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Fanatics Bar & Grill
Find it: 615 Third St. (inside AllPlay)
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Happy hour: 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday with $2 domestic drafts and bottles, $5 domestic pitchers.
Info: 333-5050, allplaydm.com.
The look: What was once the Stadium in InPlay is now Fanatics in AllPlay. The décor is barely changed;15 TVs still are tuned to half a dozen games, and the experience remains much the same. But don’t consider Fanatics merely a copy of the Stadium – subtle changes tip you off that this place offers a measurably different experience.
"We’ve tried to distance ourselves from the Stadium while keeping the family-friendly vibe," said Fanatics’ food and beverage manager, Don Cook. "We still have a traditional menu, for example, but we’ve added something to everything."
The crowd: Sports fans share the space with families taking a break from the arcade fun.
The two drinks: I started with the $8 Blueberry Dreamsicle, a creamy cocktail built from Pearl Blueberry Vodka, cranberry juice, and Half & Half, served in a martini glass with a graham cracker crust. The drink, devised by Cook himself, is the bar’s most popular, and I can see why: It’s delicious and smooth.
As great as the Dreamsicle is, it’s not the bar’s best drink. Fanatics prominently displays jars filled with infused vodkas. The bar features drinks with its homegrown honeydew-citrus, strawberry-vanilla, and chipotle vodkas. All three are extremely tasty. I went with the $5.25 Chipotle Bloody Mary, which uses the chipotle vodka and Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix. The drink provided plenty of heat without overpowering, and the smoky chipotle flavor added a lot of complexity to a simple recipe. Like a lot of things at Fanatics, this drink is a cut above its competitors thanks to subtle recipe changes.
The grub: We put Cook’s menu boast to the test. Fanatics serves a lot of sports bar staples, but you’ll notice high-end embellishments throughout. The hoagie is made with spicy Graziano sausage. The Hot-n-Dirty Cheeseburger features thick-cut bacon, charred jalapenos, and pepper jack cheese. We decided to try the reuben pizza, which runs $10.99 for a 12-inch and $12.99 for a 14-inch.
The Reuben Pizza features corned beef, sauerkraut, pickles and plenty of cheese. It captures everything great about the classic Reuben except feeling like you’ve dipped your hand in oil. It’s a fun take on an old classic, and it’s just part of Fanatics’ charm. Of course, if you’re really interested in demonstrating your love of classic bar food, try out the Fatty Challenge: three pounds of beef, cheese balls, hot wings, pork tenderloin, and other ingredients slapped onto sourdough and served with fries. If you can make it through this $19.99 behemoth in under 30 minutes, you get your photo on the Wall of Fame, a loaded game card for AllPlay, and the love and admiration of your peers.
The verdict: Fanatics goes the extra mile. If you’re looking for a place to catch the game, Fanatics is a great place to do it, and the inventive food and drink recipes at good prices will keep you coming back.
