Villa Park bar beckons with beer, burgers, off-track betting

Since opening in September, Crazy Pour in Villa Park has become a gathering spot. With banquet facilities hosting up to 160, you might find a party in one room while sports fans cheer loudly at the bar and horse race lovers place their bets at the adjoining OTB.

Motif: The large space offers a game area with a pair of pool tables and dart boards, which they plan to use for leagues, plus a Golden Tee game, a digital jukebox and four projector screens showing sports with the sound on. With 160 TVs, the bar shows all UFC and boxing matches, sports games and horse racing. There's a mix of plush booths and tables of varying heights. Walls are lined with beer signs and black-and-white sports photos. Team pennants hang from the ceiling along with chandeliers set with exposed bulbs. A wine cellar also shows off Crazy Pour's extensive spirits collection.

The space has a video gaming room with a fireplace on one side and an OTB area with its own bar and a huge number of TVs on the other. The tent and heaters on the patio have made it a haven for smokers during the winter, and Crazy Pour plans on offering a bloody mary bar outside when the weather warms up.

Food: Burgers are the specialty here, with the Saratoga being especially popular. Order it medium-rare on a pretzel bun with the juicy meat flavored by pepper jack cheese and fresh, spicy jalapeño slices. You can get your burger with a side of crinkle-cut sweet potato fries, which are served with a tasty spicy sauce. The pizza is also a great choice, whether you're sharing or just getting a baby pie for yourself. The crust is crispy, and the kitchen is generous with the toppings, especially the big slices of garlic. Skip the mac and cheese bites appetizer, though. They don't have enough filling, making them mostly greasy bread.

Liquid consumption: You'll find 50 craft beers on draft, most of which can also be ordered in a taster portion so you can try something new without risking much money. The selection changes often so be sure to ask for what's new. Big groups like to take advantage of the 100-ounce beer towers. If you're looking for something harder, the bar also serves 75 whiskeys.

Crowd: Crazy Pour is an official Blackhawks bar and their hockey crowd has been steadily growing. You'll find a younger crowd at the bar while older drinkers and some families take over the game area.

Music: DJs spin Fridays and Saturdays after sports games, doing video mixing on the projector screens.

Service: While our server was friendly, we wound up having to wait 40 minutes for our entrees, despite the light crowd. The delay turned out to be a mix-up with our order, but we weren't told about the holdup until we got restless and asked.

Parking: The bar offers a free lot, though you may have to work to find a space.

Overall: Crazy Pour offers a little something for everyone, whether you want to watch the game, play a game or just try a new beer with a burger.

Crazy Pour

105 E. North Ave., Villa Park, (630) 758-0099, <a href="http://crazypour.com">crazypour.com</a>

<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday