|
Barfly Jason Genegabus |
Open bar policy
IT'S A strange but comforting sight for me when I see groups of both young and old people hanging out in a bar.
Strange because you don't expect a group of 20-somethings to be having drinks at the same place as people who are old enough to be their parents.
At the same time, it's comforting -- for me, at least -- to know that there are neighborhood watering holes where everyone is welcome to come in, sit down and have a cold one.
With the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins facing off earlier this week in the NFL Hall of Fame Game, I took to the streets in search of a bar to have a couple of beers and get a bite to eat.
Cell phone in hand, I scrolled through my phone book, hoping to find a drinking partner for the evening. My first call went straight to a friend's voice mail; the second and third calls reached a couple of buddies who were too busy doing other things to come and kick it with someone who hangs out in bars for a living.
So I was on my own this week, which brings me back to my original point about the diversity of a bar's clientele.
When you're rolling deep and have a large group of friends heading out for drinks, it doesn't really matter where you end up, as long as the drinks are cold and the food is good.
On the other hand, when you're by yourself, it helps if the bar you end up visiting makes you feel comfortable being there. As I parked my car on South King Street and walked towards the entrance of J's Sports Bar and Grill, I wasn't sure that I would enjoy myself if I entered the place alone.
With a string of tacky Christmas lights surrounding the bar's sign and no exterior windows allowing for a peek inside, I started to get worried that this place might be one of those buy-me-drinkee joints that try to disguise themselves as a sports bar.
Would I end up being propositioned while trying to watch the game? There was only one way to find out.
|
J's Sports Bar and Grill Hours: 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily Location: 1775 South King St. (across from Times Supermarket) Phone: 945-7752
|
|
PULLING OPEN the door and walking into the bar, I immediately felt more at ease -- the pool table just to the right of the entrance was a good sign, and it was way too bright in the room for this place to be a hostess bar.
Since I was by myself, I passed on sitting at one of the nine booths at J's Sports Bar and Grill, opting to plant myself in front of a television at the bar that was showing the football game. A few minutes later, I noticed that I was the only one drinking straight from my bottle of Bud Light -- everyone else around me had a bucket of ice and a washcloth as a coaster.
Although I was the youngest one sitting at the bar (the average age of the guys around me had to be at least 50 years old), for some reason I didn't feel too out of place. It was probably because of the group of younger customers that took up a few booths near the dart machines.
While the older folks seemed pretty mellow and didn't make a lot of noise, the cheers from the dart players and endless beeping of the dart machines helped liven up the room.
Everyone seemed to be mingling and having a good time, and I was even tempted to ask if I could jump in on the pool table with some of the other customers -- something I usually refrain from doing, especially in a bar where I don't know anyone and am there drinking by myself.
AS IT turns out, I ended up staying a bit longer than I had originally planned. I expected to walk into a place that had its base of regular customers who would look at any newcomers with a wary eye.
Instead, I found an establishment that caters to a cross-section of the surrounding neighborhood without making outsiders feel like they're unwelcome. Like one of the regulars said after losing a game at the pool table that night, "the main thing is that we all have fun."
Now that's my kind of bar.
How much for a Bud Light?
The Barfly drank $2.50 Bud Light bottles during his visit to J's Sports Bar and Grill. Get there before 7 p.m. and the price is 50 cents cheaper.Get things to do?
A pool table, three Megatouch game machines and four dart machines provide a distraction to the half-dozen televisions spread throughout the bar. Karaoke is also available here, although the selections don't seem to be as current as other places.What about the grinds?
Standard bar fare is on the menu -- kalbi ($10), shrimp tempura ($10) and pork chops ($8) are some of the more expensive items, but there are some cheaper choices as well, including cold tofu ($3), ika tempura ($7), fried ahi belly ($7) and mandoo ($7). The steak ($10) I ordered was both flavorful and filling, and it was even served on a sizzling platter!And the help?
There was just one bartender on duty the night I stopped by J's Sports Bar and Grill, but I didn't have any problems getting my drinks while sitting at the bar. My only gripe would have to be the timing of the food I ordered -- along with my steak, I also asked for some french fries, but they didn't arrive until I was almost done.
E-mail Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com with suggestions of neighborhood bars to visit.