Stardust Pinbar — Restaurant in Phoenix

I used to frequent Ziggy's/Stardust A LOT. It was close to my place in downtown and I really enjoyed bringing new people who had just never been or were from out of town. At night it does become a dance floor, which isn't for me, but I'm happy they can accommodate that type of crowd. I have also been there at times when I was at a table eating and drinking and the security dude came up to me and told me I had to leave because the table would be taken out so people could dance. I understand, but hi, I'm eating and drinking here, how about you wait until I'm done instead of making a patron uncomfortable, want to leave, and not want to spend more money to be there? Usually when the DJ comes in I know it's time for me to head out anyways, but at least give me the choice to stay and continue drinking or leave. On the flip side, when I go in around 4 or 5 and I'm basically having to scream at the person sitting next to me because the music is too loud (not the dj just the regular sound system) it's a bit much. Same goes for when I'm ordering. I can't understand the wait staff and feel like I'm losing my voice to place an order. The past few times I've gone in the place it has been pretty empty and I would patiently wait at the entrance where it says to wait to be seated, only to be ignored. So I eventually give up and seat myself at an empty table, but then still have to go to the bar to order food and drinks. The drinks have gone down in quality over the past few years as well. Most times I think they don't add alcohol into their specialty drinks. There are all these pictures of famous rock stars including Bowie/Ziggy Stardust himself and yet it's constant hip hop playing. It doesn't make any sense. There's a theme but then there isn't a theme? Is the theme Bowie? Pinball? Mars Attacks? Pizza? Rock music? Hip hop? Night club? Just like Cobra Bar this place was great and had all the potential but then it kinda gave up on itself. The pizza is usually pretty good, not aways consistent though. All in all if you go just expect a lack of service, a chaotic who-knows-where-its-going atmosphere, non-alcoholic alcoholic beverages, uncomfortable volume of music, and sometimes people are playing pinball. But, it's a cool entrance that looks like a...

Ziggy. Stardust. An epic combination of words to create one of the most iconic personas for a rock legend.

These same two words are now used to define one of the most epic newly created hotspots in Downtown Phoenix.

Ziggy's Magic Pizza Shop makes up half the equation; read my review on that separately. This review is for the other half of this awesome combination; the Stardust Pinbar.

Once you find the secret door (not so secret if you wonder why there's a bouncer-looking type by what appears to be the door to the kitchen; then again, the secret to Ziggy's pizza COULD be that valuable) and make your way through it, you're greeted by what can only be described as one of the most amazing setups reminiscent of the 70s/80s. Everything, from the dance floor to the disco ball to the music just goes through you and takes your soul back to a time when things were simpler. If you need a moment to catch your breath, there's a patio area as well with plenty of space.

And the GAMES! 15 pinball machines of varying age from classic to modern will keep you entertained for hours. All are in awesome condition and some even given upgrades (the color LED screens are a nice touch). The drink selection is also huge for a venue of this size, with the bar taking up the whole back wall of the area. There are crafted cocktails, plenty of beers on tap, and cans/bottles for the more selective drinkers.

All in all, whether you're here to play games, socialize, dance or do a little of everything, this is the place to be. Come check it out when you can, and don't forget to bring your tokens! Perhaps you'll see me there; challenge me to a...

First, I must say that this is a great place for 21-23 yr olds who are barely discovering alcohol and likely are more interested in playing pinball; or those who still experience the placebo effect when it comes to anything that looks remotely like a "real" drink. However, for those of us who are just checking out a new bar, DON'T.... Just don't do it... To start, they have semi decent covid rules (and even make sure you read them) our table had wheels... But no locks. So if you tend to lean when you drink this isn't a very safe option. When we did get a new table, the host tended to the table more than the server...on a slow Wednesday night. She even made sure to give us our bill after 20 minutes and made it clear it was time to go, though they have a 2hour table limit. The drinks.... Oh the drinks. Not really sure how a bar can get this wrong but three specialty drinks in and 30mins later. No buzz, no nothing. (Typically I take pride in getting a good buzz going off a one drink) the drinks were a huge disappointment. The menu looked great, also really good prices... But it's likely due to the short pour. All the drinks were really weak. I wasn't expecting a strong drink due to the fact that they make it clear they target a younger crowd, however I was expecting to at least have a small buzz off of Three of their "Speciality Cocktails". Huge Disappointment, but to end this in a good note... They do have a...