Sports bars. I've been to good ones and bad ones. Champions located in the Marriott City Center is right in the middle. Nothing to write home about but it has all the basics.
Want to catch a game? There are plenty of TV's around. The weird thing is that every screen was tuned to the same game when we walked in. We asked the bartender to put the Olympics up on a couple of them and she complied right away. So the trick to get what you want- lies in the hands of the bartender. (isn't that always the case?)
Looking for food? This place has tons of choices. Granted, none of them are gourmet, but for bar food, it was okay. And the portion sizes? Huge! Ordered some cheese fries and the plate of waffle fries was piled high and smothered in cheese, scallions, tomatoes and ground beef. Almost like a nachos plate.
Want a beer? Rather than tell you what kind she has the bartender will point to a display across the room that you can pick your favorite from. It was my least favorite move of the night, as the service up to that point was pretty good. Had it been me ordering that- I might have pushed back. As for my friend? He just glanced and ordered.
And finally- the ambiance. Dark. Dark wood and dark lighting. This is a guy's place and if you are walking by the outside looking in- you may think the place is empty, but take a peek inside. My guess is there will be quite a crowd as was evidenced all the times we popped in.
A sports bar is never going to be my first choice of where to grab a beer. But if it's sports you are looking for- check this place out. Just make sure the bartender knows what it is YOU want to watch. It's more fun that way!