I want to love Taste of Tops

I want to love Taste of Tops, I really do. From the first time that I heard that my favorite liquor store was opening a sister bar I was thrilled. Wow, I thought, what potential! Unfortunately, every time I visit, I leave disappointed...

I’m not an easy judge of bars. I spent a decade working in the service industry and during that time I saw how a lot of great bars worked, and some mistakes that mediocre bars made over and over again. That said, here’s my review of Taste of Tops.

Tops Liquor doesn't sell more beers that Total Wine and the don't offer more liquor than BevMo... In fact, a lot of the time they don't even offer a lower price than their rivals. The reason that I continue to go there to buy my booze though, is that it is family owned and run, and it feels that way. It's not shiny and squeaky clean (although it is clean). It's a blue collar, working man's store, and staff are always friendly, helpful, and courteous. Whether you're buying a fine Scotch, or a thirty-rack of Keystone Light, they are friendly and they treat you with respect. Gosh, it's such a welcoming, egalitarian, warm store that I get a buzz just thinking about it... Which is why I was so excited when I heard that they would be opening a bar next door. Gee, I thought, if a bar existed that had all of those qualities, well, I might never leave!

I remember my first glance inside TOT just hours before open (I had my face pressed against the glass like a kid at a candy store). I saw the gleaming bar, the accent walls, and a smooth leather couch and thought, hmmm... that's not what I had expected. This looks more like Old Town Scottsdale than on University... Theres nothing wrong with a place that looks 'nice' but what I saw just didn't look comfortable... it looked rather ‘fresh out of the box’ and sterile like something put together buy a design team, not a bunch of guys that love beer but maybe don't know everything there is to know about design.

I've made quite a few visits to TOT and gotten over the fact that the chic decor isn't my favorite, but beyond the design, there are still a couple of things that still bug me. The first thing is the prices. Draft beers come in 10 and 16 ounce pours, and the prices range from 4-10 dollars. When I get my tab and I see that I paid 22 dollars for three beers, I sigh and think maybe I'll stay in next week instead. I understand that the product is better, but one thing I expected when I heard that a 'bar' with the buying power of a 'liquor store' was opening was value! You don't see that at Taste of Tops.

Like the chic decor, I can get over high prices. I'll gladly pay more if I perceive value in the service. Which brings me to my next point and my biggest point of angst. Plain and simple, the staff doesn't make me feel welcome. I've been to TOT almost a dozen times in the 5 months that it has been open. I know the names of the general manager and half of the staff but I have no idea if they know my name because they have never used it. In fact when I come in for my bimonthly visit I hardly get so much as a friendly nod. No handshake, not 'so good to see you back in here' nothing. A simple 'hello, what’ll it be?' is about all I have grown to expect (Where am I Applebees?) There are so many great bars, and so many great restaurant, that you need more than just a good beer list or a great location to stand out in the service industry. To be a great bar you need to have spectacular, rock star, jaw-dropping, make-you-want-to-text-all-your-friends-to-tell-them-about-how-cool-this-place-is service! The service at TOT isn’t rockstar, it’s bland, unenthusiastic, unwelcoming, and all around unremarkable. Thats it. I said it. If you're reading this, I'm sorry if I come off as harsh, but it's how I feel, and not from one experience, from many.

At the end of the day, I guess you have to take my words with grain of salt. With all of the negative things I say about Taste of Tops, I can't deny it's success. Every time I visit the bar is crowded and the cash till is ringing. If I took over and made all of the changes that I would love to see made, it's quite possible that the crowds would diminish and the profit line would dip. Sure I'd be happier, and there would probably be other old-school barflies like myself all too happy for words but it might not be as 'popular' of a bar as it is now. Oh well. Maybe when I have a million dollars in the bank I can lease a lot and do everything my way. Until then, I guess I’ll just enjoy the good that is there, the great beer selection and proximity to my house, and I won't get too worked up about a bar that didn't turn out the way I'd hoped.

Prost!
-D.Lux