When stuck in the blazing “Valley of the Sun,” Phoenix locals know to seek out the shade, or in this case, seek out the Shady’s.

Shady’s is located on a nondescript stretch of Indian School Road in Phoenix that is the home of small retail stores, auto shops and insurance firms. In fact, one insurance agent nearby is Bill Hobbs, which was the alias that we used in college, but that is another story for another time. If you get lost, ask a local to direct you to the landmark Tee Pee restaurant (almost everyone knows where that is located) and you are only a mile away.

On the corner of 27th heading toward downtown Phoenix, the olive green outside and smallish sign make for an easy opportunity to miss the place. But once the place is found, and if driving a rather difficult parking space is also found, it is worth the search.

If the Cleaver family (Beaver’s, not Eldridge’s) had a recreation room, it would look like the inside of Shady’s. The motif is early 60’s chic, with great overstuffed leather chairs, linoleum tile floor, a cool s-shaped bar, a pool table, and a juke box and sound system that is serious. Sit back in one of the leather chairs with a cocktail, play Ray Charles’ One Mint Julep, and everything is “Cool, Daddy-o.”

The crowd is younger and skin ink is popular among the patrons, but the place is spotlessly clean and staff very friendly. Chances are sports won’t be on TV; on consecutive visits there were some B-movies on the screen. But that’s alright. The place is so cool, you will want to wear shades at Shady’s. – D.M.