Art & Jake’s finds success in healthier sports bar fare

Michigan-based Sports Bar chain Art & Jakes and I have something in common, aside from our love of seasoned french fries and carrot cake: We both do business in the state of Georgia. For those of you keeping track, which I understand is probably only my parents at this point, your girl is a licensed attorney in Michigan, of course, but also in the Peach State, home of Julia Roberts, Elton John and the late Jimmy Carter. (If you don’t believe me, Google it.)

Art & Jakes recently opened its newest Michigan location near the Eastwood Towne Center, atop the land that used to be Champps sports bar. The building was destroyed after allegedly being in such terrible condition that it was easier to tear down and rebuild. Doesn’t that feel terrifyingly close to what’s happening nationwide right now? Anyway, let’s drown our dystopian fears in street tacos and steak tips.

On my first visit, I immediately set my sights on the roasted kale salad ($15.95). I remember the days when kale was relegated to be a garnish on the Pizza Hut lunch buffet, but now I’m a fan of the dark, leafy green and have yet to meet a kale salad that I didn’t love. This one was unique. The kale was roasted at high heat to achieve a bit of texture before being topped with the other salad components, in this case sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, grilled chicken, dried cranberries, feta and balsamic vinaigrette. I know most of you won’t believe me, but this kale salad is the best thing on the menu. If you want to dip your toe into the kale salad pond and don’t want to spend 10 minutes chewing each bite, try this one. I loved it.

On a return visit, I tried the fire-grilled Cobb salad ($14.95), which left me crying for kale. The portion size can only be classified as “humongous,” and the sheer amounts of bacon and blue cheese surely eradicated any purported health benefits. This was one dimensional for me, and I also wondered about the suspicious absence of any avocado.

For my next trick, I placed a large takeout order for a family dinner. We started with the New York steak bites appetizer ($15.95), which was a good idea in theory. The menu promised thinly sliced New York strip steak on top of melted provolone cheese and toasted baguette, with a side of au jus for dipping. In actuality, the steak was cooked almost beyond recognition. The kids had a kids’ cheese pizza ($8.95), which was crispy, had a healthy amount of bubbly melted mozzarella and was, frankly, way better than any kids’ pizza has been in the past. They also shared an order of chicken tenders and french fries ($7.95), which elicited one of the most bourgeois comments my son has ever made when he said the fries were almost as good as the ones at the University Club pool. He further instructed me to write in my notes, “I give this a five-star french fry. Please, can I have way more!” (He is 7.)

Mr. She Ate had the steakhouse meatloaf ($18.95), which was a thick, juicy slab of savory-as-hell meatloaf served with a mound of mashed potatoes, sauteed zucchini and red bell pepper. In a world obsessed with protein intake, get yourself a slice of meatloaf. It’s cozy and comforting and is so much more fun to eat than cottage cheese. I love cottage cheese, for the record, but on that snowy night it would have hit differently.

I chose the shawarma chicken bowl ($18.95) because I’m a total sucker for unexpected dishes on the menu of a sports bar. I’ve come to realize recently that I love my chicken shawarma with pickles, and this version had plenty of them, along with lots of crisp cucumber and tomato. The garlic sauce was runnier and less potent than I’m used to, and the rice wasn’t the typical Middle Eastern rice pilaf, but again, we’re talking about a sports bar. The kale salad is still my clear winner, but the shawarma bowl is a solid option.

We also picked up a slice of the carrot cake ($12.95), which was humongous. Think of it as a slab of multi-layer carrot cake. The cream cheese frosting was way too sweet for my preferences, which meant everyone else in my family loved it.