The Spot: Top of the Rock at The Buttes Tempe Resort, 2000 Westcourt Way, Tempe, 602- 431-2370
www.marriott.com/phxtm
Hours: Top of the Rock is on top of a rock. These people take things literally. And so it's only fitting that they name their new summer happy hour Five-2-Seven. Monday through Saturday from yep, you guessed it, 5 - 7 p.m.
The Details: Offered in the bar and lounge only, Five- 2- Seven features smokin' discounts on hand crafted cocktails, such as, $6 red or white sangria and their signature Pear- Berry Lemonade. Beer and wine specials include $5 seasonal drafts and wines by the glass.
Choose from eight appetizers that range as low as $3- $6 but portion size should be noted on two chicks ability to easily devour 6 of the 8 (though this caught up later and made our hike down the rock not-so-easy).
Get the run down on The Rock after the jump.
The Interior: Having a mountain top view of the city to go along with discounted booze and food is enough to win over anyone's happy hour heart. However, The Rock's decor, live music and clientele may lose a few points with a young and hip crowd.
When we remembered Top of the Rock is a restaurant within a Marriot Hotel, the tacky booth fabric, photo-snapping out-of-towners and bad acoustic music made sense. To be fair, the interior and clientele were very Marriot-esque but the wonderful staff and yummy red sangria, were quick to make up for our grunts on ambiance.
The Cost: Forty dollars before tax and tip scored us six appetizers of chips and salsa, hummus, tacos, cottage fries, and pork belly poppers, one draft beer, a glass of red sangria and a Pear-Berry Lemonade. You bet your sweet pork belly we were happy with that.
The Conclusion: Top of the Rock is new to the happy hour game and their excitement about it shows in more ways than low prices. Their willingness to offer an alternative to the fine-dining experience they're known for proves an effort that scores big in our books.
While some of the appetizers fell short-- the pork belly inside of the deep friend popper was beyond too sweet-- others, including the freshly made homemade tortilla chips and creamy salsa verde ($4) and local farm veggie tacos ($4), set the standard for a great tasting bargain.
Rock on.
Overall Grade: B
