ESPN Zone

DEAR Unilocal STOP DELETING MY REVIEWS!!!
Now that i have got that out of the way, yes i know the ESPN Zone is closed down but it was a gem in Times Square while it lasted. In fact this place made it bearable for me to even walk through the ‘tourist trap’ area because i just wanted to be with other sports junkies like myself. Yes sometimes there would be ‘those parents’ who would bring their annoying loud kids, but overall it was legit. Sure the drinks were overpriced and so was the food, but it was more of the experience of going. I loved the big screen TV’s upstairs and literally sports on all the time, ahh pinch me i’ve died and gone to sports heaven it’s awesome baby with a capital A (Dicky V voice) The staff there wasn’t bad always very helpful, i like the food, especially the honey glazed boneless wings platter with fries and a side of bacon, R.I.P. ESPN Zone you were good to me while you lasted !!!
Wish they could have closed down Hard Rock Café and kept ESPN Zone!!!

Oh man! I can’t believe that this place closed down! I’d been wanting to stop by again for a few months because I had a pretty good time the last time I was here, and now they’re closed. I’m not a huge sports fan, but a lot of my friends are, and since we all work in the area we’d often head over to the Zone after work to pal around, eat a little, drink a lot and catch up. I would never have expected a Times Square sports themed restaurant to be a quiet and cozy as it was, and I’m actually a little bummed that it’s gone.
They had a pretty good beer selection, and the bartender was generally good with keeping the drinks flowing. The food was okay – nothing that surpassed pub food, and the staff always seemed more interested in each other than in the customers, but that kind of added to the appeal for me. We were never rushed out, and even though we’d sometimes get loud we were never asked to quiet down. The arcade part was pretty cool too, and it was fun to play some of the older video games. This was a good hang out spot, I’m gonna miss it.

Nicht billig, aber es ist ja NYC, aber sehr lecker. Portinionen dafür riesig. Typisch american Sportsbar: burger, pommes, aber auch steaks, salate und mehr und:
alle Sport-​live-​Übertragungen auch zig Fernsehern.
I love it!
Not cheap, but hey its NYC, nothing is cheap here!
Huge portions like burgers ‘n fries steaks or even salads;
And of course live coverage of all live sports events on dozens of tv’s.
Love it!

My heart was shattered to find out they closed… I only had two more Zone locations to visit to finish my collection and say I had been to them all. I was one of those that loved sports and the quarterback game they had so much it was my mission to visit all of them. This is soooo sad– now what?
The food was ok but the games and sports entertainment especially in the reclining chairs with someone waiting on you was so awesome. See it is usually me serving the guys during games at home… I was able to switch the roles here and I am more of a football fan than anyone at home…
*sigh* this is just sad that when in NYC, DC, CA, Denver, Baltimore I no longer have a Zone to step into and play in for a while.

CLOSED?!
Interesting.
Like everyone else said, this is definitely a touristy spot but also a great place to pop in while perusing Times Square to grab a drink, rest your feet, and stare at the 92 829 181 big screens to watch some game that’s going on.

Wow, I was shocked to learn that five ESPN-​Zone locations closed in June, including this one cause I was just there this past April celebrating my birthday weekend!
Well, I had a really good time when I went to this location!
Yeah, the hostesses were a little rude when I first walked in & all the TV’s had no sound which I thought defeated the purpose of people going there to watch a game,.but when I went up stairs I got waited on by the nicest cutie who kept bringing me free drinks! :-)

Sadly closed but a great place to eat and drink while watching a game. It is a touristy spot but the environment is the best thing. You have a fans watching the games with you, which makes it 10 times more exciting. The food is expensive for what you get but like I said before, it is expected as it is a tourist attraction in Times Square.
Food: 4
Décor: 5.5
Service: 4
*ratings out of 10

R.I.P Espn Zone. I really liked going to the Game Room here. I liked the college basketball game they had and some oldies like Sega World Series and NBA Showtime.
The food though was nothing really to write home about. It was very pricey. Nothing really that great for the prices they charged.
Still, they were definitely a staple in Times Square area. I am still a little suprised such a big spot would close those doors that quickly. I guess there is always the one in California next time you are in that area.

