Draft Picks Sports Bar and Grill, which opened in late September, sits less than a half-mile south of the American Airlines Center, right where Victory Avenue ends. Naturally, as with all sports bars, they have a few TVs, although how many is purely arbitrary. Ten or 20 used to be sufficient. Now a place could have 99 and it wouldn't matter. There just better be at least three in every sight-line at any moment. Our senses have acclimated to the entertainment. It's expected.
Draft Picks? They said screw it and put in movie theater screen. The entire restaurant works around a 19-foot high-definition screen with stadium seating (although it sits slightly below ground so it doesn't swallow the place). Tables for the restaurant are set up around the big screen "pit." Further back is the bar, which can open up garage-style when the weather is nice. In addition to all that, there are cozy "lounging areas" along another wall.
The crowd here varies nightly depending on what event they're showing on the screen (UFC is big) or what is going on down at the AAC.
For food, they've brought in two chefs to run the kitchen, Freddy Barragan and Billy Joe Gardner. The menu is part bar food with nachos, wings, burgers, and hot dogs; as well as part comfort food, which includes chicken noodle soup, chicken potpie (see below) and Frito chili pie. But the dinner menu is more creative with items like grilled vegetable and goat cheese over sourdough bread, beef and stout pie, and chicken and waffles.
Check their Facebook page for daily specials and events.
More photos, you say? Feast your eyes:
