For a sports bar, the food isn't that bad. Â The first visit here, the salad was bad and I mean terrible, however the second time around, the salad was excellent and they have THE best bleu cheese dressing. Â Homemade and fabulous. Â They'd make serious money if they canned and sold that stuff!
My fiance also raves about the stromboli (which he typically doesn't like or order off a menu) so I'm assuming that it's pretty awesome!
I'd watch the time of day that you go though, because we can't stand the rowdy college kids so during games and what not, I'd avoid this place, unless that's your thing.
Our go to place when we go out. Easy to sit at the bar, have a few good drafts, and consistent eats. During busy weekends, they downsize their menu and eliminate some of our favorites, but they always have nachos and the Colorado Rocky which are our favorite. The service is spotty, at times, but the kitchen is fast. Decent delivery service too. Good pizza when we are in the mood. Havent tried other location, Altoona, but want to.
Review Source:Do not ever go here. The service is bad, the manager yelled at me, (can you believe that) all because I said the pizza was horrible. Â The food is no good, and it's a terrible place to go. Â Just forget this place altogether. Â There are plenty of other options in town to go to. Â Any one going here is just desperate for a place to go.
Review Source:Been here a few times my overall rating is probably 3 stars, sometimes the food / service is a 5 star, and sometimes its a one star.
I guess its about luck, sometimes i get great service and the food taste great, at other times i have been here some things like the macaroni, BBQ ribs are burnt to all hell.
I still like coming here for a drink once in a while and the food on their specials nights are great, overall though clean environnent, i would recommend anyone to go here.
Food in my mind is above average, but sometimes inconsistant.
Good food, horrible staff.
Up until now I've been able to overlook how bad the service was because I love the Palermo Chicken, but after my visit last night I won't be returning there again. The waitresses are always running around and seem like they're in a hurry whenever they take your order, overall they probably spend about 30 seconds at the table for your visit. They obviously don't care about the customers they're serving at all and they always come off as rude.
The manager there should not be running a restaurant - he has no people skills at all. Once on a visit someone in my party's chair broke and the manager's way of apologizing was being a huge asshole and making it seem like we were wasting his time.
I do like the food, but some people I've gone to Champs with would say otherwise. My friend ordered a sandwich that had prime rib in it and ended up finding a pretty big bone in her sandwich, which is completely unacceptable.
There are so many  places to eat in State College that have better service and better food than Champs, so I can't say that I'll miss going there.
Champs is a fairly typical college town sports bar that serves food. Given that, their food is better than it needs to be, and the waitstaff is more pleasant than they need to be given that they have a fairly captive audience. Given the limited range of restaurants in State College, Champs is a pleasant place to have dinner or a beer and a plat of their awesome chicken wings. Within that category, they're the best in State College.
Review Source:8 years out of college, and this place is still my favorite sports bar to return to while in Happy Valley. Â AMAZING wings & sauce. I could drink their ranch dressing, it is so good. Â Nachos are still the best I ever had (lots of stuff all over them).
Also, their bloody mary's are awesome. Â Great garnish on top. Â Do need to add your own spice, to give it kick.
Staff can be a little overwhelmed at times but are always nice.
Your travel plans are in place!
First - Travel to a Penn State Game (not my alma mater) in a 35 foot RV
Second - Camp one night in the Walmart Parking Lot (yes Walmart allows this!)
Third - Walk over to Champs Sports Grill
Finally - Do not confuse this restaurant with the Champps chain (similar to Friday's)
Food - I cannot tell you but it looked good and folks were eating. Â I will have to admit being in an RV for 5 hours - I was mainly there to quench my thirst.
Atmsphere - Young and Fun. Â The crowd was younger and had a great vibe. Â Â There were televisions everywhere. Â The bar was in the center with seating to the outside.
Service - Very friendly. Â I did not have an empty glass for long. Â It was very much appreciated!
Overall - the next time I am up in the area - I will rinse and repeat this evening. Â I may even order some food.
