Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill

I love coming here for a bite to eat and a beer (or six) after work with my buddies. The staff is very knowledgeable, and are really fun as well.
They have a cool environment, nice selection of beer (although personally I think they could expand a bit). Sam, the bartender, is super chill and fun to talk to.
Will definitely be coming back many more times.
PS get the pulled pork sliders.

Very slow service — waited amost 10 minutes for server. The food took even longer. The music is horrible — more suited for a night club, not an English pub…
The food is average. Definitely will not return.

We came here before going to the movies on Fri night. Happy hour is until 6 & a really good deal. House wine is $ 4 & beers are $ 4.75. My boyfriend & I split:
–Caesar Salad ($ 3.95) — my boyfriend said it was pretty good but he tried my kale salad and wish he had gotten that
–Kale Salad ($ 4.95) — delicious!!! and perfect amount for a side salad
–Pulled Pork Sliders ($ 4.95) — really good
–Hand Cut Pub Fries ($ 3.95) — good!
–Pepperoni & Four Cheese Pizza ($ 4.95) — personal size, perfect for splitting since we got all of the other stuff too. but normally I would say its too small to split.
Also, I’ve had the sushi before (California roll– on HH menu) — its really good! And I normally don’t get sushi just anywhere :)

We are waiting for our food. Seated in the bar area, but against the wall. This is definitely not the main dining room. Our waitress has been attentive and took our order promptly. So far so good.
Issues so far: we were seated in a corner right under a huge flatscreen tv. Epileptics would be thrashing around on the floor from the flashing and scene changing on the tv. There should never be a tv this close to a seat.
The music is awful droning Strip club rock. Why? How appetizing is a headache?
Hopefully the food is better than the environment.
We ordered fish tacos and a sirloin steak.
Talk amongst yourselves while we wait.
The music has become more jarring if that is possible. the food is just ok
Not great but mediocre enough to eat
Not a repeat destination

HUGE fan of this place! I really like their newer location at Scottsdale Fashion Square because it’s right by their new Camelview Theaters which make a great dinner & movie date option. Thirsty Lion is also the right place to catch some sports as they have nice flatscreen’s throughout the restaurant.
My boyfriend and I started off with the Ultimate Chicken Nachos and ultimate is the best descriptor. Somehow they’ve made the chicken to taste almost chorizo-​like and full of flavor. The chipotle aioli makes the dish for me, as it’s drizzled all over the final creation and makes every bit extra awesome. Honestly we probably could have ended our dinner just after splitting that because it was plenty of food but alas, we each ordered an entrée.
Well I guess mine was technically not an entrée because it came from the appetizer menu but nonetheless I ate it like an entrée; I ordered the Pulled Pork Sliders. They are super yummy if you’re a pulled pork fan like myself. Three of them come on a plate and topped with Napa slaw (aka coleslaw) and garlic aioli. If I didn’t eat a huge plate of nachos just before, I would have ordered a side of fries to go with them. Zach ordered the Roasted Pork Cubano which is marked on their menu as a Thirsty Lion Signature Item. I got to try a bite and it was really delicious and packed with flavor. Hand cut fries come as a side with the sandwich and those a great too.
Lastly, if you go to the Scottsdale Fashion Square location, make sure to ask for Patrick as your server. He’s attentive, gives good food ordering advice (like to order the Ultimate Nachos), and is a super sweet guy. The rest of the staff is friendly too, you really can’t go wrong. They have awesome happy hours deals too!

Service is slow and the food just sits out forever on the counter. We were in a hurry. We asked the server to box our food for us so we could catch our bus. The guy rudely said, «I don’t think the busses will leave without you.» Our server was Mark C. When we got our food, I tried it before I left. Most of my food was cold and felt like it had been sitting. After working in food service for most of my high school and college career, they aren’t doing it right. Use trays. Servers shouldn’t weave between tables. Bring food out together in an organized fashion. I watched an entire half of a Barclays Premier League Soccer match waiting for my food. I watched servers look at the food ready to go baffled as it sits on the counter ready to go.
The atmosphere is great. If they fix the service, then they will have something here, but until then. Don’t go.

