With fall sports season upon us, it’s definitely time to check back in at your favorite local tavern, find your seat to watch the game, and indulge in your favorite bar foods.
Or maybe it’s time to find a new favorite sports bar? I know, it’s a crazy idea. The tried and true is so comfy and familiar, everybody knows your name, and you can’t do without those perfect chicken wings. But there are many top-notch venues scattered across this Valley, and one of the newest sports bars has been building a tasty reputation for being more than just a sports bar.
“Most people walk away shocked,” says Tigran Nalbandyan, a partner at General Admission at UnCommons. “It’s definitely not the typical bar food. It’s an elevated menu with elevated atmosphere.”
General Admission opened quietly in January and had a grand opening in time for March Madness, and Nalbandyan says it’s been growing a solid team of loyal regulars ever since. With the arrival of football and hockey season, the immediate future looks bright for the 6,500-square-foot, indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar with 37 large screens for viewing.
There will be specials and promotions during games; in the spring, customers wearing a VGK jersey earned a free appetizer and beer. But General Admission is trying to offer something for everybody, better food than you’d find at the typical sports bar, and an overall distinctive experience. “The atmosphere and vibe is where we stand out,” Nalbandyan says. “It’s if you’re looking for something more intimate with really good food and a place where you’re going to see the owners around, and you’re going to have a say with what draft beers we put up next. We let the local customer base decide on what they want to see next.”
So far, they want to see, and eat, the tuna tostada crudo ($15), the star of the sushi menu, with ahi tuna, citrus poke sauce and truffle aioli. (There are also sushi rolls named after Godzilla and King Kong, for those with titan-sized appetites.) The Double-Double Smashburger ($18) is another top seller, two Black Angus beef patties on brioche with caramelized onions, American cheese, dill pickles and special sauce.
Wings and tenders (both $14) are on the menu, but they’re not frozen, and in fact the kitchen took extra care developing these seemingly simple sports bites. Other appetizers ($12) piquing interest include: Wagyu gyoza; Tokyo Tots ($12), crispy potato nuggets topped with different Japanese sauces plus nori and togarashi; and house-breaded mozzarella sticks.
Wanna guess what else GA does? Breakfast every day, served until 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, including steak and eggs ($18), chilaquiles ($12) and chicken and waffles ($14) with honey butter and Vermont maple syrup. And still to come: trivia night on Wednesday, ladies’ night, nightlife-y programming with DJs and more. “We’re very excited for football season, but there’s a lot of other stuff still in play,” Nalbandyan says.
GENERAL ADMISSION 8548 Rozita Lee Ave. #105, 725-780-1098, generaladmissionlv.com. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight.
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