A great sports bar, and everything you'd probably want in a sports bar, including 45 beers on tap. Â Champs has a rather extensive menu, a gigantic bar, numerous smaller and big-screen TVs, daily specials, and...did I mention 45 beers of tap? They have a pretty good selection of "favorites" dishes, which includes a collection of homemade pasta dishes and their specialty-- the veal parmagiana. Â I ordered a plate of calamari as an appetizer...the portion was not only massive, but it was nice and tender (read: not chewy) and included two sauces...a tomato vodka sauce and a delicious, buttery provencal sauce. Â I also ordered their butcher's ragout, which was a combination of prosciutto, bison, and panchetta amidst a collection of finely chopped celery, carrots, and red pepper in a tomato cream sauce on a very generous portion of pasta. Â Divine. Â I am a big foodie with a bigger appetite and I couldn't finish it, even after sitting and watching most of the Eagles-Cardinals game.
The service was quite good and the servers friendly. Â I can't understand why there are some negative reviews on the service. Â Of the three times that I had service here, all of the servers were attentive and very welcoming. Â One of my servers even knew a thing or two about beers and we had a nice conversation about the beer choices and what we both liked. Â What I did find disappointing was the "watered-down" version of the regular menu on Sundays, and the disconnected NTN trivia on a Sunday afternoon, but hell, you've gotta expect that on Sundays I guess. Â Football is king, and they cater to the fans. Â The atmosphere is loud, but again, it's a sports bar...what do you expect? Â
It's a great time, and although I live about 3 hours away from this little gem on N. Atherton Street, I hope to be back some day. Â After all, they've got 45 beers on tap. Â But you knew that, right?
Here in Ohio we're used to the boring sports bar chain with a similar name, so I was skeptical of this Champs. As it turns out, that was totally unjustified and off-base (ha). True to the rest of our experience in State College, everyone was super-nice and their level of service is out of this world. We did not sample the food, but what was coming out of the kitchen around us looked pretty good. Had I not been full of Korean food, then Austrian food, the two times we came here, I would have been all over the pierogi. We did try plenty of their ample beer menu, however. While they were out of a few things we wanted, the selection was still pretty great, with lots of American microbrews, Germans, and Belgians to choose from. As this is off-campus, clientele skews a bit older and more mellow here, which suited us just fine.
Review Source:Is it totally weird that I almost want to give Champs 4 stars?! Maybe...
It's a sports bar, so you don't expect much. Sandwiches, burgers, wings...but Champs is a little interesting in that its founders were Italian, so you'll find lots of Italian food on the menu, too. Italian food that is surprisingly not bad. Dare I say...the Italian food is pretty GOOD. It's not going to give you a foodgasm, but suffice it to say it's better than the Olive Garden.
The pasta aglio olio (fettuccine nero with calamari, anchovies, mushrooms, tomatoes, capers, romano, garlic, and olive oil) is one of my faves. The gorgonzola tortellini and the classic ravioli are also good. Even the fried calamari is good! Let's be honest, it's pretty rare for a bar to serve edible pasta, let alone decent calamari.
The best thing here: the spinach-artichoke dip. They call it the "Astroturf." Whatever. SO GOOD.
Burgers are blah and sandwiches are okay and wings are okay. But for consistent bar food with an Italian edge, I'll keep coming back.
My boyfriend and I eat here fairly often, despite the fact that its a sports bar and neither of us watch sports or enjoy loud restaurants. The food is always good to excellent and there's quite a lot of selection. The nachos are a deal any day of the week and if you can grab a seat in the side/back bar (it is to the left when you walk in) you get much less of a "sports bar" feel and quick access to some tasty beer. In general the manager(s) and hostess(es) are pretty rude, but the serving staff are excellent. One of the few places in SC that can accommodate larger parties.
Review Source:Sports bar.
Really nothing special or great about it. Your typical sports bar. If that's your thing then this is a fine place. Cool atmosphere and obviously tons of TVs. During football season we'd come here to chill at the bar since we could watch the Giants and Ravens games at the same time.
Food seems good. I only ever got the Cheesesteak and Burgers, but they were good and everything seemed to be as well. Never heard any complaints about it.
The tower of beer is a staple here.
Can be very crowded and have heard people complain it's slow and rude service. I've never had any issues. Good drinks as well.
