It’s week 14 readers, and the NFL season is almost over. This week’s game brings us local hero and grocery bagger Kurt Warner and his Arizona Cardinals versus the San Francisco 49ers.

For the game the Pints & Pigskins crew explores the Cedar Rapids flood zone with a visit to Mr. Bs on
629 Second Ave. SW. This bar is one block off of
First Avenue and nestled on a corner in a residential area. I can’t believe I’ve never noticed this place before, but I’m glad that one of my friends told me
to check it out.

Mr. B’s is a pretty small place with a three sided bar providing most of the seating, but they have a few other tables throughout the bar for larger parties. I wasn’t able to make out any sort of theme to this bar, but if I’m pressed, I’d have to say it was ‘woodsy,’ with some wood paneling, hunting items and the wood tables. Since this place was flooded out, everything is new and actually pretty nice.

While this place isn’t a sports bar, they did have eight TVs and were kind enough to kill the music during the game. Since the bar was pretty small, there were only a few ‘dead areas’ where people didn’t have a good view of the game.

Mr. B’s offers some Monday night specials, such as $2 bottles and 12-ounce cans and $8 for a large single-topping pizza. I know a deal when I see it, and 50 cents an inch for pizza is pretty good. For a menu, they offer sandwiches, fried appetizers in addition to pizza. Across the board, the food prices looked on the lower side, so that was a nice surprise.

Unfortunately, the night the Pints & Pigskins crew visited Mr. Bs, the kitchen was closed, so we couldn’t enjoy their tasty treats, but I plan on going back to try their pizza because everyone I spoke with at the bar said it was excellent. The bartender was nice enough to allow us to order in food, so the night was saved.

Mr. B’s is a nice, out of the way bar where you can
get a cold beer, cheap good food and a prime TV watching spot for the next game. Put this little known place on your list next time and be as pleasantly surprised as I was.
— DEREK

It’s reader suggestion time for Pints and Pigskins. Thank you Perry for the recommendation of the Stadium Lounge at 957 Rockford Rd SW in Cedar Rapids. We are now three full months into the NFL season, and with the last two Monday Night games being subpar, week 12 finally brings us a top tier matchup of the New Orleans Saints versus the New England Patriots.

The Stadium Lounge is a nice little bar located right across from the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, otherwise known as The Stable to RoughRider’s fans, and Veteran’s Memorial Stadium where the Kernels play. The bar isn’t that large, but they have a lot of seating, including a long bar table stretching out from a sizable television, which was perfect for
the Monday Night Pints & Pigskins crew. The décor inside is sparse,
with RoughRiders, Kernels, Hawkeye and Cyclone gear along with the normal beer company posters and neon signage.

Standard beer choices are on tap, along with bottles and tall boys. The Stadium Lounge offers both normal and ‘mini’ pitchers. I never quite understood the concept of a mini pitcher, but I guess some people like to feel like giants when pouring their beers. Normal pitchers were quite reasonable at $6.50 each.

The Stadium Lounge serves food and offers both broasted chicken and fish, in addition to sandwiches, burgers and salads. They also run a unique daily food special, so be sure to check out what the kitchen is offering that night. They also have some pretty great appetizers; large chicken wings with 5 unique sauces and the crown jewel — fried macaroni and cheese. I’ve never seen this on a menu before. You have to try it for yourself. I’m now a fan.

If you have only been to the Stadium after a RoughRiders or Kernels game, you are missing out. This was a great spot to check out the game, so throw it into your rotation when you are trying to decide where to go.
— DEREK

Week 11 of the NFL season’s Monday Night line up features the Tennessee Titans verse Houston Texans. This matchup looked good at the beginning of the season, but the fall of the Titans makes this a real snoozer matchup. Regardless, watching an NFL game is a great way to break in the workweek. This week’s stop on the bar tour is Mahoney’s, 1602 E Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids.

Mahoney’s is a tiny bar located in a residential area a few blocks off First Avenue. If you haven’t checked it out, put it on your list. They have an extensive beer menu of both draft and bottled beer. Unique beers and seasonals are always moving in and out of this place, so even the most astute beer connoisseur should find something they like.

