Westgate bar aims to put a life in Glendale’s nights Westgate saloon offers live music, relaxed ambiance

Kellie Hwang
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 3, 2008 08:09 AM
Glendale hasn’t always been known for its nightlife.

But Westgate City Center is helping to change that perception by attracting new venues to the bustling shopping and dining area.

Joel Nightengale’s independently owned bar, Hell’s Half Acre, opened Dec. 18 at 6751 N. Sunset Blvd.

No Food…Just Drinks
The saloon-inspired watering hole sits next to Margaritaville.

“We don’t serve any food here,” Nightengale said. “It’s primarily restaurants in this area so we really wanted to do something different . . . If people want to bring in food from another restaurant we don’t mind.”

The Vision
Hell’s Half Acre was dreamed up by Nightengale, the managing partner for Rick’s Café in Jamaica.

A Cave Creek resident, he quickly noticed that the West Valley was starving for more original concepts. Many of his customers agree.

“There is no nightlife in Glendale,” said 30-year old Chris Diaz from Scottsdale. “I like this bar because it has great live music and service. If there were more places like this that you could bar hop around, I would consider coming out here more often.”

The 2,500-square-foot bar cost about seven figures, Nightengale said.

General manager Sean McTheny will take over the bar when Nightengale leaves for Jamaica. McTheny, another veteran in the nightlife business, managed Martini Ranch for years. He pushed industry officials to open a new bar on the West side for a while before getting in touch with Nightengale, and falling in love with Hell’s concept.

Just in time for the Super Bowl XLII Crowd
Nightengale’s ideas were a little out there for the Center’s officials, he said, but after seeing everything on paper, they began to jump on board. Construction started in August, right on time for the Super Bowl crowd.

Nightengale wanted something that felt quintessentially Arizona.
“I didn’t want something that was another LA transplant or came from South Beach,” he said. “I spent long weekends in Flagstaff and Prescott and loved the feeling of the bars there.”

After browsing through a pile of books on the Old West and Manifest Destiny, Nightengale came across a picture of Perry, Okla., in 1893. The town housed one of the largest most notorious camps, then called Hell’s Half Acre, where people stayed during the land grab races.

What you’ll find…
Walking up to the bar, visitors walk through an outdoor front patio surrounded by an ebony-colored, custom steel fence.

The windows are frosted, another custom touch, and the only signage is a giant ceramic mural with the signature longhorn skull resting above the bar’s name.

Inside there are simple, clean lines, with the same ebony color and steel touches painting the interior.

Shared space is a big factor in Hell’s Half Acre. Besides the main bar in the back corner, a long, steel table sits at the center of the space.

“We thought about putting in booths, but realized we wanted a communal feeling,” McTheny said. “It creates a friendly environment and provides an opportunity to meet people, and get to know your neighbors.”

Before the Coyotes game last Saturday, a man at the bar has turned his chair 180 degrees to talk to a couple at the central table.

Hockey fans line the leather seating that is covered in white, spotted rawhide, on top of the raised platform facing the bar. They watch the football game on the flat-screen TV above the bar, and snicker about the enormous digital screens that display anything from a fake fireplace to music videos.

“The cool thing is people can have a drink and go catch a game, and I can switch out the videos and album covers on the walls, and they will return to a completely different bar,” Nightengale said.

Smaller, tables are peppered throughout the rest of the bar. The goal is to have live music two or three times a week.

The bar, which is open seven days a week, was the only place besides the movie theater open on Christmas. Business has been steady in the 150-capacity bar, where customers seem to appreciate the intimacy.

“The first feeling I got coming in here was warmth, and very laid-back,” said Tucson resident Kevin Wojnar, 41.

Nightengale is looking forward to the Super Bowl rush. If it gets too crowded, he has a solution that probably wouldn’t fly at most of the neighboring businesses, he said.

“People can always get up on the bar. Here, we have no problem with that.”

More information:
Hell’s Half Acre Whiskey Bar at Westgate City Center
6751 N. Sunset Blvd. (across the street from Jobing.com Arena, which is across the street from University of Phoenix Stadium)
Open seven days a week
Phone number: 623-877-8447

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