If your bargoing tastes fall somewhere between traditional sports bars and more upscale gathering spots, you'll feel right at home at Flapjaws Cafe. The bar may have moved from its original location (where it had been since 1977), but its low-key charm remains intact.
The menu here holds everything from house-baked tortilla chips and $8 pitchers of Miller Lite to honey-glazed salmon and chicken salad pita pockets. Flapjaws' clientele reflects the mix of fine dining and pub fare, too, as posh ladies drink martinis next to avid sports fans shouting at the flat screen TVs. The place even offers wine tasting parties and an extensive wine list. Still, you don't have to pay Gold Coast prices, like you would at the expensive McCormick & Schmick’s across the street. The atmosphere is relaxed, nonchalant yet clean-cut: It's unlikely a bar brawl will break out here.
Beer advertisement banners hang over the large, full-service bar and baseball memorabilia and mahogany wood dominate the space. The restaurant is divided into two rooms, so you have the option of high ceilings and dimmed lighting by the bar or daylight streaming through the windows in the cafe room, a welcome change from normally dank sports bars. Outdoor patio seating is available on warm days. Appetizers like chips and salsa start at $3.99, and entrées average around $7.99. A large pizza is $13.99, but there are often half-price specials.
Centerstage Reviewer: Katy Nelson