Culinary Dropout

It’s pretty good, but it’s a food-​trend restaurant and I really hate food trends and hipsters. Lots of young men with full beards and, of course, bacon. It’s not bad, but if you think it’s really good, that’s because the food scene in Phoenix B-​L-​O-​W-​S.

Well, here’s a first. I’m still at the restaurant and leaving a review. THAT’S how much I like this place. First, the décor and atmosphere are just cool. You instantly feel more hip and fun once you cross the threshold. It feels expensive but casual. Put together but not trying to hard.
For lunch, I had the grilled cheese sliders and fries. Once the server told me that everything was homemade, I knew a side of Ranch had to happen. Trust me… when things are homemade, you always get the Ranch. My meal was delicious. The bread was buttery but had a crunch that resulted in crumbs all over me. The cheese was melty and delicious, and the tomato… well, it made me feel better about myself, I suppose. The fries were great and the Ranch… man, I could talk about it all day.
My server, Janelle, was super busy but attentive and offered lots of suggestions. The only bad thing about this place is that I’m not here with my friends to enjoy it! Great place. Excited to come back next time I’m in town.

Brought the fam for an early dinner and we had a good time.
I had: fried chicken entrée
Hubby: Korean beef entrée
4 yr old: buttered noodles w/​fries
Well we all finished our plates! We enjoyed our food so we will be back for sure. This time though I might have to bring my own hot sauce since their only options are tobacco cholula and sriracha, & you just Can’t have fried chicken and Not have Louisiana hot sauce! So that was disappointing but the chicken was still delicious. The batter is slightly sweet & im not a big fan of sweet entrees but this was subtle and the chicken was tender & juicy so I have to say that I liked it more than LoLo’s. Which I’m sure is a big statement for some people. Lol my biscuit Was (I capitalize because I ate that $hit up!) fluffy, buttery, & sweet.
4 year old daughter ate everything up which is rare so we are happy that money wasn’t wasted! Shell type of noodles, a pretty good serving size & Parmesan was easy to eat.
Hubby says his plate was amazingly tasty. Period. He was satisfied so overall we had a great experience.
Service was good. He (Conner) had quite a few tables so I just had to make sure not to forget anything when he did come around.

I have been here three times (last time was Jan 10^th) and every time gets better! I have had half of the menu already. Top three must haves #1 Pretzel bites with cheese sauce, #2 Pork Belly anything, #3 Ramen bowl. Go on Sundays for the half off specials!
The ambiance and trendy lighting make it very hipster and I love the family atmosphere on Sundays with the outdoor games. I’d probably have a wedding reception here. It’s really nice.

Great as pub, but not so much as restaurant, especially at Friday night. One hour for us to find a high table (first come first serve), then half an hour later I received SMS from host tell me a normal table is ready…
Very energetic place in a big warehouse, loud music, young college kids, can’t complain about that. But I am not too impress with the food. Soft Pretzels with Fondue tastes reasonable good, though a little too plain. Fried chicken is pretty good, juicy and tasty, though still not something that can be rated as outstanding. I understand it’s a place more for atmosphere, so definitely not a bad choice in Tempe, but the food is not worth the waiting time anyway.
It would be better if you want to have a party and play here of course.

This place was super über cool.
Great views into the fantastic production kitchen, fun lighting throughout and great graphic atmosphere. I loved all the tactile elements, but the food and drinks also delivered at high marks.
Great drink selection for all, and a nice menu of unique takes on standard food retail staples. Get a reservation if you can, but have a drink and enjoy the atmosphere if you have to wait. The place is huge but very popular right now.
Highly recommended.

