Families And Sports Fans

Meet At Hot Shots Grille

The first thing customers see as they turn up the drive to Hot Shots Grille at 130 Mt Pleasant Road is the welcoming outdoor deck wrapped around the upper level of the restaurant overlooking the corner of Route 25 and Mt Pleasant. At the top of the driveway is plenty of free parking, and the main entrance to the restaurant and sports bar operated by Roland Bomova. It is an eatery as popular with families and travelers as it is with sports fans, pulling in a broad audience appreciative of the extensive menu that offers everything from wings to pizza, pasta, and filet mignon.

Jose Arias, a native of Costa Rica who has worked in local restaurants for more than a dozen years, including Café on the Green in Danbury and Redding Roadhouse, is the chef at Hot Shots. Patrons expecting the usual bar fare are pleasantly surprised by the lunch and dinner menu that reflect the chef’s pride in what he does, said Mr Bomova.

The main area has a long Z-shaped wooden bar with a dozen leather-seated barstools that look onto seven of the 22 flat-screen televisions in Hot Shots that provide nonstop viewing from any corner of the place. A number of other seating choices are available throughout: tables, bar tables, or banquettes as part of the crowd or in comfy corners, one of which features a cozy gas grill. A small partitioned area off to one side offers a more private setting at five tables. An upstairs room can host private parties or serve as a second lounge with DJ, and seats about 60.

The outdoor deck with 20 tables and a tiki bar draws crowds during warm weather months. Gamers will like the sunny front space reserved for two pool tables, arcade games, and a catch-your-own live lobster tank.

The extensive menu offers everything from slider burger appetizers to steak dinners, to lobster or Hot Shots’ popular baby back ribs. Diners can also choose from wrap sandwiches, grinders, and other sandwiches, and a special children’s menu includes a soda.

The thin crust pizzas, available in two sizes with a full range of toppings, the wings, and the smoked ribs are favorites with Hot Shots’ customers, said Mr Bomova.

Desserts are provided by Andrea’s Bakery in Newtown.

Everything on the menu, including weekly specials, is available for takeout.

Music is part of the environment, with soft sounds during the dinner hour, and livelier music later in the evening. Hot Shots also features specials such as 30-cent wings and $6 pitchers of beer each Monday night; drink specials of $1 drafts, $6 pitchers, $2 shots and $4 bomb shots during College Night on Tuesdays and Thursdays; Ladies’ Night on Wednesdays; and Karaoke Night with DJ Tony, back by popular demand, on Fridays. Hot Shots also features a DJ on Saturday evenings. Sunday is Sports Days when all of the televisions show all of the sports, all of the time.

Hot Shots Grille is open for lunch at 11:30 am daily, except Monday when it opens at 3 pm. Happy hour in the bar is from 4 to 7 pm weekdays.

The kitchen serves a full menu until 9 pm on Sunday; until 10 pm Monday through Thursday; and until 11 pm Friday and Saturday. Pizza is served until closing every night. The bar is open until 2 am on weekends; 1 am during the week.

All major credit card are accepted. To order takeout or for more information call 270-3373.