Epinions.com Meet and Greet venue.ESPN ZONE, More than just a sports bar.
Written: Sep 15 '03 (Updated Mar 31 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Any sport any time of day. The screening room is awesome!!
Cons: Can get packed at major sports events.
The Bottom Line: The noise level may be up a bit. So is the service, food, and choice of sports to watch.
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| popsrocks's Full Review: ESPN Zone |
It's said that if you stand on the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway you will meet every person you have ever known.
Well, I had the opportunity to meet over 30 people on this very corner in one day alone! Epinions.com had what they call a Meet and Greet. Top brass of the California based company flew in to meet some of the community that make up the company. This community of people who write reviews for Epinions.com are the heart and soul of the company. They are known as Epinionators. A few people from Deal Time were there too. If you ever considered writing a review for this site, do know, that the company took us out on this venture on their quarter. It's one of the small perks we received. This guy appreciated it.
Now did the Company brass and the Epinionators stand on the corner of 42nd and Broadway waiting for each other? No! Instead they went into the place that has its business on that very popular corner. We all met inside the ESPN Zone in one of its meeting rooms.
Update March 2006
After a successful M&G of Epinions staff and writers two years aog, it was agreed that we would return to the ESPN Zone for the meet on March 25, '06. Our meeting was a huge success and I have to give the Zone props for a job well done. The food was excellent and the waitstaff extremely attentive. What more could we ask for. Well next time as the numbers continue to rise we may need a bigger room. Good job ESPN Zone!!
End Update
A MOST COMPLETE SPORTS RESTAURANT
The ESPN ZONE is a national company that has other restaurants in Anaheim, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, New York, and Washington DC.
This place is much more than a restaurant, in fact it could be classified as a destination. Though food is served and enjoyed, many people come here for one reason only. SPORTS!
In the Zone, you can purchase sports souvenirs like footballs, basket balls, soccer balls, and t-shirts.
or
just go in in for casual lunch or dinner with screens displaying sports games every minute of the day.
or
you can spend time in one of the best all round sports and action arcades in the city.
or
you can go in pumped up to watch your favorite team play a game in an atmosphere of thrills and excitement only rivaled by the likes of a frenzied crowd in a packed horse race grandstand, yelling, screaming, and shouting in the last seconds of a big stakes race!
The ESPN Zone in New York is a multi-leveled venue of fun and excitement.
From the entrance at 42nd and Broadway you enter the doors to find a doorman helping you to find your way around.
Many people come in for a meal as a break from a day of site seeing. The main restaurant for those looking for a little sports and a good lunch or dinner is on the main floor as you enter.
To get on line to make reservations for seating at the 1st floor Studio Grill that may have you waiting 30 to 45 minutes for a table, you are asked to walk or take the elevator up to the floor number 3. The guy at the door will tell you what the approximate wait time is. At first you may question as to why this traveling upstairs is done, that is, until you get to that floor and see what's at hand.
THE ARCADE AREA
The top floor of the complex has a small line to the reservations desk. You wait about five to ten minutes to get your name on a list. The restaurant does have many tables, and people are moving in and out at a steady pace. After giving your name and size of party, they give you one of those pager things and then let you loose with some free time.
These people are smart, they already brought you up to the top level and you have a thirty minute wait. Well you may as well spend more money in their place. Get in line to purchase some cards that give you playing time some the one of the hundreds of high tech, interaction sports, and physical action games.
The cards are purchased for use of games that is done on a point system. Each games play value is tallied in points. You may purchase cards with different point values. $5.00 buys you 15 points. You swipe this card in the arcade game and play. Here is a list of point value on cards and the prices.
$005.00=15 points
$010.00=40
$020.00=90
$025.00=125
$050.00=300
$100.00=700
Seven hundred points is a lot of playing. I noticed most games had a 1.5 to 4.00 point value.
There are video sports games galore. There are basket ball shooting opportunities, a small ball bowling alley, all kinds of racing games, shooting galleries, and just about any high tech cutting edge games that are out.
This level is noisy with the sounds of games being played. I noticed that there were no games that were not operational while I was there. They seem to maintain their equipment well.
Also, for those twenty one and up, there is a bar there. In fact there is a bar on every level as are clean restrooms.
MAIN FLOOR, The STUDIO GRILL
So your pager goes off and you make your way down the elevator or spiral staircase with interesting 3d sports art. Through the staircase you can also see the street below. Take a look, you are in Times square!
The restaurant has the ultimate sports bar feel. Tables are situated in a few different rooms. Some are right on 42nd street if you like people watching out the window while other members of your party are studying one of the hundreds of monitors and TVs hanging throughout the place.
The restaurant offers American food. Just think Salads, Manhattan Clam chowder, wings, burgers, chili dogs, sandwiches, pastas, and also a couple of nice fish dishes.
I have been here once before. At the time I had a Blue cheese and apple walnut salad that was excellent. It had mixed greens and raisins. They offer four or five good selections of salads.
The Penne and Chedder, Fettuccini Alfredo, and sun dried tomato and penne dishes looked good for the non meat eaters too.
I didn't eat a regular burger there but the ESPN burger sure looked good. They also offer a couple of different kinds of turkey burgers too.
The atmosphere in the main "tourist" restaurant downstairs is noisy and upbeat. It is a fun place to go. Adults and kids will like it.
There is a bar as you enter. It seats about 16 people and some were eating there too.
