PETE TITTL: Gorge your gullet on game day
| Wednesday, Oct 28 2009 04:15 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Oct 28 2009 04:16 PM
900 Truxtun Ave.
322-9800
Hours: Serving food 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast served on Sunday only.
Prices: Breakfast $4.49-$8.25, appetizers $3.49-$12.99, soups and salads $3.99-$8.99, sandwiches $5.99-$8.99, hamburgers $7.49-$8.99, dinners $9.99-$11.99. Child s menu $3.99.
Payment: MasterCard, VISA, American Express and Discover accepted. Does not accept personal checks.
Dress: Casual
Amenities: Wheelchair accessible; full bar service; few vegetarian options.
Food: HH1/2
Atmosphere: HHH1/2
Service: HHH
Value: HH1/2
Next week: Cafe Crepes
You might be forgiven if you've come to believe that the NFL is something of a religion to some Americans, especially with the growth of sports bars. Just take a look at this picture. Fans are passionate true believers, check. They have sacred garments, typically replica jerseys, check. They meet for worship on Sundays, and those services can get quite emotional, check. There are moments of ecstatic joy, usually preceding or following moments of intense silence staring straight ahead, check.
All this struck me as I visited Tailgater's Sports Bar & Grill on Truxtun Avenue, which reopened in September after a three-month hiatus (I called and was told there was a management change, but not an ownership change).
On the Sunday morning I went, it was a veritable cathedral to professional pigskin fans. Fans of all teams seemed to be there, and every game was available on at least one TV: five above the bar, four more behind, a number overhead and a room with a projection TV that was reserved for the Niners-Vikings game. Indeed, this had to be Nirvana to any pro football fan. Every table was packed, and I noticed the menu said there was a $10 minimum purchase for a game or $15 for the entire day. Considering they undoubtedly pay thousands each season for the NFL Sunday Ticket, it seemed fair.
I got there early enough to pick off the breakfast menu and selected the chicken fried steak and eggs ($8.25) rather than one of the five omelets. My companion, in more of a lunch mood, waited a few minutes until 11 a.m. to order the chicken fettuccine ($11.99). The food was OK, though it was nearly impossible to focus much on it given the sheer number of games simultaneously visible on the screens and the random cheering going around the room, inspired by the events in each game. Most of the fans were watching the exciting Niner-Viking game, which Brett Favre won with a pass with two seconds left. He was the team's savior that afternoon, no doubt.
The chicken fried steak was huge, crisp, not greasy and dwarfed the platter in true Crystal Palace style. I was irked that rye toast was not available, but the great breakfast potatoes (crispy with onion and red and green peppers) soothed my mood. That, and a few Packer touchdowns in their game against the Rams. My companion's pasta was a rich feast, with one of those sauces that you know can elevate cholesterol levels faster than Adrian Peterson moves through the open field. The grilled chicken strips mixed in were joined by fresh mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. The side salad had a nice mix of greens, including cucumbers, carrot shavings and more cherry tomatoes, but my companion didn't care for the unusually sour taste of the Caesar dressing.
Service was professional from a crew wearing referee uniforms. They seemed to have good teamwork, shuttling between the back and the tables and keeping every customer satisfied. Unless their team was having a rough day, and then nothing short of divine intervention from Roger Goodell would suffice.
