Hotel sports bar has tempting appetizers

By KELLY WILSON
Get Out

The spot: Ducks Restaurant & Sports Bar, 915 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe

Happy hour: 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday

The vibe: There isn't much to see at this empty and chill Tempe sports bar — which sits inside a Holiday Inn — when we arrive at 5 p.m. on a Friday. Cardinals and Sun Devils football helmets hang above the bar, where four people are hanging out, while a few TVs display newscasts. A popcorn machine sits in one corner and rows of brown mugs line a wall.

The food deals: Half-price appetizers.

The drink deals: $2.50 well, wine and domestic drafts.

The review: Our expectations aren't high for a hotel bar so we're pleasantly surprised by everything we try. The nachos are served in a plentiful order. The large tortilla chips are smothered with cheese, chili, tomatoes, black olives, jalapeños, sour cream and guacamole. And though they're tasty, we limit ourselves to only a few of these greasy treats. Doused with butter and seasoned with garlic, the crisp garlic butter wings make for an interesting appetizer compared to other wings we've tried. The cheese-heavy and flavorful potato skins are the best item Duck's has to offer.

The inside scoop: Want to top off your dinner or happy hour with dessert? Try the chocolate torte ($4.25) — two layers of chocolate cake filled with a sweet and heavenly chocolate truffle cream.

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