Get Out nightlife writer Kelly Wilson our Diva of Darkness makes her picks of the best East Valley bars & clubs

Best bathrooms
The unisex bathrooms at 6 (7316 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, ) are by far the most exciting ones we've ever used. A bathroom attendant stands guard and gradually shows people into swanky stalls one by one and shuts the door. As soon as it closes, the windows fog up, and you have privacy, along with your very own sink and paper towels. 6 is clearly a step above the rest in the bathroom department.

Best comedy club
Comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Aisha Tyler, Jay Mohr and Bill Bellamy have graced the stage at Tempe Improv (930 E. University Drive, ) over the last couple of years, making it the East Valley's hottest comedy venue to see big-name acts as well as up-and-coming comedians.

Best beach bar
With its 3,000-square-foot boardwalk-style wooden patio that overlooks Scottsdale Road, Flicka's (2003 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, ) makes us feel as if we're sitting in a San Diego bar, sipping a cold margarita and watching the action on Pacific Beach. The colorful patio gives off a beachlike feel with its abundance of tiki torches, lights and small umbrella- covered tables.

Best dance club
We know it's old-school, but Club Rio (430 N. Scottsdale Road, Tempe, ) still rules when it comes time to dance the night away. Although the club is hoppin' on weekend nights, we recommend heading out on a Wednesday, when it hosts its 18-and- over Sun Devil college night. It's the perfect way to celebrate hump day.

Best brewery
Forget Miller Lite and Bud Light. Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (14205 S. 50th St., Ahwatukee Foothills, ; 8668 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, ; 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, ) serves up flavorful handcrafted suds such as the Dream Catcher Light Lager, El Jefe Hefenweizen, Raptor Red and Roadrunner Brown. We're also a fan of Rock Bottom's menu, which consists of burgers, pasta and pizzas.

Best wine bar
When you're looking to sip on something with a more mature taste, head out to Kazimirez World Wine Bar (7137 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, ), where the atmosphere is just as impressive as the bar's 1,300-bottle selection of wine. There's something affordable for every palate.

Best game bar
Formerly Pink E's, The Sets (93 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, ), a 16,000-square-foot club, offers a plethora of games including pool, air hockey, darts, video games, pinball and backgammon. It's the best place to offer someone a friendly challenge.

Best place for daytime drinking
The bar staff's shirts are branded with the words Day Drinker, so it's no surprise that Dos Gringos (4209 N. Craftsman Court, Scottsdale, ) is a hot spot to hit during those weekend days. The bar hosts a Sunday beach party throughout the afternoon where patrons flock the bar drinking everything from beer to Bloody Marys to margaritas.

Best happy hour
When the end of the day approaches, Mickey's Hangover (4310 N. Brown Ave., Scottsdale, ) is our favorite happy hour destination to kick back after a looong day of work. The restaurant and bar offers a deal that can't be beat: half-price food, well drinks, wine and beer. Plus, Mickey's recently extended its happy hour to include Saturdays. Check it out from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Best gay bar
Cher and Madonna are only a couple of the vibrant music artists you'll hear being played at BS West (7125 E. Fifth Ave., Scottsdale, ). The bar, which is a favorite among gay men, is packed on most weekend nights. The dance floor proves to be the club's hottest spot.

Best country bar
Chandler has a new country hot spot in the Saddlerack (2020 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, ), which opened four months ago. The all-country bar features fun attractions such as a mechanical bull and margarita chair (people take turns pouring shots down your throat and spinning you around when you sit in the chair). The bar also hosts live bands on the weekend to allow patrons to do-si-do on the 2,000-square- foot dance floor.

Best dive bar
Watching a show at the Big Fish Sports Pub (1954 E. University Drive, Tempe, ) is like watching a band perform in your very own living room. With this kind of intimacy and charm, it's no wonder the Big Fish as its regulars refer to it is a favorite with East Valley concertgoers. Owner Donny Johnson and his bartending staff make customers feel at home when they stop by to throw back.

Best rock bar
You never know who you're going to run into at Static Bar (7373 E. Scottsdale Mall, Scottsdale, ). Radio rock darlings Trapt recently stopped in when they were in town for a show at Nita's Hideaway. The club is also popular among punk and rock bands, who play at Static a few times during the week.

Best punk bar
TT Roadhouse (2915 N. 68th St., Scottsdale, ) is always packed with rocker-looking patrons, who flaunt their studded belts, colorful tattoos and piercings. Although the bar considers itself bikeresque, regulars know this is where the punks hang. If you'd like to join your fellow punks, head out early because the bar has a maximum occupancy of 49.

Best live music venue
Acts such as Alien Ant Farm, Phunk Junkeez, Vendetta Red and Rufio have all performed at Bash on Ash (230 W. Fifth St., Tempe, ) over the last year. You can watch the show from pretty much any angle at this all-ages venue. The Bash showcases a mix of local and national acts. Check out www.bashonash.com for a concert schedule.

