A typical day for me consists of handicapping the day’s sporting events then heading to the sports book to make my wagers.
Often times I will play some poker, watch the games we bet that day and get something to eat. That’s a full day for sure but I’ve got to tell you, thanks to the new sports bar at the MGM, my life just got much easier.
The MGM recently opened up Tap Sports Bar. You know the old real estate slogan about “Location, Location, Location?” Well, let me tell you, Tap Sports Bar could be the poster child for that slogan.
In my opinion, the location of this bar is absolutely perfect – right at the bottom of the escalators of MGM’s entrance if you use the walkway bridge, which I do all the time. I park across the street at the Trop, run in their sports book and check the Cantor lines, then walk over to the MGM to see theirs.
The Tap is adjacent to the poker room. Now when I’m playing poker for hours on end I can take a break and grab some quality food. But not only am I steps away from the poker room but Tap Sports Bar is also just a few steps away from the sports book.
Now instead of watching the games inside the sports book I can just hang out with my favorite beverage and watch any of the 60 HD flat screen TV’s inside Tap Sports Bar. I can stay all day and enjoy food and drink but if I need to make a last minute bet or want to grab a halftime line I am just steps from the book.
Again, the location of Tap Sports Bar is pure genius. So was getting this place open in time for both the Super Bowl and March Madness, the two biggest TV viewing and betting events.
I also love the set up as they have TV’s everywhere, including two different giant wall TV screens that break into four different games. There is not a bad seat in the house.
On my first visit I sat at the bar and the first question my bartender asked was what am I drinking. That should always be the first question…lol.
My guy was very helpful, making suggestions about the menu, and after I placed my food order the next question he asked was if there was a particular game I would like to watch on the TV that was right in front of me at the bar where I was sitting.
At this point I’m so impressed I’m just hoping the food is edible and I’m going to be happy. In fact, the food was quite good and I have made three trips to Tap in less than two weeks.
Their burgers are great and you get to build them from the ground up choosing your meat, your bun, your cheese and all your toppings. I had their BBQ Ribs. Make sure you’re hungry when ordering these as they give a huge portion.
My favorite item so far though has to be the Little Philly’s, which are shaved Rib-Eye, Cheese sauce, caramelized onions on little Italian hoagie buns. One of their signature dishes is Beer Can Chicken served with Kentucky-style Slaw and Fries.
One of the other little touches is with every sandwich you have your choice of Fries or Onion Rings or a split order of both. This was an option without an upcharge as most places charge you more if you want onion rings instead of fries. I haven’t tried the wings yet, which is an absolute staple of any good sports bar. That will be on my next visit.
Chef Steve Barr has a hit on his hands with Tap Sports Bar as I give them 3.75 Forks out of 4.
Marco D’Angelo is the senior handicapper at Pregame.com. He co-hosts FIRST PREVIEW every Thursday at 10 a.m. on ESPN 1100 AM/98.9 FM. Follow him on twitter: @MarcoInVegas. Contact him at [email protected].