Little Woody is one of my favorite weeknight bars. (Yes, I'm the type of person that has several favorite weeknight bars)
As the name wood describe (pun) The Little Woody is both small and completely covered in wood - which gives it a unique, relaxing ambiance and a perfect setting for a few drinks, or more.
This place honestly has a seating area for about any mood.  The community-ish style tables in both the main bar as well as the game room can be a great way to meet new people from the neighborhood while the booths can provide enough seclusion for a quiet conversation or a date night.  That said, the pièce de résistance comes in the form of two Skeeball tables in the back of the game room.  I'll give you a minute to digest that.  Skeeball.
...
There's something delightfully nostalgic about playing skeeball at the Little Woody, and true to the PeterPiperPizzan sport that we all learned to love in our youth - these machines print out tickets if you achieve a high enough score. (The great part is that instead of exchanging tickets for worthless toys - at Woody they're redeemable for booze)
I truly believe that the Little Woody started (or at least popularized) a trend that will be replicated throughout the valley. Â I'm a fan, and recommend you give it a shot.
Little Woody's is super cool.
Really, you feel like one of the cool kids here.  But not like football star lead cheerleader cool, no  no, little Woody's is too cool for that traditional type of cool.
No, first you feel speak easy cool. Â Old school gangster cool. Â Because there is no sign announcing the name of the place you feel in the know when you spot the big eyed owl gazing over the street and realize this is the place. Â It's too cool for a name. Â You enter through the back, which is the front, because the front has no entrance. Â Cool, right?
Then its dark. Â not seedy dark, but masculine and sultry dark. Â Again, really cool.
Once you get your drinks you head over to the game room and a new kind of cool hits: nerd cool, gamer cool, arcade kid cool.
Shuffle board, skee ball (!), darts  and foosball are always exciting, and winning free beer with your insane skee ball skills is the coolest!
Didn't eat this time, but the chalk boards advertised some tasty looking options. Â And their cocktails, while maybe a bit pricey, were super intriguing. Â I stuck with beer on this occasion and it was frosty and quick. Â Good night.
First visit, great! Second visit, Little Woody must be bi polar. Â A few friends decided to go to Little Woody on a Friday night. Â There were a pretty good crowd of Phoenicians and people obviously from Scottsdale. Â We ordered drinks and food from the waitress. Â We never saw our waitress but one guy was going around asking people about their drinks. Â After 30 minutes of ordering a pretzel and pizza, I asked how much longer will it take to get a pretzel. Â He was nice to go check and I didn't get charged for it. Â The waitress never placed the order for the pizza, lame excuses. We left and went down the street to eat..so worth it too!
Review Source:In my search for a new place for my husband and I to try, I came upon my friend Paul V.'s review of The Little Woody, and I was sold.
It may be a little hard to find (hint: just look for the owl), but once you do, youre in for a great time. Its dark and warm and inviting w/ plenty of seating to choose from.
We decided to try the food as well as the drinks. I had a brie panini, which was really good, but the star here is the craft cocktails. I had one whose name escapes me, but it had muddled strawberries. Very good, sweeter. I also tried the Hard Wood. Very, very good.
After we were done eating we decided to explore the place a little bit. Unbeknownst to us, they have a whole other side! Complete w/ skee ball and shuffleboard. They even host an adult skee ball league.
I would absolutely recommend this place to someone who wants a cool place to drink w/ friends, take a date, or have a drink somewhere thats off the beaten path.
i know *I'll* be visiting when Im back in town. Just sayin.
I heard all about this place from a good friend who recently moved to SB and after dinner elsewhere, their bar was packed so we decided to try out 'The Little Woody." First and foremost, I love the "sign" out front that has the light up owl. We parked just as a man was walking out of a door (one of three) in front of us, he kindly showed us where to enter, cracking jokes with us the whole way. We sat at the bar at first to get a drink from the same bartender. He showed me the whole menu cocktails and otherwise. I had no idea what I would want, so on his suggestion I tried to 'Tongue n Groove."
If you want a delicious girly drink, PLEASE try this. It was amazing. Sweet, with a little tang, and simply garnished. My friend had a jack n coke, and we went to sit on the couches on the other side of the bar. The bartenders were amazing, great service, super nice, they checked on us every little bit. Eventually we moved back up to the bar, and started talking to the barback, who suggested that we really check out the back room, so we did. It was full of games, shuffleboard, foosball, skeeball.
