Spokes on Southern, a sibling to Boulders on Broadway, opens today in Tempe

Spokes on Southern Neighborhood Grill & Alehouse, a spinoff of Boulders on Broadway, opens at 11 a.m. today on Southern just west of McClintock in Tempe.

“I like the name ‘Alehouse,'” says general manager Cooper Parkinson. “It brings back images of that old-time tavern feel, a comfortable place where people can just hang out.”

Spokes takes over the 7,500-square-foot building that formerly housed Sneakers Sports Grill, which closed in 2009. Before Sneakers, it was a Streets of New York. Longtime East Valley residents also may remember it as Uptown Brewery more than a decade ago.

Besides traditional four-person tables, the thoroughly cleaned interior boasts an elevated area with a 20-seat bar and three community tables. Outside is a huge, lakeside patio with covered ramadas.

Currently there are just 10 TVs. Parkinson says more are on the way, but he wants to differentiate Spokes from a sports bar.

While Spokes strives to capture the laidback vibe of its older sibling (and the owners’ passion for mountain biking), it will place more of an emphasis on food. The kitchen will roast its own turkeys, slice its own meats, make its own dressings, etc.

“We want to prepare foods they way they should be,” Parkinson says. “To start, we’ll have to get some things from (food distributor) Sysco, but eventually we want to use as little frozen food as possible.”

The inaugural menu will have appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers and tacos. No item is more than $9.99.

The bar will offer 24 beers on tap – Bud Light, Guinness, and a rotating selection of 22 craft beers – as well as some bomber bottles. Pints will be $4.50. Create-your-own, three-beer sampler flights will be $6.25.

Spokes also will be pouring seven rare, small-batch American whiskeys like Pappy Van Winkles Special Reserve.

“I’m confident if you’re a whiskey drinker, you’re not going to be disappointed,” says bar manager Matt Brennan.

Happy hour will run 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays and all day Saturday, and will feature $1 off any alcohol. There also will be a reverse happy hour from 10 to close Sunday through Thursday.

Spokes on Southern will be open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week.