Sunday, September 7th, 2008

Club & Bar Review

Yankee Doodle’s isn’t so dandy.

Trying too hard to incorporate all genres of entertainment into one building, this restaurant/sports bar/pool hall comes up short in each of these arenas. Lacking clear direction and purpose and trying to make up for it with foosball and buffalo wings, Yankee Doodle’s is at best a bar with too many TVs and too little excitement.

A two-story building with worn out pool tables, big screen televisions, and a minimal arcade is all Yankee Doodle’s has to offer. This huge establishment would be better put to use as a dance hall or lounge due to its vast interior.

You can can play pool by the hour for a minimal fee. Many people like playing pool on the top level, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find an open table there.

The restaurant has an outside patio and too many tables crowded in the inside. The overall cramped condition of the restaurant prevents any intimate conversation – not that you should try to have one when you’ve got fifty televisions blaring in the background. Prepare yourself to limit your vocabulary to “huh” and “what” while you’re there.

Yankee Doodle’s is not the place to wine and dine a date. The bar is better for a night out with the guys or the random pool shark next door. With a menu of lackluster appetizers and standard sandwich selections, the food is what you would expect from your typical sports bar.

Sundays and Mondays attract die-hard sports fans who come and watch professional football for hours on end. For those interested in finding a new spot to watch the game, Yankee Doodle’s is perfect for you. Take a group of friends and get rowdy, and you’ll fit in just fine.

The drinks are stiff and at moderate prices, so fill up on booze if that suits your fancy. The background music consists of everything from Missy Elliot to Nirvana and is a nice change of pace from the voice of John Madden.

The makeup of the people at Yankee Doodle’s is as diverse as the establishment. Not only do Ma and Pop come, adorned in full Raiders garb, but trendy twenty-somethings also come strolling in from a day of shopping at Third Street.

While you won’t have to worry about parking, I wouldn’t suggest coming to the Promenade just for Yankee Doodle’s. But if you happen to be in the area and would rather die than miss a sports game, Yankee Doodle’s is right up your alley. You can grab a quesadilla, a 34-ounce mug of beer, and park yourself for the night among other sports fans.