Players Sports Grill - San Marcos

I had a fantastic experience at Players Sports Grill. They kindly closed the entire restaurant for our event at no charge! The San Marcos Knights football players had a wonderful time receiving their awards and enjoyed a straightforward menu that everyone liked. Thank you, Players Sports Grill, for your generosity. I can't wait to return and try the chicken wings!

I attended a reunion and meet-and-greet for San Marcos High, and I must say, the young man in charge of the patio was incredibly nice. The service was excellent!

Players is truly the quintessential family-owned, authentic sports bar. The atmosphere is fantastic, the food is delicious, and the staff is incredibly friendly. In a time when many chain-operated corporate sports bars are popping up, complete with $20 hamburgers and similar prices, it's refreshing to know that places like Players still exist. I highly recommend this restaurant!

Ten minutes later, I still hadn’t received any service, so I decided to walk to a table through the kitchen in hopes of getting served. I waited for another ten minutes for a server to arrive. When she finally came by, she informed me that my assigned server was on lunch, but she could get me a drink. I ordered a drink and asked for a menu. I mentioned that I had been at the pool table for over 25 minutes without being served. She apologized and explained that during Patriots games, it’s a self-service area. I waited another 20 minutes without any food service. Finally, I approached another server and asked if she could help me place a food order. She told me it wasn’t her table, that my server was on lunch, and that she should be back soon. About five minutes later, my assigned server returned and agreed to take my order, which was nice of her. After I placed my order, I finally saw my actual server for the section. She didn’t say a word when she dropped off my bill and never asked if I needed anything. Over the next 30 minutes, she didn’t stop by my table, focusing instead on her other tables. Eventually, I had to flag her down to ask for some water. I had my water, but she didn’t refill it. So it became clear that the policy here is no service when seated at the pool tables during a Patriots game, and if your server is on lunch, you’re out of luck. You only get service if you actively ask for it. Apparently, the servers also believe they deserve tips regardless of the service provided! TIPS stands for To Insure Prompt Service; without good service, there should be no tips! Perhaps the owner should consider hiring responsible, qualified servers rather than sticking to an old-school philosophy of only hiring attractive young women. By the way, the club sandwich was acceptable, but the tater tots were inedible!

This restaurant probably deserves 4 stars due to some inconsistent service, but I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. The food has always been good—I'm especially fond of their wings. My advice for visiting is to be prepared for busy times. The worst experience I had was during a Padres playoff game; we sat there for a full inning (about 15 minutes) before anyone acknowledged us. If they can improve this aspect, it could be a great spot. I was initially concerned about the ambience because it looks dark from the outside, but it's actually quite inviting inside!