Based on the hype of its last day of business (along with a 70%-off liquidation sale), ESPN Zone was packed with patrons and a long line of people waiting to get in. Yet, when it was all over, there wasn’t much sadness or sense of loss. It was an event that many wanted to be a part of, so they can be a witness — a witness to create his/​her own «I-​was-​there-​the-​night-​before-​ESPN-​Zone-​closed-​its-​doors-​for-​the-​final-​time» moment.
But in honor of this long standing Time Square attraction, I say this in remembrance:
We remember the angst from the pressure to order $ 10 in food/​drinks every hour like Magic fans do each time Dwight Howard steps up to the free throw line.
We will remember the food like we do Stephon Marbury’s NBA career — mediocre and overpriced.
We will remember the patronage like we do attendance for Florida Marlins games — empty seats and tables on a regular (game) nights.
Lastly, like Vince Carter’s career, we will remember how ESPN Zone drew crowds based on novelty and the occasional flashes of brilliance. But in the end, just like Carter during crunch time, you went out on a whimper rather than a bang!

Rest In Peace ESPN Zone.
Your reign in NYC and the rest of the US is officially over. Spendy prices and a bad economy did to you what has been happening to Las Vegas for the last two years. Yet tonight the crowds still came and like I, waited in line like it was a club. Tourists, locals, and celebrities all paid homage to you, a prominent figure in the Times Square landscape, one that will be changed indefinitely with your departure.
And yet, employees I spoke with seemed indifferent, far from sad but certainly not upbeat. Some were moody, many were slacking, and the majority treated it like a celebration. The 70% off gear was in ruins by the time I arrived and will now go to charity, hopefully to dress someone who has far less than you.
In a stroke of good luck, I somehow stayed immune to this ridiculous $ 10 per person, per hour charge, and was able to enjoy some crappy overpriced bar food, while watching the Boston Celtics get murdered by the Lakers. And even though the NBA Finals still has one night of play, it seems tonight was your game seven.
I bid thee farewell and a bow for your years of keeping tourists engaged in broadcasts of all things sports. You’ve forever stained my memory as a landmark and as a last resort sports bar, but alas, nothing is forever, but I do hope something much better (like a giant In-​N-​Out) takes your place.

I studiously avoid chains, but was desperate to watch the Sharks in the western conference finals.
Hotel didn’t have Versus and I was dragging my 12-​year old niece through Times Sq waayy past her bedtime, so we needed a decent place to go that wasn’t a sleazy testosterone pit.
We couldn’t have had a better time! After explaining our plight to the host, he made sure we got great seats. Our server Joi was so sweet and attentive… we felt totally comfortable and turns out we weren’t even the only ‘girls’ there.
Food was great and not as expensive as expected. Niece totally loved the gigantic cookie sundae that was perfefct for sharing. She also loved the in-​bathroom TVs. (-:

Lots of space, cool lounge chairs, and a lot of TVs to watch your favorite games.
The downside is that the staff is not very attentive. You are usually hanging with a bunch of tourists from the Times Square district. its hard to get a crowd of friends in the same area unless you reserve way in advance, and the food is bleh and the drinks are expensive.

I’m a huge sports fan and I had never been to the ESPN Zone before so after a show, my wife took me there to grab some dinner and watch the 2^nd round of the NCAA tourney.
Thought the place would be full due to the tourney, but we didn’t have to wait at all. There was a decent amount of people, but it definitely wasn’t full by any means.
After awhile (10 – 15 minutes), our waitress came to take our drink order and because it took so long we gave her our dinner order as well. Another 20 minutes later our food came out, but we still had not received our drinks. How difficult is it to grab a diet coke and a water? Really glad that I didn’t order a beer or anything more complicated or else I might still be waiting for it. Yes, I’m over reacting a bit, but a place like the ESPN Zone should thrive on drink orders while people are watching the games. I thought we might be the only table with poor service, but the guys at the table next to us had to get up and snag a random employee to ask for refills on their beers. Ridiculous, right?
Food was decent, but like others have said, you can get the same quality of food with much better service elsewhere.

