Sail Inn

Sad to see this place is closing down and moving to a different location. Super fun and chill spot. Enjoyed seeing Spafford here. Definitely not for everyone, but it’s a great venue with good beer, good music, and good people.

I have seen so many awesome musical acts at this place I cannot even count. Sadly the Sail Inn is closing down this summer (2014), so this review probably won’t do a whole lot of good. This place is (was) a Tempe icon, and I am definitely bummed to see it go. Sail Inn has both indoor and outdoor stages and when fireworks are going off at Tempe Town Lake or Sundevil Stadium, you can’t find a better spot to have a beer and watch the spectacle. With two stages, Sail Inn was ideal for mini-festivals…many a reggae shows blessed their stages. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve watched Tempe’s Godfather of Reggae, Walt Richardson laying down some funky reggae at the Sail Inn, then sat and enjoyed a beer with the local legend afterwards.
The closing of the Sail Inn in Tempe is going to create a vacuum that I cannot see any other venue in the area filling any time soon.

Perfect venue for local live music without the festival feel. Every final Friday of the month always provides an eclectic mix of art, music and people. Nice getaway from the pretentious hipsters and drunken freshman. Bartenders are a bit prickly, but you learn how to be patient. This place does not serve food, only on final Fridays when the BBQ is set up by a vendor. Never a dress code and plenty of free street parking if you don’t mind taking a little stroll. Experience The Sail Inn before it closes for good.

Great Venue and the staff is awesome. Its kind of hidden but the drink special are worth it.

Great dive bar in Tempe! I’d be hitting this place up much more if I lived in SE valley.
Live music and games for all to play. I feel very comfortable here. Do not come here for a view, quiet ambience, etc. come here to rock out/​drink, or do a Sunday Funday day drink here.
They aren’t consistent with charging cover either. That’s okay though — more generous tipping later! ;)

Cowabunga Dudes, can you smell dive
well this place has got it even a bridge and rail road traks.
If you are not a hippie, and you do not like dancing to the Dead.
Then this is not you’re kinda place.
When was the last time you danced to «Althea»?

So I’ve been here now twice. Both for live local music shows.
The radio show 93.9 a local indie station has put on some epic shows here.
This place is part inside, partly outside. So stages in and out.
Kinda has a Mexico vibe to it, reminded me of Rocky Point. The bar inside is cement and kinda beat it but whatever, I’m here for live music, nothing else.
Drinks are cheap but for some reason I always have a sorta expensive tab, ah funny how that works.
Cool place for some live music, in particularly local live music.
Check it.

Dive bar with decent drink prices and bands. I like the large outdoor patio and they usually have some interesting art/​music events. I normally avoid this place because they always have a cover charge. Sometimes I just wanna stop in for a drink and not commit to the whole evening. All in all a great spot if you’re looking to listen to some good local music and don’t wanna spend another night at Casey’s or Yucca.

Fun little concert venue with indoor and outdoor stages. They have Hop Knot on tap which makes me happy. Would not ever have a mixed drink there again however… there is something really off in the flavor of their fountain soda.

Really awful experience at the Sail Inn. They charged $ 10 dollars at the door because there was live music but the band was not good at all. The bartenders were extremely rude and unfriendly. I would recommend going to almost any other bar in Tempe.

Great place to see a live show. Lagunitas IPA on draft. Is there anything else?

It was my first time in the bar so I wasn’t sure what this place was all about.
Went to go see a local band play there and when I asked a bartender for a menu, she walked away. It was sunday night, so maybe they don’t serve food on sunday nights, but walking away seems like an extreme reaction.
They had the TV’s running while the band was playing which I found pretty rude. An MMA fight no less…
The locals at the bar seem pretty cool, but the place could use some management.

I used to live pretty close to Sail Inn, like basically across the street. It was always a running joke between my friends that if someone missed a night out, we’d tell them that we went to Sail Inn and just had the best freakin’ time.
«Dude, shoulda came out last night. Went to Sail Inn. No, no – we seriously did this time. No dude, not joking, we really went. It was RAGIN’. Really awesome time, bro. Shoulda came out.»
One night after getting back home from Mill, a friend of mine and I actually decided to drop in. Like actually. No dude, not joking. We really went this time.
I got to give it to the band that was playing that night at Sail Inn. No literally, I had to give them 5 bucks to get through the door. They were some grungy, dorky band playing 3 Doors Down for a bunch of old, washed up 60-​somethings. We decided to take a seat. After the bartender and the servers finished their 10 minute conversation, they finally decided that one of them should serve us. We ordered two drinks and kept up a smile for the experience. We were ACTUALLY at Sail Inn.
And it sucked.
It was really divey – like bad divey – and too dark. The sound was really poorly mixed, too. Unmotivated waitstaff, questionable people going in and out, very sketchy overall. The prices weren’t even that good. Do yourself a favor and go to Mill and find a cool place or hop in the light rail and go downtown.

This spot is the place to go for rock music in Tempe, AZ. I played a show here, and let me tell you, the staff is awesome, kind, and really rally care about music. The sound man for the night was a fellow by the name of Joker, who dod a superb and professional job on manning the sound that night. He mic’d up all of the drum set, guitar amp, bass DI plus amp, and mic’d the key board amp and DID NOT insist on DI’ng the keyboard amp like so many sound men do. The sound on stage was clear, defined and flat out ballsy, so I know it sounded great in the house system, because the «stage» sound can be a lil lo fi garage-​ish sounding compared to what the crowd hears. The bar itself is very cool, and the drinks are nice and mature if you know what I mean. Check this place out, especially when I play it.

