The Spot: Mellow Mushroom, 740 S. Mill Ave., 480-967-6355
www.mellowmushroom.com
The Hours: Monday-Friday 3-6 p.m. and every day 10 p.m.-close
The Details: Foodwise, you've got a quirky mix of pizza, calzones and hoagies. There's also a killer beer menu, with more than 40 brews on draft and an equally buxom bottle selection.
And there's an array of daily drink specials, such as $3 Margarita Monday, $1 PBR Tuesday and WTF Wednesday, when $3 gets you a mystery beer in a brown paper bag.
Get the grade after the jump.
The Interior: A wide open area filled with tables is bordered by a sizeable bar replete with tap handles and a glass counter where you can watch the pizza-makers hard at work. Funky colors and graffiti-style art decorate the walls.
The Cost: During the afternoon Happy Hour any of their 10 appetizers can be had for $2-$5, and all the alcohol in the joint is half price. The Reverse Happy Hour boasts the same alcohol discount and big slices of pizza for $3. We had the Meatball Appetizer ($3.25), Stuffed Portobello ($4.50), and a pair of beers for $15.
The Conclusion: The half-priced appetizer list offers a decent selection of tasty grub. The Stuffed Portobello ($8.79, half-off during happy hour), was a little small for the price, but the artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese it was stuffed with resulted in a nice, complex blend of flavor. With three meatballs halved and served with a chunk of mozzarella, the Meatball Appetizer ($6.49, half-off during happy hour), however, filled us up nicely. But you know what's not on the daytime happy hour menu? Freakin' PIZZA!
The price is right on drinks -- some quality beers can be had for low low charges. As a beer bar, however, the knowledge of the servers leaves a bit to be desired. When we asked ours what bombers (22-ounce bottles of beer) were available, she replied: "The usual stuff. Jager bombers, Irish Car bombers, you know."
The Grade: A-
