ESPN Zone

ESPN Zone is a sports fan's dream come true. The two-story, 33,000-square-foot bar/restaurant -- like its namesake -- is a place where people go to talk about and watch nothing but sports.

ESPN Zone is made up of three separate areas -- the Screening Room, the Sports Arena and the Studio Grill dining area.

The Screening Room features 11 "Zone Thrones," leather reclining chairs with speakers in the headrests and tray tables along the sides. Lucky patrons who manage to grab one of the chairs will feel as though they're right at home -- except that they get to watch the action sitting just 10 feet away from two 14-foot TV screens, surrounded by 12 36-inch TV screens.

If you're not quick enough to get to a Zone Throne, don't worry -- the booths lining the back of the room are nothing to sneeze at. Each booth has its own 18-inch flat touch screen monitor mounted on the table, which can be used, free of charge, to either watch the televised games or surf sports sites and sports statistics via the Internet. Speakers are also set in the booth's headrests so that guests can hear a specific game. Did we mention this place is a sports fan's dream?

The video wall offers statistical updates by the minute, all the latest scores and interesting sports trivia to test your knowledge.

The second floor of ESPN Zone features the 10,000-square-foot Sports Arena -- an area filled with games including a climbing wall, virtual reality boxing game, video games, a football toss, College Hoops free-throw game, a duckpin bowling alley and more. For those sports fans who don't want to get too far away from their beer, each game has a drink holder next to it.

For the first time in an ESPN Zone, (Las Vegas is the seventh in the chain) a full bar and lounge has been built near the game room.

The lounge is named after Las Vegan Al Bernstein, a boxing analyst for ESPN. The wood-and-leather decorated area has black-and-white, silver-framed photos from Bernstein's Top 10 fight picks. The bar offers an array of drinks including a wide variety of beer, wines and specialty martinis including an Appletini and The Luge -- a martini concocted from Hennessey, Triple Sec and lime juice.

ESPN Zone features other custom artwork of Las Vegas sports stars and events. Downstairs, at the entrance to the main bar, is a life-size replica of Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots, which represent the 1985 fight between "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler and Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns. Next to the bar is a neon Vegas Vic-style sign made to look like local tennis star Andre Agassi.

The Studio Grill offers a variety of food, including typical sports bar fare such as chicken wings, cheese fries and sliders. Customized place mats are updated daily to give you the latest sports news, scores and statistics.

For those with more discriminating tastes, ESPN Zone also offers entrées such as pasta, steaks, "Baby Back Back Back Back Ribs" (named for Chris Berman, an ESPN broadcaster, who uses the phrase "back, back, back" when describing home runs) and seafood. Entrées can be a bit pricey, averaging between $15 and $20.

Desserts are worth saving some room for. Try a Sudden Death Brownie or the Krispy Kreme sundae -- two Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts smothered with hot fudge and caramel, served with strawberries and ice cream.

-- Review by Kristine McKenzie