This place is probably the smallest bar reviewed to date, but the staff was kind enough to rearrange a few tables to fit the tour crowd. Four of the five HDTVs are on the wall behind the bar. Two of the TVs are 42”s, which is just fine, given the size of the place.

Mahoneys had a Monday Night football raffle for beer company merchandise. Show up before kickoff to get your
raffle ticket. Prizes were drawn at half.
I landed a Guinness 250 pint glass. So I’m pretty happy.

The food situation at Mahoneys is interesting; they don’t have a kitchen, but they have partnered up with the adjacent bar (Paddy O’Rourkes) to bring in take out. Standard fare of pizza, sandwiches and various appetizers are on the menu, but the steak sandwich was a great surprise.

Overall, this is a very cool bar with a lot of personality and a pretty decent place to catch the game. This place could be hit or miss since it’s so small, but it also may be a secret oasis. Roll the dice and check it out.
— DEREK

Week 10 of the NFL season is here and we have a game between the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. This isn’t the high quality matchup the NFL was hoping for, but it’s still football and it will help break in the workweek. Deanoz on 3321 First Avenue in Cedar Rapids is the bar on this week’s Pints & Pigskins Monday Night Football tour.

Deanoz returns to the Cedar Rapids bar scene after a few years absence. The big purple dinosaur is back. Deanoz is a wide open bar which has plenty of seating and lots of TVs to catch all the action. Fourteen televisions are strategically placed throughout the bar and all are of the 42 inch models. The theme to this bar is sports and it’s decorated with the typical neon bar signs and posters. The bar also has the standard video games for you to play as well as a very unique item: a four person Texas Holden video game table which was pretty cool.

They offer a few Monday Night football specials: $2 domestic mugs (they call the ‘Frosties’) and $5 burger baskets, which is a fantastic deal. If a burger isn’t something you are looking for, Deanoz has a wide assortment of sandwiches and wraps for you to indulge in. Deanoz also has some unique appetizers as well, such as fried pickles, breaded wings and cheese curds.   Deanoz advertises itself as the Home of the Minnesota Vikings fan club, so if you bleed Brett Favre purple, you might find some new friends at this bar for the next Vikes game.
— DEREK

We have reached the second half of the NFL season and the matchup for week nine is a good one with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Broncos in Denver. The Monday Night Football bar tour takes us to Bushwood, 350 Edgewood Rd. NW, in Cedar Rapids.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the cinematic classic ‘Caddyshack,’ Bushwood is the name of the country club where the movie takes place. There are a few Caddyshack themed items inside, but it’s not an overt shrine to the movie. The inside is mostly filled with sports themed items and lots of TVs, great for football watching.

Bushwood has a whopping 23 HDTVs, including four 52” TVs right in the middle of the bar. Nearly every seat has a good view of the game, but the football games weren’t on in high definition. They also have wireless Internet, so you can keep up to date with your fantasy football teams.

Bushwood has several Monday Night Football deals. They offer $5 for all you can eat wings, $3.50 large draws, $10 bottle buckets of Coors and Miller products.

Through Nov. 19 Coors is giving raffle tickets for each Coors or Miller product purchased. The raffle is drawn at halftime and the winner gets a $50 Scheels gift card and is entered into the grand prize drawing for a 42” HDTV.

The menu has an array of appetizers, burgers, pizzas, wraps, sandwiches, a few entree items and broasted chicken (my new favorite). The thin crust pizza was great. The all you can eat wings were exactly what I expected: small and average, but good enough to munch on while waiting for my pizza and the price was right.

With a nice selection of brews, food and plenty of TVs, give this place a shot if you are looking for a spot to catch a game.
— DEREK

Week Eight of the NFL season brings us to the Starlite Room, 3300 First Ave. NE, in Cedar Rapids for a game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. With the highflying Saints offense, this game should be very entertaining.