A quick pitstop for a drink and app. I didn’t expect much more than your typical sports bar. Hence, expectations were met.
Plenty of tvs. Plenty of people watching sports. A menu of pub food.
I had my norm of greygoose on the rocks and a coke. Rocks glass was a generous size — phew! They use solid ice so the melting process is slower — tastier vodka!
Hot buffalo wings were not as hot as I thought it would be especially when they have a medium version. Other than that, it was indeed tasty and not dried out meat.

I sat at the bar and didn’t order a thing aside from water — no one said a thing and the bartender still checked up on me ocassionally to make sure all was well — I did this throughout the entire 2010 Rose Bowl.
The restaurant was jam packed as it was New Years Day — kids playing games, families waiting for seats, people just stopping in to take pictures — but it really wasn’t all that loud and the game was easily heard — until the Buckeyes scored and the crowd errupted in cheers.
Big and commercial — who cares? Still a Buckeye bar when the team is playing. O-​H!

Crowded with tourists, expensive, plus you need to pay an additional $ 1 just for the game card itself. I had a not-​so-​good experience with the bartender in the arcade section. I went with a group of friends and one of them got water so I asked the bartender, who was so «busy» making money, nicely if I can please have a cup of water and he mumbled a few words saying, «Not right now», etc, etc, etc.
So like a minute later, my friend went with me and my friend asked and got a cup of water instead (when I was standing next to him), which took him only a mere few seconds and he saw me standing next to him. WHAT THE HELL, MAN? What is this, no free water for Asians?
Anyway, so to speak about the arcade, not that bad but I usually hate waiting in lines to play a game, but it’s Times Square, which I hate going to places that are filled with tourists… I loved the bowling though, but the points were wasted too fast. Not worth it and too expensive.

«AMERRRICA… F**K YEAH!!»
Tonight was a classy mix of sports, alcohol, consumerism, and buffalo wings. Does it get any better?
Truly, ESPN Zone was the penultimate place to take my two favourite Brits for an American night out. Complete with a cutie bartender, fantastic company, sliders, a playoff game, chocolate cake shots, bitchy New York girls who scammed our seats, and a full round of arcade games, it couldn’t have been more patriotic. The proof is in that «I’m so full it hurts» feeling that is still lingering hours later.

Only checked out the video games.
Fishing was actually required more energy than I expected.
Ping pong = waste of your money and it was rather pathetic.
Bowling and Air Hockey were the ones that deserved true recognition.
If you come with friends, I’d recommend getting 90 points for 25 dollars, you think you’ll never run out of points but you actually do especially at the prices they charge here!

A theme restaurant. Play arcade games while you wait for your table to keep you entertain. This restaurant is a loud as a monster truck. It’s good for the sports enthusiast as there are nearly hundreds of giant flat Hi Def TV’s including a private screen room to satisfy your appetite. If you love sports and arcade games you can be here all day and you’ll need to shell out a lot of money for arcade games. The games and giant flat Hi Def TV’s can be addicting for sport or game enthusiasts.
I would not recommend this for a romantic dinner for two or an engagement prospal.

Food was completely average. We got great service from our waiter Matt and saw similarly well motivated wait staff doing the same, so props for that. Good place to watch a game, though they do impose a $ 10/​hour minimum on your tab when the New York teams are on TV.
I think i’d probably check someplace else out next time I’m in the mood for a burger just to see if I can find something better.

ok except for the rude Notre Dame fans– This place is the best for watching any type of sports in the world. Yes the world. This is the best sports bar I have ever been —
I love the booths with the private TVs — so you can watch all the games that you want. The desserts are amazing — and the large screens reminds me of the sports books in Vegas.
So– if I have my SC game on — and I am in NY– thats where I want to be.