My PastaBAR experience was pretty much on par with current Yelp 3-star rating...once again Yelp is spot on
I thought service was great. But the atmosphere was just felt awkward. The combo of extra loud music with odd selection of the occasional heavy metal pieces and the tiny table with extra large app plates just didn't quite do it for me.
Food wise, it was OK. Bavette Cacio e Pepe was my favorite dish and came closest to what I expect from handmade pasta with great fresh ingredients. Fettuccini e Finocchio fell short of mark, the pasta felt too thick and lack a certain chewiness. Beef meatball didn't have the comfort flavors that I was expecting, the flavor reminded me of bbq sauce with star anise thrown it. Slow Roasted Lamb was the most disappointing thing to hit the table. It was like bland pulled pork.
The late night closing time makes this a tempting spot for downtown Phoenix, but not sure that I would go back anytime soon.