Fine sports bar
My fam and I visited State College last month for my b-day and we stopped by Champs for lunch. Â After my meal, I regretted the fact that I never ate there during my time at Penn State in the early '00s. Â What a great spot for a reasonably priced meal and awesome sports-centric ambiance (did I really just use the word ambiance in a sports bar review?)
The place is huge and has tables that are easily movable to accommodate any party size. Â As for the food, my burger was really tasty as were the hot wings. Â We enjoyed 5 NCAA basketball games during our meal which added to the fun. Â No one ordered beer at our table so I really can't talk about their drink selection but the waitress kept our sodas full.
Great job, Champs!
My coworkers and I used to order lunch from Champs all the time. Their salads are my favorite - you wouldn't expect a sports bar to have great salads, but they are always very fresh and I appreciate the creative salads they have there. I've tried just about all of them, and quite a few of the sandwiches as well. We've always got plenty of food, even though the price was pretty high for some of the items. I also particularly like their Rolly Fingers and the ranch dressing that comes with it seems to be homemade, and my coworkers are all in love with their Mac & Cheese ordered with a side of marinara (though I personally think the Mac & Cheese is just okay).
Unfortunately, despite how good their food is, it almost always upsets my stomach or gives me heartburn/acid reflux, even the salads. And I am not someone who typically has any stomach issues at all. I'm not sure what it is, but the stomach issues their food tends to give me deters me from ordering from there too often anymore.
Specials every day of the week = heaven for a college kid. I'm there twice a week! Tuesday is $1 nachos with the purchase of a fountain drink. If you're a water person, they'll charge you another $1 for it, but it's still cheaper than soda for $1.99. The nachos are so tasty! When I first heard about them, I thought they were going to come out with tortilla chips and nacho cheese, and I was completely wrong. A huge plate of tortilla chips with lettuce, tomato, salsa, taco meat, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole was put in front of me. To put it into perspective, I would probably pay $6 to $8 for these - that's how good they are!
Mondays and Thursdays are 35 cent wing night. The wings are pretty good but the flavor selection is slim and confusing. Meek, arrogant, obnoxious, southwestern and chipotle are the names of the flavors, which isn't too helpful when trying to decide, and there aren't descriptions listed on the menu either. I've had something that tastes like original buffalo wing sauce (not sure which flavor it would be) and the southwestern, which wasn't for me. It tasted like Mexican seasoning mixed with a sweet and sassy sauce. I've also had the BBQ, which I'm assuming was chipotle. It was okay, but nothing to write home about.
The environment is nice. Televisions everywhere and it is always packed if a game is on. Â There's a billiard room and cigar bar in the basement. The food is usually quick and the waitresses are cute and friendly. I usually stick to eating whatever is on special that day because some of the regular menu items seem pricey. I have had the pierogies though and they were good. Overall, Champs is a great place!
If you're looking for a sports bar here in State College, Champs is pretty much your only spot. Sure, there are other places that show games, but they don't have the 50+ TVs that Champs does. From normal games to PPV events, Champs will show them all. When it's a big event, make sure to come early because their parking lot fills up fast. I've seen people having to park on the next street over, or even on the grass.
With their beers, they do have a decent selection of ones on draft. You can get the yard tap if you have a large party and it costs around $20-30 each. If you want to be cheap, then go with your MGD or Coors Light. Feeling a little classier? Then go with Sierra Nevada.
Where this place falls short is their food. I know you can't expect much from a spots bar, but even Hooters has better food than Champs. The burgers are mediocre, the wings can't compare to Wings Over Happy Valley or Hooters. Even the pizza, which is your best bet from a quantity to price standpoint, tastes worse than your College or Canyon pizza. Don't plan to be amazed because you'll be sorely disappointed.
Nonetheless, if you're trying to catch a game, this is the go to spot in the area. There's more seats and TVs here than any other place in State College. Just don't expect to please your taste buds with their food.
I have read a ton of reviews about how bad the service is there but you are about to read the worst story of all. Â Two bartenders followed me home from Champs to beat me up one night.