We ended up staying for about 4 hours, and at the end of the night, my friend just HAD to have some Jeremiah Wheat Whiskey.... kill me. I hate whiskey, but it was good,
The one thing I noticed was how adequately they staffed the bar. Three bartenders were there around 8 so you always had someone keeping an eye on your drinks, and never had to do that awkward wave until someone came over. The other thing I liked was the people there. Everyone from women in their 30's to men in their 60's. It didn't feel like there was a "type" of person who went there, just everyone.
I love this place, I will definitely be back.
I would not call this bar a dive bar by any means. Â I really think I need to take my friends to a real dive bar so they stop tricking me into thinking we're going to one.
The staff was friendly, the drinks were good and while I didn't try any of the food it all looked and smelled very good. Â It was a very busy night and was probably pretty close to maximum capacity. Â A little crowded for my taste but I still managed to have a good time. Â I learned how to play shuffle board for the first time and actually won a game.
I did have a good time however I'm not sure how likely I am go to back.
A visit to The Little Woody has been on my list for way too long and this past weekend, I finally got to visit! This little bar is filled with character and enchantment. Hidden in broad daylight right off of Indian School and 44th street, the only thing that shows you it's there is the owl (their logo) light in the window. You'll be greeted by an old gentleman who will let you into the parking lot and then you enter through a door into a windowless bar. Sounds shady right? Well, it's just shady enough to make it a little exclusive! You certainly wouldn't drive by it and decide to stop by. You have to know about it.
This bar is trendy divey at its finest. Logs wallpaper the walls, and the lighting is dim. There's plenty of seating either at high top tables or booths. The bar has plenty of seating as well. But the best part is the back room. The back room is filled with fun games! Games that include skeeball, shuffle board and darts! If only they had air hockey and big buck hunt. It provides a fun atmosphere and one that's chill. This bar is well put together and well kept, but still holds on to the divey feel...without beer stained floors!
PS - they also own The Westerner that just opened in Old Town.
Visiting this fun Arcadia bar is like spending with rich college kids with bikes; everyone is young, well dressed and your select hangout locale looks trendy and cool. On the other hand drunken debauchery, bro dudes donning tank tops and faux hawks, squealing and fireball shots by the dozen seemed to prevail, no one had a care in the world. Did I mention it was 6:30?
The Little Woody isn't hard to find if you look to the NE corner of Indian School and the side street (42nd place). Just pull down the side street when you see the neon bird eyes commanding you stop to have a drink. The bar is dark, covered in REAL wood cross sections and cozy. You can order food or play skee ball, darts or shuffleboard. There is no outside area so it's not ideal for smokers, but great when it's either a zillion degrees outside or pouring (like that ever happens). The bartenders were attentive and prompt. Overall, a great little neighborhood bar that's a fun stop on your Arcadia bar tour.
When I first showed up at the woody, I noticed there was an extreme arbitrage opportunity. Â I guess not in the true sense, as I didn't really make a profit off of these people, but what I'm trying to say is that they'll give you an old style and a shot of old grand dad whiskey for $5 (It's called the Codger). Â That's 2 drinks people. Â Yeah, they taste like complete shit....who cares, that's part of the fun. Â The challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to get hammered for next to nothing. Â They dare you to drink garbage, and reward you with a low price if you take them up on it, and if you don't throw up after taking the shot, GUESS WHO WALKS AWAY A WINNER....well kind of... Usually I lose pretty hard in the long run, because after doing 4-5 codgers over the course of an hour or so, thing go haywire.
One time I tried to open the men's bathroom, and it was locked. So I waited, then when the dude came out he was all like: "THERE'S A LOCK FOR A REASON". You are correct sir, apparently that lock is for you to do blow and have a temper tantrum if anyone so much as pushes on the door, why are you so angry? This is a bar bitch. Â That's really the only doucher i've seen in this place. Â The staff is always nice.
