After it was announced that Jake’s Gameday would become Tailgaters Sports Grill and Bar as part of an acquisition, the location in Northview Plaza has begun serving Tailgaters menu items.
The newly-redone bar at Tailgaters. Photo by Austin Wood.
Background
Located near the intersection of Plano Road and Northwest Highway, the space previously housed Go For It Sports Bar and Grill, Endzone, and most recently, Jake’s Gameday. In May, it was announced that Tailgaters, which has locations in Plano, Frisco and Wylie, had acquired the Jake’s Gameday locations from the owner of the Jake’s brand, MAD Concepts.
The bar initially retained the Jake’s Gameday menu — with the addition of Tailgaters’ 20+ wing flavors — for the first couple of months as the space was redecorated with Tailgaters branding and professional sports teams’ logos. The remodel also refitted the space with a brand-new lineup of big screen TVs.
Photo by Austin Wood.
After the recent completion of the redecoration, the former Gameday is now serving Tailgaters menu items.
Fried, fried, fried
The menu is extensive, kicking off with 18 appetizer options. The Tailgaters “Crowd Pleasers” are almost exclusively deep-fried in typical sports bar fashion. Classics like mozzarella sticks, pizza logs with marinara sauce, jalapeno bottle caps and onion rings sit alongside curiosity-inducing creations like fried avocado bites and philly rolls on the appetizer menu.
Touchdown Tacos are available with fried chicken, grilled chicken or steak, crispy shrimp, pulled pork or avocado.
An Umami chicken sandwich with Umami sauce and slaw highlights the sandwich offering, which also includes a Philly cheesesteak, wraps and a po’boy.
As previously mentioned, there is a plethora of chicken wing sauces and rubs to choose from. Buffalo, garlic parm, hickory and other familiar favorites are available alongside foreboding challenges like the “Bowel Breaker,” Scorpion pepper and “Saddle Burn.” In addition to the almost two-dozen wet wing sauces, the menu also includes lemon pepper, cajun, ranch, spicy ranch and spicy lemon pepper dry rubs.
Wings are available bone-in or boneless in portions of 6, 10, 15 or 20.
Burgers
While Jake’s branding has left the space, the brand has left its mark on Tailgaters’ burgers — which are all served with poppy seed buns. The basic cheeseburger is even named “The Jake”. The classic Jake’s Burger with 1000 Island Sauce, “a Texas favorite for over 35 years” as the menu touts, has also remained.
That’s not to say there haven’t been additions. A beyond meat burger offers vegetarian and vegan neighbors a safe play — there’s also a pretty run-of-the-mill salad menu. A pimento cheese and cowboy candy relish patty melt has also been added.
Six pizza options, ranging from cheese to buffalo chicken, are featured in the menu.
Entrees N Sweets
The entree offering keeps it brief for those bewildered by the abundance of other options found on the menu. A Southwest bowl, made with the customer’s choice of grilled protein served on a bed of rice and lettuce with salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, tortilla strips and more, offers comparatively light fare. Past that, neighbors can choose from catfish tenders, chicken tenders, chicken-fried steak or fish and chips.
For those with a sweet tooth, donut holes in cinnamon sugar and chocolate sauce, funnel cake fries and churros with ice cream bring plenty of sugar to the table.
The full menu can be found here.
Photo by Austin Wood.
Tailgaters has retained an extensive offering of draft domestic beer, with over 20 options on tap. The bar also offers daily drink specials.
Skillman and Walnut Hill
The Jake’s Gameday at Skillman St. and Walnut Hill Road, located in the former Picasso’s space, has yet to make the transition, and it is unclear when it will do so.