Best lounge
Elixir Lounge (7419 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, ), which was formerly the Buddha Bar, is an ideal place when you want to kick back with a martini and a few friends. With dim lights, soothing trance music and intimate areas to chill, this bar is our favorite lounge.

Best sports bar
With 12 giant televisions and 70 regular sets, theres a plentiful amount of televisions at McDuffys (230 W. Fifth St., Tempe, ) to watch Luis Gonzalez and the action during the next D-Backs game. The bar also offers pool tables, foosball and video games to keep you occupied during those lengthy commercial breaks.

Best theme bar
This isnt the Library (501 S. Mill Ave., Tempe, ) were used to and thats why we love it. Though its walls are lined with books and the bar staff tries to look scholarly with their librarian glasses and plaid schoolgirl skirts, anything but studying happens here. The bar provides one heck of a shot of testosterone, but the party atmosphere will make the ladies want to join in on the fun.

Best place for a martini
Swanky Next (7111 E. Fifth Ave., Scottsdale, ) offers a full martini menu with mouthwatering flavors such as the Appletini, Piñatini and our favorite, the Chocolatini. We recommend heading out on a Tuesday night when the bar hosts Sugar Tuesdays. From 9 to 11 p.m., the menu's first six signature martinis are on special for $2 for the female customers. Men can enjoy the $2 domestic bottle special at this time.

Best place for a margarita
When its time for happy hour, we often find ourselves at Z Tejas (20 W. Sixth St., Tempe, or 7014 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, ) when we need a drink that will make us forget about our crazy workday. The restaurant serves potent margaritas you can have no more than three such as strawberry, mango, peach, prickly pear and our favorite, Chambord, which are offered in 9-ounce and 14-ounce sizes. The 14-ounce margarita is loaded with four shots of tequila, so youll be forgetting your troubles in no time.

Best patio bar
With its large patio that overlooks Scottsdale Road, Sugar Daddys (3102 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, ) is one happening spot. Drive by on any given night and youre sure to see a massive crowd of people ages 20 to 50 drinking it up on the illuminated spacious patio.

Most unique bar
How can you not love a bar that offers something as cool as Drag Queen Bingo? Hamburger Marys (2017 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, and 5111 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, ) is one of our new favorite places. With its colorful environment and savory hamburgers with creative names like Buffy the Hamburger Slayer, theres something fun for everyone to enjoy.

Most colorful karaoke
To be frank, karaoke at Giligins (4251 N. Winfield Scott Plaza, Scottsdale, ) rocks. Everyone from college students to older folks rock the mike at this colorful spot, which offers three nights of singing. We recommend White Trash Karaoke on Mondays. After downing a few of the bars unusually large bottles of beer, youll lose your inhibitions and be singing in no time. Trust us. We even got up the nerve to sing No Doubts "Im Just a Girl."

Best open mike
The next line of John Mayers and Pete Yorns take turns rocking the mike with their soulful music during Undici Undici's (1111 S. Longmore, #3, Mesa, ) open-mike night on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 to 11 p.m. We like this open-mike night because it's free and the eclectic musicians usually play to a packed house of cheering fans.

Hottest bar staff
The bar staff at Next (7111 E. Fifth Ave., ) is hot, hot, hot. The bartenders are muscular with spiky hair, sparkling eyes and killer smiles and the cocktail servers are impeccably beautiful. We tend to go to Next for the drinks, but the eye candy is certainly a plus.

Best bar for spotting a celebrity
Eat your hearts out, Axis/Radius and Sanctuary; CBNC (1420 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, ) has proved it's the best celebrity-spotting nightspot in town. Britney Spears, Eve, DMX, 50 Cent, LL Cool J and Eminem all got their groove on at 27-year-old owner Jodi Upton's chic club, which used to be Coyote Bay, over the last year.

Bartender with the most flair
Bar manager Terry Keel holds court at O Restaurant & Lounge (4720 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, ) with his colorful and flashy cocktails, which cost as much as $200. We like the Blue Thunder (Belvedere vodka, raspberry and strawberry vodka, blinking ice cubes and dry ice that creates a smoking effect), which ranges from $25 to $50, depending on additional drink accessories you request to complement the drink.

Best neighborhood bar
Casey Moore's Oyster House (850 S. Ash Ave., Tempe, ) which is a big house in the middle of a Tempe neighborhood off of Ash Avenue is one of Tempe's hottest spots. Casey Moore's attracts a lot of regulars and is popular with the ASU crowd. And though we've never seen a ghost, the bar is long rumored to be haunted, so keep your eyes open for otherworldly spirits.

Best biker bar
Don't let the rows of shiny Harleys that line the front of Billet Bar (3752 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, ) intimidate you. Like Mom says, you can't judge a book by its cover. And that adage holds true for the Billet Bar. The leather-clad bikers are friendly. The drinks are inexpensive. And the Paradise Patio the bar's hot spot can't be beat.

