4 food. 5 service. Pork & Chicken: regular on wheat Black olives, cilantro, sc, guac, cheese, hot salsa. Good, but sloppy to eat. It was a while back & it didn't stick out to me enough to remember more than that...

positive

What can I say about HOT that hasn't already been said (in a good way that is)? This place is amazing. For those familiar with the east valley, this may help get my point across: This restaurant belongs in Scottsdale as the quality and service are far above anything else you'll find in Tempe. That said though, I'm glad its' not in Scottsdale. I appreciate the fact that it's 'hidden' and it's pretty easy to get a table no matter what time of day. The food is delicious. HOT is a 5 Star dining establishment. For their dinners, you'll pay for the quality. My Girlfriend and I went for her birthday last August, and managed to drop about $100 on just the two of us (without any alcoholic beverages no less). But it was worth every penny. I believe I had the Seared/Crusted Ahi, which tasted great (though I learned that I do not like the texture of raw fish). She had a seafood pasta dish, which I tried, and that was delicious. If you're interested in trying HOT, I'd recommend going in for lunch. Their prices are perfectly reasonable (if not down right cheap for what you're getting) and the service and quality is no different than their dinner dining. If I recall correctly, I had a (filet?) burger that was fantastic; cooked to perfection and seasoned well. Everyone seems to enjoy their iced tea with the fresh berries (though I could not get into it; I don't like 'stuff' in my drinks). I've determined that service is a deal-breaker for me wherever I go. Perhaps that is why I enjoy HOT so much. We're talking gourmet dining with service to match. The atmosphere is great on the patio (I have yet to dine indoors there as it's usually gorgeous outside, so why pass up the chance to enjoy the weather). As much as I don't want to use the words, rustic and quaint come to mind, but the place manages to maintain a certain amount of class and modern-ness, which I enjoy the latter more than the prior. I have yet to have any beverages from the bar, but I'm sure that based on the quality of their food, the drinks are amazing as well. They did have a well stocked outdoor bar that I usually see at least a few people sitting at each time I'm there. If I were a person who ate out more, House of Tricks would definitely be on my 'Visit Often' list as they have a small, but variety-packed menu that constantly changes, fantastic service and a great atmosphere, especially for a warm summer night or a nice spring afternoon. If you live in the area and haven't been there, you're doing yourself a disservice. If you're visiting (either from the surrounding area or out of town) I would put this place on your 'must' list to check out.

positive

This place is so much better than I expected! I order a juicy lucy, which held true to it's name. Great flavor and cooked perfectly. I also had the sweet potato fries which came with some sort of honey mustard. It complimented the fries well. I sat at the bar, which is nice and quiet. It has a couple of flat screens and slots if you're into that. The only drawback would be the price. I paid around $18 for my burger and fries. Kind of a lot when you think of what you can get at MCDs. My favs are still in n out and burger bar, but this is a close third. Highly recommended. I'll be back!

positive

I was craving The Liberty's lamb burger so my boyfriend and I booked an Open Table reservation and showed up 30 minutes later. We were quickly shown to our table and given menus. That's about where the experience started going off course. As our forefathers said, "give me Liberty, or give me any other better restaurant in Charlotte!" While the beer and wine selection is tremendous, the food options are actually rather sparse; there's only about 10 appetizers, 8 entrees, and 4 sandwiches to choose from. We ordered a blue cheese wedge salad, grilled cheese sandwich of the day, and the lamb burger (subbing grilled asparagus for fries). The salad came first, with a large slice of iceburg lettuce, sprinkle of blue cheese, one slice of bacon, and a drizzle of buttermilk across the top; okay, but nothing to get too excited about. The grilled cheese sandwich tonight was two kinds of cheddar, blue cheese, and some sort of salami meat alongside a cup of creamy tomato bisque. My always-hungry-for-more boyfriend only ate half of the sandwich and I didn't want more than the first, sour bite I tasted. My lamb burger was good, but not exactly how I'd remembered it - I think they've swapped the cheese (from goat to cheddar?) int he last 6 months. My swapped side was the largest asparagus spears I've ever seen, and they tasted like the char from the grill - you can decide if that's a good thing or not. The surly waitress brought our check, and even with a BOGO entree coupon, our bill still came to $35 (including tax & tip). We basically spent $35 for one appetizer salad and one entree... that seems a bit excessive, considering The Liberty bills itself as a neighborhood gastropub. With grumpy service, sub-par food, and obscene pricing, I don't expect we'll be going back.
negative