Papago Brewing

jale

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -11.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

Came here for the Firestone-Walker and Maui brewing events during Arizona beer week. I was here a year ago and still the same look. Casual and laid back describes the place. Nice tap selection and a large variety of great bottles you pick from to drink while there. Staff seem to enjoy working here. The food is average but I don't expect exotic items in a casual place like this. I'm never dissapointed coming here. If you can't find something you like on tap, there are hundreds of bottles to choose from. A place I will stop at whenever I'm in the Phoenix area.

02-28-2012 23:07:26 | More by jale

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

An enjoyable stop at the end of my first day in Scottsdale, I hit Papago after an epic shopping trip at Total Wine in the north end of town.

Located in a strip mall, Papago does not look like much from the outside, or from the inside either really. I got a stool at the bar in the back corner of the place. About a half dozen house beers were on tap (apparently they are brewed eslewhere) along with a great list of guest taps. I got a sampler which included the Coconut Joe, the milk stout and the porter. All were quite tasty and well made.

Food all looked good. I had the beer bites, crispy sqaures of pizza dough with dipping sauce. I have had this type of item in many brew pubs. This rendition was far above average.

Service was pleasant when you could get someone's attention. The bartenders seemed to spend a lot of time chatting with their backs to the patrons. Plus they gave my food order to people who had ordered after me, and did not realize there was a problem until the next order came out 15 minutes later. Since they ordered a red dipping sauce and I ordered a white one, this should have been easy to spot.

Anyway, I was hoping to get back for some more beers and a growler to take home but the schedule did not allow it this time. Next time for sure...

Update: Got to visit again last week, had the same experience. Great beer selection, solid food, nice service when you could get some. Seems there is no dedicated bartender (maybe just on slow nights) and the register (where they ring in takeout orders) is at the end of the bar. Both of these factors lead to long stretches where there is no one to even ask for anything.

Update 2: Arrived late from the airport, hoping to get a beer after a long day. The bartender was outside grabbing a smoke before closing (the place was empty) but offered to stay open so we could have a beer. Gotta bump up the service rating for that alone.

HV

02-13-2012 15:11:22 | More by sholland119

BOLTZ7555

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -13.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Without a doubt, the place to go in AZ!!! Great selection on tap
and a fridge full of unique beers to take home (AleSmith, Port/LA, Odell's, Bell's, FW, Mikkeller, Green Flash, Goose Island, Great Divide, New Belgium, etc)...prices are quite reasonable and you have a good shot finding a rare gem. Food is solid...tasty and hot but don't expect high end. Think Ballpark Pretzels, pizza, and quesadillas. This place is all about the beer as it should be. Better service than you might find in similar spots. Wide open space and not at all pretentious. Stop in!!!

05-29-2011 06:02:49 | More by BOLTZ7555

TIMMYJ21

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev -4.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

Went here back in March 2011
The Beer list at this place is really awesome, they have about 20 or so taps a cask also, vary wide selection on taps also. Their is a better then average beer to go cooler with a bunch of six packs and singles, bombers Etc....they also have 64 and 32 oz growlers to go on some of there offerings. Service was nothing to write home about, they were busy but not terrible,took quite awhile to get a drink order in, but after that, service picked up nicely. Food was pretty good here, enjoyed a few apps while playing some Jinga, yes they have games and cards and puzzles here. By far the best craft bar we went into while down in AZ, will be coming back again for sure.

05-27-2011 21:10:07 | More by TIMMYJ21

azdback

Arizona

4.13/5  rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I've been here a few times to purchase bottles to go, but recently met BA's MattttYCE, McNuts and Josssmith for a pint or two.

The atmosphere is very laid back. I didn't feel out of place wearing a tee shirt and shorts. I felt like I was surrounded by BA's that don't care how you are dressed, but how the beer tastes.

Service was good. In fact the bartender mentioned how long it took for me to choose what to have.

Selection is great. There were probably 20 beers on tap and an entire bottle shop type cooler full of your choice of the best you can get in the Valley. Although there is "corking" fee if you drink them there.

We had a pepperoni and mushroom pizza which was good. Not great, but pizza is like sex. When it is great you tell all your friends about how great it was and when it's terrible you still tell them it was pretty good.

The value borders on reasonable and pricey. There were I think 4 drafts that were $8.95 each (for a 10oz. snifter) the rest were fairly reasonable.

05-23-2011 05:50:27 | More by azdback

Phelps

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Ah, Papago. Jewel of south Scottsdale.

