A New Type of Sports Bar

Before opening Bush League Sports Tavern in Northpark Mall, Jimmy “J” Mays and Chris Kana looked at a cross-section of metro restaurants and, according to Mays, “…realized there is a massive gap where locally owned sports bars are concerned, especially family friendly sports bars.” As Oklahoma City continues to expand its sports offerings, the opportunities for local operators to offer gathering places for hungry fans should increase proportionately, and Bush League is one of the first to move into that dining space.

“We thought Oklahoma City had a need for a family friendly sports bar,” Kana said. “But more than that, we wanted to focus on improving the quality of food you typically find in a sports bar, so we designed Bush League to be a place you can come watch the game with friends or family and still get a great meal.”

Kana and Mays are two of the owners of Killer Squid Hospitality (Cafe 7, Dado’s, The Hamilton), and in addition to creating a relatively large, 6800-square-foot restaurant with 42 televisions, two golf simulators, pinball, claw machines, and a live sports ticker, they also leaned into the explosion of interest in women’s sports.

“We have been here with The Hamilton for several years already,” Mays said, “and seeing the demographics of the people who matriculate around Northpark, we knew we had to be intentional in creating a space that appealed to women, and I have to admit I’m still shocked at the number of women’s friend groups who come in to watch a game and drink wine. We’re thrilled to have created a space for everyone.”

The Bush League menu had to reflect the emphases on women’s sports and family friendly dining without abandoning traditional sports bar fare. That could have led to an ungainly menu that tries to be all things to all people, but Mays, Kana and the kitchen team built a smart, flexible menu that relies on multiple uses of each ingredient, thereby expanding the menu without creating a storage and inventory nightmare.

Mays laughs when talking about the construction of the menu. “Believe it or not, the first version was a take on a French brasserie, and I’m convinced that an eclectic French menu would not translate well to an OKC sports bar, so I’m glad we took input and evolved the focus. We paid attention to trends –– maybe too much at times –– so there was a version that didn’t include burgers because of beef prices. Obviously, that idea didn’t last long.”

In addition to the traditional sports bar selections like chips, burgers, dogs, and sandwiches, Bush League has sections that allow guests to customize their experience, or in the case of the French fry flight, to have it all. The flight, most likely an homage to Hamilton regular Brittany Elder, features “skinny” fries, as well as waffle and curly versions, and yes, you can choose different sauces. The same is true for the Chicken Jockey section, that allows diners to choose among nuggets, tenders and wings, including a choice of sauces (gochujang, bourbon-garlic, buffalo, and garlic-parmesan) and dips (ranch, blue cheese, chili crisp, etc.).

One section in particular is emblematic of how unique Bush League is in the sports bar world. Called “The Business,” the items include a remarkable pork schnitzel with curry braised red cabbage, gochujang salmon, and cajun shrimp noodles. And under the sandwiches, two highlight the team’s thoughtful, localized approach: a falafel smash “burger” and the Banh Ahi, a Vietnamese style sandwich with seared ahi tuna.

Kana sums it up best: “We are a majority made-from-scratch kitchen, which I think is difficult to find in sports bar food. We have all of the sports bar classics, but with some new twists in preparation and our ingredient selection.”

The interior design is another pleasantly unexpected departure from typical sports bars. To “soften the edges” of what can be too sporty, too kitschy, and too cliché, Mays asked Rachael Gruntmier to take Hayden Royal’s elegant blue logo and peripherals to create a comfortable, inviting space with all the features you’d expect from a restaurant built around college and professional sports. She used a mixture of contemporary and vintage sporting equipment, imagery, and artifacts to create a bright, lively space, and the sectioning of main dining, private dining, bar, and simulator areas creates discrete experiences where different groups can enjoy different sports, different games, and different crowds.

Finally, the Bush League bar has already received a visit from Guinness beer’s North American ambassador to certify them as a “proper pour” location. Killer Squid used the same approach to Bush League as they did with The Hamilton, which is to say, they wanted serious drinks in a non-serious environment. Dining out is supposed to be an enjoyable experience shared with friends and family, and Bush League has all the elements needed to facilitate that goal.