The Starlite Room is a Cedar Rapids landmark, so if you haven’t experienced this place yet, you need to give it a shot. The Starlite is like your grandparent’s basement, a place which hasn’t been updated in the past 40 years and yet is oddly comfortable. Vinyl chairs and wood paneling make up the bulk of the dated décor, but high tech enters the fray with fantastically large HDTVs. Eleven televisions dot the bar, with a few 55-inchers hanging on the wall showing the game in full HD glory.

Since the Starlite is primarily a restaurant, you will find a ring of booths along the outside of the dining area, along with several large tables in the middle, so any size group can be easily accommodated. TVs surround the dining area, so there isn’t a bad seat in the house. The staff was also more than happy to increase the volume so we could hear the play by play. Starlite offers a pool table, some video games and even a pinball machine to play if the game gets boring.

The Starlite’s claim to fame, as it’s written on their sign, is that they are “Home to the ½ lb Super Burger”. If you haven’t had one of these yet, you need to. It’s exactly how you want a cheeseburger to be: cheesy, juicy, greasy and delicious. If burgers aren’t your thing, you still have other options, since they offer a slew of sandwiches, some entree items and standard bar appetizers like cheese sticks, jalapeno poppers and onion rings. All their sandwiches are a la carte, so go ahead and get something else beside fries with your sandwich.

The beer options are standard with domestic options on tap and a variety of bottles and tall boys. Starlite is running a Monday Night Football special of $2.85 tall boys during the game. It’s not much of a deal, but I’ll still take it.

The Starlite Room is a sleeper pick on the Monday Night bar tour. The large TVs, good food and the large seating areas make this a great spot to catch the game, despite the dated décor. Don’t change, Starlite, I like you just as you are.

— DEREK

It’s week seven Monday Night Football fans! Monday’s game brings us a game between the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles.

This week brings us to the Cedar Rapids Piano Lounge, 208 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. The Piano Lounge has an outstanding Monday Night Football deal — so good, that we just couldn’t pass it up.

The Piano Lounge is a great weekend spot for live music and martinis, but it’s definitely not a sports bar. Last year’s flood completely submerged the Piano Lounge and they took advantage of their rebuilding efforts by building a game room in the space next door. The game room has another full bar, along with several dart boards and pool tables. The Piano Lounge has only five 36” HDTVs, but they also have a giant projection TV in their Wii room.

You can win this room for a private football party for your group. This is part of the outstanding Monday Night Football deal which sucked us in. Not only do they offer $5 pitchers of Budweiser products, but each pitcher purchase earns two raffle tickets. These tickets are used for two things: A drawing held at the end of each Monday night game to have a private football party in their Wii room for the following Monday and the grand prize of two tickets for the Dec. 28 Vikings/Bears game in Chicago. Chicago is going to be freezing in December, but the free tickets will keep you toasty. The grand prize will be drawn Dec. 14; must be present to win.

The Piano Lounge doesn’t serve food, but they were more than happy to let us bring in pizza. I will definitely be back for the Dec. 14 game to win my tickets.

— DEREK

Cedar Rapids Piano Lounge stats

• Five 36” HDTVs
• Average cost before tip: $5 (1 beer/quarter)

• Does not serve food

Next week’s stop

Starlite Room, 3300 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids

It’s week seven Monday Night Football fans! Monday’s game brings us a game between the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles.

This week brings us to the Cedar Rapids Piano Lounge, 208 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. The Piano Lounge has an outstanding Monday Night Football deal — so good, that we just couldn’t pass it up.

The Piano Lounge is a great weekend spot for live music and martinis, but it’s definitely not a sports bar. Last year’s flood completely submerged the Piano Lounge and they took advantage of their rebuilding efforts by building a game room in the space next door. The game room has another full bar, along with several dart boards and pool tables. The Piano Lounge has only five 36” HDTVs, but they also have a giant projection TV in their Wii room.