One thing I don't appreciate is when girls order wine at the woody, and then you're bill is suddenly $75, because someone had 5 glasses of wine and someone else had 5 codgers, and someone is signing receipts cross eyed, because they actually are $80 worth of drunk, but in the morning something doesn't seem to add up right. Â Do the math on that, and don't order wine. Because in case you can't do math, it's $10 a glass.
The biggest problem the woody has, is that it's relatively hard to get a drink when this place is packed, which seems to be increasingly more often than not on your typical weekend. Â Everyone has now discovered the woody, despite the lack of signage. Â Hopefully someday soon all those people get over it and go back to old town, because I'm trying to have some room to run around in this bitch.
Also Skee Ball. Head to the back.
I've been wanting to try this place for a while, so I finally stopped it with some friends for happy hour last night.
First, I really loved the atmosphere. It's dark, cozy, and kind of rustic feeling. One of my friends said "I feel like we're in a cabin." It's perfect for relaxing for friends, and I think it would also make a great place for date night. The place is split in half with a bar in the middle, seating and tables on side, and then the games on the other. Although I didn't play any games this visit, I will definitely be back for that! They have shuffleboard, skee-ball and fooseball-how could you not like that?!
The drink menu had some great selections both beer and cocktail wise. I sampled my friend's Arizona Mule (aka a Moscow mule) and tried to order my own. Unfortunately, the bartender brought everyone else's drink but mine. I thought he was going to come back with it since his hands were full, but he didn't come back around for 15-20 minutes, so I ended up just getting a beer. The slow/forgetful service was kind of the theme of the night, but I'm pretty sure the bartender/waiter  was the only one working, so I don't want to be too hard on him.
The food we ordered was pretty good. I went with the turkey sandwich and thought it was flavorful, especially with the cranberry chutney. One of us ordered the grilled cheese, and it looked really good, evidenced by the fact that my friend that ordered it did not share with the rest of us. We also got an order of hummus and pita bread. The hummus was okay, but it was at least a generous serving.
Although I was disappointed by the service on this visit, I would like to try it again.
You know what I love about this bar? No bull shit from the bartenders. They see a face in their domain, they immediately appear and take your order. Even when the place is packed. I like it.
Ok, and the fact that beer is five bucks doesn't hurt.
This is a good place to start, spend and end an evening. I've now had the pleasure of doing all of above on different nights of the week.
As a side note. the owners are great about lining up cabs when the place closes down. There wasn't a need to wait a long time for any of us (ahem) who needed them to get a ride home.
HA ha ha HA ha
HA ha ha HA ha
he he he he he he he he he.......
(Woody Woodpecker)
For those of you old enough to know the Woody Woodpecker this place is a like an homage to the character. Â The only way you'll find this gem is by catching the eyes of the woodpecker off Indian School Rd.
At first sight you wouldn't think much of this place from the outside. Â Once you enter it's a nice cozy chill atmosphere. Â I'm glad this place is here far from the party scene of S. Scottsdale. Â Everyone seems pretty relaxed and open. Â They're not here to impress anyone; they're here to have a good time. Â The place in general is covered in "wood" and has a cabin look. Â Thus, the "woody" part makes sense. Â
Moving, past the main doors and towards the back and going West of the building is the game room. Â Tad bit odd for a lounge, but totally awesome. Â Shuffle boards, skeet ball and darts in the back room while you have a drink with your best buds in case you didn't want to just sit around at the bar. Â The large LCD TVs shows the game of the night while you sit back and enjoy.
The Woody also serves up some cozy comfort food. Â My buddy and I ordered the tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwich. Â I wasn't too awed about the sandwich, but the toast on it made sense to my palate as I dipped it into the roasted tomato soup. Â The soup was delicious! Â I pounded it down with a couple of drinks and my night was complete! - Enjoy!
Fun little bar in the Arcadia area. I finally made it here after hearing rave reviews and it's a very cool spot. They have decent beer on tap and creative fun cocktails. Sitting around drinking can get a little boring, so I was happy to play some of their games like Jenga. They also have a game room with two of my favorite games with shuffleboard and skeeball! Skeeball in a bar!!!
A few negatives:
- The service can be very slow, seems like they might be understaffed, it's better to order from the bartender.
- The hummus tasted like paste, maybe this isn't the place to order food? I haven't tried anything else yet.