    I left late, we were the last customers downstairs in the pool hall.  My wife, my brother and I made it about half way across the parking lot when an SUV came flying  around the corner into the entrance headed right at us with the pedal to the floor.  It swerved out around us at the last second, missing my wife by about 3 feet after I had already pulled her out of the way.  I told him to learn how to drive less politely than that and we continued walking.  I didn't think he could even here me but I was wrong.  The SUV stopped and one of the bartenders, let's call him Tony, got out and started shouting at me to come back and fight him.  In my line of work they do background checks and I'm not 10 years old so I laughed at him and kept walking.  Truthfully I didn't want any trouble.  But it didn't end there.  Tony and another bartender followed us home, taunting and threatening as they started to catch up to us.  They were still following us when we got to my apartment so I had to stop walking confront him, I didn't want him knowing which apartment was mine.  It had been dark most of the way, so he didn't get a good look at me until I stopped under the street light.  As soon as I did he realized that I am a foot taller than him and he changed his tune and told me that he was going to have me kicked out if I ever came back, which is so dumb.  I told him to do what he came to do or leave and he wouldn't do either, he just stood there shouting about my life time ban from Champs, which I guess he is given the authority to assign.
   Then the manager (who I believe is the owners son) showed up... remember we were basically on my doorstep, on the sidewalk in front of my apartment...  and he tried to intervene, but to my amazement on Tony's behalf!  He just lined up next to Tony ready to jump in and fight me and started yelling at me!  I told him what the stupid argument was all about and he, in all of his wisdom decided that they should leave.  After sending Tony away, he told me to leave.  I explained to him that he hasn't been the manager of anything for about a quarter mile and that I had already walked as far as I could despite being taunted the whole way home.  It actually seemed like he was more pissed at me than at Tony, even though I had done everything I could to walk away from an incident that could have been really bad for his restaurant.  How crazy is it that the guy who had been drinking, the paying customer, is the only person being remotely rational in this situation?  Honestly I think Tony may have been drunk.
      Anyway, Tony still works there, which makes me think that this manager is the key to all of the problems there.  He is the chapter president of the Champs fraternity and he doesn't care about anyone who isn't a member, which means the customers, so the staff doesn't have to either.  I don't know what on earth they are thinking but if I had done that when I waited tables I would be looking for a new job and with a bad reference.
   Obviously, I will never go to this place again, not even to inventory how many of the rude and arrogant college drop outs are still tending bar and running the establishment like the frat house they never got to join.  The truth is I am not missing much.  All the other complaints I have read about the staff are consistent with my experience before that night.  They are soooo rude and unpleasant and make it clear they don't want to wait on you the second you sit down even if you are polite and a good tipper.  The food is mostly garbage, the wings for example which they are so proud of are the worst you can find in State College short of the baked wings at pizza places.  They are not very meaty, dry yet greasy and drenched in sugary, syrupy sauce.  Even the hottest sauce they offer is more sweet than hot.  The rest of the food isn't much better.  Spend your money elsewhere.
Champs would normally be a 3 star establishment, but their wings are just too good. Seriously, you must get a dozen of Stanley's Wonder Wings. Get it at the "obnoxious" spice level. It sounds hot, but its really not that bad. I'm not a huge wing person, but Champs wings rank right up there with the best I've ever had.
The other menu items are ok. I've always been partial to the cajun chicken cheesesteak. The beer selection has improved dramatically since I lived in State College. The service we had was actually pretty good, but it seems to be a consistent compliant.
I am reviewing Champs on the collection of experiences I have had over the past year and a half. Because their kitchen is open to 1am, I have dined there more times out of necessity than preference.
The kitchen is pretty easy to negotiate with in terms of swapping a bread, cheese or a sauce.
I'm a fan of the pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw. Everyting made has pretty strong flavors. Its hard to describe the menu because I don't want to call the ingredients trendy or nonstandard, but there certainly seems to be more variety than you would get at your typical sports bar.
They do a nice flash fried calamari, and always a decent crowd. I can't remember ever having bad service, but I'd give anyone who works there a decent tip anyway, just for putting up with the owner. He is by far one of the worst people to work for-- anyone will tell you that.
This is your average sports bar, decent food (the appetizers nachos/wings are decent) and I think more places should adopt the "table topper" idea. Very friendly service. Played team trivia here a couple times and its a great place to hangout.
They have a high waitress turnover, so you may get stuck with someone who doesn't know what they are doing (go easy on them). But, on several occasions have waited around an hour for attentive service while the servers are socializing.
