The End Zone

Somehow, the Barflies have lucked out in the sense that in our mission to visit every bar in New Bedford, we don't have to drink at an Outback, or Pizzeria Uno, or T.G.I. Friday's, or worst of all, an Applebee's. Thankfully, these chains have forsaken New Bedford for the strip malls of suburban Dartmouth and Fairhaven. And the worst of them is Applebee's, with it's cloying attempt at familiarity, describing itself as a "neighborhood bar and grill," when it is, in reality, but a corporate eyesore and dismal eating/drinking experience. The End Zone is the real deal. It's a true neighborhood bar and grill that was packed on the Wednesday night that the Barflies visited. It has a adequate draft selection, and Mr. Draft settled in with a Samuel Adams Winter Lager, while Mr. Merlot had a merlot(!), and Mr. Mix, sticking with a theme, drank a Slippery Nipple. As might be expected, with a name like the End Zone, it is entrenched in sports memorabilia and a basketball game played on the overhead television (somewhat in competition with the gentleman trying to sing and play guitar on the stage in the adjoining dining room.) There is an extensive menu with the usual assortment of bar-friendly munchies, and the dining room was as crowded as the bar. The other patrons were sociable and conversational, and Mr. Draft is of the opinion that it could easily become the kind of place "where everyone knows your name," like on that TV show. A comfortable, authentic "neighborhood bar and grill." It rates a 7-and-a-half. (Roll Call: Mr. Draft, Mr. Mix, Mr. Merlot)