Restaurant review by Pamela Holz, local chef and cooking show host
As I appreciate it when someone recommends a restaurant to check out, I was eager to try The Sand Bar on Madison Street in Sango. The food was reported to be quite good, and the environment was smoke-free. (A person’s sense of taste is intricately entwined with the sense of smell, and a smoky atmosphere can throw off being able to properly appreciate food’s flavor.)
A couple of friends agreed to explore the food with me. There was a handful of guys sitting at the bar when we arrived, but otherwise, we had our pick of seats. The bright red room with low ceilings is wide open. There were various sporting activities playing on several different televisions throughout the room.
Surprised by the smell of smoke, I realized that the patrons at the bar were smoking. Our server apologized, saying that if we objected, she would immediately have the patrons extinguish their cigarettes or take them outside, and she would spray some air freshener.
We decided that while the atmosphere was not what we were expecting, we would go ahead and stay for the food. The Beach Platter ($15.99)–wings, cheese sticks, baked pretzels and potato skins– was recommended, as was the newly introduced spinach artichoke dip.
While we waited for the appetizers to arrive, we talked over the entrees, which included Amazing Ribs ($15.99), Top Sirloin ($15.99), Grilled Salmon ($12.99), and Jamaican Chicken ($12.49). Pizza and flatbreads are available ($10.99), as well as four different salads ($6.99-11.49) and ten choices of different burgers and sandwiches ($9.49-9.99).
With a name like “Amazing Ribs,” they needed to be tried. Having heard that the burgers were great, we ordered the Tavern Burger, and upon the recommendation of our server, asked for it to be more on the rare side. In the spirit of St. Patty’s Day, we ordered the Rueben.
The appetizers arrived. The cheese sticks, described to us as being made of blue cheese with chives, seemed to be feta. Very salty, they had a cheesy squeak to them. The wings were tender, with a mellow flavor. The lightly salted baked pretzels were soft and served with a side of queso. The spinach artichoke dip, served with rather greasy tortilla chips, was creamy with a lot of spinach.
Our meals arrived as we were finishing up the appetizers. The Tavern Burger was an impressive sight, stacked high with fried onions. We laughed, trying to figure out how to possibly take a bite out of such a large burger. My friend managed to grab hold, and decided the best thing was to just keep eating and not let go. The Amazing Ribs were tough, and removing the meat from the bones was a challenge. The Rueben, served with a side of Thousand Island dressing, was piled full of corned beef and a bit of sauerkraut, but hadn’t been heated sufficiently to melt the cheese.
For the price of the food, I expected greater things. The server was very attentive, but the rest of the experience was less than I’d hoped.
The Sand Bar Sports Bar & Grill
2551 Madison St.
Clarksville TN 37043
931.368.9529
M-Sun 11 am- 3 am
*Smoke-free (at the discretion of the patrons)