Make Your Draft Pick

Not only are the locals in the city of Frostburg looking for a new hangout spot, the students at Frostburg State University (FSU) are as well. On June 6, The Draft Sports Bar and Grille opened, replacing the recent bar/restaurant known as The Hanger. Then, on July 23, the grand opening took place, which included the ribbon cutting. Located on 295 E. Main St. in Frostburg, MD, The Draft is owned by Greg Diehl, leaving Ryan Householder as the manager, and Vince Dishong as the kitchen manager. Once you go up that ramp and through those double doors, you will be amazed.

When you walk into The Draft, the first thing you will see as you look straight is the bar and a platform where the bottles of liquor sit, with chairs wrapped around the bar, which has 23 beers on tap and 13 rotating beers. The platform supporting the bottles of liquor changes colors every few seconds.  Once you look around the bar, centered in the middle of the room and surrounded by tables and chairs, you will notice that is surrounded by comforting, bright, warm, and upbeat colors. The walls for instance are bright red and have a variety of sports jerseys framed and hung on them. In the bar area, flat screen TVs are mounted all around the room, which will most likely be playing your favorite team’s game at that very moment.  All of the TVs are visible from multiple points of views all throughout the restaurant.

After you go through those doors, you instantly know what kind of setting you are in, but before you get to finish eyeballing the place, you get a very welcoming greet from a host. One of the pleasant hosts, wearing a red uniform polo with The Draft’s logo on it, will greet you and ask you the number of people needed to be seated and where you would like to sit.  Each guest gets the opportunity to choose where they want to sit, which is either on the bar side or the dining side.  You will receive the menu on a clipboard called, The Playbook.

As mentioned earlier, you will have the choice between sitting in the bar or the dining area, which is completely based on your preferences. If you and your friends are coming on a Sunday, then the bar, which seats up to 90 people and has the Sunday ticket, would be the best choice. Manager, Ryan Householder says, “No matter what, when you come in, your game will be on one of the 10 TVs.” If you want to be seated in a calmer setting, then the dining area will be a great fit for you.

The dining area is to the left of the bar, right through another set of double doors, which will always be open unless there is a private party or an event going on. In the dining area there are 12 mounted TVs which are also visible from a plethora of angles. As you enter the dining area, you will see stone walls, sports paraphernalia, a stage, jerseys, helmets, a ball pit, and fire places. Also, in the dining area that seats a bit more than 120 people, there are small sections in the corners that have different types of sports gear and jerseys on display.

This sport enthused place is inviting, comfortable, fun, and relaxing, but what is a sports bar and grille without the drinks and food? Vince Dishong says, “I put in a lot of effort creating the menu.” Majority of the food on the menu is freshly made and hand-battered. Dishong says the menu is constantly changing and “unique,” and also aims to “create a memorable approach.”

The “Playbook” includes salads, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, entrees and seafood, kid’s meals, desserts, and drinks.  As you flip through the “Playbook,” you will notice each item’s name will be related with a sport. A few examples of this include the Center Court Crab Rolls, Fly Ball Fries, Batter’s Choice Chicken Chunks (wings), The Grand Sampler, Division 1 Dinner Salad, Point Guard Portabella Burger, Ultimate Grilled Cheese, Quarter Back Bacon Burger, Strong Safety Sirloin, and First Down Fish and Chips. All of these are mouth watering dishes prepared by Dishong and the kitchen staff.

Along with the food choices, if you are 21 and over, you can experience some of the tasteful alcoholic beverages, which include the Bobcat Brew, The Finish Line, The Loaded Land Shark, and the Snake Bite.

The Draft’s happy hour is from 3pm to 5pm taking $1 off mixed drinks, and they have wing night on Mondays. All boneless wings are $.50 and the bone-in wings are $.60. Great deals, right?

Householder says they will be having a Breast Cancer Awareness Karaoke night on October 22, from 7pm to 10pm. Ten percent of all food and beverages purchased will go towards the American Cancer Society. Householder says they are looking to change the happy hour times, have karaoke nights, and ladies’ nights once they get into the flow of things. He says, “We anticipate doing bands and karaoke [frequently]” on the stage in the dining area.

As you can see, The Draft comes with a lot to offer and if you want to try something new, then you should make your way there. They are open 11 am – 10 pm from Sun. through Thursday and 11am to 11pm on Friday and Saturday. Once you step foot into this fun-filled sports bar and grille, you will not want to leave!

For more information on The Draft Sports Bar and Grille, please visit them on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/TheDraftBarandGrille.