The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen — Restaurant in Tempe

Last night, my wife and I went on a date night after meeting up with some friends from our daughter’s soccer team.

We chose The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen because we had enjoyed their food and drinks when they first opened. Unfortunately, this visit took an unexpected and disappointing turn.

Let me start by saying—my dinner was amazing. However, what happened next was completely unacceptable.

As we were finishing our meal, my wife was still eating her sandwich, which came with a lot of shoestring fries. She was taking her time when, out of nowhere, the owner of the restaurant walked up from behind her, reached onto her plate, and started eating her fries—while she was still eating. He was clearly intoxicated and repeatedly said, “You don’t want these, you don’t want these,” as he grabbed food off her plate.

I was stunned. Who puts their hands in someone else’s food while they’re still eating? On top of that, I had no idea who this man even was until it became clear he was the owner. The entire situation was surreal, and I had to hold myself back from reacting in a way that could’ve escalated things. Instead, I paid my bill and left.

This was by far one of the most bizarre and disrespectful experiences I’ve ever had at a restaurant. No customer should have to deal with an owner who is visibly drunk, let alone one who invades their space and eats off their plate.

I won’t be returning, and I sincerely hope the owner gets the help he needs—because this is no way to run a business, especially in front of paying customers...

Our intention was to have dinner at Ghost Ranch but they had a 30 minute long wait. Much to our surprise, we found Craftsman a few door down and decided to take a chance. The outside entrance was deceiving but once we entered we knew this place had a nice vibe. The space was intimate and dark but full of energy. We took the last available seats at the bar. The bartenders were friendly and professional. I had a hard time deciding from all the interesting cocktail options but finally chose the “Dry Heat”: Craftsman Vodka / Passion Fruit Puree / Lime Juice / Jalapeno Simple Syrup / Cilantro / Sugared Rim / Dehydrated Lime. It was painfully spicy in a good way. I loved it!!! All of the menu selections were appealing however I was searching for something without onion or garlic (due to an allergy). Joe and the chef happily conferred and presented me with several options. I went with the sous vide hanger steak: 10oz Certified Angus Beef, Cheddar Whipped Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Mushroom Demi…it was perfection. Probably the best dinner out in years. My husband had the volcano pork and was extremely happy (but I’ll let him leave his own review)! We’ll definitely be back! Kudos to Craftsman Kitchen...

My boyfriend and I had a fantastic experience when we recently stopped by The Craftsman for a meal and drinks. We were thoroughly impressed!

The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. We learned that the establishment is under new ownership, and they're actively refining the menu to better suit their customers.

We especially enjoyed the craft cocktails. I've attached a photo of the "Redhead" and the "SmokeShow," both of which were delicious. The General Manager also recommended a new Tiki drink that was served on fire – it was absolutely amazing! It had a great balance, not overly sweet or tasting too strongly of alcohol, yet it definitely had a kick.

My boyfriend ordered the steak and raved about it, saying it was perfect – a word he rarely uses to describe food! I had a salad (I can't recall the exact name) that included grapes and mandarins. It was also delicious, very fresh, and made to order.

We definitely plan on returning to The Craftsman soon and wanted to share our...