Sports fans still looking for watering hole in town

Sports fans still looking for watering hole in town

The biggest sporting event of the year took place five days ago
and UCLA students, of age, of course, had nowhere to watch it.

OK, sure, you had your buddy’s party with that keg, or that
barbeque across town, but that was too far. You wanted to be
social, for sure, and you didn’t want to stay at home for the Big
Show. Yes, you might be master of your domain at home, but if
everyone took that attitude, there’d be no high fives and cheering
sections.

Where else to watch it? Well, the local sports bar, man.

But wait ­ there’s a problem. This side of town can’t meet
the demand. Westwood Village has a dearth of sports bars. In fact,
it doesn’t really have any. This is problem No. 1. Want proof? Just
ask around:

Dan Snook, manager of UCLA’s most famous bar, Stratton’s, cuts
to the chase, with a pitch, of course. "We’re not really a sports
bar. We’re just a great bar." Um, OK, Dan. Simple as that.

Jeff Hamen, general manager of Acapulco’s Restaurant and Cantina
is just as terse: "I wouldn’t describe Acapulco’s as a sports
bar."

Grant Laske of Hamburger Hamlet is an even worse predicament for
the sports-minded. "No, we’re definitely not a sports bar," he
says. "We have one TV, but it’s more of a token thing ­ we
don’t even have cable."

No cable? That means most Clipper games aren’t even possible
(which is I guess why Hamburger Hamlet is still in business).

You can’t even count on Westwood’s pizza joints to scratch that
big-game itch with the handle of a frosty mug or a remote
control.

"We had about a 30 percent increase in take-out orders on
Sunday," Abdi Azin, manager of Pizza Hut said. But what about
walk-in business? Any gamers at the table cheering on the Niners or
crying in their Charger beers?

"No, we had a TV, but it broke after last year’s earthquake."
Ugh.

Only Westwood’s most-equipped bar for sports-viewing potential,
Maloney’s On Campus, wants the title of Sports Bar.

"Yes, we could be called that," manager Mario Gonzalez said. At
least, that’s what I think he said ­ the music was playing too
loudly for me to be sure.

But Gonzalez seems to have a pulse on what a good portion of the
population is looking for, a place to watch the big game, be it
UCLA-USC or Oregon-OSU.

"Everybody’s looking for that," I think he said. "People are
calling to see if we have all the games on." They have some.

Even with one bar willing to bear the flag for the Village, we
run into other issues, and thus, problem No. 2: ambiance.

There are 27 businesses that sell at least beer and/or wine in
Westwood (not counting liquor/grocery stores). Want a Sapporo? Drop
into Sushi Inshin. Sam Adams with your cheesecake? The Gypsy Cafe
is your best bet. Higher class? Distephano’s. Poor? Schlotzky’s
will ease the walletary burden.

But, not all will have just the right atmosphere you want.
Hamlet Gardens is a nice place with a posh set-up, but one
television set, and not a big one at that, detracts from a true
fan’s ability to enjoy the game. Poncho’s, on the other hand, has a
huge television on the wall, a nice bar to complement it even, but
you run into a problem there ­ if it’s not Cinco de Mayo, you
might be the only one in the bar. It’s unfortunate because the
place has pool tables, friendly workers and remains the only place
in Westwood with live music. Maybe a Mexican restaurant isn’t the
best place to watch football, but it should be to watch futbol.

Other than that, you run into problems. Crane your neck in a
super-lighted Shakey’s to catch the game or strain your eyes to
watch anything in Shakespeare’s or Old World. Wear a tie to watch
the game at Cafe Cafe, but if you want to see it at Mario’s, Cowboy
Sushi or Numero Uno, bring your own TV ­ none are provided
with the ale.

After that, issues of ambiance are ruled by seating. Stand at
Maloney’s or fight for position at Stratton’s.

The biggest problem facing bar-going game-seekers, though, is a
simple one. The keg your buddy bought will satisfy you for $3, and
you can’t afford much more because you just dropped $50 on the
Chargers to win, and that paycheck is still 10 days away.

A draught at Stratton’s will run you $2.50, and it ain’t a
12-ouncer. Maloney’s has big TVs, big mugs, a small seating area
and big prices: $6 for a pull of Guiness off the tap. And looking
for a deal? Even what have come to be known as pint glasses aren’t
really pints ­ they hold 16 ounces like San Diego held tough
early.

And finances are ultimately what will dictate your choice of a
sports bar to watch the game. Monty’s, for example, has a hot view,
cool band and quality atmosphere. Problem: They wanted a $15 cover
charge to watch a game that was over in less than two minutes.
Keeping out the riff-raff and keeping in the cough, cough, mob,
cough, cough, is critical for 21st-floor establishments.

So there you have it. Sports fans longing for the social
atmosphere of a bar and the cool refreshment of a frosty mug are
out of luck in these parts.

Attention, entrepreneurs: Live music, cheap beer, comfortable
seats and big screen TVs are missing from our landscape. And until
they arrive, the sports bar will remain a figment of our
imagination.