Dark romance, Pei Wei make SideBar a hit

(Credit: Courtesy of SideBar)

SideBar is downtown Phoenix’s newest destination for late-night drinking, and, unexpectedly, for having Pei Wei personally couriered to you.

The narrow little bar sits on the side of the second story above the Pei Wei and Starbucks on the corner of 7th Avenue and McDowell Road, where the venerable, divey Emerald Lounge used to be.

And while the intimate lounge does serve light snacks such as hummus, spinach dip and baby brie, it’s also arranged for guests to have fast-casual Chinese delivered straight to them.

With a full bar, 50 beers and 30 wines by the glass, SideBar, which opened in mid-November, is already a destination for a variety of downtowners.

“We’ve gotten an amazing amount of support from the neighborhood around us, it’s been really cool,” said owner Josh Parry.

Guests are a mix of young professionals, gays, historic neighborhood residents and downtown artists.

The bar is come-as-you are, but still feels upscale, with exposed brick walls, minimalist furniture and a modernist panel of metal behind the bar, yellow light shining out from circular cutouts.

Almost as dark as the nearby Chez Nous, this bar compels guests to use lighters to read the menu when not at the bar, but the dim yellow glow is more romantic than annoying.

Low bench seating, round floor lamps from Ikea, reinvented as table lamps, and stark black and white geometric curtains give the place style. But guests would likely be enamored of the place even without these style efforts, because Parry and his staff make such welcome bartending ones.

They squeeze all their own juices and make their own sweet and sour mix. They stock beers from Miller to Chimay and Unibroue. And they’ve got a signature drink that’s already selling hugely—the SideBar Collins, a vodka Collins with the bar’s homemade sweet and sour.

But perhaps most appreciated is the 2 a.m. closing time, seven days a week. This is a rarity in a downtown ever-trying to establish itself as a viable nightlife destination.

“We want people to know there’s always somewhere to go downtown, there’s always something to do and people to be seen,” said Parry.

Details: SideBar is open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays, and from 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. weekends. 1514 N. 7th Ave., 2nd Floor, Phoenix, 602-254-1646, sidebarphoenix.com.