The Spot: Crave Cafe and Lounge, 505 S. Mill Ave, Tempe, 480-784-6700 http://www.cravetempe.com
The Hours: Happy Hour prices are available 7 days a week, 4-9 pm. Yes, happy hour lasts 5 hours a day at Crave.
The Details: Crave has a lot of items on the menu printed in red. There are so many wraps, sandwiches, pizzas, appetizers, and salads in red, I honestly thought it marked the chef specialities.
Nothing is posted about Happy Hour prices or times, so I asked. The server looked shocked that I did. All of the red ink-- about half the menu-- half price from 4-9pm. No lie.
The Interior: Crave has two patios, one in the front, overlooking Mill Ave, and one in the back, nestled between the building and the public parking lot off of 5th Ave. Hookahs are available for patio use only (and not discounted). The inside is long and narrow with L-shaped bench seating and tables in the front and high top booths in the center. They have a long bar with many seats. The decor is dark red and gray what we will call discount modern. They have televisions and a projection screen, usually tuned to sports.
The Cost: Bottles of wine are $10, Buckets of beer are $10 (mix and match 4 bottles), 2-for-1 cocktails, and $2 Modelo draft. Many of the wraps and sandwiches are regularly priced between $7-9 dollars. That means, during happy hour it is possible to get two Gin and Tonics and a Chicken Fattoush Wrap for less than $10, or a Margarita Pizza and a bottle of wine for $16, or a bucket of beer (read 4 beers), a chicken panini with fries, and a burger with fries for less than $20, really the combinations are endless.
The Conclusion: Crave's food is a mix of Mediterranean and American flavors with lots of choices. Appetizers on special include Fries or Garlic Fries, Tater Tots, Hummus, Baba Ganoush (eggplant dip), Mozzarella sticks made with their signature beer batter ranging from $2.50-$3.50 after discount. The chicken panini was a bit small, but they give you a ton of fresh crispy fries on the side. The gyro ($3.50 after discount) was loaded with meat and served on a warm pita. Some of their wraps, such as the Fattoush (also $3.50) is served on Lavash. Bring a friend, as the liquor deals encourage you to buy in bulk.
Overall Grade: A-
