Review: Rootie's

Here was the plan. My wife and I would meet at a sports bar after work and watch the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and, by virtue, earn a third straight berth to the NCAA Tournament.

We'd drink beers, eat Buffalo wings and watch hoops — a perfect evening in March.

So, of course, Western lost in the semifinals, leaving us with a compelling finals matchup between the Troy Trojans and the North Texas something-or-anothers. Even Troy and North Texas fans were unenthusiastic, considering the glut of empty seats in the stands.

At least we had beers and Buffalo wings. Until I stumbled on Rootie's Sports Bar & Grill, I figured I had eaten wings and drunk beer at every sports bar in Metro Louisville. Rootie's is outside the Snyder Freeway near the Summit — in other words, a bit out of my social orbit.

But I discovered that Rootie's offers much of the aesthetics of a Buffalo Wild Wings while being locally owned and a bit less crowded. Also, the wings are stupendous.

We arrived at the tail end of Happy Hour — $1.85 bottles of Budweiser brand beers. I rarely drink Bud, but cheap is cheap. On tap, Rootie's offers Guinness, Land Shark, AmberBock — nothing fancy and certainly not enough to attract beer snobs, but not bad for a sports bar.

We found a table situated near one of the bar's myriad televisions. Rootie's is sprawling, with a pitched ceiling making it seem even bigger. There's plenty of room for game day, and plenty of stools at the long bar. Rootie's even has a small lounge area, with couches set before a projection TV.

The Rootie's Web site touts the barbecue sauce used on the chicken wings, so we were compelled to order a serving. The wings were good — not slathered in sauce, but lightly coated to add just enough tangy flavor. Sixteen wings cost $10.99, but partisans of messier wings can get the “x-wet” style for $11.79.

To make sure we were well-fed, we added an order of loaded fries ($4.99) that was a heaping pile of tasty artery-cloggers — chili, nacho cheese, peppers and bacon. It was awfully tasty, if heartburn-inducing.

Rootie's is a fine sports bar. The food is good, the beer selection is fine, and the tone of staff, building and clientele is apt for watching the big game. I'm auditioning new sports bars for March Madness viewing, and Rootie's has elbowed its way to a No.1 seed.