All American Steakhouse

I've spent time at the ESPN Zone, which has, oh, 150 high-definition TVs, including a gi-normous 16-foot display. I've watched games at bars with dozens of televisions posted at every angle, so I didn't miss a single minute of a game. But I can't remember the last time I was as awed by a sports bar as I was by the Original Steakhouse and Sports Theatre a few weekends ago.

Sit at the long U-shaped counter and you're surrounded by 10 6-by-8-foot projection screens, all showing basketball or racing as large as life -- or larger. When they're all showing different games, it's a dizzying experience, but a lot of fun. It's hard not to be distracted, keeping your eyes from jumping from screen to screen. This is perfect for short-attention-span NCAA basketball viewing but bad for polite company. When the action is so in-your-face, you're going to lose track of conversation, unless it's yelling, "Did you see that?" while pointing at the closest movie-size broadcast.

Even the beers are outsized, but it's hard to say "no" to a large 22-ounce mug of Dominion Ale, especially when it's only $5.50. Bargain hunters will do well at happy hour, where the monster drafts are $2 from 4 to 7 on weeknights. There are nightly specials, too, including $1 bottles of Budweiser or $2 shots.

The high-ceilinged room isn't meant for large groups, especially if you're eating. (As you'd expect from the name, the restaurant specializes in cuts of carved bovine, though even the wings are available bone-in or bone-out.) There are TVs in the booth-filled dining room, though not as many and certainly not as large. There are even televisions in the foyer, so you can watch games while waiting for a table.

-- Fritz Hahn (March 16, 2007)