Billy’s Sports Grill is a standard American bar and grill. Nothing fancy but always reliable. It’s one of my favorite happy hour spots.
These sorts of smaller, independent sports bars are a dying breed, which is a shame. Many of these types of restaurant eventually got edged out by national chains like Buffalo Wild Wings and larger regional chains like Mugshots. And don’t get me wrong – I enjoy both B-Dubs and Mugshots in a pinch.
But Billy’s Sports Grill has soul. Billy’s has character. Billy’s has history. And Billy’s has some of my favorite wings.
The menu at Billy’s Sports Grill is both familiar and broad
Sharing a couple of appetizers at the bar makes a fine date night: wings, queso, and fried olives are good bets.
I prefer hard-fried wings and there is a double-fried option on the menu. The traditional Buffalo sauce is my suggestion. It’s classic and simple, probably Crystal hot sauce with a bit of butter.
The queso is better described as a rotel dip. The fried olives are battered and fried mozzarella cheese balls with bits of chopped olive.
Sandwich coverage is on point: a turkey club, a patty melt, a French dip, and a few standard burger configurations. They offer a handful of salad options as well. The menu is big. Maybe too big. I tend to stick to the basics.
The bar is exactly what you’d expect. Billy’s is a sports bar. Order accordingly. They also run a mean happy hour with daily specials.
My recommendation: sit at the bar in the afternoon on a Saturday. Have a few drinks and some bar food. Watch a game or talk to the locals.
Here’s a direct link to their menu.
Billy’s Sports Grill started out in English Village in Mountain Brook in 1979 and expanded to Liberty Park in 2007. The Mountain Brook location closed in 2019. Billy’s nostalgia-factor is right up there with Ranelli’s Deli.