Arena Sports Bar & Grille

Not content to conquer only the realm of family-style breakfast eats, Family Pancake House owner Robert Mathwig decided to try his hand at creating a classic sports bar with delicious eats and a variety of drinks. To that end, he helped his chefs assemble a menu of bar fare gussied up with fine ingredients, from asiago, parmesan, and romano mac 'n' cheese to beer-battered Alaskan cod served with chips.

The standard-with-a-twist dishes arrive at tables awash in the electronic glow of 15 flat-screen TVs and a jumbo projector screen broadcasting stimulating sports action or congressional-subcommittee meetings. Contests of skill play out on two pool tables, and outdoors, a patio with heated seating fends off Jack Frost's touch.