nextDOOR

In a word… BORING. Sorry that’s the truth. This place is like Mickey Hangover, but in dwntwn PHX, which is okay, but just okay. I’m the kind of person who likes activity and this place calls itself a club. I don’t like many club scences albeit Bar Smith sometimes, but I like to dance and I like to see people having a good time dancing. Not much of that happening at nextDOOR.
We got bored after 10 minutes of being there on a Friday night when you couldn’t find parking anywhere dwntwn. Our party of whatever, 10 or so, left pronto and went to Lost Leaf where they had a band pouring out their heart on the drums, decks, and other improvational instruments.

Went here on 1^st Friday, big crowd. Great location and outdoor bar is fantastic. But I agree with the other reviews, drink prices were expensive.

I’ve been here a couple of times. One time was after First Fridays. I got in as the crowd was dying down enough to actually get a seat at the bar. The second time for a drum and bass DJ on a regular ol’ Friday night.
The actual bar is amazing, the set up with the cool mod rebar umbrella & view of Downtown Phoenix made me think for a split second I was actually in a ultra hip downtown. Then I got snapped back into reality when my bartender said, «That’ll be $ 9 please.» WTF? $ 9 for a gin and tonic? I nearly choked!!! Are we in L.A. or something because the last time I paid $ 9 for a drink I was on Sunset Blvd.
Last I checked, this is still Phoenix, Arizona. The second time I went my gin and tonic was $ 7. That was better but got me thinking… Does this place raise the prices whenever they see fit, depending on the crowd and amount of people partying it up? Unless they lowered the price between this weekend and 4 weeks ago, I have a sneaking suspicion they price their drinks according to whatever suits their fancy. I don’t like that. In fact, nope. not at all. I’d give this place 5 stars because the actual set up is great but NO ONE SHOULD PAY $ 9-​$ 12 PER DRINK IN PHOENIX. Period.
This is not L.A. It’s not S.F. and it’s most certainly not NYC. Who do these crazy owners think they’re fooling?

nextDOOR– something just kept drawing us back to this bar throughout our First Friday crawl. Our night pretty much went like this: browse the vendors, back for a cocktail, check out some galleries, back for a cocktail, check out the band and finally back for a cocktail and stick.
I am so excited to see a bar like nextDOOR in the downtown are. The setup was very cool with a giant palm tree like bar made out of rebar. There was plenty of seating, but only outdoors. The inside of the building looked like an abandoned house. But you always have the restaurant Fate next door is you want to sit inside; I imagine this place will slow down in the hot summer months.
Good mixed drinks, good music — live dj and cool crowd. The service was typical of a crowded bar — 10 minutes or longer for a cocktail. I especially enjoyed the red mandarine (splg?). I’ll be back for sure and not only for First Friday.

There’s no mistaking the house music thumping from the upstairs, where the DJ spins countless cool tunes. Upon walking into nextDOOR, your feet immediately vibrate — the music is this loud. The inside is empty, save for a couple lounge couches and art on the wall — right now showcasing the artist who does Lux’s stuff. Very cool. (Not sure if they rotate the art or not, though).
But, let’s face it. You didn’t come here to hang indoors. The entire point of nextDOOR is that it’s an outside bar. There’s no mistaking where to find the bar. There are some funky tables and chairs scattered about, too. The chairs remind me of Darth Vader, to be honest. The bar stools could be a little more butt-​friendly. Then again, I’m not sure patrons stay here long. It seems like a place to grab ONE drink and move along, since maintaining any kind of conversation is damn near impossible over the music. (Not that I dislike the music, for I’m a total house junkie.)
Be forewarned: If you open a tab and give them your card, they’ll file it in a little index card holder, then toss it around carelessly. I watched the bartenders «tab out» a couple customers, then shove the little, black box on a shelf near the liquor. Good to know? Maybe, if you’re looking to do a little ID theft on the side.
As for the actual bar…
They had about 6 beers to choose from, ranging from $ 5 to $ 7. A couple I had never heard of, which intrigued me — yet not enough to actually ask for one.
My bro ordered a jack and coke. $ 11 — after taxes, the menu clarified. He said it was a good drink. For the price, I would hope to think it would cure cancer. C’mon, this is, after all, and outdoor bar in Phoenix — not the Clift Hotel in San Francisco.

I love the layout of this outdoor bar. However, the price of drinks here and the lack of well options is a huge turn off. It’s also going to be interesting to see if people are into the idea of an outdoor «dance club» once summer comes back around.
The view is awesome. I’m always up for supporting independent downtown businesses, this place just needs to make some changes to make me want to come back.

