Handlebar J

First of all…. I have never had so much fun at a bar in my entire life! When I tell you that I danced for 3 hours straight… I mean that! The owner Joanne is absolutely amazing and made me feel extremely welcome! As a black woman… I can CONFIDENTLY say that the handlebar J is my new hang out spot! The vibe at this place is just unmatched! They also have some kick ass ribs… and these white folks know how to season their food! Yall come out in join me… just ask for Adisa! Oh… and if you are looking for a cowboy… they are here in ABUNDANCE!

It’s sincerely breaks my heart to have to leave such a negative review as I am a true believer that everybody deserves second chances. Well, unfortunately, Handlebar J has had multiple chances to change how they do business and things are not getting better. We are local just right up the street and loved coming to this place because the music was always incredible however now they charge a cover fee to get in, do not take reservations, and charge a ridiculous minimum to sit inside the restaurant. On one particular night, my mother and father-in-law who are in their mid 80s drove all the way from Sun City to come see a band that I highly recommended. My husband and I went early so we could get a table because she is in a walker and is unable to stand on her feet. When we got to the front the very rude older lady with the black hair, who unfortunately is the person that has literally crushed our experience time and time again would not seat us until everybody was there. Meanwhile, they’re seating 1 million other tables and made us wait outside. I explained our situation and I understand being fair however we’re dealing with elderly adults that are disabled, and the least they could do was give us a table without them being there. We ended up having eight people spent a ton of money. The food was terrible and we ended up leaving right after we were done eating barely saw the band based off of our experience. And like I said we’ve given this place 1 million tries and it’s just gone downhill. You used to not have to pay a cover charge you did not Need to make a reservation and have a minimum charge per person, etc.. I really wish they would get their act together as it is such a shame to have such a great local spot within walking distance and I won’t even go there anymore. Looking forward to some change and possibly removing that cranky old lady from the front would help out quite a bit. The only Saving Grace of this place they have really good onion rings that’s about the nicest thing I can say and the bands that they have are good, but I will not be back unless things change.

The Handlebar never disappoints! The food is consistently incredible, the drinks are always spot on, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. Whether it’s the energy of a great live band or just the cozy vibe, this place feels like home. It’s our favorite local spot and our go-to for date nights. My husband and I always leave with full hearts and happy taste buds. Can’t recommend it enough! One request: they used to serve an amazing pork dip—please bring this back! It was my absolute FAVORITE!

First of all, this is a great classic country bar welcoming anyone. We have been here for a couple of hours tonight, the service has been top notch, and Mary (the manager) has been amazing, actually asking if we are happy or having a good time. This is a lost art in the hospitality world. So happy to see this. Will definitely be here as often as possible.

Last month my family were all visiting from out-of-town. There was no question that I was going to take them to Handlebar J’s for a night out. There is no better dinner and show spot in all of Arizona. The live music acts are always excellent and truly a pleasure to watch. The ambiance is fantastic with a wonderful outdoor patio that serves the best Sunday brunch in the area. I highly recommend Handlebar J’s to locals and anyone visiting.

Music and entertainment was high energy. Loved it! Great story behind the bar and the years they have been around and established. Food was sub par and definitely not worth $24 for 1/2 rack of ribs with a bun should have a potato or beans with it side salad to add on was $12.99 rip off. I would have had the fish fry if I knew it was a better deal. $14 Tito soda with cranberry?!?! All ice. It seems suspicious to bring the tab to us with no receipt and have us pay before letting us look at the bill with prices. Party of 6 had a 20% gratuity added. I could run circles around the bar and take care of business much easier Will I be back?! Sure I will pre game and eat before I come back because the atmosphere was awesome

I’ve been going to Handlebar J for about 25 years and haven’t been for a while. Went last night and had the worst experience. Won’t be back. Be prepared to pay a cover charge, which is not mentioned anywhere on their site. They don’t take reservations so when our group of six showed up, we tried to get a table inside and the woman who was supposedly in charge told us we would have to spend a minimum of $50 pp in order to sit inside. She said those tables were reserved for people who were going to spend at least $250 a group on dinner. So, we sat outside and ordered from a waitress who was completely uninterested in serving us. When our food was brought out, the runner/cook(?) said “just like McDonald’s, buddy” to my brother as he sat down his unappetizing pork sandwich. As the band was about to start, I walked inside to see if there was an open table -there were several- so I asked the “manager” if we could move in to see the band, to which she replied “you can have a standing table only.” As I looked around, NO ONE inside was eating. Every table just had drinks. I asked her if the place was under new management and she said, “it’s always been like this.” I told her I’ve been going there for 25 years and it was never like this. I don’t know if you have to be a part of a secret club or what but the service, dry personalities and plain lack of professionalism will keep us from giving them business again. Oh, and I love how the owner’s response on all negative reviews are “we wish you would’ve said something…” Guess what? We DID…multiple times!

Very disappointing establishment. They charge a cover for rude service and unmemorable food. We were asked to sit down. No standing in the bar while talking with friends. Even the ladies we were with, barley 5-foot tall, were asked to sit. The waitresses are bossy and very "Karen-like". If they are going to charge a cover, and require everyone to sit, they need to have chairs for every single person. Never again will we visit this establishment. Plenty of other places in the NE valley that are welcoming and friendly. It is time they fire the "Karen's" and learn how to properly welcome patrons.