You can win this room for a private football party for your group. This is part of the outstanding Monday Night Football deal which sucked us in. Not only do they offer $5 pitchers of Budweiser products, but each pitcher purchase earns two raffle tickets. These tickets are used for two things: A drawing held at the end of each Monday night game to have a private football party in their Wii room for the following Monday and the grand prize of two tickets for the Dec. 28 Vikings/Bears game in Chicago. Chicago is going to be freezing in December, but the free tickets will keep you toasty. The grand prize will be drawn Dec. 14; must be present to win.

The Piano Lounge doesn’t serve food, but they were more than happy to let us bring in pizza. I will definitely be back for the Dec. 14 game to win my tickets.

Monday is week six of the young NFL season and we are starting to see which teams have it and which ones are just waiting until next year. Monday’s matchup is between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos.

Monday Night Football bar tour brings us to Chuck’s on 4958 Johnson Ave. Chuck’s was recently remodeled and I’m happy to say that it’s awesome. This is an Iowa Hawkeye themed bar with black and gold decor, lots of seating and Hawkeye memorabilia all over the walls. The place wasn’t one of the bigger bars we have been to on the tour, but it was big enough to accommodate our group with plenty of room to spare.

The food menu is random enough to keep everyone happy. Pizza, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, pepper steak sandwich and even a lasagna dinner make up this menu. They offer the standard fried appetizers along with some unique items such as mini tacos and chicken gizzards. Sadly, the item I was most excited about, the deep fried cheeseburger, is no longer offered. The bartender said it wasn’t a big seller and frankly, I don’t understand how that could be. Maybe they will bring it back; my arteries are hoping that they do.

The food was great and everyone was very happy with their selections, especially the 85 cent tacos, which were overflowing and one heck of a deal. Chuck’s also serves breakfast until noon on Sundays, so if you wanted to catch a few noon NFL games while eating French toast, this place if for you.

For a Monday Night Football special, they offered $2.50 tall boys. The tall boy selection was wide and they had lots of choices for draft beer. The TV situation at Chuck’s is outstanding with 13 HDTVs. They have a row of six 42” TVs above the bar and the others strategically placed throughout. A minor complaint: the wall facing the street was barren of TVs. But that was a minor issue and easily fixed with a minor shift of the seat.

The remodel of the place was fantastic, the food exceeded expectations and the service was great. Put this one on your list.

— DEREK

Reader suggestion time. Week Five of the Monday Night Football Bar Tour brings us to Mulligan’s, 1060 Old Marion Rd., in Cedar Rapids for a matchup between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins.

If you couldn’t tell from the name, golf is the primary theme of this bar. Golf wall decorations, fairway green paint on the wall and their menu is even littered with golf terminology. The bar is pretty spacious, with plenty of high top bar tables throughout and lots of neon signs and posters. Mulligan’s even has a small stage area in the back for live music. They also have an outdoor patio where you can enjoy the last few fall nights during halftime.

I’m happy to announce that Mulligan’s sets the Monday Night Football Bar Tour record for number of TVs. There are 30 — in all the right spots, so everyone has a good line of sight to watch all the action. I was also very happy to see the game being shown in high definition.

Mulligan’s has a wide assortment of draft beer, as well as a full variety of tallboys and bottles. The bar is large, with TVs mounted on the inside of the cabinets, so you can have a large TV all to yourself if you choose not to sit at a table.

The food a Mulligan’s is great. Pizza, burgers, sandwiches and even some entrée items. I particularly liked the spinach and artichoke dip. The pizza didn’t blow me away, but it met my expectations for ‘bar pizza.’

And finally a bar with a Monday Night Football special. Mulligan’s offers a pitcher of domestic beer and a burger basket for $10. That’s a fantastic deal and one that is hard to pass up.

Mulligan’s is a great spot to catch the game and it will be rolled into my regular rotation. Good food, lots of TVs, good service and plenty of space for you and your group to catch the game. This one is a winner.

— DEREK

Mulligan’s stats

30 HDTVs, plus several 42-inch models

Average cost before tip: $12 (1 beer/quarter)

Serves food

Next week’s stop: Chuck’s, 4958 Johnson Ave. NW, Cedar Rapids