Overall good food, nice atmosphere, friendly staff, SLOWEST service I've yet to encounter.
Excellent freaking wings, indeed. Â I'd go so far as to say Champs has the best damn wings in all of State College. Â They are a good size, super-crispy, and the sauce is fantastic: Â with a nice kick (obnoxious even, if you so desire) and a really special flavor... I detect a hint of 'cue - a bit of tang, a bit of sweetness.
The stick room aka the only place in town with *real* pool tables is another reason to visit, as well as the many beers on draught.
The only drawback, perhaps, is the pest that is the cigar lounge, located right across from the pool hall. Â Be prepared to strip naked once you get home, for your clothes will stink like they've been kept in your grandpa's ashtray for the last 20 years or so, and will have to be decontaminated - not even the most generous shower with Febreze will do. Â It's laundry time. Â Bummer.
But the wings & fries can almost make up for the stink fest that is the stick room. Â Or shall I say stink room?
Ooooh my does this bring back memories. I'm admittedly not a big sports fan, but I see no reason not to give this establishment 5 stars. Great food, friendly waitresses, and lots of classic rock on the jukebox.
Let me get the negatives out of the way first. It can get crowded. Very crowded. Especially on nacho night - make that dollar nacho night. But hey, it is a college town with a huge sports following so that's to be expected.
Anyway, when I lived next door at the Pointe, my friends and I came here pretty regularly - at first mainly for nacho night then later for pool and wing night. The dollar nachos were a fair deal; you're lucky if you get some meat and a few jalapeños but they were tasty otherwise. Good for a nighttime snack.
And some might think I'm crazy but the wings here are phenomenal. The ones with the medium hot sauce are my all time favorite. Wing night is a good deal too. I wanna say they're 25 cents but you have to get at least 6. I've tried a lot of other stuff on the menu but the real stand out is the Roethlisberger. It included a 4 or 8oz beef patty, all the nomal fixin's plus fries ON the burger (Pittsburgh style) as well as thousand island dressing. If you love burgers then this is for you.
Also of note are the many pool tables on the bottom floor. It's kind of expensive but worth it. The tables are pretty big and there's a bar down there so you can order food, drink and play pool making it very convenient.
Champs feels like the type of place I'd go to on a Sunday afternoon to grab a pint and watch whatever sport was on that day. It's cheap, fun, casual and there's something for everyone on their menu!
Their menu boasts a wide selection of typical greasy appetizers (think nachos, chicken fingers, calamari, fried mozzarella, etc.), sandwiches, salads, pastas and entrees. I feel like our group of 12 + 2 kids covered a good cross-section of the menu - so yeah, we got nachos, calamari and chicken fingers to start. I ended up with the "Bullpen" sandwich which was bbq sliced prime rib smothered with melted cheddar and coleslaw, held together by a fresh roll. My bbq was definitely smothered in sauce and cheddar, perhaps a bit too much. I don't think I was able to finish. It sure was tasty but about halfway through, I thought I was going into grease overload and just couldn't eat anymore. In retrospect, I wish I had gotten a salad, so I wouldn't have gotten eater's remorse!
Don't expect to be wowed by the food here but for your standard sports bar foods, it's on the mark, A-OK!
Oh, Champs...you're totally Ale House's little bro: sportier, cheaper, and slightly more amusing.
After doing "drinks-only" several times, we finally stopped in for an actual meal which makes me think it's high time for a review.
Drinks-wise, there's nothing special. Â Though it is a sports bar in a college town, they don't have any drink specials. Â The beer selection is what I would consider to be pretty average, as far as real drinks go, don't expect to have your socks blown off (you'll be lucky for consistency!). Â I'd say the most notable (and head-scratch-worthy) thing about the bar is that there seems to be a higher than normal constituent of people consuming mudslides and other creamy frozen drinks, which is just strange. Â Next time you go, just keep a count of how many times they fire up the blender...when there is SNOW on the ground...
