Varsity Sports Grill

[jstaylor62]

I really miss Varsity Sports Grill. My favorite things from their menu was their Clubhouse Club Sandwich made with TexASS Toast, the Santa Fe Burger and their homemade potato chips.

And not to mention, their sweet iced tea with both sliced lemon and oranges ...

[Pete]

It was quite the spot during the 80's, with very few other options.

For those who don't remember it was in the now-demolished Glenbrooke East building and took the space that was originally the famous Michael's Plum... Then I believe it was a rib place after that.

I was single and in my 20's during this time and The Varsity bar was quite the hangout as well as the T-Bar, adjacent to the old Split T.

And that was about it for nightlife in OKC at that time. My have times changed!

[HangryHippo]

And not to mention, their sweet iced tea with both sliced lemon and oranges ...

One of my favorite things that Johnnie's still does.

[mugofbeer]

Wasn't the rib place Tony Roma's?

[Pete]

Wasn't the rib place Tony Roma's?

Yes!

[Rover]

That was a good get at the time. It was out of Hollywood as I recall. First one I went to was on Rodeo Dr. Everyone was excited to have it come here.

[Midtowner]

I do miss the Varsity. That said, OKC's burger offerings have vastly improved since then with the addition of places like S&Bs and Irma's.

I do miss the Split T though, used to have a standing band gig there on Monday nights. Good times.

[Richard at Remax]

Says a lot when I was a kid and went to the Varsity, that was as far south (63rd) as we ever went

[Pete]

Says a lot when I was a kid and went to the Varsity, that was as far south (63rd) as we ever went

Haha... There wasn't anything further south.

Midtown was completely abandoned.

The only other "urban" area I ever saw even as a young single person was the Paseo for the old El Charrito (?) place. And we'd go to the Myriad every once in a while for a concert. That was about it.

[TheirTheir]

My favorite Club Sandwich.

[bchris02]

Varsity was where I had my first crown and coke after I turned 21. I'll always remember it for that.

[BayAreaOkie]

My wife and I met at The Varsity! Back in 1995-96 I lived on S. Meridian and got a job waiting tables at their new location. The first day I walked in to begin my shift, there was this incredibly beautiful woman getting the bar prepped to open for our lunch shift. We made small talk and eventually wound up going on a date -- that was 23 years ago and we are still together with a 22-year old son and an 18-year old daughter!

I think there were three owners -- Tad and Joanne Blood, Jim Burkett and I can't remember the 3rd (it might have been Pete Holloway) My wife was good friends with Tad, Joanne, and Jim and eventually wound up managing the Bricktown location for 8 or 9 years -- I only worked there about a year, but I became good friends with a lot of people, including Jim and Tad.

We actually did a "reunion" of sorts a couple of years ago - where we all met up at a restaurant near the old 63rd street location. Lots of great memories at The Varsity.

[okatty]

It was quite the spot during the 80's, with very few other options.

For those who don't remember it was in the now-demolished Glenbrooke East building and took the space that was originally the famous Michael's Plum... Then I believe it was a rib place after that.

I was single and in my 20's during this time and The Varsity bar was quite the hangout as well as the T-Bar, adjacent to the old Split T.

And that was about it for nightlife in OKC at that time. My have times changed!

Michaels Plum was a wild place! Late 70s into the early 80s crash - my gosh what a time in OKC.

[Pete]

^

The Plum was back in the days where you needed a 'members card' to get liquor by the drink. I still have one somewhere.

Hard to believe that law didn't change until 1984.

[cro]

Mike Buck? Anyone?

[BoulderSooner]

^

The Plum was back in the days where you needed a 'members card' to get liquor by the drink. I still have one somewhere.

Hard to believe that law didn't change until 1984.

it didn't change in some parts of dallas until just a couple of years ago

[okatty]

^

The Plum was back in the days where you needed a 'members card' to get liquor by the drink. I still have one somewhere.

Hard to believe that law didn't change until 1984.

I remember their free buffet on maybe Monday or Tuesday night. HA. That is impressive if you can pull up your card!!

Did the owners of MP also own the Velvet Dove ? Seems like I remember a connection between those places.

[BLJR]

Varsity also had bingo one night a week. A game every 30 minutes from 8-11:30 I think. Great times. We were regulars at the S Meridian location on bingo night.

[Tydude]

I went there once with my youth group after church and each table has its own speaker and you can turn the speaker to any games you want that was being shown on tv. That was the cool part.

[chssooner]

This is going to sound weird, but I used to go to the one on Meridian to watch WWE PPVs in the early 2000s. Rewatched one of them recently, and it made me sentimental.