Huddle up for food and brew

Stacee Sledge

Dec 27, 2001 Searching for a place to catch the big game on New Year's Day? There's a sports bar to fit nearly every taste in Bellingham. Whether you like the loud, smoky atmosphere of a traditional sports bar or a smoke-free, slightly more upscale atmosphere, somewhere there is a barstool with your name on it.

I found myself out of practice in my search. Back in my college days at the University of Iowa, I was a regular at Joe's Place, where the walls were lined with Hawkeye paraphernalia and the bartender was my roommate Rob. I spent countless hours there, enjoying the beer and the company, watching the Chicago Bulls tear through the NBA.

These days, I'm more likely to watch a Mariners game from the comfort of my own home or in person at Safeco. So, I asked around a bit for recommendations. Though the following list is far from exhaustive, it should set you on the right path for televised sports and foamy brew.

Stanello's

A smoke-free alternative, Stanello's offers several appetizers ranging from deep-fried mozzarella to cheesebread. With the smallest square footage of all the sports bars I visited, the dimly lit room held just as many televisions as the largest place. You'll spy one of the dozen TV screens no matter which way you turn your head in this comfortable bar.

Sports Bar Roundup

Stanello's
1514 12th St.

Phone: 676-1304

Menu items sampled:
Cheesebread: $2.99

Tapenade platter: $8.95
Boundary Bay Reefnetter Pale Ale: $3.00
Miller Genuine Draft: $2.00

 

The Quarterback Pub & Eatery
356 36th St.

Phone: 647-8132

Menu items sampled:
Chicken strips and fries: $6.95
Mac & Jack: $3.75

 

Slo-Pictch Pub & Casino
1145 East Sunset Drive

Phone: 733-2255

Menu items sampled:
Grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup: $4.99
Alaskan Amber: $3

 

Meridian Grill
4156 Meridian St.

Phone: 647-7066

Menu items sampled:
Cheeseburger: $6.75
New Yorker pizza: $7.95- $11.95
Guinness stout: $3.75

Joined by a few friends, we sampled a couple of the appealing appetizers. The cheesebread was gargantuan, spilling over the edges of the plate it was served on. The accompanying marinara was chunky and exceptionally flavorful no wonder, considering Stanello's dining room is a popular Italian restaurant.

The sizable tapenade platter offered a thick, salty paste of ripe olives, olive oil and seasonings. It was served with chewy pita triangles, grilled zucchini, and fresh tomatoes.

If you're hankering for more than finger foods, Stanello's offers full dinners in the bar, including spaghetti, lasagna and fettuccine alfredo.

Meridian Grill

Formerly Sandro's, the rejuvenated Meridian Grill is proof positive that "charming" and "sports bar" can appear in the same sentence. Located on Meridian in front of the Holiday Inn, the décor features dark wood, vintage Guinness posters and banquettes covered in a retro Route 66 fabric. Comfortable, low wooden chairs surround small tables, each with a clear view of the myriad of televisions high on the walls around the lower level.

The second floor offers more seating, even more TV screens, a second bar, pool tables and darts.

I spent a recent Sunday afternoon at Meridian Grill, watching football with two dozen other patrons. The crowd was friendly and enthusiastic about the game. I was the only woman in the bar at the time, but felt welcomed and included.

An enormous charbroiled cheeseburger arrived on a soft sesame seed bun, cooked to a slightly pink perfection and piled high with tomatoes, pickles, onion, and lettuce. The accompanying fries were crisp and hot, and service was offered with a smile.

The Meridian Grill offers an array of sandwiches, soups and salads, appetizers, and steak dinners. It also offers a Sunday-morning NFL brunch, beginning at 10 a.m.

The Quarterback Pub & Eatery

Another night, another pub-crawl. We kicked off the evening at the Quarterback, located in Sehome Village. The space is massive, but on the Monday night of our visit, the majority of tables sat empty. Service proved prompt and friendly, and the handful of people in attendance were having a ball playing "Quarterback Bingo."

I counted three big-screen TVs, and half a dozen smaller ones placed strategically around the mammoth space. No matter which seat you chose from the more than two dozen available, you'd be able to catch the crucial play. The Quarterback also offers pool tables, video games, a basketball shooting game and darts.

My friends and I split a basket of chicken strips, served over a mound of french fries. Heavily battered and fried to a dark crispness, the chicken strips made the grade as par-for-the-course sports bar fare. The french fries were thin and crispy, but arrived at our table a tad on the cool side.

Slo-Pitch Pub & Casino

After watching the first half of the game at the Quarterback, my cohorts and I piled into the car and headed north to the Slo-Pitch Pub & Casino in Sunset Square. Although half the size of the Quarterback, this sports bar proved much more popular on this particular night. The smoke hung heavy as nearly every table was full.

The menu is varied, full of the expected sports bar eats. My friends split a grilled cheese sandwich, its cheddar cheese stretching in tantalizing fashion as they pulled it apart and dug in.

The veggie plate (I know, I know: Who orders a veggie plate in a sports bar? Forgive us, but we were looking for something light after the chicken strips at our first stop). ) was stacked high with cauliflower, carrots, cherry tomatoes and celery. Unfortunately, all items seemed to have been pulled from the deep recesses of the fridge, so I can't recommend it. But maybe that's what we get for ordering a sports bar veggie platter in the first place. My sources tell me that the meal to order at the Slo-Pitch is breakfast.

The Slo-Pitch offers all the run-of-the-mill sports bar snacks you would expect, and then some. Seafood and steak dinners are available, as well as an assortment of salads, chili and a soup of the day.

The Slo-Pitch is open 24 hours a day, save Christmas, and operates a casino year-round.

Whether you're searching for happy hour specials for an after-work gathering or a place to watch the game next Tuesday, one of these saloons should fit the bill.

The Fine Print: I dine on my own dime. The opinions herein are mine alone, not the Bellingham Herald's. Agree? Disagree? Please drop me a line at StaceeSledge@hotmail.com.

 

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