Fun joint! Â Its a hole in the wall with a fashionable twist. Â The people who camer here the night I was there were hipsters who were more into caual and convo than a club or a dark sports bar.
People were pretty friendly (wish there had been more chill couches to hang ou t in) and loved the skee ball!! Â Spent at least an hour playing- so cool to have it at the bar.
From the outside The Little Woody looks like a hole in the wall dive bar. Once you go inside, however, it turns into a trendy neighborhood bar with great drinks, a great atmosphere and best of all Skeeball! They also have Shuffleboard, Foosball, Darts and some board games.
This place just has a great neighborhood feel. I have not had their food but my boyfriend says they have great paninis!
This place is super hip and laidback... a true gem in phoenix. The server that me and my girl had was really awesome. She had a great true personality and was always smiling. This place has a nice selection of microbrews on tap. Â The only thing I didn't like was that the game room felt too small and the skee ball was 1 buck to play for 1 person.
Review Source:The Little Woody is the trendiest dive bar in town. Â Is that a good thing? Â You can judge for yourself. Â
The "bouncer" gave me a tip on when a chill crowd is there, but I won't be sharing that with you! Â Of course, if you are like me, the time to go is NOT on weekends, when college students and arrogant twenty-somethings overtake the place. Â
The coolest part about The Little Woody is they have Skeeball! Â They also have Foosball and a couple other games, but Skeeball takes the cake. Â
Of course, if you don't heed my warnings and you go on a weekend, there might be a blonde who drank far too much hogging Skeeball; she might try to start a fight with you and your friends when you try to play an empty lane. Â When you make it clear you will not tolerate drunken shenanigans, she might go into hiding for awhile and then reemerge even more drunk. Â Well, at least that's what happened the first time I was there.
Still, the place is pretty nifty. Â
I'm not sure how much the drinks cost because, well, I'm a woman. Â I don't think they could be too pricey, though, since I heard no complaints from my thrifty friends.
If you're one of those people who has to always do what the cool people are doing, go ahead and bookmark this one now. Â ;)
Skee Ball, Shuffleboard, Darts, Foosball, board games, etch-a-sketch and a neighborhood feel. Â Always a good time at the Little Woody. Â
The only complaint I have about this joint is the overwhelming sulfuric scent emanating from the women's bathroom in the front of the bar. Â Not sure if this is like this always but the last few times I've been here it was almost enough to make me ralph.
Going to Little Woody is like having an exciting secret affair? You don't want everyone to know about it, but it's so much fun you don't want to deny yourself of the pleasure!
The little woody its a hole in the wall, little neighborhood bar that everyone in the hood knows about despite the fact there is no signage outside the lit up cartoon eyes in the front window and no main street parking!
This is a great bar.. it was not at all what I expected, but this is a great bar.
So, I expected more of a club feeling and less of a dive bar when I walked in through the door in the back that offers no marking of being the main entrance that it is. So, in I went and sat at the bar.. ordering drinks that were more expensive than I expected. But the bartenders was nice and very good, attentive and effective.
The longer I sat in the bar, the nicer and more crowded the place became.. and when I left, quite overserved, the place had risen like a Fenix from a dive to a small, intimate little night club.. and I say this with respect. I did not expect this at all. Nor what I walked into, nor what I walked out from.
While at the bar, getting served like a pro.. I discovered what many others has discovered before me, this tasty sneak attack called the Moscow Mule. Vodka hidden behind mint and ginger beer.. awesome.
So, visit The Little Woody.. and when you see the eyes on the building, its there.
.. und das ist nach der Kritiker
What a great spot! Good cocktail and beer selection, surprisingly good food for a bar, and a great staff. The decor and atmosphere are cool, the crowd is diverse, it's a good place to meet people, and a fun place to go with your friends. It gets crowded late night and they have opened up a great game room for a casual hang. This will be a regular spot for me. I'm a big beer drinker but I'm hooked on the AZ Mule and the turkey cranberry sandwich is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had!
Review Source:Just revisited and was stoked to find out that they've expanded the building to now include *dramatic drum roll* a seperate gaming room! Â Was totally stoked to find this out. Â It only adds to allure of the bar and keeps the good times rolling literally! Â They've got a foosball table, darts, rollerball and shuffleboard! Â No idea when they put it in but from the last time I was there it wasn't part of it and now that I know I'll be spreading the good word! Â Had a few cocktails and the signatures were spot on but some of the other traditional cocktails we're something more to desire but the beer selection definately made up for it.
