TAP Sports Bar
Wisconsin Fried Cheese – Beer Batter, Ranch Dip
Pretzel & Cheese – Horseradish Cheddar Cheese, Old School Sourdough Pretzel
Cheesy Mac Bites – Beer Batter, Ranch Dip
Steak Chili – Beef Short Rib Chili, Sour Cream, Cheddar, Green Onion, Cornbread Bowl
Onion Soup – Beer Braised Caramelized Onions, Havarti Cheese, Sourdough Croutons
TAP Sloppy Joe – Smoked Beef Brisket, Pilsner Laced Joe Sauce, Grilled Onion Roll, Fries, Rings
Corned Beef Short Ribs – Spicy Beer Mustard, Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, Fries
Open Faced Steak Sandwich – Grilled Skirt Steak, Beer Braised Mushrooms, Spinach, Horseradish Cheddar, Garlic Rubbed Country Bread
Hand Hammered Pork Chops – Pan Fried Pork, Gravy, Spicy Fried Green Beans, Onion Rings
Guinness Chocolate Shake – Stout laced Fluff
Fried S’mores – Chocolate, Graham, Marshmallow, Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Warm Skillet Brownie – Caramel, Fudge, Peanuts, Vanilla Ice Cream
Located adjacent to the Sports Book at MGM featuring a clever menu crafted by Steve Barr the newly minted TAP Sports Bar seemed a good spot to meet with friends old and new for Game 2 of The Stanley Cup Finals and aside from a slight delay in seating incurred due to The Belmont Stakes I’d be hard pressed to name a better night of this ilk, a double overtime come-from-behind win for Los Angeles matched with great conversation and food that ranged from average to excellent at a wallet friendly price-point for The Strip. Expansive in size with diverse seating options flanking a central bar as televisions and memorabilia decorate the walls the TAP experience is truly a sportcentric one as a well-trained staff of jersey-clad severs circulate to the sounds of the game as opposed to some hideous Journey ballad generated via Touchtunes and although both food and beer menus trend small the selections themselves prove both unique and well-culled. Clearly featuring a West Coast bias amongst its patrons and showing the NHL on every screen it was with a trio of beers and five appetizers that our meal began and with cheese as a theme it was actually the meaty chili in a bowl of buttery cornbread that impressed most and although I’m told the Onion Soup was quite bad both pretzels and herbaceous curds proved competent while man n’ cheese bites were surprisingly light and rife with sharp cheddar. Moving next to main courses after a near-hour lull it was in a quartet of options that we invested and although the open-face sandwich was delivered both dry and cool to the touch while thinly pounded pork proved far inferior to that at Hash-House-a-Go-Go it would be difficult to find fault in either the smoky Sloppy Joe atop one of the city’s best buns or the innovative Corned Beef-style short rib with ample spicing and meat literally falling off the bone. With more beers, more chat, and a Gaborik goal tying the game it was finally in desserts that we indulged and although none of the options are prone to wow on the level of those at Lagasse’s Stadium both the Guinness Shake and substantial brownie were plenty rich enough to share while the deep fried s’mores and sidecar of fudge are an indulgent mess well worth making.
RECOMMENDED: Chili in Cornbread Bowl, Corned Beef Short Ribs, Sloppy Joe, Fried S’mores.
AVOID: Onion Soup, Open Face Sandwich
TIP: Limited reservations are available with walk-ins accounting for more than 65% of seating and with no time limits or ‘minimum orders’ patrons are welcome to stay for as long as they choose. For those looking for guaranteed seating during a given event advanced planning is recommended.
http://mgmgrand.com/restaurants/tap.aspx
