My wife and I were invited to a gathering at the Rhythm City Casino on the north side of Davenport about a year ago for a going away party for one of her co-workers. The party was being held in the casino's sports bar area - the Draft Day Sports Lounge. While we didn't eat food out there that evening, I saw some of the things that other people had to eat and I always had it in the back of my head that I would like to try the place out at some point. I went out one afternoon last summer to get something to eat, but found out that they open at 3 p.m. on weekdays. However, one recent night when I was home and my wife was hosting a small gathering of women at our house, I was able to head out to the casino to have something to eat at the Draft Day Sports Lounge.
When the Rhythm City Casino moved from its original home along the Davenport riverfront to the north side of the city near the intersection of Interstate 80 and Interstate 74 in June of 2016, it became a much larger facility along with a hotel and dining options. I casually know the general manager out there and he's told me on more than one occasion to come out and he'd give me a tour of the hotel, restaurants and gaming areas. I never took him up on the offer as I know he's much too busy to stop what he's doing during the course of the day to give me a tour, but my wife and I have gone out to look around at the place a couple times.
A couple summers ago, my sister and her fiancé were in town and they took us out to Ruthie's, the casino/hotel's fine dining steak & seafood restaurant located on the top floor of the restaurant that offers wonderful views at sunset. We thought the food and service were excellent. (One of these days, we'll go back to Ruthie's for an in-depth look at the place.) Ruthie's quickly became one of the top dining spots in the Quad Cities once it opened.
But this time, I wanted to go try the Draft Day Sports Lounge. It's almost a straight shot up Jersey Ridge Road for me all the way out to just south of Interstate 80 before turning right onto Elmore Ave. and the entrance of the casino/hotel. (see map) Here's a tip from Road Tips if you're going to the Draft Day Sports Lounge - or even to the casino. Go around the west side of building to a smaller parking lot in back next to the Interstate. There's a door back there and it takes you down a wide hallway to the front of the sports bar.
There was a lady at the hostess stand and the place was about a third full when I walked up. There was no one seated at the bar and I just told her that I'd sit at the bar. However, it turned out there were no bartenders around, either. After sitting there for a couple minutes, I went back to the hostess stand and told her that I'd take a table in front of one of the large flatscreen televisions along the wall that were showing different basketball games. She took me to a table and dropped off a menu for me to look through. My server for the evening was a young lady by the name of Piper who was being shadowed by another young lady who was experiencing her first day on the job. I knew that they had Kona Big Wave Golden Ale on tap at Draft Day from my previous visit, so I ordered one of those.
The center piece of Draft Day Sports Lounge is their 360° television monitor that hangs from the ceiling in the middle of the sports bar. 18 other monitors hang from the walls in the sports bar including four behind the bar and individual ones at the booths along the north wall. The lighting is subdued for maximum viewing enjoyment, and along with yellow, orange and red accent lighting, it gives the sports bar sort of a colorful and somewhat mellow glow. About any type of sporting event - including all the big pay-per-view events - are available at the Draft Day Sports Lounge.
Off to the side when you come into the sports bar, the Elite Sportsbook has a small area to place bets on sports. Now, I used to gamble on sports a long, long time ago. But I learned that it's a lot nicer to enjoy a sporting event either live or on television without the worry whether or not one team is going to cover the spread or if both teams are going to hit the over when you bet the under. And with sports betting now a reality in Iowa since last August, they're making it much more easy to bet games. But I have resisted, thank you very much. Compared to sportsbooks that I've been to in Las Vegas, the sportsbook next to Draft Day is a closet.
The menu at Draft Day consists of your typical sports bar fare - burgers, sandwiches, a slew of appetizers and sharable, salads and flat breads round out the bulk of the menu. Entrees such as "build-your-own" mac & cheese, and fish & chips are available, as well. They have a number of specials through the week at Draft Day including 50 cent bone-in wings on Mondays, and $2 bucks off on burgers on Thursdays. Monthly, weekly and game-day specials are also available.
I saw how good their burgers were on our visit to Draft Day about a year ago, but I was sort of burned out on burgers from traveling the previous couple of weeks. I thought about the French dip for a moment, then the Buffalo chicken sandwich caught my eye. But in the long run, I ended up getting their reuben sandwich. Piper talked me into getting the onion rings for my side choice that evening.
The reuben featured thick slices of corned beef that was grilled on a flat grill, then piled high on swirled rye bread with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and 1000 Island dressing. The sandwich was then lightly grilled before being served. It was a very good sandwich, to say the least.
The onion rings were just OK. They were the frozen, food-purveyor type of onion rings and not freshly battered and fried. But they were still edible.
Now, I had been talking to some people about wanting to go out to Draft Day Sports Lounge over the past few months, but I had heard mixed reviews - mainly on the service. But I have to say that the service I got from Piper and her shadow helper that evening was very good. She was quick to get me another beer when my glass was low, when I asked for more napkins for the very good - and messy - reuben, she was there with more than I really needed. It wasn't all that busy in the place that night, so that may have helped with the level of service. But it was still very good.
I know sports bars aren't for everyone, but it you're looking for a place to watch a game and grab a pretty good sandwich in the greater Quad Cities, I would have to say that you have to give the Draft Day Sports Lounge a try. The atmosphere is one of an upscale sports bar, the food - I thought - was very good, and the service was a lot better than I'd heard from other people who had been there at times in the past. If you're into sports and want to enjoy some good food along with a good list of craft beers or specialty cocktails, it's tough to be the Draft Day Sports Lounge.
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