Food-wise, the selection is actually pretty decent (for a sports bar). Â Don't get me wrong, no one should walk in here expecting to be wowed by a gourmet plate, but they do seem to have "something for everyone". Â There are multiple vegetarian options, and were even accommodating of our request to make an off-menu food-allergy approved meal (that didn't involve steaming vegetables, rice, and a piece of chicken). Â Thumbs up for that. Â Waitstaff can be hit or miss....there is definitely a small group of really good servers (those who don't write down orders but still manage to correctly bring everything, including all the special requests), but there are also the super-done group of ladies who confuse "Captain" with "Jack", forget waters or other meal components, etc. Â At least they look the part.
Entertainment-wise, like any good sports bar, almost every seat has a good view of the (or at least a) game. Â Even with high ceilings and decor that's on the sportier side of industrial, it's doesn't get super super loud in there, which is nice. Â For those of us who hail from the non-smoking East Coast, you can play smoke-free pool upstairs; for everyone else, there is a billiards room (complete with my most favorite bar game ever: QUATES!!) downstairs that reminds me of the pre-NY-smoking-ban bars. Â Don't wear anything you can't wash ;)
Overall, I think Yelp's 3-star designation of "A-OK" is pretty suiting for Champs. If anything, it's a nice break from the clamor of downtown, and there is always plenty of parking.
Champs is the recessionary option to the Ale House. Â Still good food and a bit cheaper than the Ale House. Â They primarily serve the same beer with maybe a few differences. Â
The place is huge! Â Tons of TV's and a pool hall below the main dining area. Â It practically doesn't matter where you sit, you will have a view of the games. Â
My recommedations for food:
The bookmaker - A pizza sandwich, how can you go wrong!
Colorado Rockie - Essentially a French Dip. Â I'm always a fan of Prime Rib in a sandwich
The downside is that the food is pretty generic for what you would typically get at a sports bar but their food tastes better than what you would get at a sports bar.
Do NOT think of it as a sports bar.
The draft selection is limited and no great specials.
The food is mediocre, doesn't taste horrible but always makes my friends and I feel sick, so we never eat there after giving it multiple tries.
It is a nice place, my thought is it is just poorly run.
If you want a sports bar, the best experiences I've had in State College to watch a particular game is actually Damon's.
One occasion I went with a group of 5 or so friends to watch a particular game, and upon telling the hostess we were put at a booth with a small TV that didn't get the channel with our game. Â When pointing it out our waitress assured us our game would be put on one of the bigger TVs, but it wasn't. Â We were eventually moved to the main room, where our new waitress assured us she would tell the bartender to put it on one of the central TV's. Â A half hour later, still didn't. Â We asked the bartender and he said he would put the game on. Â After reminding him another 15 minutes later, we were able to watch the end of our game on a small TV. Â It was really embarrassing for a place that calls themselves a sports bar, and a potentially fun night turned into one big irritation. Â Others have had the same experience.
I'm a fan. Champs has decent food, a good beer selection, and tons of TVs. It's even got a pool room.
The calamari with marinara sauce appetizer is pretty good. Don't get steaks here. They're on the pricey side and aren't that impressive. Rather spend the same amount at an Outback or Texas Roadhouse. Raviolis are tasty, as are the burgers. The Rampage Jackson burger is my favorite. The blackened flat iron steak pasta is also really good.
Magic Hat beer on tap is a plus!
Our recent visit was a disappointment. Â We came here for a late lunch on Friday, the place was buzzing with early happy hour goers. Â I usually like this place. Â Nothing spectacular, your average sports bar with tv screens everywhere. Â Some booths have their own TVs. Â Great atmosphere on game days. Â Pool tables with bar and food service in the lower level. Â Good place for large groups.
The food here is average.  Lately meh.  I used to think the spicy wings were 'obnoxiously' yummy ;)  But sadly the food quality has deteriorated.  Overcooked  food.  The food is overpriced for what you get. Â
Disappointed with the food quality 3 times out of our last 5 visits here. Â Hit or miss. Â Not sure when we will be back...
I like champs. Their wings are really good. Some people complain about the water down blue cheese, but i am actually a fan of that. If you are eating in the restaurant, beware of their policy that everyone at the table has to be 21 for anyone to order alcohol (unless there is a 25 or older person there).
i've ordered delivery from them multiple times, and with one exception, they have always been very fast. it actually surprises me most of the times by how fast their delivery service is.
Overall, get the wings, and i also love their cheese fries.
