Barfly on the Wall | Bobalouies Grille & Sports Garden

By Jessica Brady, tbt* columnist

Published Thursday, August 14, 2008 4:23 PM

Vitals: 1913 E Bearss Ave., North Tampa. (813) 971-1243. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.; Sunday, noon to 3 a.m. bobalouies.com.

The spot: Bobalouies is pure fun, whether you go at noon or midnight. Granted, the atmosphere is completely different, but that's what adds to the good time and versatility. The sports bar is pretty big, with four pool tables, Champion Boxing and PGA Golf arcades, lots of dartboards and more than 30 TVs. On some days, Bobalouies hosts trivia nights and electronic Texas Hold'em tournaments. The huge bar snakes along the back wall and into the center of the main room; surrounding it are numerous high-top and regular tables for diners. Off to the side is a narrow, lime-green room lined with electronic dartboards — which makes sense, because in most bars it's hard to play darts with people constantly walking in front of you.

The crowd and music: They go hand-in-hand, and vary by the time of day and season of your visit. By day you'll find men in their 40s gambling while their wives play pool, listening to the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix. During football season, the bar is packed with football fans and families — parents watch the game while the kids are entertained with arcade games. The only sounds you'll hear are the screams of fans and the voices of commentators. If you decide to go on a late Friday or Saturday night, the tables are moved and the place is packed with USF students booty dancing or just getting trashed to Lil John and Ludacris.

Juice: At Bobalouies, the drinks are stiff and the bartenders quick. They know what their patrons want and get it to them fast, while still providing awesome service. Happy Hour is Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with two-for-one well and call liquors and discounted draft — Bass, Bud Select, Heineken, etc. — and domestic bottled beers. If you miss Happy Hour, no biggie, because all wells are double pours all day, every day. And even better, USF students get 25 percent off the bill (excluding specials).

Grub: Nothing tops off a good bar like good food. The menu features wings, pizzas, sandwiches and hot dogs. The Reuben and Augusta — grilled chicken smothered in mushrooms with melted Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese, topped off with bacon — rocks. This isn't a place to count calories, just eat, drink and enjoy. Prices are moderate, from $7.50 to $13.95.

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