Skinny Mike's, The Anti-Tacky Restaurant and Sports Bar

A winning restaurant concept is mightily becoming known since they have soft-opened this January.    It's really paradoxical for me, I've checked out Makati and the bustling areas around it for sports bars,  there are quite a number but I can't seem to find one that suits me or a foodie mom like me who might eventually get interests in sports, if persuaded.
And then there's The Fort area.
Here is another thing though, I was a bit saddened when I found out that Kebab! Kebab!  has closed down at their BGC branch, though a good authentic chicken inasal joint had replaced ir, JT's Manukan.   The building where it was  housed had undergone some serious face lifts as well and with it is the addition of Skinny Mike's Restaurant and Sports Bar on the second floor.

At one point I was a bit adamant on heeding  a friend's invitation.  Well for one, I'm not into sports, as much as I would want to be to keep up a better bond with my husband, I just could not seem to get the science of it in my nuts.   My husband was giddy when I told him about it,  but for me, I told myself "this is gotta be  another one of those musty places, where noisy, swearing men rules."

But you see I ate my words .   As soon as we stepped inside, a laid-back vibe is very eminent. Skinny Mike's is the kind of place that somehow seems to attract exclusively nice people.  Up on every table and visible corners are 20 42-inch LCD screens to cater to every sports the customers feel like watching.   They also have live satellite feeds of exclusive games from the US which includes Payperview boxing, UFC and the likes and how can we not put on the list the  grand-slam tennis matches.   One can also request to play  recent games which have been missed.   

It's a kind of place that will satisfy both the sports fan who wants to watch the game and his or her less athletically inclined date, where one can opt to see a movie instead of a game, but of course it is also related to sports somehow.

You can really see how the owners of the restaurant mingles with  every crowd, and they do know who the  first timers are, oh yes, they are that welcoming.   They make sure everyone is comfortably taken care of.

To top it all off, they serve really great and promising comfort food.  Oh yes, now we're talking.   

For newly opened establishments, birthing pains are apparent, such as slow poke service, amateur food presentation, well just to say a few, are examples.
But here you won't really know they've just opened, as you can see their menu is as openly honest about it, in fact, they will be having their grand opening on February 20.   Do add them on Facebook to get updates.

One tip you should not miss when going here though is to come fungry (slang word meaning f***ing hungry), sorry about the vulgarity but that's how I could best exaggerate the word and keep it apt.  Why, because you can expect the food to be in huge servings.   They do expect voracious sporty diners you know.   

Like this plate of Chips n' Cheese which serves 2 to 3 persons.  The nachos are perfectly toasted and an order has an equally tempting dip which is an amalgamation of melted different cheeses and chili.

We were also made to try their Boneless Buffalo Wings.   I bet this  to be an ultimate Super bowl  dish to knock down diners over with its punchy spicy taste with an undertone of honey sweetness sauce that  was evenly coated on each chunk of chicken meat.   For me what made this even more special is the blue cheese dip, which balances the spicy, sweet, salty and slightly sour tastes of the whole dish.

But of course sports bar can not be called one as such without having burgers in their menu.  Thus, I was taunted not to leave the place without savoring one.   Now, Tail Gate Classic remains by far one of the good burgers I have tried adding that to a short list.   Served with big crispy French fries, one burger can accommodate two sleek foodies like me.

So, what makes a good burger, you ask?  First, everything should be made from fresh ingredients.  From the bun, to the patty and down to the regular fix ins such as vegetables.  But what makes Skinny Mike's burgers better is the damn huge beef patty.  If you actually can still call it a patty.  Let me compare it's size with that of a baseball, just that it was flattened a bit not to roll down from the buns.   Of course it has to be juicy but not too much making everything soggy in time.    In this case I have to bravely deconstruct the burger in front of the chef.   Proving my point that this burger didn't fail to impress.   According to Chef Benny, he had the bread made customized on a certain bakeshop near his house using only his recipe.  Lastly, seasoning should be the key, making sure the patty is not salty but spiced just finely, also please no artificial seasoning.

For the sweet ending, a bragging slice of Apple Pie made way to our table.   Some may like it ala mode with vanilla ice cream, but same with how they present the dessert, I'm fond of it on it's own or with a meager doze of whipped cream.  According to the owners, Scott and Tyler, their apple pie recipe is an heirloom, and this one was made by one of the owners, Camille, who herself studied to be be a chef.   Here are the  details of how I enjoyed it.   I love here, let's begin with the crust.   The crust is flaky and a bit crumbly with a slight browning at the top.   Next, the filling is to die for.   The thinly layered thinly sliced apples have a good  consistency,  fragrant and all around delicious.  Granny Smith apples were used for that extra tartness.

There are muckle of things to expect here at Skinny Mike's, aside from the above mentioned, they do have two bars, one for their alcoholic concoctions and the other for their collection of brews.  Let me also say that this bar is a no smoking zone, but of course smokers are welcome just that  they are allowed to have it outside the restaurant.   Also, they want to get this across, that they are a family-friendly venue, where only good sports environment, that's relaxing and friendly is coupled with great selection of  food  and a great range of beverages is what they offer, no hanky- panky, no skinny ladies in revealing clothes, only clean fun.   Oh yes, moms and kids are welcome for a hefty brunch!

Skinny Mike's Restaurant and Sports Bar

Address:  32nd Av., Corner Justicia Dr., Fort Bonofacio Global City, 1634 Taguig
Contact Numbers:  02-823-9499/ +639178536998
Email :  skinny.mikes.sportsbar@gmail.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/skinny.mikes.sportsbar