Hoffman's Jerseys: The future of the sports bar
The whole concept is starting to get dull and repetitive. Way too many new sports bars tend to throw as much sports memorabilia and televisions at the walls and hope they stick. There are many older sports bars that went with that concept, and that's fine, but now is a time for a new class of sports bars. It's time for you to meet Jerseys.
Motif: The interior of Jerseys is quite modern. It resembles a vision of a sports bar for a new century. Gone are the tacky sports photos on the wall; in their place is a bare, calming, red-lit wall. Directly on the opposite side of the room there is a large window that overlooks the pond outside.
Fear not, sports bar lovers, the bar is still coated with a surplus of flat-screen televisions and two six-foot projector screens that hang above the bar that is located in the center of the room. So, yes, this place is definitely "nicer" than the sports bar that you are accustomed to, but all the necessities are still here. And I say necessities, because not every bar needs framed photos of Dick Butkus, '92 Chicago Bulls and Chris Chelios. They just don't.
Taking a step back, the main room is a large mirror image of itself. In the middle sits the silver, oval-shaped bar, to the sides of the bar there are tables and chairs and then up a step there are circle-booths for patrons to sit at. Behind all of this is a room, which can be enclosed, with more tables and chairs for people who want to get away from the main bar area.
I also noticed what appeared to be a small porch connected to the back room that has a great view of the pond, but no one is going to be out there for some time.
Crowd: During my visit, I would say three demographics abound at Jerseys. On one end of the spectrum, you had a family enjoying some food together, the other end consisted of guys commenting on the football game on the screen and right in the middle you have people who have just gathered to enjoy a drink and one another's company. Take that for what you will.
Service: No complaints here. the bartender was very attentive and responsive.
Food: Jerseys takes pride in its menu, and you can see why. Where other sports bars tend to offer the usual, uninspired menu choices, Jerseys offers a delicious menu with a large variety of choices. For starters, Jerseys has wings with your choice of eight sauces, fried mushrooms, fried zucchini and artichoke dip, salads, soups and other choices.
On the main entrée front, Jerseys' menu has steak, barbecue chicken, pizza varieties, chicken sandwiches, burger varieties, shrimp, ribs and pasta. Also, be on the lookout for food specials such as 45 cent wings on Monday, $5 9-inch one-topping pizzas on Wednesday, $5 half-pound burger with chips and a $14.99 all-you-can-eat fish fry from 4 to 10 p.m. on Friday.
Liquid consumption: Jerseys' tap selection covers all the necessary bases. Look for Miller Lite, Fat Tire, Sam Adams, Goose Island 312 and Magic Hat No. 9. As far as bottles go, you can find Corona, Bud Light, Goose Island Matilda and, surprisingly, Hoffbrau, among others.
And you better believe there are specials throughout the week; check out $5 Long Islands on Tuesday, $3 premium you-call-its on Wednesday, $11 Coors and Coors Light buckets on Saturday and $4 Miller Lite and MGD pitchers on Sunday, which is just an insane deal.
Sounds: During my visit, the only sounds I heard were the football game on the large projection screens above the bar and conversations of people around me.
Parking: Jerseys has its own lot, which, while big, might have trouble facilitating every patron. It appears that people sometimes have no other choice but to park on the road next to the lot at times.
Overall: Jerseys keeps it simple, all the while remaining a very sharp-looking sports bar. You can tell that they put a lot of effort in the place, from its appearance to the food. The way we have viewed sports has significantly changed over the years, (HD, crazy new camera angles and even 3-D). Isn't about time you upgraded your sports bar?
Jerseys Pizza and Grill
Facts: 2360 Lakewood Blvd., Hoffman Estates; (847) 765-0085; jerseyspizzaandgrill.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday