Carry On Bar: Now Boarding in Phoenix
Step aboard Carry On, where the golden age of air travel meets modern mixology in a 90-minute, one-of-a-kind experience.
Designed to evoke the lost charm of a 1970s aircraft cabin, this unique bar “takes flight” and offers a menu of cocktails, inspired by your departure and arrival cities.
It’s an intimate experience, with just 33 people allowed onboard per sitting, and reservations are required.
After major hype on television and social media leading up to the opening, Carry On had an opening night wait list of 7,000 reservations!
Key Info on Carry On
- Reservations are needed
- There’s a lengthy wait
- 21 & older only
- Multiple seatings per night, each of which lasts 90 minutes
What to Expect at Carry On Bar
Your journey begins with a wait at the “boarding gate” outside the bar. You’ll get a “boarding pass” with your seat assignment inside.
Check the “boarding gate” information before you step onboard.
The staff is in character, with a heavy dose of humor throughout the “flight.” The “pilots” at Carry On spend most of the time behind the bar mixing drinks.
There are a few different seating options, most of which involve a booth setting for you and your group. They’re reserved ahead of time. Again, only 33 people board at a time, so it’s a small crowd.
The stewardesses (another throwback to the era) are dressed in mini-skirts, and welcome you onboard with a sweet, strawberry-infused vodka cocktail.
The captain will make a few announcements, including informing you that this is a Boeing 747.
You really will feel like you’re on a flight! The bar will fill with the ambient white noise of an airplane cabin. Combined with the view out the “windows” (LED screens depicting cities, clouds, etc), you’ll get the sense that you’re 30,000 feet up. Expect a storm and some turbulence to add to the experience along the way.
The attention to detail is amazing. I love the graphics and decor, right down to the martini / no smoking sign toward the front of the cabin.
Make a Call
There’s a retro phone, which looks like the one I had in my kitchen growing up in the 80s. Picking it up, the “pilot” will deliver some mid-flight entertainment from the cockpit.
Food Onboard
You’ll be served classic in-flight snacks, like peanuts and shortbread cookies, which are complimentary with your boarding pass.
On our visit, they were making plans to include meals from Wren and Wolf, the bar’s sister restaurant, as part of a “first-class” package.
I’m not sure I’d go for that, since the 90 minutes goes quickly with just drinks and the onboard entertainment.
Bathrooms
The bathrooms are definitely an upgrade from your standard cabin. Plus, you’ll see a jumpseat on the wall outside.
Bar Pricing
Seating options are priced by table size: $40 for two guests, $50 for up to three, and $90 for groups of up to five. For larger parties, you can book adjacent tables to keep your crew together. The sooner you book, the better for large groups!
After “takeoff,” you’ll choose from a list of cocktails, which reflect the cultures of your departure and arrival cities. They’re about $18 each.
The options on the San Francisco to Mexico City flight include:
- Jungle Bird
- Pink Squirrel
- Tequila Sunrise
- Gin & Bubbles
- Rusty Nail
- Old Fashioned
- Sidecar
- Negroni
This is the Harvey Wallbanger, named after a California surfer from the 1950s.
Mid-flight, the stewardesses will bring the martini cart around. They’ll give you a separate martini menu, again each costing $18. I’m very picky about my dirty martinis (vodka, shaken, of course 🍸 😋 ) and the Carry On version did not disappoint!
The 2025 Experience
I suppose this section should be titled “The 2024-2025 Experience,” since Carry On launched in November of 2024.
The theme will change yearly onboard. For its inaugural flight, passengers will fly from San Francisco’s SFO to Mexico City’s MEX airports.
As I mentioned, that means the drinks will have both San Francisco and Mexico City themes. The menus reflect both cities.
Plus, the “view” out the windows will feature the Golden Gate Bridge on takeoff.
As you finish your experience, you’ll see the Teotihuacan pyramid out the “window” and then the vast expanse of lights in Mexico City.
The Bar’s Sister Restaurant: Wren & Wolf
I mentioned plans to incorporate meals from Wren & Wolf into the Carry On experience. It’s a modern, upscale American restaurant in Phoenix’s Renaissance Square (1st Avenue & Washington) with creative and excellent food.
The interior reflects the restaurant’s name, with an eclectic blend of dimly lit taxidermy displays and murals.
The menu features a range of small plates like beef carpaccio with bone marrow aioli and Peruvian ceviche. Other favorites include wild boar Bolognese and Japanese A5 Wagyu, cooked tableside over charcoal.
There’s a raw bar, along with a spaghetti pesto and other options for vegetarians. The sides are excellent, and Wren & Wolf is also open for breakfast and lunch. Also of note: the kitchen is open late on Fridays and Saturdays, with the final seating at 11:00pm!
Wrap: Is Carry On Worth It?
I’m not a big fan of these things, but Carry On was a lot of fun. From the wood panels to the orange stripes to the graphics on the “boarding passes” and even the little set of wings each passenger got … they really paid great attention to detail!
If you’re interested in checking it out, book your “flight” now since you’ll likely have to wait at least a few weeks to board. That’s really the only downside: if you have friends in town and want to take them, you’re likely out of luck because of the wait. It’s just something you have to plan for in advance!
While the cocktails are on the pricey side, you’re paying for the experience and the creativity that went into the unique setup. It’s a nostalgic adventure that’s sure to be part of an entertaining night in downtown Phoenix.
Photos of Carry On Bar
