Bites Nearby: Landre's Sports Bar & Grill

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Santee Patch picks a great restaurant, either in town or nearby, that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:



Overview: A hip new sport's bar in Santee, Landre's grand opening was last Friday and already they are proving this place is a winner! The restaurant was opened by a long-time Santee resident hoping to bring good quality food and the love of sports together in one establishment.

Landre's is a family restaurant with grown-up menu choices. From salads to steaks and scallops, those with a discerning palate will be pleased. Don't worry about your picky eaters, there is a kids menu as well!

Decor:  Outside of the restaurant is covered with decorations indicating their "grand opening," including the well known "" banner. Inside, the colors are red and yellow with signed jerseys, bats and banners everywhere.

There is outdoor and indoor seating and a huge dining room with very large seating capacity. Good for the whole team to come eat after the game! Some of the sporting memorabilia are from local Santee residents and a jersey signed by one of Landre's own staff members really puts a personal touch on the place. The waiting area even has authentic ball park seats straight from the stadium! 

There are at least a dozen large plasma TVs so no matter where you are seated you will have a great view of the game. The game area is one of the most appealing parts of the restaurant. There is a small TV and bean bags so little kids can watch a movie and several arcade games to entertain children while their parents are watching the game. We had a great time playing a few rounds of basketball while waiting for our appetizers. Steven claims he beat me but I think we need a rematch!

Entrees and Sides:  The menu features several daily house-made scratch soups, we tried the asparagus soup which was absolutely delicious! I will go back again just for the soup. The waitress told me the smoky clam chowder with chorizo is fabulous and is going to be a permanent item and now I can't wait to go back to try it. 

There is a long appetizer menu ranging from standard bar food like bacon and garlic fries to elegant crab cakes and pulled pork sliders. Happy Hour is from 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays, a VERY long and happy three hours, which features $1 off all drinks and $5 select appetizers. We had the bacon and garlic fries and pulled pork sliders. The sliders are served on a soft ciabatta bread with melted cheese and tangy BBQ sauce.  Three tasty sliders with a heaping pile of fries for $5 at happy hour. You can't beat that.

Steven had the I Di Pezzi Di Carne, I tried the Romaine wedge salad. The Romaine wedge (genius! who likes iceberg lettuce?) is a typical wedge with blue cheese, bacon, tomatoes and a large wedge of romaine heart. The toppings are more than generous, the lettuce is fresh, green and beautiful. 

The menu features several burgers and sandwiches that come with fries, and gourmet dinner entrees, such as the steak medallions with mushroom gravy, thyme mashers and sauteed summer squash- absolutely delicious. The steak is tender, the sauce very rich and flavorful. The veggies are perfectly cooked and they certainly don't skimp on mashed potatoes.

They have at least nine beers on tap, including four from our local , and many bottled options. After a couple pints at $4.50 (happy hour price) and a large meal, we went home very happy. 

Service: Very friendly, efficient service. Sit-down, full service family style restaurant.

Signature Dish: Daily specials and soup specials rotate.  Too early to tell yet what the signature dish will be, the waitress tipped me off that the menu may be expanding. 

We will be watching and waiting to see what more Landre's will have to offer, check back in with us soon!