Ventnor Sports Cafe

Though its bowls of complimentary popcorn and an array of TV sets broadcasting baseball games and the NBA draft may be old hat among sports bars, Ventnor’s Wednesday-night special brings the competition closer to its customers: Patrons not content simply to watch competition can slice drink prices in half by beating the bartender at a game of rock, paper, scissors. The menu tends toward the sports-friendly, with a Buffalo-wing appetizer intense enough to make the side of blue cheese and veggie more necessity than garnish. Between generous portions and decent flavoring, other dishes—the chicken Parmesan sandwich and the meatloaf—tend more toward the comforting than the daring (and the fries are kinda bland). The house burger—which weighs in at gut-busting half-pound—comes cooked to order, and diners can choose from a list of toppings that range from the traditional (bacon, lettuce, an array of cheeses) to the eclectic (prosciutto, peppers, shrimp). Comforting? Sure, but also pretty accommodating.
—Joe Dempsey, July 3, 2006