By Myles Ma
Frank DeMarcello, manager at Sportsmens Pub, has worked in the food industry in Trenton and Hamilton for his entire adult life, and much of his adolescence. So when the 39-year-old says that his bar has the best pizza and burgers around, it’s not just an empty boast.
There is a lot to boast about when it comes to Sportsmens Pub. It might be the oldest sports pub in Hamilton, having stood at its Lalor Street location for about 50 years.
It is also home court to a number of crack pool players, including DeMarcello, who is pretty good with a cue stick himself. The bar hosts pool teams four nights a week in competitions sanctioned by the American Poolplayers Association and The Association for Pool, an amateur pool league.
Teams at Sportsmens Pub have gone on to compete in national competitions in Las Vegas.
“We have some pretty good pool players,” DeMarcello said.
The bar also hosts darts and poker competitions. The poker tournaments are held by freestakespoker.com, and held Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
At this time of year, though, Sportsmens Pub is a football bar. DeMarcello said the bar draws fans of every allegiance.
The bar offers an all-you-can eat deal for football fans on Sundays. For $45, you can eat all you can for the day, or pay $25 for a half day or one game, either from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. or from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The bar doesn’t just cater to sports fans. Since it is open until 2 a.m., Sportsmens Pub also gets plenty of business from night owls, including police officers and correction officers.
It also has a college night every Tuesday, drawing students from the College of New Jersey and Rider University to play Guitar Hero at the bar. Ladies Nights are Wednesday and Saturday, and women can drink for half price.
DeMarcello is looking to draw the state and county worker crowd, and he offers 10 percent off to all workers with ID all the time, with further discounts on Fridays.
“It’s a great deal to come here to eat and drink,” DeMarcello said.
Aside from the deals, DeMarcello names the food as a big draw. DeMarcello said bartenders from neighboring bars to sample DeMarcello’s menu.
DeMarcello often takes cues from customers when selecting his menu. The buffalo chicken pizza is one dish that was inspired by a customer’s suggestion.
He will also take orders for items that aren’t on the menu. He recalled a customer asking for french toast, definitely not a menu item.
But, DeMarcello reasoned, he knew how to make french toast, so he obliged.
“If I got the stuff here, I’ll make it,” he said.
DeMarcello is as much of an area staple as Sportsmens Pub. He grew up in Hamilton, graduating from Hamilton West in 1989.
He has worked in area restaurants his entire life, and lives with his wife and three children in the neighborhood near the bar.
Sportsmens Pub is open Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. For more information, call (609) 393-4464, or go online to sportsmenspub.com. The bar is having a holiday party for its customers on Dec. 19.
,
