Here’s a secret tip for those of you hoping to open a sports bar in the near future: choose a theme and stick to it. Not too long after Rivals Sports Bar opened its doors at 3100 N. Alafaya Trail by UCF - and customers said “What’s up with the palm trees? And the random sports stuff? And the awkwardly placed stage? Where the hell am I?” - the doors were shut and Flanagan’s Sports Pub (of Altamonte) took over the spot. I’m not saying the décor is why they closed, but man it’s nice to have some cohesion. Red Sox! Shamrocks! Guinness! That’s more like it.
Décor: The basic layout from the old Rivals hasn’t changed much. You still drive in on that annoying Dot Com road (I always turn into the wrong lane, so watch out), and there’s still the bar in the center-back as it always was, and restaurant-style seating among most of the interior. Due to this, any resemblance between the new Flanagan’s and the Altamonte location ends pretty much with the name – here they’re more about food and a slick atmosphere, while in Altamonte it’s a bit grittier and more pub-like. The food also factors into the smoking policy, meaning you have to head outside if you want to light up. Fortunately there’s table seating and speakers out there so you’ll still comfortably catch the game. Back inside a bunch of televisions are in every sight line, but if sports isn’t your thing (but cheap pitchers of Yuengling are), you can still entertain yourself with plastic darts and a couple of video games in the back (but that’s about it as far as games go).
The Bar: A true test of any Irish-sounding bar (especially one that paints everything green) is the price and pour of their Guinness. Flanagan’s gets a passing grade with a fairly-priced $4.75 pint that’s served a wee too cold, but comes with a good-sized head of foam on it. They have a bunch of other beers on tap, too, including Yuengling, Dogfish Head, and Bass (of course), all around $5 or under. A pitcher of Yuengling earns Flanagan’s extra points for being a full-sized pitcher for a paltry $8.50. And, though the place is enough of a restaurant to nix the smoking, they do not tack on tax for your drinks, which is a relief if you hate carrying change around in your pocket.
Service: Thanks to the restaurant influence your night out drinking gets the tag-team action of a bartender behind the bar and servers wandering the floor, meaning you’ll probably find your next drink in your hand before you even think about ordering it.
Sounds: Another carryover from the old Rivals is the wretched touchscreen jukebox. If you don’t want to even think about the horrors that come out of the thing go to the bar whenever there’s a big game on, as that will be your background music instead.
Crowd: Naturally, due to it’s location, Flanagan’s attracts a lot of college kids (as well it should, since learning how to be in a sports bar should be on the curriculum), but it also garners the attention of more middle-aged locals who want a cheap pint and a good place to watch the game.
Please log in to comment