This is my go to spot for lunch or dinner when I have a shopping day at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Always consistently good food and great drinks.
The past three times I have been to Thirsty Lion I’ve ordered the Smoked Turkey Club, it’s so good and made panini style. I’ll probably order it again next time. I do the side it is served with, I had a small side salad this time, but I have also had their fries and cole slaw. All are great!
Drinks are very good. I had two different martinis, a traditional gin to take the edge off from holiday shopping and then a pear martini for dessert.
It’s a pretty large place and is really well done. Also very comfortable. Even the bar stools are comfortable! There is an «inside patio» for people watching but there is also a regular patio off the bar as well.
Check out Thirsty Lion during your next trip to Fashion Square.
Enjoy!

I received a postcard in the mail for a free birthday entrée at this location (up to $ 20 value).
We started with the nachos. I have generally been disappointed by nachos at restaurants lately. Usually just a bag of chips with just a few toppings tossed on before heating. I was glad to find this pub style restaurant makes them the way they should be. Every chip with at least some delicious topping on it.
We split the entrée, a grilled salmon and asparagus risotto. It was delicious. They kindly split it into two plates. It was devoured quickly.
In general this place has a great English pub feel. However, I still prefer the one at Tempe Marketplace just a few miles away. This is a great place for a lunch or early dinner while shopping at the state’s top mall. It will also be great when the new Harkin’s Theater opens a few hundred yards away. But, when looking for that destination dinner the stand-​alone Tempe location is my preferred choice.

This is exactly the kind of place where one goes to relax and unwind with friends and family. The place is huge with a separate bar area and outdoor seating. They have live music on weekends.
I loved the fact that the booths in the dinning area were huge and comfortable with the music being just right making this place perfect for a good conversation. The ambiance is cozy and feel good. The servers are friendly, food is fresh and you can select a bunch of options from their happy hour menu for $ 4-​$ 6.
We had the
Pub Fries served with 3-​peppercorn ranch dipping sauce $ 3.95
Crab & Seafood Cakes $ 5.95
(crab and salmon coated with panko bread crumbs served with chipotle aioli some marinated tomatoes and arugula).The cakes were good but i wish they had just Crab cakes.
House margarita $ 4
pint of beer $ 4
The happy hour menu has a good variety of food options but the drinks are awfully limited.
We also had the fish and chips (something i always order), they were served with fries and coleslaw.
Overall a great place with free Valet.
Cheers!

The best thing this place has to offer is the Monday Special (full sized pizza and 2 soft drinks for $ 20), where you get 2 good for anything/​time Harkins (and any location) movie passes. Otherwise, I would never come back here for the food.
We came here with my mom for a bite to eat and she wanted to try someplace new. It was a Monday and it was around 4pm with a few people scattered throughout the restaurant. The second star is for whom I would assume was the manager who seated us, got us set up with menus and was very nice. The Monday deal is also worth its own star.
IF this business reads reviews, please note that sometimes it is ok for your waitstaff to write things down so that food is delivered as ordered.
Beer Cheese soup that husband ordered as a starter arrived with his pizza and was broken and not smooth. The fish and chips my mom ordered was overcooked and dry and my happy hour sized pizza was undercooked and not edible. Food was subpar for the most part but the husband liked his pizza enough.
I would also make sure that your long haired waitresses, tie their hair back a bit so that hair does not end up on the outside of a glass or in food and that your hostesses don’t just stand around playing with or stroking their hair extensions. Service pretty much sucked, but we knew we wouldn’t be coming back.
So, if you do decide to come– it might be to your taste as everything is subjective. Just as a note, an adult ticket at Harkin’s for a nighttime movie is $ 10 (way less than theaters in the Bay Area) and the Monday special where you get two movie tickets for a $ 20 pizza that is large enough to share and 2 sodas is a steal of a deal.

Tried to eat here but they did not want my business of 1. I went in fully realizing they are super busy. There were 2 2top ahead of me and 3 2 tops behind me. The hostess’s seated the 2 in front of me.
They asked if I wanted the bar I said no because the bats are always open seats and I did not see any. They made an attempt to go and look for a table. The second hostess proceed to seat the people behind me.
They came back and said there was one seat at the bar on the corner and I could have it. I went over to said seat and some guy was reserving it.
I was going to go back to rhe hostess but by the time I headed back there were two more sets of people at the door. I just walked out. The patio area had a good 7 empty tables. I understand I am just 1 person but obviously they don’t need or want my money of they are busy.

I ordered the steak salad and was not impressed. The salad was pretty small and had a bit too much dressing on it. The steak meat was poor quality, chewy, and flavorless. For $ 14 I expected better.
My friend’s dinners did not look that impressive either. The pizzas seemed regular, as did the sushi rolls.
Also, not really our server’s fault, but they did not have enough servers on the floor on a Friday night. so our server was really busy and we were really hungry but had to wait about 15 minutes to place our food orders. we kept looking for our server to get her attention so we could place our order, but she was either nowhere to be found or occupied with another table and didn’t glance over at us as she just went back into the kitchen.

Empty on a Sat night and we know why (although to be fair, we were looking for something quiet, which this was). Walked past PACKED bars/​restaurants in Fashion Square (Kona/​Yard/​Z Tejas) that obviously are much bigger hits than this.
One bartender for bar and bar area by patio (Zach). Very slow service. He’s not fast or efficient and needs which compounds the problem. I also put this on management for either the staffing and/​or layout of bars, point of sale terminals (which he spends way too much time doing). Doesn’t clean off bar, every customer needs something constantly.
It’s not clear on beer list what beers are served in a pint glass or a tulip.
Pet peeve — no beer prices on menu. Why? Because they’re very pricey.
Bartender said reverse happy hour starts at 10:30pm but menu says 9:30pm 7 days a week. Need to give accurate info (He had to check the computer to see). It does start at 9:30pm.
Coors Light pint is $ 4 on HH? And only one other beer on HH? Lame! Plus, way too much head on the beer pours.
They do have a lot of HH food options. Brussels sprouts good. Kale salad was small and had almost nothing but Kale on it, despite menu description.
Wasting a HUGE TV behind the bar with music videos. The other two are showing a replay of an NFL game. Meanwhile there’s a Cubs Dodgers MLB game being played (But not shown on any TVs here). Boo.
Who I think was the manager (only one wearing white shirt) was surly in response to a simple/​friendly question and answered while he kept walking away from us. Front bartender Chris was not friendly.
As it gets closer to closing time (midnight) you will start to see more hustle by the staff than you’ve seen all night — they are all just dying to close up shop, and make it very obvious to anyone left after 11pm (which is not many). Guess we all just can’t wait to leave.
This place won’t make it without changes.

To whet palates this summer, the Thirsty Lion Garstropub & Grill in Tempe and Scottsdale has introduced a limited-​time menu featuring fresh seasonal ingredients, and the food is just as vibrant to look at as it is to taste. I headed to the restaurant to try their summer menu and left feeling full and satisfied, with happy taste buds.
My pal and I noshed on tempura fried green beans to start ($ 6.95) which came with a sambal chili lime dipping sauce I absolutely loved. I gobbled up every last green bean, which was thickly battered but not overly greasy. I appreciated that the appetizer did have a healthy component to it in the green beans, and they were absolutely addictive — I could have kept eating them!
I got the fresh heirloom tomato caprese salad ($ 9.95) for my meal, which came with a side of spring greens topped with a white balsamic vinaigrette. The tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil were covered in sea salt and a maple balsamic glaze, and I loved this caprese for the thickness of the tomatoes. Everything tasted so fresh, and the glaze to veggie/​cheese ratio was appropriate.
My friend got the smoked chicken and pesto pizza ($ 14.95), a huge portion that is perfect for two people, especially if you’re getting an appetizer first. She loved the addition of Kalamata olives on the pie, which also included spinach basil pesto, house smoked chicken, chili flakes, roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes, a four-​cheese blend and arugula. She liked the thick crust on the edge, which made it easy to hold, while the thin crust throughout the rest let the toppings shine.
Other entrees on the summer menu include grilled romaine and steak salad ($ 14.95), mesquite smoked St. Louis ribs ($ 20.95), seared Atlantic sea scallops ($ 19.95) and grilled wild Northwest salmon ($ 24.95). The seasonal cocktails looked mighty tasty and include fresh fruit sangria made with brandy and triple sec, and a raspberry mint mule-​jito, made with fresh raspberries muddled with mint, lemon and lime, Bacardi Rum, Malibu rum, simple syrup and Reed’s Ginger Beer. I didn’t try a cocktail on my lunch break this time, but the drink looked beautiful and seems to be strong, judging by the ingredients.
For dessert, satiate your fresh fruit fix with a strawberry rhubarb and white chocolate cheesecake slice ($ 6.95), made with fresh whipped cream, strawberry rhubarb purée and fresh sliced strawberries in a chocolate-​hazelnut crust. Our meals left us stuffed, so save room for this decadent dessert if you’re into those flavors.
The summer menu is available through mid-​September.

