Best Non-Smoking Patio 2011 | Four Peaks Brewing Company | Arts & Entertainment | Phoenix
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Ahh, there is nothing like relaxing on a patio while drinking one of your favorite beers and noshing on a plate of cheese puffs on a crisp autumn day — and then your neighbor has to go and ruin it by lighting up a dirty cigarette. We hate when that happens! It won't happen at Four Peaks — the brewery's expansive tree-shaded patio is 100 percent smoke-free before midnight. It's rare to find a patio in the Valley that wasn't built with the smoker in mind, but if you smoke on the Four Peaks patio, you and your cigarettes swiftly will be asked to leave.
Any bar can plaster a couple of flat-screens on the wall and call itself a sports bar, but a true sports fan knows that it takes a lot more than a few plasmas from a big-box store to be drafted as a game-day watering hole. Hazelwoods understands this. In addition to the more prominent flatscreens, the bar provides a mini TV at every booth that you can tune to your sport of choice. The bar food is solid, and there's no shortage of game-day specials. And if you get a bit too tipsy rooting for the home team, Hazelwoods has a booze-mobile that will drive you home free of charge within a five-mile radius. Now that's team spirit.
One of the perks of being within walking distance of the major sports arenas in downtown Phoenix is that you end up drawing a pretty respectable crowd of pre- and post-game sports fans. Though there's no shortage of sports on every big-screen TV at Coach and Willie's, what really makes us sweet on this bar is the above-average menu (bacon crusted mac 'n' cheese and the signature lobster bisque come to mind), which makes it easy to linger over a couple of beers, even in the off-season. Not that there's ever an off-season at Coach and Willie's, because they seem to subscribe to the sports fanatic's HD dream package.
As far as neighborhood sports bars go, CK's Tavern and Grill hits it out of the park. Plenty of TVs for rabid sports fans to catch the game and generous daily specials — both food and drink — make it worth the visit even in the off season. Plus the atmosphere attracts a diverse crowd from families to weekend warriors, with pool tables, buzztime trivia, and even a claw machine to snag a stuffed animal. The chipotle raspberry and mediyaki (medium with teriyaki) wings are always delicious, as is the adovada pizza, a crisp fried tortilla topped with spicy pulled pork and queso.
Every neighborhood needs a solid sports bar where you can catch the big game, and Catch 22 is on deck to appeal to any and all sports fans. From the Monday Night Football crowd to the UFC fight-night fanatics, we consider Catch 22's many flat-screen TVs and extensive sports packages a home run. The menu goes above and beyond fried bar food, and there's even a section geared toward the little leaguers tagging along. We particularly like their burger homage to players who wore jersey number 22, from the Emmit Smith (chedder, bacon, and chili) to the Roger Clemens (pepper jack and sweet peppers) and every other topping, er, player on the roster.
Peoria can sometimes be a land of chain restaurants, where the closest you'll get to a sports bar is a Hooters. But look carefully at the corner of 83rd Avenue and Bell, because right behind that Hooters (we wish we were joking) is The Moon Saloon. The homey joint, with red vinyl booths and wood-paneled walls, is frequented by plenty of regulars — the place gets packed when the Suns and Cardinals play — and after a couple of games, you'll be calling yourself a regular, too. The TVs are plentiful, the beer flows freely, and the saloon snack Pick-a-Platter lets you mix and match among bar bites, because variety is the spice of life.
Courtesy of Zipps
If you root for the home team, you'll fit in nicely at Zipps in Chandler. Here, fans turn out in numbers and are very vocal in their support, from ASU football to big-deal NFL playoff games. There are tons of TVs positioned at all angles, so there's not a bad seat in the house. Though there's plenty on draft or behind the bar to quench your thirst, we recommend the frozen Zipparita, which gives Z'Tejas a run for its tequila-laced money. Anchor your booze with a platter of the honey hot "golden wings" (Go maroon and gold!) or an ice cream-topped cookie skillet. With generous happy hour specials and rotating daily deals on food and drink from 8 to close, it's easy to see why this sports bar fills up fast on game day.
"Sports bar" can be a generic term, but at Boulders on Broadway, the designation truly fits. The bar is stuffed with bikers — not the leather-sporting, tattooed, and bearded types, but the toned and slim bicyclist variety, along with all sorts of sporty, fit athletes-cum-hipsters. It's easy to see the appeal. The multi-floor bar and eatery boasts a massive beer selection (25 on tap and 75 additional brews available in bottles), as well as a menu of pizzas and sandwiches. It's generally hearty fare, but when everyone is jogging, hiking, biking, or roller-blading to the bar, you get the sense that any unnecessary calories are burned off in no time.
The fourth location in the sports bar empire owned by Phoenix Suns legend and assistant coach Dan Majerle, Majerle's Old Town may be "Thunder" Dan's best yet. The upscale décor of the place sets a new standard, and the glowing purple and orange accents that dot the bar make it clear that this is Suns territory. Jerseys and dozens of flat-screens hang on the walls, and if you're lucky, you may even spot Majerle himself hanging out. He makes plenty of stops at the place, and there's no doubting why — sports fan or not, the clean lines, classy drinks, and decent pub grub make Majerle's a prime spot to watch the game.
With 15 flat-screen televisions dominating the walls, and smaller flat-screens at each booth, you won't miss a minute of the fight at Gametime. Owners order all the UFC fights and most boxing matches, in addition to NFL Sunday Ticket, the NBA League Pass, and college football's Big Ten Package. This family-friendly restaurant by day starts hopping at night, when music pumps energy into the air and the drink specials come out to play. And you more than make up for the $5 cover on game nights (no drink minimums) with the bevy of specials, including all-day happy hour on Monday and 25-cent drinks on Thursday nights with the purchase of a $5 wristband.

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