Christine "I'm always hungry" O.'s Profile

This place is awesome. Because Phoenix isn't a walking city, I tend to not go to coffee shops to do a few hours of work, choosing instead to sit on my couch with laptop in hand, but Urban Beans is the kind of place that makes me want to spend a few hours being productive--or just surfing Facebook. (Isn't it funny how you can feel productive doing social networking when you're at a cafe surrounded by semi-urbanites?)

So, what makes Urban Beans different from other local coffee spots? A few things: the staff is really nice, the plugs are plentiful (although watch your step when you're crossing an open area), and they have really good, affordable food options. (Try the pear flatbread or the quiche!).

My biggest complaint is the music. I'm OK with emo but some sort of batshit-crazy guy doing spoken word over Enya-like strings is enough to throw me--the ultimate multitasker--into distraction land. Keep it simple, folks, and this place may just become good enough for the coveted five stars.    Show owner comment »

I really liked my first experience at Windsor. My sister and her boyfriend were in town last Friday and we wanted to get our weekend started early with some daytime drinks and a great lunch.

Others have pointed out the decor, so I won't beat a dead horse, but I will say that Windsor stands out from the modern-meets-rustic vibe that seems to characterize many of the newer additions to Phoenix (Parlor, St. Francis, etc.). While it has some similar design elements, it has some unique touches that make it a striking spot - I'm particular fond of the vivid green color used on the bar and the wall of cassette tapes (remember those?) leading up to the bathroom.

While I'm glad it was happy hour when we arrived (around 1:30pm), I have to say that the Postino HH window (11-5) isn't a good fit for a place that has a full bar. Since Windsor has drinks, I would hope that they would introduce a more post-work-appropriat e happy hour at some point soon. That said, again, I was very thrilled to be able to get $5 Bloody Marys and they were made absolutely perfectly.

Our food was also very enjoyable, especially the mac and cheese. Gourmet mac and cheese has become about as exciting and unique as bruschetta but this mac and cheese was perfection with the perfect combination of savory cheeses and a savory crispy topping. I also thought the halibut banh mi was delicious (although I can't help but think of the Vietnamese joints where you can get a sandwich like this for ~$8 bucks) and the kale Caesar was crisp and had great texture.

The only real food disappointment was the deviled egg dip which had bacon mixed in, despite not indicating that on the menu. Sorry, but in this day and age, you really need to clearly label if your food items contain meat, especially if it's pork product.

Finally, I thought the service was enthusiastic but spotty. There were some things we wanted but didn't get in a timely fashion, so some improvement could definitely be made there. All in all, though, I really liked my experience at Windsor and will definitely be back.