We visited Mavericks Sports Pub on a recent Tuesday evening and were pleasantly surprised to see the West Des Moines restaurant and bar two-thirds full.
Mavericks opened Nov. 6 in the former location of Maddie’s Again across the street from Jordan Creek mall.
The sizable bar is bathed in dark wood and warm-colored paint and filled with more than 20 televisions, high-top tables, booths and, of course, a bar.
Behind the bar are 50 craft, domestic and imported beers and 80 types of wine offered by the bottle. Twenty are offered by the glass.
We took a seat at a high-top table in the center of the room.
We asked for a beer menu, but our waiter did us one better: We described the type of beer we would typically drink and he made suggestions. Since bottled craft brews were $4 each that night, he suggested a Sam Adams for my typical lager and a Summit Saga for my friend’s typical IPA.
Though neither was a new selection for us, it was nice to have a server in tune with the bar’s offerings and knowledgeable enough to provide suggestions.
We also ordered food; the menu offers a large selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pastas and steaks.
We shared appetizers: waffle fry nachos ($10.99) and bruschetta ($7.99). Seasoned waffle fries arrived heaped on a platter with cheddar cheese sauce, shredded cheese, jalapenos, tomatoes, olives, salsa and sour cream; the green onions called for on the menu were absent, though we didn’t particularly care. We also opted to add diced chicken, though steak is also offered.
We quickly finished off the platter. The fries were so tasty we were tempted to order a second batch, but more out of desire rather than hunger.
The bruschetta was standard but respectable, and worth trying.
Seventy-five percent of the bar’s televisions were turned to the Hawkeye basketball game and the play-by-play was piped through the house speakers.
With the amount of real estate devoted to large flat-screen televisions always tuned to sports channels, Mavericks clearly takes its sports focus seriously. That said, the bar sets itself apart from others by offering such a large selection of wine and craft beer, ultimately catering to a crowd that’s disposed to stepping above domestic beer.
Though several bars have cycled through this particular West Des Moines strip mall space, Mavericks appears to be poised for success given its affiliations with bars heralding a similar business model. Its owners also operate Tonic in West Des Moines; Saints Pub + Patio locations in West Des Moines and Beaverdale; three Saints Pubs in Kansas and an upcoming location in Omaha; and the Beaverdale Tap.
Mavericks Sports Pub
Find it: 165 S. Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday
Info: 226-8407