Lunch for 3.
— Ambiance (⁵⁄₅)
Awesome exposed warehouse atmosphere. Open, laid back, and sophisticated.
— Service (⁴⁄₅)
Quick and courteous. Overly friendly, if that’s possible? Sometimes, I just want to eat my food and not listen to you gush about the restaurant. But, seriously, if I were the boss, I’d be excited to see an employee so excited about the place.
— Soft Pretzels & Provolone Fondue, $ 10 (³⁄₅)
Pretty good pretzels, though the fondue really just tasted like melted provolone. Some more layers of flavor would have been good.
— 36 Hour Pork Ribs, $ 23 (⁴⁄₅)
Definitely falling off the bone delicious, though I did find the sauce to be a little bit on the salty side.
— Value (⁵⁄₅)
Ridiculous portions for the price.
— Final Word
Awesome place to hang out and enjoy some really good food.

I’d heard good things about Culinary Dropout over the years, so I was excited to finally try it on my recent trip to Tempe. The Tempe location is quite large and we almost went in a wrong entrance (it looked like perhaps this was the entrance for private events?).
We had a reservation and were seated immediately, even though the restaurant was hopping on a Friday night.
I had one of the «copperless» moscow mules. It’s disappointing not to have the mug, but the drink was mixed to perfection and garnished with a piece of candied ginger (yum!).
We started with the roasted brussel sprouts. They were delicious, but they are served cold (which was fine, but they should call that out because we were confused!). We also had the truffled potato chips, which were great. Both of these are fairly small portions, but enough for some light bites before the entrée.
We then split the fried chicken and the turkey pastrami. Our server even arranged to have the dishes split for us (wow!) so we didn’t have to manage that.
The fried chicken was alright, but I didn’t bother to finish my half. The sides were great though. Honestly, I found the turkey pastrami on the pretzel roll to be the better entrée.
We finished with the salted caramel custard, which was topped with caramel corn. Loved that!
Our server was awesome – friendly, gave his honest opinion on the dishes and helped us pick some great items. I’d definitely visit again!

My first impression of Culinary Dropout is how much style and creativity went into the restaurant itself. Albeit a little hard to find at first (it’s tucked away near the train tracks west of Mill Ave), this place has one of the most beautiful, laid-​back interiors I’ve seen in awhile. In what looks to be a warehouse that was seriously remodeled, they have enough space to fit a stage for live bands, a full alcohol bar, and a plethora of seats and tables. Speaking of live bands, they have live bands playing on the weekends, even during lunch hours! The music was at a perfect volume: loud enough to enjoy, but quiet enough to be able to hold a conversation at your table. Very, very nice touch of entertainment to an already good-​vibes kinda place.
My friend and I both ordered the Fried Chicken, which they are supposed to be well-​known for. Even as a Texan of 1.5 years now, I have to say, this fried chicken did NOT disappoint! You get about three pieces of fried chicken (a drumstick, a breast, and a leg), cole slaw, a buttery biscuit, and some mashed potatoes & gravy. All 4 were seriously on point and complemented each other perfectly. The cole slaw in particular was quite the heavenly surprise. Some of the white meat in my chicken leg was a little bit dry, but it was otherwise extremely and superbly well done.
Unfortunately, I did not try any of the beverages or appetizers on the menu, but it’s just one of many more reasons to come back. Four and a half stars in my book, and will probably see star #5 after my next visit. If you’re anywhere in the Phoenix Area, this place is a must visit.

My wife and I met her cousin and his wife for lunch on Saturday, January 9, 2016. This was a very neat place! There was indoor seating, but we decided to sit «outside» in a patio area. The area was covered overhead, but was open air. The outside temperature was very cool and the area that we sat in was equipped with over heaters as well as fire pits.
The seating selections were tables, booths, and then some sofa type lounges surrounding the fire pits.
The restaurant had some great local brews on tap. I ordered a Kilt Lifter from Four Peaks Brewing (Tempe, AZ) and a Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues Brewery (Longmont, CO). Both were served very chilled and went down smooth! For lunch, I went with Butternut Squash Cannelloni. The plate was served with mushrooms, smoked shallot, caramelized fennel,
parmesan, and herb butter. Inside the cannelloni was a butternut squash purée, and then there were chunks of very tender butternut squash served on top. This entrée was absolutely delightful!!! There were so many flavors going on with each bite, I was in Heaven! My wife ordered the Turkey Pastrami sandwich which she said was very good. It must have been, because she finished the entire sandwich!
Great place, great location, great food, and great beer! This place was a hit!

