2009

#1705 - Pussycat Lounge, Scottsdale, AZ - 3/17/2012

4426 N Saddlebag Trl Scottsdale, AZ 85251 - (480) 481-3100
www.pclaz.com - azcentral - azxclusive - voiceplaces

#1704 - Oasis Hookah Cafe, Scottsdale, AZ - 3/17/2012

4441 North Buckboard Trail Scottsdale, AZ 85251 - (480) 751-5362
yelp

#1703 - Rockbar, Scottsdale, AZ - 3/16/2012

"There won't be any pulsating electronica beats or brutal dubstep drops coming from Rockbar Inc. in Scottsdale." -- Phoenix New Times

DubRock Wednesdays at Rockbar.

Filter - Rockbar, Scottsdale - 3/16/2012

Bad Luck (Social Distortion tribute band), Rockbar 3/16/2012

4245 North Craftsman Court Scottsdale, AZ 85251 - (480) 331-9190
Est. Nov. 2011 
rockbarscottsdale.com - phoenixnewtimes - yelp

#1702 - Casablanca Lounge, Scottsdale, AZ - 3/16/2012

This place is less frenetic than most of Scottsdale, far better cocktails, an embracing dark decor with fires on the patio, and these fantastic cocktail menus that light up when you open them.

7134 East Stetson Drive Scottsdale, AZ 85251 - (480) 970-7888
Est. Oct 1, 2011
Previous bars in this location: Estate House, Napoleon Cigar Lounge
thecasablancalounge.com - facebook - phoenixnewtimes - azcentral - arizonafoothills - yelp

#1701 - The Herb Box!, Scottsdale, AZ - 3/16/2012

7134 E Stetson Dr, Ste 200, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 - (480) 998-8355
Est. Jan 1, 2011 
theherbbox.com - penandfork - phoenixmag - azcentral - yelp

#1700 - Spanish Fly Mexican Beach Club, Scottsdale, AZ - 3/15/2012

4341 N 75th St, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 - (480) 949-8454

Previous bars in this location: Drift
spanishflyscottsdale.com - facebook - yelp

#1699 - El Hefe, Scottsdale, AZ - 3/15/2012

4425 N Saddlebag Trail, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 - (480) 945-6200
elhefetacos.com - facebook - yelp

#1698 - Shade Lounge, Scottsdale, AZ - 3/15/2012

7277 East Camelback Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 - (602) 405-0099
web site - facebook

#1697 #S1012 - TRACE, Seattle, WA - 3/12/2012

TRACE is the revamped lounge and restaurant where Earth and Ocean used to be in downtown Seattle's W Hotel. The name represents of a theme of being able trace back (locally sourced) ingredients to the place they were grown.

It is fairly swanky, as you would expect, and it serves fairly good cocktails, with fairly good food, on the slightly pricey end of the scale.

1112 4th Ave, Seattle - (206) 264-6000
Est. March 9, 2012 - Building constructed: 1998
Previous bars in this location: Earth and Ocean
traceseattle.com - eater - seattletimes - thrillist - porttle - seattleite - thestranger - yelp

#1696 - Black Bottle Postern, Bellevue, WA - 3/9/2012

919 Bellevue Way NE (at NE 8th St), Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 223-5143
blackbottlebellevue.com

#1695 #S1011 - Empire Lounge, Seattle, WA - 3/8/2012

Update: The Empire Lounge closed in late 2012. It was replaced by the Ampersand Lounge, run by the Copper Cart team.

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Among the many exciting changes in this place since it was the Copper Cart are ..... er .... um .....

The place says that it is "the ultimate in a sophisticated music lounge. With its modern, sophisticated furnishings complemented by multiple billiard tables, HD projectors and plasma TVs. [sic]." 

113 Bell St., Seattle, WA, 98121 - 206 239-0830
Est. March 9, 2012 - Building constructed: 1930
Previous bars in this location: Copper Cart Cafe
coppercartcafe.com - link - yelp

#1694 #S1010 - Mestizo Tequila Ultra Lounge, Seattle, WA - 3/8/2012

Update: Mestizo closed in Sep 2012

There are many parts of Mestizo that make a good first impression.  There's some interesting art and decor from Mexico, there's the view of the sound, a fireplace, a water feature.  And our bartender was an attractive and friendly marine biologist named Gretchen.  There are 200 types of tequila to choose from, and a changing menu from across Latin America -- Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela.


Neither the food nor the cocktails that we had were particularly outstanding, and it does not yet seem to be attracking a lot of customers.  But it's clear the owners have put a lot of thought into it, so you would like to see it succeed. 

2313 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 535-7985
Est. March 8, 2012 - Closed Sep. 2012 - Building constructed: 1999
Previous bars in this location: Twist, Fandango
mestizogroup.com - facebook - seattlepi - thrillist - elisesaidso - thestranger - yelp

#1693 #S1009 - Fresh Bistro, Seattle, WA - 3/6/2012

Update: Fresh Bistro closed May 20, 2018.

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Fresh Bistro is a new-ish (2009) restaurant from the well regarded catering people at  Herban Feast.  It has an emphasis on local and organic ingredients, serves quite good food, and some fairly good cocktails in bar of a few seats.  I had an Orange Fitzgerald (house infused old Fitzgerald bourbon, Drambouis, Montenegro, orange bitters). 
 

4725 42nd Ave SW Seattle, WA 98136 - (206) 935-3733
Est. May 22, 2009 - Closed May 20, 2018 - Building constructed: 2008
Previous bars in this location: None known
freshbistroseattle.com - facebook - seattlemet - seattletimes - absolutelymonica - gastrolust - seattleweekly - westseattleblog - yelp