When I visited a friend of mine in Tempe, he took me to one of his favorite hangouts - Taste of Tops. Its just a short walk from Mill Avenue and the university, so its not hard to get to if you're roaming around on foot.
The place was dark, and had a quiet chill vibe, which was fine with me. They had a nice selection of craft brews and I tasted a couple of their signature ones (though I can't remember which - sorry!). Everybody was having a simple, plain sociable time from what I observed. The place had some great seating areas, including couches. Stranger Things was playing on the TV. Bar staff was nice and friendly. Recommended!