April 13, 2006
by Tricia Jones of The Columbian

Customers ordering from the bar are within inches of history. The bar, built in the 1800s, has been a fixture in Ridgefield for decades. Stories of its origin vary. DAVE OLSON/The Columbian

Why: Variously known through the years as The Sportsman (or Sportsmen's or Sportsman's, depending on the source) Pub or Tavern, or as The Liberty Grill, the rechristened Sportsman Bar & Grill is entering another evolutionary phase. Owner Ron Thompson recently bought the restaurant back after selling it last year and says he's hoping to attract more family dining. Perhaps that's a work in progress. A friend and I came by on Taco Tuesday and observed that while the service was down-home and friendly, the atmosphere was more suited to tavern patronage. The dining space is divided between bar seating on the south side and cafe tables and chairs on the north side, and business was brisker to the south during my visit. It's natural that the bar should retain its niche. Restaurant owners through the years have told the story of its 19th-century shipment to the West Coast via Cape Horn. Still, the competing sounds of the mounted television screen, bar chatter and the back pool table make it difficult to carry on conversation at the dining tables. Ghosts of past cigarettes, enjoyed before the statewide ban on indoor public smoking, linger at the doorway. Thompson says burgers, fish and chips, and Tuesday's tacos are popular menu items. He probably knows his customers, having owned the place for about 15 years the first time around. And there's a children's menu for ages 10 and younger. Still, a few lighter entrees would be welcomed by those in the family who are watching calories or cholesterol levels.

You'll love it if: You subscribe to the adage that the West wasn't won on salad.

You should know: Karaoke nights start at 9 p.m. on Saturdays and will be scheduled for Fridays as well, so plan to attend - or not - accordingly.

Cost: Children's menu prices are $3.99 to $4.99. Adults have five hamburgers from which to choose, as well as a patty melt, costing from $6.79 to $8.59 (for the "very large" Sportsman's Burger). There are sandwiches and chicken, Caesar or taco salads, most for about $7 or $8. Soups are $2.95 per cup, $3.59 per bowl, and a chili bread bowl is $5.95. Prices vary on weekday specials; Taco Tuesday presents a bargain at $1 for two hard tacos and $2.50 for two soft tacos.

Where: 121 N. Main Ave., Ridgefield, 360-887-3141.

Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.