Driving down Pacific Ave. at night, you might almost miss the recently opened Cheers if it were not for the neon beer signs lighting up the windows and the unlit “Cheers” sign facing the street. Cheers is a sports bar and grill with great food, a large alcohol selection, about 20 40 inch screen TVs and a friendly staff.
Immediately confronted by a six-foot-something bouncer with a goatee that reached his chest and an interestingly shaved head, I was not sure if I was at Cheers, which is self-advertised on their web site as a “great place to bring your family.”
Surprisingly, this large man had an equally large sense of humor and made my friends and me smile immediately.
“It’s Chuck E. Cheese for sports fans,” Rebecca Pollock, a Puget Sound student, said.
Although there were not many families there, it was not at all what you might imagine when you envision a sports bar. Although the back bar itself is well-stocked and not much different than any other establishment, the two red Budweiser wagons above it and the hanging lights more typical of a coffee shop than a sports bar gives it a playful, approachable aesthetic.
Painted chocolate brown wooden beams and white vents surround your head, while you sit at dark cherry wood tables on newly upholstered chairs and booths in printed olive green material.
When combined with the cobblestone fireplace, located towards the back, and the dim-but-not-dark lighting, these elements create a warm, comfortable atmosphere typical of any sports bar but without the dinginess.
With three TVs above the bar, five opposite the bar, several surrounding the central area and the rest placed stategically around the establishment, you will always be able to see the game, whether it be football, basketball or poker.
In addition to the TVs, Cheers also has four pool tables, complete with red Budweiser lights above them, and dartboards in the middle of the establishment, marked by the parque floor.
Unfortunately, if you are under 21 you must remain on “this side of the bar”. However, you are still allowed access to the food and big screen TVs.
The menu at Cheers is not much different than what you would normally expect of a sports bar. However, Cheers food is all of the taste without all the grease.
One of their specialties is their “stuffers,” which are basically burgers stuffed with, well…stuff. But proceed with caution, these stuffers are meant for those who aren’t afraid to get a little messy. Cheers stuffers cost around $12. If you’re not that hungry, the starter sliders are a good way to go.
“I ordered the house salad with Italian dressing. The dressing was really good and the cucumbers were really fresh. Overall the salad was good but some of the lettuce was not fresh so I couldn’t eat the whole salad because it didn’t taste good. I really liked that they used a mixture of different types of lettuce though, and I would go to Cheers again after my experience,” Pollock said. Salads run between $7 and $11.
“The food was OK, nothing special,” sophomore Lauren Petersen said. “What they advertised didn’t come with my food (shredded lettuce with tartar sauce, but came with leaf lettuce and tomatoes). The fries were good. Ample portion size. I could have found similar meal for a cheaper price at Frisko Freeze and it would have been just as tasty.”
It seems as though there are mixed feelings about the food at Cheers. But I think part of the fun of going to Cheers is the atmosphere. The aesthetics are pleasant and it is a good mix of energy and relaxation.
The crowd at Cheers looks to be a bit older than the college crowd. Most of the people in there were in their late 20s or older and there weren’t many students.
But perhaps this slightly older crowd adds to Cheers’ comfortable, laid-back—and as one person pointed out, very “Washingtonian”—atmosphere.
However, this is not to say that there is a lack of energy. As expected in any sports bar, you can still find those avid sports fans who stand up, clap and cheer at the big screens as if their favorite teams can hear them.
Cheers, located at 2611 Pacific Ave., is near Elephant Car Wash and the Tacoma Dome. So if you are seeing a concert or an event at the Dome, or even getting your car washed, you should check out this low-key, high quality sports bar just a short drive away.
To check out their menu, go online to http://cheersdowntown.com/.