Two drinks: Bambooz Bar & Grill

Thursday is "Any Burger and Fries are only $5" day at Bambooz’s new Wilder location. (Credit: Tony Jones | Metromix)

Bambooz, formerly of Highland Heights, is now within Wilder’s city limits. I’d been to its former digs, and as I would learn, the bar’s location isn’t the only thing that’s changed. It remains a decently convenient drive for the NKU-centric, though.

The old place hung out among the trees and homes of Highland Heights, but the new locale is much bolder, slotted between an IGA Express and UDF. That might sound like a tight fit for people who know the area, but there’s parking in the back.

Intrigued by the involved stream of social media I’d noticed over the past months, I stopped by with my friend Chris during NFL playoff time to see what was going on.

The look: In line with their Facebook promotions, the sports factor has been ramped up in the new venue. I left the night having my memories of the old spot’s hookah and hushed lighting colored by shiny flatscreens and school spirit. Not all is forgotten – we caught a pipe surveying the action from above, and the bar’s trusty panda logo still guards the front.

You may find yourself struck by an urge to sit at the bar when you walk in; the interior is aligned to make you the center of attention when debuting through the main entrance, so, despite the other seating solutions, sidestepping the island feels weird. Yup, if the house isn’t packed, nobody’s going to miss your arrival – perhaps least of all the guy shooting pool on your right (to be continued).

The crowd: A light gathering of four or five folks joined us at the counter to watch football on the TVs overhead. The dude shooting pool earlier had since moved on to loading cash into the TouchTunes jukebox before grabbing a seat nearby. He seemed to be on good terms with the bartender, and we struck up conversation .

The drinks: Throughout the match-up, Chris and I completed an AmberBock ($3) and PBR ($2) from the tap, which was otherwise filled out by Bud and Miller variants. Later, I switched to a bottle of Smithwick’s for $4.50. If you’re feeling Hookah-y, their flavors include grape, double apple, mint and melon.

The grub: Much to our dismay, we’d just missed the kitchen. Too bad…the chalkboard items looked promising. Bambooz offers 50-cent wings on Tuesdays and the daily specials include homemade lasagna and rib eye steak.

The verdict: I like it as an easy sports bar – just keep those pool skills sharp. Happy hour is 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday, and they feature live music on weekends.