There's only one reason a person should ever go to Champs, and that reason is Nacho Night. Dollar nacho platters with a beer start the week off well.
That being said, there's not much else. It's an average sports bar, crowded on peak sports nights and food specials, dead otherwise. Trivia can entertain otherwise. Beyond the specials, everything is overpriced for what you get.
Don't go out of your way to get here, but if you can make it on a good special night it's not bad.
30 cent wings on Monday night after 8:30.
Don't bother ordering them -  they're not that good - they've got this sweet barbeque flavor as  they've been soaked with to hide the greasy taste that they've been laying precooked somewhere in the kitchen. They're small, they're sticky, they're lousy.
Even worse is the bleu cheese dressing that's been watered down so much that it won't stick to the celery sticks. Ask for a fork if you want to fish any hunks of cheese from the bottom of the cup.
The celery was good though - green, crisp, fresh and ripe.
The place still reeks of smoke even though the place has gone smokeless, which is unusual since its an open air restaurant with huge doors opened to the weather. Smoke smell clings to floors, walls and chairs.
They didn't have the first two brands of draft beers we asked for, even though they are commonly found in other area bars.
The waitresses are professional and very charming.
The male bartending staff and bar management are arrogant  and pompous and could take some lessons in careing for customers.
Was that a hint of a New York City attitude we got when they changed the TVs channel on us, while a small group of Philly fans and I enjoyed seeing the Mets getting pounded once again in the late season? I think it was.
Suffice to say, we won't be gracing the doorways of Champs again. Of which we got the reply "Oh what a shame" .
Yes, a shameful way to treat customers who help pay your salary.
Go to Damon's or the Arena they're happy to let you sit back and enjoy the Phillies stomping the Mets. The Arena will even hand you a remote control for your individual TV located at your table
Sports Bar alternatives, Damens, Arena (nearby) or Home Delivery in State College, Zachs in Altoona.
Local Wings and ratings (from best to worst)
Co-brh's         (Altoona)
Zachs          (Altoona)
Ottos           (State College)
GMan           (State College)
Deli* Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (State College)*
Duffy's Tavern    (Boalsburg)
Home Delivery * Â (State College & Bellefonte) better than they used to be
Bonfattos       (Bellefonte)
Green Gables* Â Â (Lewistown)
Wings (over happy valley) Â (State College)
Kelly's          (Boalsburg)
J. P. Edwards  (Burnham)
Prospectors    (State College)
Arena          (State College)
Hofbrau        (Bellefonte)
Damons       (State College)
.........
Champs       (State College)
* most recent
My Champs Rating is 0, Zero, nada, zilch, not worth your time, you'll find better elsewhere, almost anywhere. Switch off our Phillies will ya. How dare you.
During the school year, this place would probably aggravate me beyond tolerability limits. Â It exudes an aggressively dumb-jock sports-bar mentality which belies the extensive menu and decent food. Â Thankfully, my family and I came for Saturday lunch in early August.
My folks chose this place because of its size and the fact that there would be something for everyone.  My sister's a vegetarian, my brother's a bit picky, and we also had my three-year-old nephew with us.  Good call, because the  menu is immense.  They give a sports-themed name to every dish, so it's not possible to skim through the menu: you have to stop and read every description.  That's a bit annoying.
I LOVED their chili--some of the best I've ever had at a restaurant. Â It has chunks, not bits, of ground beef, three types of beans, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and is topped with raw scallions. Â It was seasoned almost perfectly, and everything balanced and combined well together. Â A+.
I also got the #21 (the Cuban) sandwich. Â I've been ordering this sandwich at different restaurants pretty regularly since I discovered it last year. Â This one was pretty good, let's say a solid B+. Â How about one or two more pickle slices in there?
I sampled the macaroni and cheese, which we got for my nephew. Â It had a nice creamy texture, but the flavor was sort of bland. Â C-.
The draft beer selection was surprisingly diverse for this type of place, although the prices were higher than other bars in the area. Â We're talking $3.75-$4.50 per pint (although they have pitchers too). Â Of course, that's still way cheaper than I'm used to in Chicago. Â You can also buy six-packs from their "store," which also sells their hot wing sauce.
Service was nothing to write home about, but satisfactory.
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