Entry No. 7 — the Phoenix file — filed under: art
UnderTow (at Century Grand)
Step into what's built to feel like the cargo hold of a 19th-century ship — creaking wood, ambient sound design, and a full immersive-storytelling tiki program tucked inside the multi-room Century Grand complex.
The story
You don't expect to step into the creaking cargo hold of a 19th-century merchant ship along a sun-baked strip of East Indian School Road, but Century Grand doesn't deal in suburban subtlety. Created by Barter & Shake, the complex houses distinct immersive cocktail spaces, with UnderTow submerged into the timber-framed belly of a ocean-going vessel.
Instead of generic bamboo and plastic leis, the room relies on immersive set design and narrative atmosphere. As bartenders pull from global rum traditions, the environment around you shifts on a loop: ambient audio mimics straining ropes and ocean swells, while digital porthole screens roll from calm waters into lightning storms and back again.
What it's like
Book a table well in advance—seatings are strictly capped at a 90-minute window, and walk-in luck is rare. Once you're ushered into the dark, wood-paneled hold, order a rum-forward cocktail, lean into the nautical soundscapes, and keep an eye on the LED windows when the simulated weather takes a turn.
The move: Grab a table in the 'hold,' order a round of tiki cocktails built around global rum traditions, and treat the LED window shows and nautical soundscape as the whole date rather than background noise.
- 📍 Arcadia, Phoenix
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 3626 E Indian School Rd Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85018
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- 36 Below — Double down on hidden underground drinking by heading to this subterranean, greenhouse-inspired speakeasy nearby.
- Tijon Phoenix — Balance your evening of high-concept cocktail sets by custom-blending your own signature scent earlier in the day.
- El Molino Mexican Cafe at the Scottsdale Elks Lodge (former POW Officers' Club) — Trade theatrical set design for unvarnished local history by grabbing Mexican food inside a former WWII German POW officers' club building.
Good to know
Where is UnderTow located?
It operates inside the Century Grand venue at 3626 E Indian School Rd, Suite 100, in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix.
How long do reservations last?
Each seating is structured around a 90-minute window to align with the immersive cocktail service and atmospheric show.
What kind of drinks are on the menu?
The beverage program centers on craft tiki cocktails and complex drinks built around global rum styles and exotic ingredients.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: bartershake.com · visitphoenix.com · barandrestaurant.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-19