Sporting News Grill

The Ambiance: Casual

Kid-friendly: Yes

Lunch: Yes

4848 Constitution Ave. – 636-5347

Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday through Sunday, 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.

No reservations – All credit cards

A sports bar? Absolutely. Inside Holiday Inn Select off College Drive? Yep. With more than 30 HD flat screens and a staff who will cater to your menu choices and your television programming picks, Sporting News Grill is another new option to put in your NFL, NBA and LSU game day rotation. The grill offers a surprisingly diverse menu for a hotel restaurant, and all in a modern-décor setting that would make even the most grizzled editor of the sports page blush.

This could easily have been another boring place for business travelers and corporate meetings, but instead the setting is lively and the bar fully stocked. The menu includes sandwiches, steaks and seafood, plus dishes you’d never expect in a sports bar like a classic French Nicoise Salad, Jack Daniel’s Glazed Salmon and 12-inch pizza pies big enough to fill the tank of even the biggest of athlete and fans. See what our secret diners thought below.

The Real Meat Guy

Point me to the protein.

I’d recommend:

Chicken Wing Blazers ($8.95). These were really tasty and right up there with the wings in any sports bar. They were generous with the celery sticks and carrots and, while it comes with bleu cheese dressing, we also got ranch. Get the wings.

Mixed Grill ($24.95). This dish included lamb chops, tenderloin tails and in great Louisiana tradition: venison Andouille sausage. The tails were average at best, the sausage decent, but the lamb chops were excellent.

I’d avoid:

Not saving room for dessert. We shared so many appetizers at my table, and my entrée was so large, I had no room to even taste a dessert.

The bottom line:

The service was great, and overall the food was acceptable. The appetizers were exactly what you would expect at a sports bar. I would definitely order the wings again while watching a game with buddies. The dinner salad was extremely fresh and well portioned. The selection of side dishes was satisfactory but nothing too exclusive.

The Fish Man

It’s South Louisiana, so you gotta love it.

I’d recommend:

Sea Bass ($22.95). This was the hit of the meal for my whole table. Tender, perfect texture, and it came just as advertised, “Hong Kong style marinated,” with a bed of brown rice. Though I was jealous looking at my friend’s garlic mashed potatoes.

Chocolate Fudge Cake a la Mode ($5.45). This rich dessert was a nice touch to end the meal. But I was so full from the sea bass that I could only taste a little of it.

I’d avoid:

Spinach & Artichoke Dip ($8.95). This appetizer, unfortunately, was below average. The chips were better than the dip.

The bottom line:

I was the happiest at my table, because the sea bass rocked. When it first came out the rice was cold, so they redid it. That took a little too long, but this fish was worth the wait! I really liked the atmosphere of the place and would go back, even just to sit at the bar and watch a game.

The Grub Guy

It’s game on for anything tasty.

I’d recommend:

Massive Nachos ($8.95). Topped with chili and served with sour cream, guacamole and cheddar jalapenos among other things, these were a meal in themselves. Thank goodness we shared.

Asian Grilled Tuna with a Ginger Soy Sauce ($19.95). I was so worried they would overcook the tuna, but it was prepared just right, seared and tasty. The menu proclaimed it to be sushi-grade, and it was pretty close. I also got the garlic mashed potatoes, and they were excellent. For the price and portion, this was really good.

I’d avoid:

Angus Burger ($7.95). I just had to try the burger at a place called the Sporting News Grill. Even though this was well done and done well, it won’t set any burger benchmarks in this town. At half a pound, it didn’t disappoint, but wasn’t all that memorable either.

The bottom line:

This place was way better than we thought it would be, and we really enjoyed the experience. My friends and I drank beer, and our selections included Blue Moon, Stella Artois, Abita Amber and Sam Adams. The service was friendly and attentive. And they even switched to an obscure baseball game for us on the TVs nearest our table. Even though it’s a hotel establishment, it’s the kind of place area sports fans, drinkers and casual eaters will enjoy.