Review Source:During my great Phoenix booze search in the fall of  2012, I turned to my trusty Yelp friends on Talk and proposed the question: Where is the best place to go for a good selection of whiskeys at a decent price. I got many useful responses, but Marsella M. hit the nail right on the head when she suggested The Little Woody. I never heard of the place and it was close to my home so I was intrigued. I checked it out one night after work and had some trouble finding the place since there are no signs. I figured out where it was when I saw the neon owl in the window. As you walk up to the door you don't know what to expect and it feels like you are going into the back entrance of a restaurant. Upon opening the door though, you are immediately greeted by a cool relaxed lounge, perfectly decorated and welcoming.
This is an all around great bar and I might rank it as my favorite in Phoenix now. It has all the elements to make it a great place for a drink and some food.
1) It's hidden, so you have to be in the know to find it.
2) Great bartenders, drinks, and specials
3) Very cool and modern decor
4) There are two separate rooms, each with a different vibe. The main room with the bar has couches, a long high top, and booths. The back room has some great games, including skee ball, darts, foosball table, and I think a pinball machine. Great overall set up for whatever you're in the mood to do.
Also...
Plenty of whiskey flights to choose from. On Mondays they get new drinks for the patrons to try out. Lots of Four Peaks beers. Their house special is called The Codger: $5 for a can of Old Style and a shot of Old Grand Dad.
This place had the Review of the Day yesterday on Yelp, so it seems the secret is out and I'm sure more and more people will start flocking to Phoenix's best secret bar.
Ya know what, this place stinks. Don't go here ever...unless you already do, then you can still go. Otherwise, it isn't worth your time. Seriously. Just go to Buffalo Wild Wings.
You guys have no idea how long I debated whether or not to leave a review for Little Woody. It was pretty much a goal of mine to keep it as secret for as long as I possibly could, mostly because the place isn't that big, I live across the street, and I appreciate at least a foot of personal space. Â Welp, that foot of personal space is almost gone now so I figure it's about the time to profess my love for this not-really-a-dive bar, especially since they just added the most AMAZING back room a bar has EVER had.
Seriously, I could set up a cot, eat, drink, and sleep in that back room and have absolutely no problems in life. They have shuffleboard, darts, and SkeeBall! Really, what more can you ask for? Â In my original review of The Great Escape (R.I.P., gone but not forgotten), I concluded with "If they had shuffleboard, I'd bump them up to 5 stars"...Little Woody did me one better and got shuffle board while simultaneously getting rid of that weird old person basement smell the place used to have (and replacing it with the lovely smell of wood). Â
What really makes this bar though is that everyone is seriously so freaking friendly. Once a guy asked me to punch him in the stomach...SUPER friendly because I love punching people. Â Another time we sat down at a random table and played a game of RCL with a group of complete strangers, obviously awesome. Â One stranger let me play with his iPhone 5 the day it came out just because I noticed it. I've only been mean-mugged like once and those girls clearly got lost looking for Mint, so that's not the Wood's fault.
All in all, I love this bar, I can now loudly declare that I love this bar, and if you want to come and be cool and love this bar with me you can. Just leave the mean-mugging in Old Town.
Love this bar! I used to go here when it was a super-dive a couple of years back. It's amazing what they have done with the place!
Went there on a Saturday night - wasn't too busy but had a good amount of people there. Was very happy to see at least one awesome bar that has reasonably priced cocktails. Definitely going back :)
I accidentally posted my check-in here on facebook and subjected myself to about two hours of ridicule for hanging out at a place called The Little Woody. I like it here because there is no signage from the street.
Once you park in the lot and enter through the back door you'll find yourself in a pretty small, low lit bar. The walls are adorned with wooden logs, hence the name. Keeping with the tradition of The Vig and The Vig uptown, the place has a cool vibe and they play good music. When i got there it was standing room only, so despite the obscurity from the front, a lot of people know about it. There is communal long table in the center, some booths and another area with some couches to lounge.