Was lucky enough to join a group for happy hour at The Thirsty Lion in Scottsdale, I didn’t know what to expect, but boy oh boy what a feast!
Since it was happy hour, let’s start with the drink, if any one knows me they know Moscow Mules are my go to drink but Thirsty Lion kicked up a notch with their Spicy Mule, Smirnoff Vodka, ginger beer, lime juice, simple syrup, lime wedge and freshly sliced jalapenos, oh man this drink was amazing! Loved it! If you don’t like spicy things, stay away from the Spicy Mule, because those jalapenos, they get all infused in the drink, so dang good!
Now for the food: Pulled Pork Sliders, Traditional Scotch Egg, Sautéed Brussels Sprouts, Bacon Wrapped BBQ Prawns, Bacon Wrapped Dates, who doesn’t love BACON!!!
Pulled Pork Sliders were great and since it was up for the offering I tried a Scotch egg, a hardboiled egg wrapped in pork sausage lightly breaded & fried, can’t say I would order them again, but not saying I didn’t like them, it was a little bland for me, and honestly I’m not a fan of sausage (but love me some bacon!!). The bacon wrapped bbq prawns, oh my gosh! Yum! oh and the sautéed Brussels sprouts, oh my! They were sautéed with pepper bacon, red onions, olive oil & Reggiano Cheese, these are the way Brussels Sprouts should always be! I was tickled pinked to see the bacon wrapped dates because I had been craving them! They were medjool dates stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese & almonds wrapped in maple pepper bacon, these guys are just heavenly! I could make a dinner out of them. Ok not really, but you really should try them!
Happy to have tried Thirsty Lion out for Happy Hour, look forward to coming back!

When J-​WoW told me about Thirsty Lion’s amazingly generous offer to Unilocal Elites, I was stunned. All I had to do was send an email stating the day/​time my party wanted to show, along with the Elites in my party, and they would provide us with a comped meal, including apps and desserts!
Parking wasn’t too bad, in their ample lot, and was only a short walk to the front door. Once inside, Tom D greeted us with a smile and a hearty handshake. The interior was spacious, so I took a stroll to survey the estate. This location includes a delightful patio area.
We were led to a reserved high-​top table in the bar area. Yes, they were expecting us. It was about this time that our 4^th, Kazi, arrived. We hugged, we laughed, we looked at the menu.
Since the apps were on the house, I had to go with the Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna, since J decided on the Bacon Wrapped Dates. My Ahi couldn’t have been more perfect. It was as good as I’ve ever had anywhere else. And I shared my wares with the whole table.
For my entrée, I had to try the Grilled Atlantic Salmon. Once again, the fish was perfectly prepared. At $ 21, it may be a tad expensive, and generous, for a lunch, unless you’re sporting quite the noontime appetite, as it came with a mound of white cheddar mash and al dente green beans.
My friends and I were treated exceptionally well by the staff here. It’s quite a ways away from my home and office, but I would absolutely return if in the area. Thank you Thirsty Lion management and staff

We were invited to enjoy a complimentary lunch at this new Thirsty Lion location in honor of their recent opening. Hubby and I met up for a Friday lunch and it was a lovely time! We sat in the bar area and our hostess made a point to let me know about the purse hooks under the table. Good touch, though it would be even better if they were a little more off to the side. We had a good view of a few TVs, but not in an overbearing way like in a sports bar.
We started with the California Roll, which greatly satisfied my pregnant lady sushi needs. I’m not sure what the sauce on the side was, but it had good flavor. I definitely appreciated that it wasn’t a sad 5-​piecer, it was actually a good size to split. My entrée was the BBQ White Cheddar Burger. It was tall, delicious, and next to a pile of really good fries. I enjoyed it with a cold, tall coke and it made for a great lunch. For dessert we split the Cream Bruleé — it was also large enough to split, so I love that.
Our server got a little busy toward the end of our meal so we saw her less frequently as we tried to settle the bill, but the lunch crowd arrived all at once so it was understandable. She was friendly and answered all our questions expertly. Overall the food was great, service was nice, and I will return!

