In the newly remodeled downtown bar GameTime, formerly known as Legend's, it's a good bet that when you step inside this joint, the game is certainly on ... literally, any game. GameTime has been transformed from an aging sports bar into an all-new sports bar, complete with new duds and a new attitude.
The 8,670-sq. ft. restaurant has a large, clean look with traditional wooden bars and a splash of modern, exposed piping on the black ceiling.
The restaurant sports two main areas, each with a large 6-by-8 foot projection screen surrounded by four 36-inch screens. And as if that isn't enough for your viewing pleasure, there are also 32-inch screen televisions hung from the ceiling and scattered among the dining tables.
The north side of the restaurant, formerly the Legend's night/dance club, has another raised bar and large seating area for overflow during busy times and event days at the Bradley Center.
"The design wasn't exactly the way we wanted it when we bought it," says Cathy Prestin, manager and wife of owner, David Prestin.
So, when it came time to doing some much needed renovations, the Prestins decided go ahead and make the space on the north end more functional by raising the bar and placing it at the east side of the restaurant.
According to Prestin, GameTime will show almost any professional football, hockey or basketball game airing on television. On days with multiple games of interest, the restaurant will be sectioned into "zones," each hosting a different game. And yes, even Bears fans are welcome.
"We actually get a lot of Bears fans here because of college students or people living here from Chicago," says Prestin.
The restaurant's theme being games, there are board games like Battle of the Sexes, Parcheesi, and drinking games inlaid on table tops around the dining area. You can rent (for free) the game pieces to correspond with the board at your table, or you can play a host of other board games offered like Monopoly, Sorry, Cribbage, Yahtzee, Trouble and Clue.
There is also video trivia on monitors, darts, and a host of arcade games available.
"Our main emphasis is, of course, the Bucks," says Prestin. And emphasized, it is. A mammoth head of the Bango, Bucks mascot, complete with flashing eyes and smoke puffing from the nose (however the smoke puffer wasn't working when OMC visited), is hung high on the ceiling to greet visitors as they walk in the door.
{INSERT_RELATED}A large collection of autographed vintage photographs of NBA players like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and former player and current Bucks announcer John McGlocklin, adorns the walls.
According to Prestin, the restaurant acquired the immense collection of photos taken by a former Bucks photographer, from a dealer who had been keeping the pictures in the basement of his home. He agreed to sell the works to the restaurant with the contingency that the pictures be hung in public view, so they could be enjoyed by all.
Just about everything on GameTime's lunch menu is $6 including a soda, coffee or tea and consists mostly of sandwiches, soups and salads. The dinner menu is an extensive array of hearty American cuisine including sandwiches, baby back ribs, pastas and steaks.
If you're in need of tickets for a game or concert at the Bradley Center, you're in luck. A Ticket Connection booth will be open at the restaurant approximately two hours before every Bucks game and two or three hours before concerts.
On days when the Bradley Center is dark, the restaurant will give out two-hour validations for the parking structure in which the restaurant is located.
GameTime is located at 1118 N. 4th St. For more information, call (414) 283-5300.