Great Hipster place!!! Meaning:
1.) Good tasting and well thought out food selection
2.) Nice craft beer selection
3.) Staff is friendly, tattooed, pierced and trendily dressed
4.) Little over priced
Gotta have all four to be called a good hipster place.

The food was great – take the advice of the other reviews and get the fondue! Also got the deviled eggs. I only had a couple, but could have indulged with more :) You could easily make a meal out of just the appetizers!
I also ordered a burger. It was tasty, but nothing too special. I wish I had gotten more apps, as those were incredible!
It’s kind of pricey. Still, a good place with a fun atmosphere!

I would give 5 stars but the hipster staff looks exactly like the hipster guests and I can tell which hipster to ask for services from. I may be being harsh but I personally find it one star worth of annoying. They should at least have some sort of hipster dress code where all the hipsters look like working hipsters instead of guest hipsters.
Other than the staff not having any resemblance of being employed there I think the place rocks. Good food but not cheap. The scenery makes up for the food prices. The games are fun but it’s definitely missing a major bar game = billiards.
Décor is awesome and so is the rest. Good times.

***This Culinary Dropout has a great look (it takes up residence in a modern warehouse) and the flavors were there too; unfortunately, the food on hot courses was lukewarm to cold, which hurt the overall experience***
There is a string of Culinary Dropout restaurants throughout the Phoenix area. This gastropub features a variety of classic dishes like meatloaf, fish and chips, fried chicken, and more. The preparations are contemporary, but they are also fairly straight-​up and safe. A few more globally inspired dishes like Korean style beef and ramen also appear on the menu.
I started with the soft pretzel bites with provolone cheese fondue. This was fairly good though there is a gastropub at the Wigwam serving a superior version. The preparation at Culinary Dropout is satisfying enough with a good pretzel crust on the bites and a creamy cheese fondue, but the pretzel bites were quite big (which results in a lot of bread that diminishes the impact of the salted pretzel crust) and the cheese fondue was not hot enough (in terms of temperature and not spiciness).
For my entrée, I had the Korean style ribeye cap and the quality of beef was very noticeable. With ribeye cap, you get the interior of a ribeye but a more distinct exterior like hanger steak. This allows the kitchen to achieve a far superior and more crispy crust than a regular ribeye and that is exactly what happened here. The interior was juicy, tender and flavorful while the outside had a nice crispy char. The Korean marinade, thankfully, was not too spicy and thus did not overpower the natural flavor of the steak.
The garnishes were also cooked appropriately as the onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and bean sprouts were sautéed to the right texture. Unfortunately, everything on the plate was lukewarm to even slightly cold. This plate definitely sat a little too long on the pass.
Service was very friendly and the food came out at a quick pace. However, both lukewarm to cold food for both starter and entrée was worrisome.
Prices were reasonable though prices for food in the Phoenix area tend to be more reasonable than other big city restaurants.
This Culinary Dropout has a great look. It is located in a big and new looking warehouse complex that houses several upscale and modern restaurants. The industrial look combined with the variety of seating and even lawn style games creates a lively and energetic atmosphere. Unfortunately, I felt the restaurant was slightly uncomfortable as the seating was a tad stiff and the room temperature was too warm (which was surprising; I thought the room would have been more drafty than warm given its warehouse location).
This Culinary Dropout near ASU has a great look and the menu serves fairly good food. However, the lukewarm and cold food worries me that guests may have a truly poor experience here from time to time. If you live in the area, this gastropub is worth trying considering the food quality and reasonable prices though I would suggest giving them a shot at a non-​peak time.
This restaurant has a free parking lot. Complimentary valet is also available.

