Having lived in Mesa and delivered sub sandwiches to some of the tweekiest of tweakers, I don't feel any shame in admitting that whole area now resides in a dead zone for me. When I get that itch to go out and tear up the town, waste away a lazy afternoon, or enjoy a nice dinner, I think of places north, south and west of Tempe. It's like my brain has one of those little electric dog collar things attached to it, and when I start to stray too far east, it gives me a subliminal zap so I erase Mesa from the map in my mind.
So naturally, Stray Cats is usually a place I visit when meeting up with others who have suggested it.
Thing is, I always end up having a pretty good time when I go there. The drinks are priced reasonably and generally on the strong side, the bartenders are friendly and quick to serve. The music is pretty good, but I've never been here when a DJ's spinning. I used to like the fact that there was an air conditioned smoking room off to the side with plush couches and big televisions. The crowd is always diverse, friendly and easy to engage in slurred conversation.
It just doesn't have any special oomph for me. I'd much rather frequent Hollywood Alley a couple miles south, where there's pool and live music. Unfortunately it's also on the black list of Mesa, so maybe I should find a way to reverse that programming. It's not just tweakers and mormans, it's not just tweakers and mormons, it's not just tweakers and mormons....