Hot Tempe bars near ASU

Zuma Grill manages to bring a classy vibe to boisterous Mill Avenue, with candlelit tables and a pristine bar setup. An American menu is served until 10 p.m., then the nightlife crowd piles in. Ladies get it good here the last Wednesday of every month, where females score free champagne. Don’t be fooled by the pretty interior, though — the place gets packed and loud, especially when live bands take the corner stage or a DJ mixes up beats. Get there early to snag a seat or boogey down with the rest of the patrons.

It’s obvious in the name—this joint is all about racking it up on one of the many pool tables. You’re bound to see lots of hotties in the process, considering the bar is a favorite among ASU students because of its primo spot on Mill Ave. Mill Cue Club also features pool tournaments, so grab a group of your best-playing friends to compete.

Dueling pianos take center stage at this popular Mill Avenue destination, where talented keys players sing and play some of the most popular songs from the past and present. It’s non-stop entertainment for the crowd that often sings along with the professionals. The hot bar staff often jumps on stage with the performers to hype up the crowd. It doesn’t matter if you’re tone deaf here — being surrounded by fellow inebriated singers makes stage fright quickly disappear.

Casey's is special for three reasons: its awesome wrap-around patio, its haunted legend and its Jimmy Eat World-inspired fame. Make friends with some of its tattooed, artsy regulars on the patio, which is lit with twinkle lights year 'round and has a kickback atmosphere that encourages strangers to become easy drinking buddies. The place is a weekly hotspot for granola girls and emo boys to enjoy a Kilt Lifter or stiff drink, and the Irish bar and restaurant also sports a "Blarney" stone in the men's outdoor bathroom.

You might end up here after a night of barhopping on Mill Avenue, and the Tavern on Mill is a great place to finish your run because of its good-looking crowds and wide alcohol selection. There also are 30 TVs to check out the latest sporting events on, and the dance floor always is crowded on weekend nights because of the DJs. The Tavern’s kitchen serves bar food with some Mexican items thrown in, and breakfast is served from 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays and Sundays. You can munch on the goods outdoors on the large patio.

If you want to watch the game and you don’t mind loud, cheering fans, head to Native New Yorker. Its decor is sports-oriented, with flat-screen TVs and sports memorabilia hanging high up on the walls. The bar-food menu runs the gamut, from pizza, hoagies, hot dogs and burgers to salads, calzones and stromboli. Don’t leave without trying the signature item here: chicken wings, which come in flavors such as honey barbecue, pineapple teriyaki and Asiago-Parmesan.

This new lounge promises to be your newest destination for a pre-clubbing bite to eat or as the classiest place to come for a post-clubbing nightcap.

Suite 301 is one of the classiest bars on Mill Avenue. Inside, white drapes partition off cushy private couch areas, and the club’s dim lighting is offset by candles lining the bar and tables. Outside, lounge on a comfy bed or mingle while listening to the DJs spin dance tunes. The patio overlooks Mill Avenue, so you can spy on all the people below. While the bar is ultra-chill on weekdays, Fridays and Saturdays get packed, especially because of the “Pole Wars” contest in which women take turns on the club's poled platforms. Sip on a Sweet 301 martini, made with raspberry vodka, Blue Curacao and Chambord.

This trendy hotel near Arizona State University features two lounges—the w xyz bar and re:mix, which contains brightly colored pool tables.

Sure there’s corned beef and cabbage, and fish and chips. But there’s also boxty, a traditional griddled potato pancake rolled around Guinness-braised beef. And you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy the nightlife here. Rula Bula is one of the busiest spots on Mill Avenue, drawing crowds for its laid-back atmosphere, huge patio seating and live music.

This nightclub may not exactly evoke your favorite beach vibe, but it’ll feel like you’re back at spring break with the rowdy crowds who hang out here. Girls dance on platforms, and the rest of the floor gets busy as DJs spin your typical Top 40 music. It’s right off Mill Avenue, so the people who come are typically young and good-looking. If dancing isn't your thing, the venue serves bar fare, which you can munch on outside on the patio. Head there Thursday for penny tacos and 99 cent margaritas.

This Mexican restaurant and bar opened in the former Chronic Tacos spot on Mill Avenue and Sixth Street in Tempe. Look for $2 Corona beers before sunset, caipirinhas, street tacos, macaroni and cheese burritos, and breakfast burrito bowls. Live music is featured Sundays and DJ music on the weekends. Food is served till 3 a.m.

This bar on Mill Avenue is always boppin’ because of its attractive crowd and specialty daiquiris, ranging from the White Russian to the Tropical Itch, made with bourbon and rum. You also can chow down on standard bar fare, from burgers to wings. Enjoy sipping while listening to a DJ inside, or head out to the patio with your goodies for some people-watching.

Located in the two-story space above Gordon Biersch on Mill Avenue, the 3,000-square-foot club features DJs spinning hip-hop, rock, house and Top 40. Inside it feels like Scottsdale, with patent-leather couches, chrome chains throughout and a crystal and steel chandelier among its decor, but the casual Tempe crowd won’t feel out of place. Signature drinks include the Whip Cocktail, made of Corona, tequila and 7Up.