Best ASU bar
Though The Devil House (829 S. Rural Road, Tempe, ) is popular with the fraternity and sorority crowd for reasons we're not sure of, the bar also attracts a variety of students from football players to State Press writers. The students seem to love the R&B and hip-hop music that a DJ spins nightly, as well as the cheap beer.

Most beautiful bar
Sanctuary (7340 E. Shoeman Lane, Scottsdale, ), along with Axis/Radius, helped pave the way for the million-dollar club trend you'll now notice throughout Scottsdale. The club, which opened in 1999, is absolutely stunning. From its exterior which resembles Roman architecture to chic interior, Sanctuary has classy written all over it. It's no wonder other clubs followed suit.

Best strip club
Skin Cabaret (1137 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, ), which was formerly Diamond Girls, was recently remodeled to offer more of an upscale environment. The men will enjoy watching the beautiful women dance and the women will feel comfortable tagging along to this spot, where the dancers are extremely friendly.

Our favorite bar
When the weekend approaches, you can find us drinking it up at Dos Gringos (4209 N. Craftsman Court, Scottsdale, ). We love the second floor of the bar, where you can drink near the balcony and spy the action taking place downstairs. We also love the abundance of eye candy. We've heard a lot of interesting pickup lines (i.e. Weren't we in a porno together last year?) and have met some prospective dates.

Best Scottsdale bar
With its tiki torches and South Pacific island atmosphere, Drift (4341 N. 75th St., Scottsdale, ) has become one of our favorite homes away from home. The bar serves up sweet- tasting food such as the delicious pork pot stickers and colorful drinks with names such as the Evil Bastard and Witch Doctor.

Best Tempe barWe're hoping The Viper Lounge (933 E. University Drive, Tempe, ) has more luck than the Cat Eye Lounge did at this strip mall spot, located off Rural Road and University Drive. The 3,000-square-foot bar is filled with large mirrors, oversize booths, velvet drapes, chandeliers and two custom motorcycles perched on opposite ends of the club, which make for hip digs.

Best Gilbert gem
It's no secret that there's not much of a nightlife scene in Gilbert, but the Wild Hare (3495 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert, ) is the city's treasure. The restaurant and bar goes off on the weekends and turns into more of a dance club after 9 p.m. when a DJ takes over and spins a mix of R&B and hip-hop music.

Best Mesa haunt
Like Gilbert, Mesa doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of nightlife, but R.T. OSullivans (1010 W. Southern Ave., Mesa, ), which usually acts as a sports bar, brings more of a club environment to Mesa after 9 p.m. We recommend heading out on a Monday night when the bar offers martinis such as the Blue Martini, Bananatini and Creamsicle for half price.

Best Chandler flavor
Sports bar Jilly's American Grill (825 N. 54th St., Chandler, ) is hoppin' during weekend nights, when it turns into a club. Jilly's offers live music Thursday through Saturday as well as a dance club setting and an open-mike night on Sundays.

Best meat market bar
"Baby, are you OK? Because it must have hurt when you fell from heaven" is just one of many pickup lines circulating around Maloney's (955 E. University Drive, Tempe, ). Ladies, beware of the playas. They come in all shapes and sizes at this bar, so come with your best game face. As Toni from "Paradise Hotel" would say, "game on."

Best decorThe island bar
Giligin's (4251 N. Winfield Scott Plaza, Scottsdale, ) is decorated with a mishmash of items from blow-up beer bottles to a drink wheel which you can spin if you want your drink order to be a surprise to a wooden swing, which hangs by the bar. But what we most appreciate about Giligin's is its larger-than-average beer bottles, which you won't find at many bars in town.

Most missed bar (RIP)
We shed some tears when the Hayden Square live music gem Gibson's was sold oh-so-many years ago, but this year we were dealt a blow when Beeloe's a favorite after-work hangout closed its doors. Many have mourned the loss of the bar, which often showcased live jazz and rock bands. We'll have to wait and see what takes its place.

Best new bar
When Noyz (4224 N. Craftsman Court, Scottsdale, ) first came onto the Scottsdale club scene, we were rolling our eyes with everyone else at the thought of yet another downtown Scottsdale bar. But we reacted too quickly. Noyz which looks like something out of New York is cooler than most bars. The two-story loftlike club offers two bars and two dance floors with one floor that overlooks Craftsman Court.

Most anticipated bar
Mesa residents including one very excited Get Out staffer are eagerly anticipating the opening of the Monastery, which is being built on the northeast corner of Falcon Drive and McKellips Road. The bar which also has locations in Peoria and Phoenix will bring its unique mix of do-it-yourself barbecue, beer and volleyball to Mesa very soon. The Monastery is slated to open this fall.