By Fritz Hahn
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, March 21, 2008
T he buzz: Former Washington Redskins hero LaVar Arrington has returned to Prince George's County, but he has traded FedEx Field for a giant sports bar and restaurant (with a burgundy and gold color scheme, of course) called the Sideline. The sports bar -- and so much more -- is the perfect destination for watching March Madness.
The space: The building is loaded with TVs, including eight large flat-screens around the bar and an enormous scoreboard-style monitor mounted high in one corner, almost reaching the 30-foot ceiling. Running along another wall, an extended ticker shows the latest scores and headlines from various leagues and tournaments.
The focal point of the lounge is a giant hollow football, which looms like a cathedral dome over most of the bar area. The TVs are well-spaced for watching games.
Some of the NFL's greatest running backs, including Tony Dorsett, Franco Harris and Eric Dickerson, are honored with a display of autographed jerseys. Photographs, manipulated to look like paintings, are overhead. They include one of Arrington playing for Penn State, where he was a standout linebacker. The art includes other sports as well, such as Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston and a Capitals goalie blocking a shot.
But classifying the Sideline as just a sports bar is misleading.
The lounge and bar cover only a fraction of the building's 7,500 square feet. Most of the floor is given over to rows of red booths, which can hold as many as six people, and dining tables. Even in the wee hours of the weekends, there are as many groups occupying booths as there are huddled around the bar.
VIPs relax in a row of high-backed booths, set off from the dining room by velvet ropes and separated from one another by gauzy gold curtains. Naturally, the section is raised so that everyone can see who's sitting there. (All of this can be yours for a minimum of $1,000 on weekends -- plus a 20 percent gratuity.)
A cheaper -- and more entertaining -- velvet-rope option is to reserve a table with a built-in Xbox screen, which only costs $30 an hour, not including food and drinks.
The VVIPs, meanwhile, can be found on a private mezzanine balcony that overlooks all of the action.
The scene: Arrington bills the Sideline as the county's "first upscale sports bar." After work, it's full of well-dressed professionals who pack the tables and bar to take advantage of cut-price drinks amid the networking and socializing. Most folks in the lively crowd seem to pay little attention to the televisions.
The mood is mellow, thanks to a steady stream of smooth, soulful R&B that plays nonstop on XM radio. The only time the energy rises is on weekends: DJ Trini of WKYS (93.9 FM) spins hip-hop on Game Day Fridays, along with local jazz artist Joe Byrd. DJ Infinite takes a similar route on Seductive Saturdays. (Arrington is often there for the parties.) There's no dance floor, though, so it's business as usual: Patrons hang out at the bar or lounge in their booths, and some near the bar dance when the spirit moves.
The downside of the Sideline's popularity is that it gets crowded. Patrons are two or three deep near the bar stools at happy hour, and since crowds don't dissipate quickly, there's nowhere else to go -- unless you want a table.
On weekends, security guards in black uniforms will politely but firmly tell you not to stand (or dance) anywhere that could be considered a walkway, which adds to congestion around the bar.
In your glass: The half-dozen draft beers don't get more interesting than Yuengling or Guinness, and the bottles of choice are Corona and Miller Lite. A request for a Grey Goose and tonic brings several fingers of vodka with the gentlest touch of mixer, so you'll feel like you're getting your money's worth. Apple martinis, Cosmos and other fruity concoctions are popular, bartenders say. Bottles of champagne are on display behind the bar, in case you're browsing for cognac but are inspired to order Dom Perignon or Veuve Clicquot instead (hint, hint).
On your plate: Burgers, wings, salads and sandwiches are the cornerstones of the menu. The crab cake sandwich is good, with plenty of crabmeat and seasoning. Too bad the fries with it were dry and lifeless. It's hard to pick from many options of hot wings, but Cajun and Jamaican are good choices. On Friday and Saturday, dinner is served until 11 and appetizers until midnight or so.
Need to know: This is the first sports bar I've been to where I was swept by a hand-held metal detector, asked to open my coat (even after being wanded) and had to let the doorman look through my work bag before I could enter. (This airport-style search was at 7:45 on a Thursday evening.)
What to wear: The dress code is as serious as the security: After 8, jerseys, tennis shoes, caps, Timberlands and work boots are prohibited. A sports bar banning athletic wear is unusual, particularly one within walking distance of the stadium, but that shouldn't stop the Sideline from being a destination for Redskins fans during the season. Whether they'll want to shed the jerseys for a drink after the game is another matter.
Price points: Expect to pay about $5 for a beer and about $8 to $10 for a cocktail. Appetizers and sandwiches are in the $6 to $10 range. Entry charges on the weekend vary for men, though women are generally admitted free.
The Sideline 880 Capital Centre Blvd., Largo Contact:301-336-0056. Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. The Sideline 880 Capital Centre Blvd., Largo Contact:301-336-0056. Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m.
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