ADDY'S SPORTS
BAR & GRILL
Hoppen Hierarchy:★
District: Millard
Bar Food, Wings, & Beer
Perfect For: Lunch; Casual Dining; Takeout; Happy Hour
Standout Dishes: BBQ Bacon Wings; Addy Balls
Maybe my expectations are just too high now.
When I see char-buffed wings on a menu, my mind immediately jumps to Oscar’s Pizza & Sports Grille. Chicken wings are inherently delicious, but when a restaurant finishes them on the grill, it just takes them to the next level. Oscar’s was the first to introduce me to this method, so it’s now the standard I judge others by.
Admittedly, it’s a high bar. And it’s one Addy’s Sports Bar & Grill doesn’t quite meet.
That isn’t to say Addy’s doesn’t have positive things going for it. There are good reasons it already has three Omaha locations since opening in 2014. Each restaurant has an inviting patio and enough TVs to satiate even the most ardent sports fan. This is a great place to post up on a fall Saturday or Sunday to ensure you’re catching all the games.
Addy’s has a very neighborhood-bar feel, and the menu has all kinds of options. There are burgers, wraps, sandwiches, pizzas, tacos, and much more, not to mention a different special for every day of the week. Addy’s also offers a number of local beers.
The highlight are the Wings, which the menu proclaims as “award-winning.” They’re large and meaty, and the char-buffed treatment leaves enticing grill marks. You’ll begin salivating as soon as these hit the table.
Maybe I’ve just had a few bad experiences, but I’ve found the flavors don’t match the presentation. The skin is perfectly crispy, but the flavors just aren’t there. The Extreme Ghost Wings have very little heat despite their daunting name. The Teriyaki Wings have a hint of sweetness, but they’re pretty tame. The Hot Ranch Wings have a decent flavor of everyone’s favorite salad dressing, but again, the heat is missing.
The best I’ve tried is the BBQ Bacon Wings, as the sweetness of the sauces plays very well with the salty bacon. Ultimately, however, I’m not sure I could tell these wings apart from some at chain restaurants, aside from the char-buff texture.
The appetizers are inventive, none more so than the Addy Balls, small chunks of chicken stuffed with pepperjack cheese and wrapped in bacon. The bacon is crispy and perfectly salty. The ground chicken gets a tiny kick from some southwest seasoning, and the provided ranch is a perfect dipping sauce.
But consistency is a major issue. Some are filled with cheese, while others are dry as a bone. The bacon is a bit overcooked as well. It’s not a bad appetizer, but not one worth seeking out.
Ditto for the Sweet Potato Waffle Fries, which have good flavor and are perfectly crispy when they arrive. But after a few minutes, they become soggy and disappointing.
Addy’s has some good things going for it, as its service is friendly and the prices are on par with other sports bars. But every positive is countered by an issue. There’s an opportunity for a really solid sports bar here, but Addy’s needs to execute a bit on the finer things to truly get there.