Lauren Cusimano
Gracie s Tax Bar 711 North Seventh Avenue Yes, Gracie’s Tax Bar has tater tots, and we d argue they re pretty Phoenix-famous by now. These little fried lumps are prepared on the flat, hot grill behind the bar (as are cheese curds and fried pickles), reminding some of us of crustier bar and grill setups from years past. Enjoy your basket of tots in this glowing-red diner-meets-bar atmosphere, or out on the expanded patio. Both experiences will almost certainly be soundtracked by the Talking Heads or Fugazi from the jukebox.
Editor s note: This story was originally published on February 27, 2018. It was updated on February 2, 2021.
Under current COVID-19 restrictions, Sean Downing can allow 23 people into Yucca Tap Room for a live performance.
“Do the math,” says the co-owner of the nearly 50-year-old Tempe bar and music venue, which under normal circumstances has a capacity of 165. “We can’t pay the band, pay for alcohol, and pay for staffing with a crowd of 23 people. I’m in the red before I pay the sound guy or my own staff. It is mathematically impossible to run our business like that.”
That s why, after eight months of running a live music venue with no live music, Downing started booking occasional shows in Yucca s parking lot a massive, block-long football field of concrete that s utilized after dark only by Yucca and the Sky High Smoke Shop next door. The shows have been lighter, singer-songwriter stuff, Downing says. The initial performance, on Halloween, was an acoustic set from Jason DeVore of Authority Zero.