Nabers Experience

He Said

Just hanging at the Nabers! Next time your significant other asks where you are, this is a great place to be and a good cover story. Seriously though, I had heard great things about this bar and grill and decided it was time to check out this Chandler/Ahwatukee hotspot. Located close to Ray Rd. and the 10 off of 54th St. it’s a great watering hole for residents on both sides of the 10. Lots of parking and inside space means you won’t ever feel crowded even when it does get busy. You will be thankful for the openness, as it will get busy with all the live music scheduled and fun nights like trivia night (with amazing prizes by the way). There is a nice patio to enjoy the beautiful weather, a lot of TVs to watch any game you are dying to see, and fun games like corn hole. What you might not expect is the level of food you have waiting for you.
As is the standard at bar & grill’s, there is a great variety of options; however, the quality is hands down one of the best I have ever experienced at a bar & grill. From the appetizer section I highly recommend “When Pigs Fly”. Mesquite smoked‏ mini pork shank “wings” fried up crispy on the outside and tender to the bone, sauced with their Nabers honey habanero BBQ sauce. These are indeed fall off the bone as the meat literally fell to my plate when I picked up the bone. While they are not true ribs, they look and taste like them, and they will make your previously favorite ribs taste like a McRib (no offense McRib lovers). I could easily order a few of these and call it a night. We also tried the cheese curds and the Nabers pale ale battered pickles, which were both fried in a very light doughy crust which reminded me of the fry bread you can get at the state fair. Ever since my time working in Wisconsin I have been an addict to cheese curds and these did not disappoint. The pickles were spears which is rare and as fried pickles are more commonly done in chip form. I think I still love the chips more than the spears but from a taste factor these were spot on. The jalapeno ranch that accompanies them was wonderful.
For the main course I chose the “Ma, The Meatloaf”. Each slice wrapped in bacon and stuffed with mozzarella, havarti, cheddar, and gouda cheeses. The flavors blended together nicely and not one ingredient stood out above the rest, allowing your mouth to enjoy each bite holistically. It came accompanied by mashed potatoes and onion straws all covered with a brown gravy. It felt like going home again only your mom took a few more cooking classes while you were away.
For desert the clear winner was the cinnamon apple bread pudding. Not over the top with the sauce, instead letting the cinnamon and vanilla stand out on their own. It does have a house made fireball whisky caramel sauce drizzled over the top which is great but the nicely sautéed apples and perfectly moist bread pudding are the stars in this dish.
The menu contained so many great options that it was hard to make a selection. As mentioned before, this is not your run of the mill bar & grill when looking at their menu. I don’t think you will ever get bored making this a go-to selection.

She Said

Located in The Pavilions off the south side of Ray Road, it was so refreshing to find a locally owned restaurant among the chains. The sign on the exterior of Nabers says “Where Friends Gather” and I would say that sums up the friendly and fun vibe inside. The staff couldn’t have been nicer as we settled into a booth near the bar.  Patrons were cozied up to the bar, some were sharing one of the community tables and others were mingling around with their drinks. It gave a nice relaxing and casual feeling to the restaurant. There is a separate dining area if you desired a quieter spot.

Our booth had a perfect view of the stage-like area where a two-man band was setting up for the nightly entertainment.  We ordered and sipped Naber’s Pale Ale by Four Peak’s Brewery as we surfed the menu. We started with Balls Balls Balls! which the name alone has me amused and intrigued. Panko deep fried balls filled with garlic mashed potatoes, cheese, bacon and fire roasted Poblano peppers. Whoa, what a hearty and naughty treat! Next we ordered the “When Pigs Fly” wings. These would be my Go-To item during Sunday Football! Mesquite smoked mini pork shank “wings” that are fried to give that crispy delicious goodness on the outside but tender inside that literally falls off the bone. Finished with honey habanero sauce that has just enough kick to keep ya coming back for more! YUM!

For dinner I ordered the Slider Combo. I picked the The B.M.F. (burger made fresh) Sirloin Slider, Meatloaf Slider and Pulled Pork Slider. All were served on a perfect mini brioche bun and I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite because they were all fantastic. The B.M.F. had angus beef , cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and chipotle aioli. This was your traditional slider with all that mini-burger goodness and a little hint of spice. The Meatloaf was bacon wrapped with smashed potatoes, brown gravy and caramelized onions. This was a comforting hearty meal in “slider” form, awesome! The Pulled Pork Slider was cider braised and chili rubbed pork butt with spicy Arizona Gold BBQ sauce topped with bacon potato salad for that full picnic taste in one bite! Genius!

We were enjoying the band so much we decided to linger a little longer and order dessert. The Cinnamon Apple Bread Puddin’ was decadent. Slices of warm bread pudding were sandwiched between vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream. Each bite of the bread was filled with flavors of caramelized apples and cinnamon. Topped with a house-made Fireball whiskey caramel sauce takes this rich dessert to the next level.

I can’t say enough good things about this restaurant. If you live near this spot this should become your weekly hangout and if you don’t, it is worth the ride over for wonderful food and fun nightly entertainment! It really is a Naber-hood Gem!