RA once billed itself as the place where Iron Chef meets Girls Gone Wild, and the sleek, urbane atmosphere with a kick of attitude has put it on the dining map. Known for its energetic atmosphere during dinner and a young, hip happy hour, there's never a dull moment at RA. The upbeat sushi restaurant offers fresh and creative sushi rolls, signature salads, Japanese entrees and signature cocktails such as the Tsunami Punch, a 60-ounce behemoth made with sake, a blend of liqueurs and tropical juices and served in a fishbowl (with two straws).

Mill Avenue gets a touch of class from La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar, a hip pizza joint where diners can enjoy their pies while lounging on couches out on the patio, where people watching is great, or inside the art-filled dining room. While the thin-crust artisan pizzas are a must-try, with varieties such as the chicken and pesto and the harvest mushroom, the eatery also offers bruschetta, salads and sandwiches.

This popular spot, part of the local Macayo’s chain and right behind Mill Avenue, is a stomping ground for Arizona State University students and young adults before barhopping (it closes at midnight every day) because of its laid-back atmosphere and tasty dining options--plus, there's live music on select nights. The spacious patio also has a stage for music, giving the restaurant a party vibe. Try the Baja Pizza, a Mexican pizza with Baja sauce, grilled chicken and Jack cheese, and pair it with an Ocean Blue Margarita, made with Blue Curacao.

A cross between casual and upscale dining, Z’Tejas serves up Southwestern fare with a touch of New Orleans flavor. The entrees are an inventive lot: grilled cilantro pesto-rubbed ruby trout; green-chile barbacoa enchiladas; pork tenderloin with chorizo; blackened voodoo tuna. Try the hand-hacked guacamole, made fresh daily, and don’t miss the freshly baked cornbread with honey butter. There also is a great happy hour, a perfect chance to try specialties like the Millionaire Margarita.

After a short disappearing act, the Sail Inn found its way home and back to it's original location next to the train tracks.

Create your own faux Mexico escape at Dos Gringos Trailer Park, a popular destination in Tempe that has no pretensions, just cheap prices. Get your in-state vacation started by sipping $2 Corona and Corona Lights while hanging out at the brightly colored picnic-table areas, and listen to live music. Dos also features an awesome happy hour from 4-7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays with $1 shots. The same special goes down during reverse happy hour from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Sundays-Thursdays. And if you’re a late-night nosher hankering for some Mexican food, menu items are $4 from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. daily.

The Yucca Tap Room is home to artsy kids from Arizona State University and hip adults, with a cool mix of live bands playing every night. The bar is small and the dance floor gets crammed, but that just brings everyone closer. It’s even more fun when you can enjoy $2 domestic and well drinks from 6-11 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, not to mention $1.75 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and $2.50 wells and domestic bottles all the time.

Come to Four Peaks Brewing Co. for the beer, and stay for the food and the crowd containing loads of Arizona State University students. The brewery’s drinks are found all over the Valley, with selections such as the sweet Arizona Peach making a beer fan out of anyone. The brewery features eight permanent selections in addition to seasonal picks, and you can see the tanks and fermenters right from your table in the sports-bar interior. Food-wise, start with the spicy Thai hummus, and then dig into chicken enchiladas, barbecue chicken pizza or brickhouse wings. Another plus: Four Peaks is now a short walk from the light rail, so you've always got a designated driver if you live along the line. Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m., and then reverse happy hour is from 10 p.m.-close. Cheers!

This trendy hot spot has a primo location in the heart of Tempe Marketplace, right by one of the shopping and dining center’s music stages, which is nice to watch from outside. The kitschy, colorful interior offers a laid-back, beachy vibe that extends outside to the patio. Go here for the social aspect as well as the food, since the crowds are young and boisterous. The dining options include big portions of Mexican fare and a cheap late-night menu offered after 10 p.m. Try the cheese enchiladas ($6.95) with the green sauce, and pair your food with one of the more than 100 tequilas offered.

It’s cool to be a cowboy or cowgirl at Cadillac Ranch, a Western bar. This Tempe hangout with rock-star flair feels more like an Old Town Scottsdale spot and sees designer-duds-outfitted young people populating the bar and patio. Don’t be surprised to see girls in short skirts riding the mechanical bull and loads of people dancing to a mix of country, hip-hop and pop on the dance floor. If you head here for dinner, try some Texas wings ($8.75) or a half-pound Cadillac burger ($9.75) — just don’t anticipate any heavy conversation, because Cadillac Ranch keeps the music loud.

Don't let the exterior of this little bar, whose neighbor is a convenience store, deceive you. Inside, the Rogue has a loyal hipster following, with trendily dressed peeps getting down on the modest dance floor. The Rogue is a perfect example of a trendy dive bar — it embraces its grit (besides cheap drinks, there's a pool table surrounded by '50s-style booths), but its inhabitants come out to impress, donning fashionable punk and vintage threads. When you come, don’t be afraid to dance. DJ William F---ing Reed spins electro and Brit-pop tunes Saturdays with his SHAKE! dance night, and there's never a cover.