Met three friends here for VIP lunch (everything except alcohol was comped). Service was OK (a little hiccup when server told us there was a limit of only ONE app, ONE entrée, and ONE dessert & went to ask his manager when we asked him to confirm), but he came back apologizing about his mistake & told us we could order what we wanted, excluding alcohol. Which brings me to bring up something that I thought was common sense– if a place comps you something, then please make sure you tip your server! If a place comps you EVERYTHING you’ve ordered (sodas, $ 10 apps, $ 15 salads and $ 13+ entrees; filet mignon was $ 29, AND $ 5+ desserts), then PLEASE tip 20%! My four-​item meal came to $ 56 before taxes, so I tipped our server $ 13 for my portion… The best part of this FREE multi-​course lunch was that the food was very good! Well, what I had ordered anyway.
Bacon-​Wrapped Dates– stuffed w/​gorgonzola-​cream cheese filling and wrapped in bacon. There were chopped almonds inside, which added another layer of texture to the luscious chewy, yet creamy date and sweet and tangy gorgonzola cream cheese! The salty-​sweet combo was truly delectable & was the runaway winner of all the apps we ordered!
Spicy mac ‘n cheese– macaroni pasta w/​spicy Italian sausage, four cheeses (jack, cheddar, Swiss, parmesan), chipotle cream, red bell pepper, & scallions. First few bites were dry and not tender enough, & we all wrote that off as a loss, until someone dug into the center and found the sweet spot! SO, if you order this app, be sure to stir it well to distribute the cheesy-​melted-​goodness all throughout the bowl!
Filet Mignon– wrapped in peppered bacon & then grilled w/​roasted garlic herb butter. The steak was placed on a bed of delicious cheddar mashed potatoes & garnished w/​five grilled asparagus. Cooked medium & was PERFECT!
I would pay $ 29 & order this entrée again! Here’s another look…
… and for dessert? Crème brûlée! Perfect crisped sugar topping and luscious creamy custard underneath.
Friends ordered the following…
Charcuterie– came w/​four meats, one pâté, a fig jam, ONE blue cheese (funny that there was only one cheese featured), crostini, cornichons, & a grainy mustard. I only enjoyed the crostini, jam, & cheese. Didn’t care for the pâté, nor the Italian sausage…
Traditional Scotch Eggs– My first time trying these, & I enjoyed the textures! Crispy-​fried battered «shell» and perfectly-​cooked hard-​boiled eggs that were wrapped with thin-​sliced pork. Interesting & delicious, but I’d rather have a few more of those bacon-​wrapped dates!
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts– simple, & provided a great helping of veggies! Loved the bacon bits!
Kung Pao Chicken– a specialty entrée I couldn’t try, due to the sauce & peanuts. Heard it was too salty.
Sonoran Chicken Enchilada Stack– Don’t know if friend enjoyed, and I didn’t try it due to the corn tortillas.
Seared Ahi Salad entrée– Heard this was good. Tuna looked perfectly-​seared.
Hot Fudge Sundae– Friend said brownie was very dry. The presentation wasn’t appealing to me at all.
Blackberry Crumble, with Orange-​Shortbread Crust– Couldn’t try due to oranges & corn syrup in ice cream.
Thank you for the free food and fun, Thirsty Lion staff!