Also on this bottom level is the ZONE STUFF store. ESPN and sports souvenirs can be purchased here. I suppose if your party stayed down stairs while just one person went up to make reservations they still have a way to try to take more of your money. Some of the smaller souvenir basketballs and footballs were priced at $12.00. Sports and ESPN T-shirt, Jerseys, post cards and the like are here.
The SCREENING ROOM
Real sports fans over twenty one years of age, this place is for you!!
This room was awesome. Think giant screen monitors, I mean huge, with score board readings of all kinds of sports and games posted all over the place.
This room was pretty much set up in tiers like a supper club might be. A lower ring of tables and chairs were closest to the multi screens in front. Another foot up or so going back away from the screens would be another ring of tables and chairs. There are about five or six levels that finally make their way up to a bar that sits about fifty people who are all facing the screens. Behind the bar is a standing room area. This place rocked!!
It was active when I first went into the restaurant a little before 1:00PM. When I was leaving our meeting at 4:00PM the place was in a frenzy!! Guys, for the most part are here, along with a smattering of hard core sports gals.
The screening room was where the serious sports fans spent there time and money. I never saw the menu on this level. I did see most of the same kind of fare that was served downstairs.
Also behind the bar area is the control panel station for the whole place. It was interesting watching the engineer setting up games on the over twenty four monitors in front of him.
ESPN also broadcasts live radio shows. I didn't get the schedules, however they are listed on their web site.
The SKYBOX
Epinions.com had their Meet and Greet in the Skybox. This is a room set up like any sports sky box you may be familiar with. The front area that overlooks the action, in this case a full view of the Screening room and the huge screens, is a ceiling to floor glass window. You are looking down and those below can look up and behind at you if they choose.
The room is set in a comfortable "living room type setting. Big soft lounge chairs and coffee tables for drinks and eats are all around.
We were a party of a few less than forty. The room could have easily taken another twenty or so as we confined ourselves to chat in just part of the room.
A bar at the end offered us beers, wines, and soft drinks. They had a fellow that kept us with a drink in hand at all times. Once he knew what I was drinking he had another one in my hand before the first was even finished. He worked the room like that. I never did have to go to the bar myself.
A four or five tray spread was out for us. A pan with cooked vegetables started the row, followed by chicken finger, and chicken wings. There were some breads also. A note to those there, I know this wasn't the exact order of trays!
A topic of conversation were the hamburgers they had out for us. These weren't the kind they served with fries downstairs. These were much smaller, thinner meat, and some cheese. If you know what White Castle Burgers are like then you know what these are like. ESPN's were slightly larger. The slang names for White Castles offerings were named as "Sliders and Belly Bombers".
These burgers were different, yet good, though they may turn someone off who has never seen them before. They are not a good old fashioned hamburger.
The atmosphere was perfect for our meeting. The service was good, the food ok, however the other Epinionators, Epinions staff and Deal time people were all fun and interesting to meet and talk too. There was some business chat and a whole lot of personal and group conversations with lots of laughs and picture taking. Some of the group got together and went out afterward. The Epinions people had some little "EP people" and "EP hats" to give out to the Epinionators. I took a hat for my good friend Ed on the site who has been anxiously awaiting a new one.
This Skybox area was great for us, at the same time I could see it being a great place to see big games too. It's like having your own ticket to a skybox seat at a sports venue. Hey, this is a skybox!!
The ESPN Zone did well for us. If you are here for sports you will love it!! So, instead of standing outside on 42nd and Broadway looking for old friends, why not join them inside this happening place.
Times Square Restaurants
Stardust Diner A good place before a show in Times Square. Aspiring actors are here. / The Manhattan Chili Company good quick eats before a show. / ESPN Zone A sports bar, arcade, and MORE! / TGI Friday's Times Square Location. / Pig'n'Whistle, a great Times Square Pub / Ollies, Broadway / Cold Stone Creamery Right on 42nd Street / Osteria Stella A great find in the Times Square area / Tavern on the Green in Central Park / The Boathouse Cafe in Central Park
Nearby things to do
The Empire State Building / Radio City Music Hall A Spectacular place to see a show! / Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum / Times Square, the Heart of NY / Times Square Visitors Center
The INTREPID Sea-Air-Space MUSEUM It's a good one! / The BEAST a thrill ride tour of The Statue of Liberty. It's fantastic!! / Central Park So much to see and do any time of year! / CENTRAL PARK ZOO / The Metropolitan Museum of ART A fifteen minute walk uptown from the Zoo on 5th Ave. / Museum of Natural History across from Central Park West
TKTS half price tickets to Broadway
Aida, the Broadway Play Great show at half price / Thoroughly Modern Millie A 6 Tony award winner Broadway Play / The LION KING / The Boy From OZ A new play on Broadway
Two mid-town Hotels
Grand Hyatt Hotel, NYC
New York Hilton
Something is Missing A Tribute to the good people and the twin towers that were lost on 9/11 9/11 Tribute
Philippe Petit's Walk across the TWIN TOWERS
Lower Manhattan's 9/11 Memorial sites
The Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island
Castle Clinton National Memorial
Battery Park Home of the temporary 9/11 memorial.
SOUTH STREET SEAPORT
NY WATERWAY Tour NYC by boat.
Federal Hall National Historic SiteDowntown across from Wall Street, our first Capitol Building was there.
Jewish Heritage Museum
St Paul's ChapelA living Memorial to 9/11
Greenwich VillageIt's Hip and Happening
Millenium Hilton., directly across from ground zero. They have reopened!A great location to all that is downtown
Recommended:
Yes
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