Bleachers Sports Grill

Considering that Bleachers Sports Grill is one of the few restaurants in Garland that's open past 9 p.m. and serves beer, the karaoke night blazing on our visit here didn't faze us much. It also makes Bleachers, almost by default, a popular late-night hangout. It apparently proves popular almost anytime, as evidenced by its full breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The only problem is we don't think neon beer signs are a healthy sight in the morning hours. For those who don't mind, breakfast offerings range from chicken-fried steak and eggs to a variety of omelets to breakfast burritos. We, of course, arrived for dinner and took considerable time wading through the spuds, burgers, Mexican specialties, steaks, sandwiches, soups, salads and appetizers available. The appetizer sampler platter impressed, which featured yummy hand-breaded chicken wings and cheese sticks. The juicy, no-nonsense New York strip arrived with a pile of thick-cut steak fries and Texas toast with a crusty coating of Parmesan. It made us forget about the bad singing. House-made chicken fingers, a house specialty, were nearly perfect with a choice of dips, including a good version of your basic cream gravy. The baked potato was above average, too. All this food and no desserts are available, though? We thought that was strange, but instead, have another beer. It's a great place to watch sports without subpar food ruining your view. All for a song, albeit mostly bad ones.
-MARC E. LEE