Scott
Street Pub is hoops heaven in March. It’s baseball bliss in
October. It’s football fanfare in January. And for the rest
of the year, it’s still a top-notch sports bar and restaurant.
With 19 TVs surrounding
the massive one-room Council Bluffs bar and grill, it’s virtually
impossible to miss the action of the year’s paramount sporting
events. Scott Street Pub owner Kevin Culjat subscribes to all the
major pay-per-view sports packages, such as NFL Sunday Ticket and
ESPN Game Plan, where every game of every sport of every season
is available. Simply put, no major sporting event goes un-televised
in his bar.
And with twice as many
beer selections as TVs, it’s also virtually impossible for
any thirst to remain unquenched.
Culjat, however, said
running a good sports bar is predominantly a matter of hard work.
He and his wife Bonnie, who open the bar from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
seven days a week, divide the cooking and serving responsibilities,
but both take pride in making sure their customers – whether
sports fans or casual diners – have an enjoyable atmosphere.
“You have to be
hands-on, and you have to be there all the time,” Culjat says.
“We put in a lot of time and we have a nice clean place.
“A lot of TVs and
a whole bunch of cold beer help too.”
For sports fans, multiple
TVs and plenty of beer are particularly attractive during March
Madness basketball. With 64 college basketball teams playing a total
of 63 televised games in the span of 19 days encompassing the NCAA
basketball tournament, Scott Street Pub becomes the sports hub in
downtown Council Bluffs. Its central location allows patrons to
conveniently drop in for lunch, congregate after work or to simply
enjoy a whole day of basketball.
“It’s a great
lunch place and a great happy hour place,” says Jeremy Pietig,
who works nearby and frequents the pub’s happy hour on Fridays.
“And it’s also obviously a great place to watch a sporting
event.”
The bar, which runs the
length of the restaurant, has 19 beers on tap and another 30 available
in bottles. Seven large flat screen TVs line a wood shelf behind
the bar and cast the prime sporting events as the stereo sound system
bellows the broadcasters’ voices. A second row of bar stools
and high-top tables runs the length of the bar allowing more patrons
an easy view of the row of TVs. Seating for the remainder of the
restaurant is composed of booths and square high-top tables with
bar stools.
For sports fans and casual
diners alike, Scott Street Pub has an extensive food menu, a feature
of the establishment in which Culjat takes pride.
“We have 102 menu
items and they all do pretty well,” Kevin says. “Hamburgers
and chicken sandwiches are pretty popular, just as they probably
would be in any sports bar. But we also have a really popular club
sandwich and our prime rib sandwich is excellent.”
The food and the clean
casual atmosphere allow Scott Street Pub to appeal to more than
just beer-drinking sports fans. A high ceiling and ventilation system
keep the air relatively smoke free and large windows and skylights
brighten the establishment with ambient light. The pleasant atmosphere
allows for a diverse clientele.
“It’s not
a dark smoky bar,” Culjat says. “It’s a good place
to go whether it’s mom and dad and the kids after a soccer
game or a group of guys out on the town.”
Every sporting event
in every season will be showing regardless.
|
