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| - Huh. I'm a little surprised at some of the tepid reviews here. I found SanTan Brewing back in July and have pretty much become a regular there. Okay, well, my buddy Bill is Norm and I'm Cliff at Cheers - except that people actually like me.
I mainly go there for the uber-friendly service. James at the bar always has a warm handshake, a bad joke, and smile. The waitstaff is just as friendly, whether it's Kate, Shanna, Carlos, Jordan, Kim or just about anyone else. We've always been seated promptly, and a manager has virtually always come by the table (or even the bar) to check on things. Service was slow at the Octoberfest, but that was mainly because they expected about 500, and 2000 people showed up. But being a regular has its benefits - Shanna brought us pizza so we didn't have wait in a two-hour line for the charred $8 brats at the 'Fest!
The food does vary a bit. The pretzels, SanTan Slingers, pizzas, burgers, fries and soups are great. I'm not crazy about the grilled cheese, brats or tacos, though. The wings at Zipps are better, but that's the ONLY thing about Zipps that beats SanTan!
I like the beer quite a lot. I just switched to the Gordo Stout for the winter, though normally I drink the Sunspot Gold. The IPA is good, though I don't like it quite as well as either IPA at Four Peaks. I'm not a red beer guy, so I can't really comment on those. Most people seem to like the ginger-laced Winter Warmer - my friend Justin really enjoyed his last night - but I'm not really into malty beers.
They have a fun trivia night on Thursdays. Even if you don't play, it's a great way to meet new people. There are usually bands on the weekends, though the music is definitely geared to people in their thirties and up. That's actually part of the reason SanTan appeals to me: it's mostly grown-ups there to enjoy the beer and relax, and not so many young kids doing shots and getting hammered.
I think this place is way, way better than the chains like Rock Bottom or Gordon Biersch. The beer isn't quite at the Four Peaks level yet, but the service is MUCH friendlier and the atmosphere much more adult. Give it a try if you're in Chandler.
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