Papago is a beer bar, plain and simple. The crowd varies from beer nerds to the newly initiated to the simple college crowd out for a drink, but the ambiance is usually jovial. Likewise, most of the bartenders are pretty knowledgeable and friendly. If you see Zach, ask him to make you a Hop Suicide -- a mix of all the hoppy beers they have on tap at a given time. The place used to get rather crowded at night, especially during tastings and other events, but the recent expansion into the space next door has really opened everything up. Plus, there's shuffleboard!

Papago's beers are standouts in the Valley for their creative takes on styles. They're all contract-brewed, some by other local breweries like SunUp, some by breweries in Belgium. Elsie's, a milk stout flavored with coffee and Irish cream, is one of my favorite beers, and the one I always suggest to tourists.

One thing I really appreciate about Papago: they understand the internet. The online tap list is updated daily and new beers are posted to Facebook and Twitter whenever they arrive. I never miss a special release or sought-after draft. An extensive bottle selection and tap list offers even more opportunity for trying new stuff.

Overall, one of the places you MUST visit if you're in Phoenix.

05-12-2011 21:27:01 | More by Phelps

Retsinis

California

4/5  rDev -7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Have some family over in Chandler, so we headed over to a few breweries while visiting them there, Papago being one of them. The place is located in a strip mall, not too far from the University. The atmosphere, to me, is a cross between a upscale liquor store, and summer camp cabin, and a rustic sports bar. Comfortable, nice AC (yeah it gets hot in AZ) and a good tap list.

Service was decent, only 1 server that day, but it was not that crowded, and the place is not that big either. He checked in with us every 10 mintues or so. They had a few board games there, including a drinking Jenga, which was pretty funny. We played that twice while just hanging out for the afternoon. Didnt get anyfood, as we had just had lunch before going here.

Of the three beers I tried form Papago while there, the Papago Elsie Irish Cream was the highlight. (also had the Orange Blossom, which my cousin took a growler home ofi t, and the Coconut Joe). I brought home a Growler off the Irish Cream, which was shared amongst friends at a recent gathering, and it was liked by all.

I also got a 2008 bottle of Mephistopheles Stout, and two other locals that I don't get in So Cal.

All in all, a good stop, with some pretty solid options for AZ. Recomended if your in the area.

04-28-2011 16:42:20 | More by Retsinis

trappistlover

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -13.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Excellent selection of bottle and draught beers plus they hold special events with other great breweries. Hell, even saw a mini-kiss band at a DFH event. Won’t forget that any time soon. The only things detracting from a better score is the sometimes slow service-even when it isn’t busy and the acoustics leave alot of be desired. It’s not the easiest place to have a good conversation because it’s very loud. Food is above average pub grub. If you are an out of town visitor, this is THE place to come.

They are expanding so there will be more room.

04-12-2011 19:32:26 | More by trappistlover

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -7.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Nicely tucked away in strip mall, it took a little while but we found it. though you are in a strip mall the building and atmosphere is suprisingly decent, enter into an area that has some dart boards on the right, bit of storage on the left and the tables in front followed by the bar to rear right and fridges on the back left. Music was decent, but our table had a bit of bad lighting in the early evening sun, otherwise ok. the tables are very unique as each are different.

Quality of the place was good; great selection of beverages on draft and bottle, decent menu and service was solid. Beers were served in appropriate glasses for the most part.

Service was good, relatively knowledgeable and made a few good suggestions.

Selection was great to me, lots of great western US beers that I have not had or seen, very impressive. My wife and were excited to have some La Folie on draft and I got to try New belgium's berliner weisse. Papago's own beers were good as well, but it was tough to get by some of the other great ones on draft. We also picked up two 6 packs to go of some good CO and AZ beers we had not had yet.

We did order some food, the pizza bread bites with some sauces very good and just right for stopping in for a few brews.

Very good value, did feel any beer was priced out of the ordinary, even the 6 packs were priced fairly.

04-10-2011 03:49:48 | More by mvanaskie13

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.8/5  rDev -12.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Was in Pheonix on a work trip, met up with an old friend from back in the day here.

Located in a strip mall w/ the usual fat bouncery guy working the door checking ID's. Not typical in a craft brew scene. Weird layout, I guess kind of that SW vibe going for it, definitely not the UK/Irish style pub you frequently see. Found out they don't make all the beers they have their name on, like the stout for instance, is from Sun Up. And they were out of their ipa.

Service was decent, girls checked up on us pretty regularly and were informative. Selection is really good, lots of coolers full of other people's stuff. Scored some of the O'Dell's Peche Porter stuff, pretty cool find. Drank a bunch of local ipas. Had the super meaty pizza, was good.

A decent place, really would see myself using the to-go beer purchase option more often. A cool place, probably my #2 option in Arizona.

03-24-2011 17:50:14 | More by Beerandraiderfan