This would be a great place to come on a double date or a small group of friends and cozy up in one of the booths and have a few cocktails or beers. I can't wait until winter because it will be a great place to hit when it's chilly outside.
And breeeaaathe in (a little)....
The (woody) smell! Huzzah!
It's hip, it's unmarked, it's lined with real wood, there's forgiving lighting, and a long, narrow arrangement of high tops, booths and upholstered seating... you may just have stumbled through a wrinkle into some mid-western time and space is all.
We've had good service, and okay service. We've been when it's quietly populated, and full of busloads of revelers or scads of out-of-town bachelors. You just never know what you'll find behind that fire door off the parking lot. Look for the candles.
Come ready to lounge. Order a signature cocktail, or ask the bartender to make something up. Don't let your buddy have that fifteenth rum and coke. Remember the bathrooms are very small. And become a bookie with a little known quote or a sketch as you pay your tab.
You'll be glad you came!
K: It's right there!
Me: Where?!
K: There, you just passed it make a U turn and go back. ...No you just passed it..
We finally made it no thanks to my navigation skills, well this place is admittedly kind of hidden and unassuming from the street. That is fine with me , I would like to keep this little treasure my secret, now that I have found it. Â
When you walk to the door you almost expect to do some sort of secret knock to get in. Â
The vibe and ambiance can fit almost any occasion from a casual drink with friends, a romantic date night or a night out solo to belly up to the bar, make new friends and chat up the bartenders.
The staff are friendly and attentive, their menu is simple but unique. Â They have tempting pub food options worthy of a quality gastropub and offer a full-bar but I highly recommend trying any one of their signature drinks on the menu. Â
I can't wait to go back...
This is that place that I don't want to write a review for because more and more people will discover it!
Here's the thing...I LOVE The Little Woody. I love the drinks, the decor, the hidden "hide-out" feeling, and the staff. My go-to drinks are the Sassafrass, the Arizona Mule, and the Tongue and Groove. I never go wrong with those three!
Unfortunately, the crowd here gets a little obnoxious for my taste. There are a few televisions around so at times the bar will be absolutely packed with screaming sports fans. If you go inside, you'll see that it's not the type of place you expect to see packed with screaming sports fans. Nor do you want it to be.
This would definitely be a 5-star frequent hang-out if so many other people didn't love this place too. Even if it was a more chill crowd that frequented The Little Woody I'd be more tolerant.
It's funny what a difference a couple years, and some positive buzz, can make. This place has gone from a quiet little neighborhood haunt to a hangout for Jersey shore rejects looking for a fight to a trendy hotspot - all while remaining essentially the same.
Nothing extraordinary in the way of decor, selection or service - but popular, so if  that's your thing enjoy it while you can - who knows what it will be in another year.
Great little lounge! Â
The Little Woody is a small place, no signage from the street. Â The entrance is from the back by the parking lot. Â There are just a few tables, a bar, a community table and some booths. Â However, in true Vig form, the styling is second to none! Â It's dark, homey, funky but with an understated sophistication.
The food is good. Â We had a mushroom, truffle flatbread - excellent, arugula salad - good, beef and brie sandwich - very good. Â A few cocktails and a few glasses of wine. Â The service was excellent. Â And (this is a big deal for me) parking was plentiful.
My only complaint was that the wine list was kinda sparse. Â I'm not a big drinker, so it matters to me.
However, we'll be back - and we'll bring friends!
Well the first time I came to this location it's was the trusty ol' Great Escape and that was definitely a DIVE a legit "hole in the wall" ha! However it's is now an upscale/urban bar hangout. It's super cozy and it brings in  21-35 age group. I loved the music and decor. You are literally surrounded by logs. And the bar is perfect super old school and the bar staff are awesome. The only criticism I have is that the seatting is awkward and I wish there was a patio but I know because of the location there are legal issues.
All in all, I will definitely go back I live walking distance from it so its the perfect  for me,the boyfriend and friends to add this place to our bar bike tour ;)
I would definitely not classify The Little Woody as a dive bar... what has replaced the former dive Great Escape is a very cozy drinking bar with a casual vibe. This is definitely the kind of place you could disappear for a few hours, or say an afternoon, and not know whether the sun is up or down as you stumble out the door and back into reality.
BOTTOM LINE: I've got a bar stool here. Already.