#300:
After going back and forth between 4 or 5 stars, I’ve settled with 5 but it’s probably closer to 4.5 if I were to be honest —- 4 for food, 5 for service, ambiance, and overall experience. Plus, I had a lovely complimentary VIP Unilocal Elite meal with the best group of friends ever! Be jealous because they’re pretty awesome.
«Good food is all the sweeter when shared with good friends.» ― Heck should I know but #truth!
It was a sunny Friday in classy Scottsdale when I walked in with YFF Brett B. at my side. The blue-​eyed gentleman, my personal Mister Luck, Tom D. met up with us from the bar. We were 15 minutes late but Kazi H. was even more late as always but she’s a hottie so it’s okay. Anyways, after being led to our table where we were graciously informed that purse hooks were available under the table, we sat down and paid no attention to the menu. We’re terrible people like that. But really, who sits down at a restaurant to order food when there’s much hugging and bantering to be had? Patrick, our server who we renamed as Patrique, had the patience of a saint. We were indecisive, a bit ADHD, and all our dietary habits and quirks made sharing difficult. Let’s face it, we all want to share to try more of the menu right?
Tomcat bought us some drinks, that cheeky sweet guy, and soon Kazi and I were guzzling her not-​so-​great Blood Orange Cosmo and my amazing Grapefruit & Basil Martini. What a great Friday! We had ordered Bacon Wrapped Dates, Shrimp Ceviche, Seared Ahi Tuna appetizer, Seared Ahi Entrée Salad, Chicken Penne & Gorgonzola Cream, Grilled Sirloin Steak, Grilled Atlantic Salmon, and the crème brûlée [because if you know Kazi and me, we can’t resist brûlée!]. I won’t bore you with all the details but portions were plenty and I would say out of the eight things ordered, I think we really enjoyed six of them. The two not enjoyed as much came from the same person who ordered the blah Cosmo *cough*Kazi*cough*.
Notes: Those bacon wrapped dates were sooo good. Truly a flavor explosion, had lots of interesting textures, and probably my favorite bite of the day! Between the saintly gentleman and all his good Catholic no-​meat Friday, my YFF who has given up sugar, and my Kazi-​love who doesn’t eat pork, I was scared that I ended up ordering a whole appetizer by myself but they stepped up to be true friends by splitting two dates between the three of them despite their food restrictions. These guys… it’s love! Also to note, I think the brûlée had good flavor but please put the torch on it longer. I love breaking a crispy caramelized shell. I was a sad panda when my spoon just sunk into it as if it were pudding. :(Easily fixable though so keep doing what you’re doing!
Anyways, lunch was amazing. Great service, gorgeous restaurant, and even the restrooms were nice! Had I had Kazi in there with me, much selfies could have been had. Thank you, Thirsty Lion, for allowing us four to come in for a wonderful meal! And a big thank you and warm hug to Bretters B., Tomcat D, and Kazi-​love H. for being a part of my 300^th review! Smooches!

Disclaimer: I was invited to come have lunch compliments of Thirsty Lion.
Upon arriving, we were greeted by the hostess who was very friendly. She and another hostess debated on where to seat us — and the 1^st hostess suggested a low top since my guest was quite short. I’m glad she noticed. :)
Our server approached shortly after, and I am so mad I forgot her name, but she was courteous, friendly and knew her stuff. We started off with the calamari and the bbq bacon wrapped prawns. Both were delicious and the prawns were quite large and meaty. Ashley, the event coordinator also stopped by to introduce herself — she was very friendly and knowledgeable about the restaurant and the menu.
For entrees, I ordered the pork cubano — I have to admit, this was my least favorite dish of the 3 that we ordered. There were 2 types of meat in there and one of them was just not hitting my taste buds right. I actually couldn’t finish it. The fries that came with it were delicious though. Perfectly crunchy. Another person at our table ordered the filet mignon over mashed potatoes and asparagus. The filet was perfectly cooked at medium rare and tasted divine. The texture was great. And the 3^rd person at our table had the salmon risotto — that was hands down, the favorite of the table. It was creamy and the salmon was cooked perfectly. I’d definitely order that dish again.
For dessert, though full, our server suggested the blackberry cobbler with a scoop of ice cream on top. It was great and the 3 of us shared it. Without the sweetness of the ice cream, it would have been a bit tart, but with the ice cream, made it perfect.
Overall, our experience was wonderful. Extremely friendly staff, food presentation was impressive and food was great (minus the cubano… sorry!).
Thank you for having us and we will definitely be back to try out other menu items.