I’ve been to this place a couple of times now and I really liked it at first, but I think my visit there last night may have been my last — period.
Service is SO unbelievably slow that I could actually feel my hair growing as my man friend waited up at the bar to try to get our drinks. I wouldn’t even normally mind the prices if the service was good, but as it is, the only reason to go back is that it’s a great place to watch people during First Fridays.
If you are going to go, take a dose of patience and an open line of credit. :)

Yeah, i’m just going to echo everyone’s general sentiments, and that is that nextDOOR, despite its hokey name, is the new «it-​bar» in downtown PHX and possibly the entire valley.
Their set-​up is phenomenal and it has the feeling of drinking on someone’s patio that has much more style than you. I love when genres are crossed, and nextDOOR’s can be described as classic/​mod. Classic in the sense that the structure is in a restored historical home and traditional cocktails, but mod in the sense that there is a DJ in the attic, rebar artwork, and infused vodkas. Pretty freaking cool.
Then, there are the city views. Despite our embarrassing (for the nation’s 5^th largest village) cityscape, it does really shine from the patio of nextDOOR.
Speaking of that patio, its beautifully shaped, and VERY spacious. The bar itself is interesting, and the service is really good. The bartenders here are really current and stylish, yet pleasantly avoid the pretentiousness that this bar could potentially convey.
The only negatives about this bar is that they don’t open until 7 pm, as I went for a happy hour drink one Thursday with my shorty only to find it closed, and the exorbitant pricing for generic vodka with lychee wedges infused. While its a superb drink, it really shouldn’t be $ 10 a glass.
Neither of those two things has kept me away, nor the cold as they make the patio warm with open-​pit fires and heat lamps. Good street scaping and semi-​frequent foot traffic really give this place an over-​the-​top cosy and relevant vibe.
In a few years this place will be a staple once the Roosevelt Entertainment Dist expands further.

Random Thoughts by Kristin S.
–I love places that show old school cartoons. (Next time you see me ask me about the craziest thing I’ve ever seen involving old school cartoons)
–I especially love when they are set to good lounge beats
–I don’t really love when the pseudo-​hipster bartender tells me they are out of Grey Goose AND Ketel One even though when I go to the other side of the bar I see two half full bottles of each and an unopened bottle of Goose
–What kind of bar runs out of liquor?
–What kind of bar doesn’t know what a pint glass is?
Considering all the beer is bottled my husband asked for a pint glass
Husband: Can I get a pint glass with that?
Bartender: Well you can get a glass with that
Husband: Um, ok.
Bartender: Here you go…(hands husband a pint glass…)
–Outdoor patios are cool. Especially in Nov.
–Having to go into Fate to use the restrooms is NOT cool Especially because there are only 3 unisex bathrooms and I’m sure when the place gets packed (First Friday perhaps) its insane
–That fire pit is a fire hazard
–Coming from the East Coast I wasn’t phased by the price of drinks
–The price of the drinks are inclusive of tax
–Nobody should EVER pay $ 11 for a drink with Bacardi
–The crowd was an interesting mix and quite amusing. I thoroughly enjoyed watching a fight between a group of guys and an absolutely wasted girl they kept calling a douche
–There is cover after 11pm
–I still think the area is really shady, except now its all light up because of NextDOOR. The only reason they can have an outdoor bar blasting music is because they are across from a vacant lot.
–When my hipster BFF comes from Brooklyn to visit this is where I will take him
–Cape Codders are yummy but I’m pretty sure that nobody outside of Mass calls them that
This for me was really a 3.5 experience but I’m going to give them 4 based upon the beats, cartoons, the large patio and hilarious drunk douche girl.

Did I just pay $ 12 for a drink in Phoenix? I think I did.
Granted, the cucumber kamikaze knocked me on my ass big time (but in a very stealthy sneak-​behind-​you-​and-​get-​you-​high-​off-​ether-​a-​la-​Curious-​George kind of way), but still.
NextDOOR or however you want to call it is attached to Fate, but not. No, you can’t order Fate food and eat it nextDOOR. Although I think you can order Fate food to go, have it brought to you in a bag, and THEN eat it nextDOOR. Yeah, I don’t get it either.
I think the space for the bar is great in any case. Some rebar umbrella mushroom thingamabob with 360 degree seating around it. Drinks include the aforementioned cucumber kamikaze along with imported beers and other mixed drinks, such as the sweet mojito and the pad thai which you’d be glad to know doesn’t include noodles. I don’t think any of the cocktails are remotely cheap, however, so if you’re thinking of heading here with Bikini Lounge prices in mind… just save the hassle and head down Roosevelt to Bikini itself.
What else? Ah yes, music from the Kill Bill soundtrack. Like the siren sounds followed by the horn section when Uma Thurman sees one of the DIVA squad members and has a flashback when they kicked the shit out her in that church before she comes back to the present and turns them into Chop Suey. Awesome.
Uh, I think I’m still buzzed.
4 stars.

Next Door rocks.
I attended the grand opening. Coolest outdoor bar in Phoenix as of this date. Hands down.
Funky downtown crowd, as expected. Love the music. I have no idea what the hell Johnny’s doing with the house interior, but whatever.
Add this to the list of reasons to go out in downtown Phx.

$$$$$ Hard Liquor & Hard Beats DOWNTOWN Phoenix! $$$$
BRING YOUR CREDIT CARDS!
An outdoor bar/​dance club in front of the building next door to Fate (situated right off Roosevelt Row in The Evans-​Churchill District) … Nightly DJs … and outdoor drinking (and dancing (?)) with a PERFECT view of the ever improving downtown skyline.
Sadly they have NO «shelf/​house» liquor selections so drink prices are pretty Damn HIGH … I mean WAAAY high … $ 11 for the cheapest rum & coke!
This is YET AGAIN another business venture making another huge improvement in the Downtown Art District … HOWEVER, sadly the drink prices are just to high for this place to become much of a regular hang-​out.