The Element Sports Bar & Grille

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By JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star

When Kevin McGerr told people he was taking over Bleachers, he heard the same response.

Over and over again.

“People told me they used to go there,” McGerr said. “That’s all I heard.”

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Hot wings and the mushroom burger are popular items on the menu at The Element Sports Bar and Grille. (Michael Paulsen)

The Element Sports Bar & Grille

5601 S. 56th St., Suite 21

Atmosphere: Casual

Specialty: Bar and grill

Payment: Cash, checks, major credit cards

Cost: Entrees, $3.99 to $7.99

Hours: 11 a.m.-1 a.m. daily

Kitchen hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday

Phone: (402) 423-5381

Notes: Parking, alcohol, beer garden, daily specials, take-out

* * *

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 2 stars

Service: 3 stars

Vegetarian friendly: 1 star

Rating system: Excellent 4 stars; Good 3 stars; Fair or uneven 2 stars; Poor 1 star

Now he’s hoping those patrons will come back.

Over and over again.

He and Mike Raasch bought the longtime Lincoln sports bar in southeast Lincoln, renovated it and changed the name. The Element Sports Bar and Grill opened three weeks ago.

The remodel is still in progress, with new chairs, art for the walls and newly designed menus expected soon.  They opened before it was done because they wanted to take advantage of March Madness.

“Last Thursday and Friday were the best I’ve seen so far,” McGerr said. “Obviously, this is new for us, but Friday couldn’t have been any busier.”

McGerr is part of his father’s janitorial service, McGerr & Sons.  Some may remember McGerr was a professional bowler for several years.

Raasch is a real estate appraiser, owns Five Willows and has investments in medical technology.

They are golfing buddies with the previous owners, who were looking to sell, McGerr said.

“We got it to the price where we could get in there and make the changes we wanted to,” he explained.

There have been many.

They redesigned the main floor, getting rid of the old TVs, which freed up space for padded booths. Gone are the pool tables, replaced by a shuffleboard table and, eventually, lounge chairs.

The floor is covered in new carpeting and ceramic tile. They remodeled the bathrooms, bought new furniture and filled the restaurant with numerous flat-screen, high-definition TVs.

McGerr said the goal is to keep it a sports bar but class it up a bit. It reminded me, in looks and feel, of Dino’s on 84th Street.

The new owners say they would like it to be comparable to Grata, a new bar in southwest Lincoln. Element will serve martinis and wine in addition to beer and liquor.

“From 10 (p.m.) to 1 (a.m.), we want it to be nice enough to come in and have drinks,” McGerr said.

But some things haven’t changed. Most of the help, including manager Christy White, is still there, as are most of the menu items.

Bleachers always boasted a solid bar and grill menu. The new owners have tweaked the menu a bit, eliminating the prime rib offerings and emphasizing burgers and chicken sandwiches.

Element also features a variety of appetizers and other sandwiches, such as the Reuben, the ribeye and the Philly steak and cheese.

A co-worker and I stopped in earlier this week for lunch. We were amazed by the changes. It’s still a tad barren without art on the dark, gray walls. I’m anxious to see how it looks once they are dressed up.

I enjoyed a 6-ounce (blue) cheeseburger, and my co-worker had the daily special, a prime rib sandwich. Element will serve prime rib fare as daily specials. With drinks (coffee and soda), our bill came to $18.

Entrees range from $4 to $8. Sandwiches and burgers are accompanied by a choice of a side item.

We were pleased with our choices. It was typical bar food, but I wasn’t expecting anything different.

I was pleasantly surprised, however, by the new look. Bleachers had become rough around the edges and needed some money poured into it. Those who used to go there may want to check it out again.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.