Meh, this place is what it is. The décor and overall atmosphere is pretty cool but the whole games thing doesn’t seem all that original anymore.
I’ve had both great and very mediocre service here over my few visits. The pretzel and cheese fondue is to die for, and usually the fried chicken is a good choice. Craft beer options are pretty limited here. At a certain time at night, this place turns into college party central, which isn’t really my thing.

Such a cool place to grab a meal or happy hour. The atmosphere is always lively, but it works for a work lunch too (not rowdy, quick service, and tons of tables). The menu doesn’t have a ton of vegetarian options but the few they have (pasta, salad) or that you can make vegetarian (burgers without the meat) are good.
I especially like the corn and mushroom cannelloni, which is an awesome vegetarian entrée. The flavors are complex and satisfying, and the dish is filling on it’s own without an appetizer or salad. The salads are decent sized, but I find I usually need something extra to make it a meal (some cheese and crostini from the tapas menu, a side of fries).

I was visiting my friend in Tempe, AZ, and she had to work for the day, so I took a stroll to lunch by myself. This was only 6 or 7 blocks from her townhouse, so it was a perfect walk, and it was something we had not yet tried together.
Since I was alone, I decided to sit at the bar. There were about 10 other people at the bar, and the bartender was understandably busy. However, when someone who sat down after me was greeted before me, I got a little frustrated. I stared down the bartender, and we made eye contact. He came over and apologized for the wait and brought me a glass of sauvignon blanc and the menus.
They have a small plate menu that you can check the quantity of each item you want or write in what you want if it is not on there (entrees). It reminded me of a sushi restaurant. I asked him whether he liked the Kale and butternut squash salad or the Chicken gorgonzola salad better, and he recommended the Chicken gorgonzola salad, so I got that and the roasted brussel sprout small plate.
The brussel sprouts were cold, but so cold I assume they are meant to be served that way. They were drizzled with balsamic vinegar, and they were delicious. The chicken gorgonzola salad was also very good. All of the unique flavors combined together very well.
I loved the atmosphere. This place is huge! It would be interesting to see what it is like at night. I would definitely come back here if I was in the area.

If you sit at the bar, the service is 5 star worthy. If you sit at a table, good luck getting any service ever. My three star review is the average experience we’ve had so far at Culinary Dropout.
The facility is fantastic. They have some of the hippest bathrooms I’ve ever seen. I want that grey geometric tile in my bathroom at home. The sangria, especially the red, goes down way too easy, so we make sure we come by for happy hour. I love the spicy thai wings and the peanut slaw they sit on top of. It’s a great place to watch a game or just hang out with friends and talk. The Happy Hour is one of the best in Tempe.
On our most recent visit, we were ignored for 30 minutes while our server seemed to be stolen from the area by a huge table on the patio outside. No one else came to check on us or ask us if we’d like to order food. We eventually flagged a random server down to get our check. That experience left a bad taste in our mouths that I hope will never be repeated.

A fun, loud happening place in Tempe!
This place is huge, loud and happening! There are ping pong tables in the back, plus the bean bag toss game. The place is always super packed with people, especially on a Thursday night or on day of an ASU game.
The service is pretty slow but they get the orders correct.
Food is interesting and tasty. Note that the cheese plate is just that — one slice of cheese! No bread unless you order it separately.
The drinks are interesting and tasty.

TEMPE, AZ: Came in today for some Culinary Dropout fare and was impressed! The room is busy, the waitstaff was knowledgeable, the food was good. They have a game area in the back and bring in live music as well.
We tried the Pretzels (4 stars), like big, salty, bready, soft doughnut holes. The dipping cheese fondue was excellent.
Also enjoyed the charcuterie plate (4.5 stars); had the prosciutto, goat cheese, and fig bar. It was delicious as well. Great place, excited to return and try more!