242 folks, fans of seafood and Gammage patrons. Drinks are strong and fairly cheap, and menu has a solid lineup of pub favorites (our picks include the gold wings, the fish and chips and the Cajun cream pasta). On a Friday or Saturday night, you can only hope that’ll you find a table at the lovely wrap- around patio dotted with trees and lights or inside at the bar. (There’s an outdoor bar, too.) If you’re extra-nice to the staff, they may let you take a peek upstairs, but watch out for the ghosts that are said to haunt the bar. The vibe is always casual, the clientele is always friendly and with any luck, Casey Moore’s will always be around. 22222 B EST D I V E BA R The Bikini Lounge 1502 Grand Ave. 602-252-0472 facebook.com/thebikinilounge The more things change in downtown Phoenix nightlife, the more they stay the same. In the case of the Bikini Lounge, it’s been 20 years since the last time we crowned the historic tiki-themed haunt as the Valley’s best dive, and it’s still worthy of the honor. In that time, not much has changed at this long- running Grand Avenue mainstay, which dates back to 1947, save for the tiki-style bike rack in front and the bamboo-ringed patio out back. It’s still a cash-only spot, filled with quintessential dive bar bona fides, from its gloriously scuffed bar and stained concrete floor to the men’s room outfitted with a janky condom machine, sketchy paint job and questionable odors. Maybe it’s the potent pours at the Bikini Lounge, but the Christmas lights always seem to shine a little brighter, the regulars are friendlier and the staff is more colorful (including doorman and local sideshow artist Dr. Rev. Stephen Strange) than at other local shitholes. In an age when the dive bar aesthetic has become an oft-copied concept for new nightspots, nothing beats a true classic like the Bikini. We’re betting it’ll still be serving dirt-cheap drinks long after these newer and trendier spots go belly up. 22222 B E ST S P O RTS BA R Santisi Brothers 2710 W. Bell Road 602-789-7979 santisibrothers.com You want to watch the game? How about all of them? Santisi Brothers in northwest Phoenix takes game-day options to a new level with its 100 — yes, 100 — televisions that they refer to as the Wide Wall of Sports. That many screens means that you can keep tabs on multiple sporting events at once. And as you cheer for your favorite teams, you can enjoy drinks from the full bar and well-executed sports bar fare. Santisi Brothers is known for its pizzas and Italian fare; the garlic knots are excellent, and we’re partial to the Santisi Combo pizza, which comes topped with pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, onions, olives and mush- rooms. On any given Sunday, there’s a good chance you’ll find us watching the game at Santisi Brothers. 22222 B E ST T I K I BA R UnderTow 3626 E. Indian School Road 602-739-1388 3150 E. Ray Road, #184, Gilbert 602-818-7424 drinkundertow.com There are lots of tiki bars around, brightly colored joints with wicker furniture, drink umbrellas and coconut shrimp. We love those places. But UnderTow is a tiki bar on a whole other level. The Barter & Shake concept takes you underwater into the hull of a 19th-century ship, complete with port- holes and sound effects. The current menu is inspired by the Yucatan and includes complex, inventive cocktails for all palates. The showstopper is the In Honor of Name- less Days, a rum- and tequila-based monster flavored with plantain, poblano, coconut, pineapple, lime and garnished with gold. It costs $44 and arrives at your table covered with a skull inside a lion head. (You just have to experience it.) A welcome recent addition to the menu is a snack trio of corn nuts, cheese and chorizo, which helps soak up some of the alcohol and is delicious to boot. 22222 B E ST G A M E BA R Taproom-120 4576 S. Power Road, #102, Gilbert 602-384-7755 facebook.com/taproom120 We’re not trying to push any buttons, but the arcade bar concept feels a little played out. What was once a niche idea locally has expanded to numerous nightspots across the Valley, offering a similar mix of joystick favorites, pinball machines, game-inspired cocktails and not much else. Enter a new challenger: Taproom-120 in Gilbert, a VHS- themed bar with a punk flair that’s a scrappy alternative to its competitors with unique thrills to complement its solid lineup of games. Inside its Starbase 120 arcade, a curated collection of 15 pinball titles and various arcade classics — including gems such as a Crystal Castles cocktail unit and Transporter The Rescue pinball machine — awaits players. Taproom-120’s other draws can be found in its main room, where a stage hosts lively rock and ska shows, or outside when the Arizona Wrestling Federation sets up a ring for events. Other geeky distractions at Taproom-120 include handmade items from local artists for sale, enormous bookshelves
