Players Sports Grill: the pleasures of Poway

Whew. Big relief. Kevin’s paying. Because in Poway, covid put paid to Happy Hour. At least here in the Players Sports Bar. Players is near the DMV and Walmart. And also — good for us — near the 944 bus, which connects to the 235, which gets us back down to ’Diego. “Don’t screw around,” says Kevin for the umpteenth time. We’re neighbors, and, truth be told, good buddies. But he was a Marine. Time is sacred. “Last bus of the day leaves 6:44. That gives us an hour to eat. Precisely.” Sigh. Once a Marine, always a Marine. It being a Monday, and Players not having a Happy Hour, I’m betting we’ll be about the only ones here.

But, hey hey! We come into this totally screen-drenched place, and it’s comfortably crowded. We hike ourselves on two stools and count ourselves lucky to get them. I mean, okay, the name “Players Sports Bar” is forgettable, but it suits Kevin. He’s a sports bar kind of guy.

Believe it or not, this is my first time in Poway. I’ve always thought of it as forgettable too, a kind of La Jolla-without-the-sea. But surprise! Players has a real “Cheers” feel about it. Lots of groups sit around tables or at the bar, guffawing or leaning back in relaxed conversation, like they have done this a thousand times before. That’s Poway, they say. Settled. Predictable. Also, ancient. I hear the original name “Paguay” means “Little end of the valley” in Diegueno/Luiseno.

I blat this out to Kevin. “Let’s talk food,” he says. “Time’s ticking.” He’s right. I check the menu. Eight “jumbo wings” cost $16.50. An 8-inch pizza costs $8. And, funny, another pizza, this one a build-your-own 10-inch, costs only 50 cents more. A plate of nachos is $8, breaded chicken tenders cost $10, and skins are $8.50. “Hmm. Veggie platter. Good price, $7,” Kevin says. “But no. Nachos’ll do it for me. Not so healthy, but happiness is good for your health, right?”

The nachos go for $11. First, I check for more bargains. Carne asada fries are up there at $15, chicken tenders are $10, popcorn shrimp and fries, $9. Caesar salad, $4; Cobb salad with ham chunks, $13; wedge salad, $9; chili bowl, $7; locomoco (the Hawaiian rice and burger dish), $12; jambalaya, $14. Okay, it’s bar food, but I can live with that.

“Gentlemen?” This is Crystal. Bartender.

Good news is neither of us is driving. We’re both in stretch-limo mode, meaning we’re getting back downtown by bus. For beer, they have about thirty taps to choose from. Crystal gives us a couple of samples. Kevin gets Stone IPA ($7.50). I land on the excellent Elysian Hazy IPA ($11). Long and short is, the IPAs loosen our tongues. We get arguing about Very Important Issues. Time flies. Beer flows. Food comes, time goes.

We start off sharing some potato skins ($9). Great texture, have bacon, but a little more flavor would help. Kevin moves on to jambalaya (nice little bowl for $14). A guy at the bar says the andouille sausage tastes just like what he’s had in LaPlace, Louisiana, “the andouille capital of the world.” Me, I kind of chicken out and go for the fettuccine Alfredo ($15). Love the combo of Parmesan cheese, cream, and garlic. And now Kevin and Mike are talking. He’s the owner, turns out, and he’s talking about the “locomoco,” a recent addition to his menu. Hawaiian, of course. Rice, burger patty, gravy, over-easy eggs, $12. Maybe it’s the second beer, but soon we’re saying “What da heck,” and then this mound of rice/burger/gravy/eggs sits wobbling in front of us. The surprising thing is the way the gravy and the egg yolks turn the rice’s burger base into a beautiful gentle gloop.

Then — I can’t believe it! — Kevin gives the nod to a sample of Mike’s dad’s pizza bread: slices of this really lush garlicky bread loaded with three cheeses ($10). We chew and chat. The crew here say Mike is famous for the work he does with special needs people, like The Arc kids. He makes sure they can come and work on special occasions. “Autism’s all about socializing,” he says. “This bar is a social situation, a perfect opportunity. We sometimes get kids talking who usually don’t. You can’t imagine what that means to parents. And us.”

Kevin jerks up. Cinderella moment. “The bus! We are outta here!” Quick payment. (Turns out we’ve spent around $35 each on booze and food.) I jerk up, too. And dang. Left jeans split around my upper leg. “I’ll see you back at the ranch,” I tell Kevin. “I’m going to Walmart to get some jeans.” Not sure about the rest of the trip, but why panic? I lean back and take a nice long sip of my space dust. In good time ,I’ll head across to that palace the Walmartians call their Supercenter. The night is but young!

• The Place: Players Sports Grill, 13437 Community Road, Poway, 858-842-4351
• Hours: 11am-10pm daily (till 11pm Fridays)
• Prices: Potato skins, $8.50; Pizza bread, $9.50; fettuccine Alfredo, $15; jambalaya, $13; eight “jumbo wings,” $16.50; 8-inch pizza, $8; build-your-own 10-inch, $8.50; plate of nachos $8; breaded chicken tenders, $10; potato skins, $9; veggie platter, $7; nachos, $11; carne asada fries, $15; chicken tenders, $10; popcorn shrimp and fries, $9; Caesar salad, $4; Cobb salad with ham chunks, $13; wedge salad, $9; chili bowl, $7; loco moco, $12; jambalaya, $14; Totchos (nachos with tater tots), $11; gorgon burger (with gorgonzola cheese and bacon), $14.50; pot roast burger, $17; California burger, (with carne asada, guac, fries, cheddar, sour cream), $19
• Buses: 944, 945
• Nearest Bus Stops: Hilleary Place and Hilleary Park Drive (944); Midland Road and Summerlyn Apartments (944, 945)