I love SAIL INN! Getting past the $ 8 – 10 cover on weekends is the hard part, but usually Sail delivers, 1) AMAZING LOCAL BANDS, 2) Laid back hippie, hipster, arty, folk vibe 2) cheap drinks, LOVE the little pitchers of beer — budlite for $ 4.25 on certain nights. Phoenix has a pretty lame music scene, but at least at Sail Inn you can always find decent live music and a fun crowd.

My first visit to Sail Inn was to see an indie singer/​songwriter that my sister knew. Having never heard of Sail Inn, and only knowing it was near ASU, I had preconceived notions about it. I speculated it would be rife with obnoxious college students and quite possibly not my scene. I was happily surprised to find nothing like that. Perhaps we were there too early in the night for raucous shenanigans, but it was a cool, low-​key, laid back place with a fantastic outdoor stage and plenty of place to sit and chill.
When we first arrived, it was rather confusing to know where exactly to enter. I think we either got their too early or we entered the wrong entrance, but when we walked in to pay our cover to see the band, the bouncer/​door guy seemed unprepared for us. I actually had to say, we are here for the band. It’s $ 10, right? When he said, «uh, um, yeah,» I wondered if we could have just walked right past them without paying. But, being the honest person I am, I paid.
Now, here is where it gets funny and sort of embarrassing. The bouncer/​door guy had to check my i.d., of course. (I’m used to this by now, even though I am usually older than the person asking to see my i.d.) After looking at it for a few seconds longer than he needed to, he looks up at me and says, «Tracy Jo… I like that!»
After finding a place to sit, I went to the bar to get some drinks. The bartender was busy doing something and ignoring me, but after a minutes or so, the bouncer-​dude came by and, seeing my waiting for the bartender, made a point to get her attention by yelling, «Hey, make sure you take care of Tracy Jo, there!» And, then finally as we were leaving, he made a point to say goodbye, loudly calling out «Thanks for stopping by Tracy Jo!» It was sweet and personable, and I have a feeling he would probably remember me the next time I stop by.
I like a place where everyone literally knows you name and where even the bouncer is friendly. I mean, who doesn’t like to feel special, even if it is because of your silly, and slightly embarrassing, middle name?

Yeah 100^th Review!!!
Saved this one for 100 because it is special me thinks.
If you are not a music lover, or are disgusted by hippies and people who enjoy live music you will hate this place.
I love it. It is really great to see bands that can rip on their instruments You don’t see too many bands here with guys who play shitty.
Nice outdoor patio and usually people are pretty friendly at least when they stop spinning and twirling.
Anyway, the place is not for everyone. but I think it is one of the most needed and essential live music venues in Phoenix and the whole valley.

Went here for a beer last night against my better judgment because I hate this place more than anything. This place sucks so much it is funny. I swear, this place will charge a cover if the radio is on. And I’m pretty sure the door guy just pockets the money because they are that scummy. So anyway, last night the door guy tried to shake us down for a few bucks and I decided to cause a scene and he let us in for free so I would stop yelling. Why would I pay a cover on a dead Monday night at a bar that is gross?
The place was dead but there was a guy singing and playing the guitar. He was actually very good and I give him credit for playing his heart out in front of 7 people. Had the ATM not been broken I would have gotten cash to give to him instead of to the door guy that just pockets it.
Oh…and they consider Four Peaks to be an imported beer.
This place has the potential to be really really cool, but whoever runs the place obviously doesn’t care.

Lots of people avoid this place because they don’t like hippie holes with jam bands. All the times I go, there’s other music. Ska, Blues on Wednesdays; special events with DJ’s etc.
There are two indoor rooms; one with the bar, stage, rear DJ booth, dance floor, and a couple high-​top tables. The other room is outlined in super plush leather couches and high top tables with a loungy glow.
There are two outdoor areas; one off to the side, as a patio for hanging out and smoking, the other much larger area has a full outdoor stage, smaller side-​bar, seating, misters to keep you cool, and smoking. A resident Artist works out there and sells his pieces from $ 20 – 100. (would be much more expensive anywhere else). Talk to him about his proto-​type street rocket he’s launching… :)
Drinks are strong and priced ok. On weekend nights the cover ranges from $ 5-​$ 15, to support the band.
Even in the economic downturn this place still brings in a little crowd, not like the bars on Mill where the crickets hang out with the cocktail waitresses until the frat boys arrive.

Life can be clouded… and in this case my review is clouded by Sergio Mendoza y La Orkesta. The Sail Inn could be a rail car next to a chemical plant that serves only overpriced fertilizer cocktails and it would still start at 3 stars because of the Sergio show.
Fortunately, it does not appear to be next to a chemical plant and while there may have been a few women there who clearly had been drinking something similar to fertilizer infused drinks, I don’t think they were overpriced.
The outdoor stage is great, not too big, not too small. And, for an outdoor stage, the sound is very good. The crowd is a good mix, and actually, despite the location, not a «Mill Ave» crowd by any means. The indoor bar area is also nice with a somewhat odd «lounge» area to the side where you can go make out with someone you meet at the bar, if you are in to that… the bartenders have the right amount of attitude and do a good job of getting drinks out. About 10 beers on draft, nothing special, includes Bass and Sierra Nevada. Overall it feels slightly like Miami Vice, well except for your clothes, I hope… and the hippy chicks dancing to the late night jam band.
Not sure I would go here for no good reason, but the venue is clearly bringing in some good musicians, so if you see something you like, go.