A bit unfair to all the other microbrews in town, but obviously Peaks has been a staple in the Tempe area for decades for good reason. All the beer is brewed on site which means everything is fresh -- they actually use the same water they serve at the tables in the brewing process, to give you an idea how pure the finished product is.
No matter if you're there to eat or knock a few back Peaks is a must. You can't go wrong with virtually anything on the menu but anyone happening upon Peaks for the first time should absolutely order an entree or side of the fries, an undisputed favorite. I usually go with anything involving blackened chicken, be it salad or nachos.
The sampler trey is offered at a reasonable price and provides about 4 oz servings of each of the beers listed on the big board. If you're looking for something lighter I would suggest the Sunbru or Peach -- my personal favorite is doing a half & half of Oatmeal Stout with Peach. Get inventive.
The staff is used to working with a lot of traffic so I've never had bad service there -- these guys really know their stuff!