I have been meaning to dive into doing some postings regarding what I call, "the cinder block bars" on the south side of Janesville, Wisconsin. There are about a half dozen of these places. Somebody had a dream to have a tavern, they put up a cinder block structure, rounded up some furnishings, a grill, a sign, and some tavern decor and...voila, ta-da; let's hoist up some cold ones.
Of all "the cinder block bars" on The South Side, Bobble Heads Sports Bar & Grill keeps wandering on to my radar screen. I actually had a fish fry there last year, but I had taken a hiatus from writing for a while and never got around to posting a review.
From the outside, it is of course...a cinder block building. You can't judge a book by its cover. You got to go in.
The staff has always been friendly when ever I happen in this place. It is more complex there than first impressions might imply. They have a grill with daily specials. They also have a huge multi-purpose room. The last time I was there they were having a poker night. The fellows were strolling in to take up their seats at their respective tables - chips and cards were waiting patiently.
They got a couple extra large big-screens televisions back there. The bar area boasts a black and white checkered ceiling. The bar-top has a parquet wood top. I have to admit I have never seen that wood used on a bar-top before.
I usually do not mention bartenders / cooks by name but Hanna really doted over my Big Badger Burger with Swiss and fries basket the day I needed a burger fix. She mentioned they will grill most items 'till Midnight; but if you want something fried they will fire it up until closing time. Just something to tuck in you pea-brain in case you need a greasy fries fix at bar time.
My burger basket, adult beverage, and tip set me back 10 Bucks. They also have broccoli cheese poppers for four Bucks.
On a subsequent visit, I tried the Friday fish fry yet again. The first time I was there for fish in 2009 it was indeed worth posting a comment about it, but like I said, I had take a break from writing back then. This time it was a busy Friday at noon-ish. The bartender had her hands full. Non-the-less, she made me up a dandy fish fry lunch. It came with two crispy breaded pieces of Cod which were tender on the inside. On the side came a cup of cole slaw, pickle, and a giant cup of tarter sauce. The basket came with a heap of good greasy fries. The fish fry, Miller Lite, and a tip set me back about 10 Bucks as well.
Bobble Heads Sports Bar & Grill is cool with Cool Dadio. Find them at 2701 Highway 51 South (Center Avenue) , Janesville, Wisconsin. Call (08) 752 - 8910 for more information.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Private First Class Grant A. Dampier, 25, of Merrill, Wisconsin, died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Monday, May 15, 2006, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat patrol operations. Private First Class Dampier was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colorado. Dampier was one of two soldiers killed in the incident. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned Grant Dampier was born in Wisconsin Rapids; there he wrestled in grade school; he came to Merrill when his family moved about the time he was beginning high school. He joined the Merrill High School wrestling Bluejays; competing at a weight of between 150 and 160 pounds. He graduated in 2000. The Journal Sentinel quoted Dampier's wife as saying he was very fond of his children and took great joy in taking his girls fishing on the Wisconsin River. He also took his wife's 7-year-old cousin under his wing and treated the boy like a son. Before joining the Army, Grant worked for Marathon Electric in Wausau. He enjoyed the Green Bay Packers, hip-hop music, and the Crandon Brush Run off-road truck races in Forest County. He joined the Army in September of 2004. Dampier was deployed to Iraq in December of 2005. The Wisconsin 2007 Assembly Joint Resolution 44 indicated Grant had been promoted to Specialist E-4 and was serving as a gunner during combat operations in Balad, Iraq. At the time of his death, Grant Dampier was survived by his wife Heidi; three daughters Alexis, Starr, and Kylee; mother Karen Goulee; stepfather Pat Goulee; father Richard Dampier; stepmother Gwen Dampier; brother and sister Jamie and Rae Ann Dampier; and, five half-brothers and one half-sister. Specialist Grant A. Dampier was laid to rest on May 26th, 2006, at the Merrill Memorial Park Cemetery in Merrill, Wisconsin. Grant Dampier was the 56th Wisconsin military service person to be killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
96,813 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,519 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,408 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1139 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
746 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,860 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
6,355 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
102 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
19 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
142 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
