The Townie Bar Challenge: Coach's Corner Sports Pub

Coach’s Corner Sports Pub
749 Mormon Trek Boulevard
Iowa City

With his woman in Omaha, Bobblehead was “flying solo” Monday night and available to partake in another Townie Bar Challenge. It was my turn to drive and pick the establishment, so I decided it was time to head over to the west side to Coach’s Corner Sports Pub.

This was my first visit. Coach’s is located in the little shopping and office area along Mormon Trek between Fareway and Hartig Drug, the John’s Grocery of the west side. (Hartig has an impressive selection of Baltika, which is no doubt a testament to the neighborhood’s ethnic diversity.) In keeping with the east side comparisons, I expected Coach’s to be the Shakespeare’s of the west side. Instead it turned out to be more like The Hideaway, which sadly closed a couple weeks ago. Coach’s is cozier than the Hideaway was, and the number of TVs was a testament to the sports bar theme — it was leaning toward cliché tasteless — but it had the same easy and open vibe. Like the Hideaway, Coach’s featured a single pool table and outdoor sitting patio. (For anyone who did not take advantage of The Hideaway’s creekside patio: you missed out — big time. It was very chill.) The relaxed atmosphere could have been a Monday thing, but I definitely felt a similarity to The Hideaway. Hopefully, Coach’s does not meet the same fate anytime soon.

We walked in and took a seat near the door at a high table with stools. I prefer chairs but will deal with stools nonetheless. (I have no right to bitch: I picked the table.) A waitress promptly brought us menus, though we chose only to drink. I ordered what she referred to as “Schlafly Dunkel.” However, I think it was a Slingshot from Backpocket. It was damn good despite looking very amber under the awkward green light above us.

In my notebook I wrote, “No napkins at table or coasters, which is a bitch because my glass is sweating and I do not want to get my notebook wet.” Needless to say I was very careful where I put my notebook. The lack of napkins and coasters was very odd; most bars will provide flimsy little coasters to catch glass sweat and protect their tables. Coach’s apparently does not care.

On the wall in the sitting area behind us was a full-body portrait of legendary Iowa football coach Hayden Fry — no doubt the coach in the corner. However, the name Coach’s Corner instead reminds me of “Coach,” Nicholas Colasanto’s character on Cheers. It is a bar, after all.

Overall, the crowd was pretty young except for a four-some seated somewhere near Hayden Fry and two grizzly and disgruntled university employees venting their frustrations behind me. I could swear one was a woman, but it turned out to be a man with a very high, squeaky voice. At one point he yelled to his tablemate, “Fucking graphic designers! There are so many fucking graphic designers!” Toward the end of our visit, our waitress half-heartedly threatened to cut him off when they ordered more beer, but he pleaded, “This is the last one!”

Here are some other notes from Coach’s Corner:

-Montréal has a MLS team? “Oui, oui!” says Bobblehead.

-Stella tap handle is lighted.

-One pale blue tap handle looks like a dildo.

-Long list of bottles and good selection of draws.

My one complaint would have to be the lack of music. Most of the TVs were tuned to a Bulls game and the commentary was being pumped over the sound system. It was a touch loud, too.

Overall: Coach’s Corner is a pretty solid establishment, one I would not mind visiting again to try the food. (I forgot to peruse the menu for veggie options.) It is as little out of the way for us east siders (why go all the way across town when you can go to Shakespeare’s or Blackstone?) but I feel happy the west siders have a little place of their own. It’s no Blackstone (despite the fact I am giving it the same grade), but it is a nice local bar.

The Quiet Man’s grade: B.