The rumor mill kicked up about the future of downtown sports bar Hero's, so I did some sleuthing and here's what I found out:
The downtown sports lounge is closed until Friday, as new ownership takes over and preps for a round of changes.
The restaurant's manager Rochelle Baldwin promises a new staff and lower prices when Hero's re-opens. There will be slight changes to the menu, she says, but the current sports décor will remain.
A new name is on the horizon too -- Austin's Downtown Grill & Sports Lounge. The new owner is Patrick McLenithan, who already owns Austin's Restaurant in Sanger.
Hero's opened on New Year's Eve 2008 on Van Ness Ave. near Inyo St., promising to bring "a little bit of River Park downtown." In September, ownership was split between original owner Robert Williams and Eric Jones, the kitchen manager. Since its opening, Hero's faced a number of complains about shoddy service.
This Saturday's concert with the Eva Scow group Brazilian Jazz Collective will go on as scheduled. It starts at 8 p.m. Cover is $10.
[photo by John Walker / The Fresno Bee]
a little bit of granite park downtown.
here's to hoping that they can capitalize on downtown sports teams (monsters, grizz, fuego) and that when sports are on they always have volumn on the game/match and not some lame radio station (i'm talking you hero's) or some lame juke box (i'm talking about you bobby sal's tower)
was there watching a basketball game, and when the commercial came on, it was annoying. i don't know if that's still the case now, but hopefully they put on some music during the commercials, and then switch back to the game when it comes back on.
thank you!! I will start going there again, service there before was the absolute worst I have ever had, I used to have to go to the soda drink machine and get my own refills because once they brought your food they disappeared
I'm with Floyd. This is starting to smell like Granite Park. Lets just hope Im jaded.
Hero's had the worst service EVAR! RIP u won't be missed
I have went in a few times to discover a new place to bring downtown alive and yes sad to say service was not only bad but it seemed like the hosts, bartenders and staff were being annoyed when you ask for a drink, food or a table. I have never seen a place where the staff turned off the customers so much.
Now the food was very good as I was at a Creative Blender where they served their pizza's and other finger food's.
Lets hope the new owner will find staff that wants to work and make customers feel welcome.
As for special family events,promotions I hope the new owners return calls to say this local entertainer who could help bring the magic to downtown. So take a moment & visit the website below. http://www.tonyblanco.com
My two experiences there weren't that great. The food was great -- the TV/atmosphere seemed great too.
However, getting someone to bring a drink or even a menu almost proved futile. A buddy and I waited a good 20-30 minutes before someone finally approached us and he seemed to care but he just said 'sorry, we're busy..' which seemed like a lame excuse.
The other time I waited so long before a Grizzlies game we decided to just not eat and left -- we didn't even have drinks. Nobody approached us.
Hopefully service gets better -- the rest seemed fine.
I hope this means the place was sold outright - the original owner sold off the restaurant a few months ago, but retained ownership of the bar. Since he had burned bridges with potential partners (i.e., anyone at the Chuk), the owner of the restaurant portion wouldn't have been able to wash off the ashes. If it has now sold outright, maybe there's hope.
The staffing changes are also encouraging - many of the former staff moved over from Cabo.
After meeting Rochelle a couple of weeks ago and her stepping up and allowing us to hold a show in their venue, I'd have to say the space isn't too bad at all.
Yes, service is/was slow and it still may be slow moving forward; however, "speed" doesn't take away from the fact Hero's has the potential of bringing some life to the downtown area.
I think Hero's or whatever it may be named in the future, has the ability to be a really cool hang out spot for most of us. If you're into sports and you don't want to drive all the way out to World's Sports, this is the next viable option.
Milton "Bradley" Barbis was/is a crook who benefited from a city not ready to a stand against what's right and what's wrong! The comparisons to Granite Park are silly because there aren't millions at stake, millions which fell back on the city. Well, all this being stated before Kirk Vartanian came to the rescue.
Ha, this town is funny sometimes, throw a little or in Kim Kardashians case a lot of "Cake" at people and they go bonkers.
Let's stand behind a cool spot and keep it going into '10.
@ED, good take on the volume and music!
I'm so glad this place is changing hands because I've never liked the service or prices at Hero's.
Hopefully they just correct what's broken and nothing else takes a turn for the worse.
It's a nice looking place with good food and the potential for a very fun atmosphere so I still have high hopes and I wish the new owner the best.
~Rell.
Just do me a favor - DON'T change the burgers. Please? They're incredible.
I'll still go frequently, just promise me that.
I echo the sentiments of all: Food great, service? What service.
It was always weird to be upstairs for a show on comedy night, about 40-100 people upstairs, and to have to go down to the bar to order drinks or food with the one person working.
Nice place, good food, but really nothing to draw me there - no camaraderie or shared-friendship atmosphere, making Hero's a one-time destination point more than a regular hang-out like a tower spot or a favorite northside bar.
I think there will ALWAYS be problems in downtown bars becoming joints where regulars come and everybody knows your name, simply because these spots are lonely islands of food or drink, rather than other places surrounded by shops or alternative bar/restaurants (think River Park, Champlain and Perrin, Villagio, Fig Garden, Tower, Palm and Nees, etc).
@Stephen, this comedy deal you mention has had 40-100 people at it? I saw the unnamed host(s) of the comedy night, a couple weeks ago and I scratched my head that they were even allowed to hold an event inside of Hero's; however, they're lucky to have 3 people in the house for any type of "comedy" night these guys are involved in because their idea of comedy is as good as an unnamed Tower District Cafe's, Costco bought coffee!
Don't knock having to go downstairs as being the problem; people were probably attempting to escape the chaos of being trapped upstairs.
This is in no way a knock on you as a person, I've seen you luck out and not get killed after one of your routines and I have to give a guy nothing but praise for escaping an almost certain beat down!
unnamed costco coffee-bean serving coffee joint? no point in making a comment at all if yr not gonna name names. i'll do it for you: the most un-neighborly business in the Tower, Revue.
Thank you all for the feedback, my name is Patrick and I am the new owner. Trust me, service is our number one priority now. There were problems in the past with the previous management but now we have re-staffed and re-aligned. If you come in, ask for me, and I'll ensure you have a great time. We will be changing the name to Austin's Downtown Grill and Sports Bar. We will have a new menu with the current best sellers along with new steaks, more burger choices, better recipes, and many other additions. The look of the restaurant will stay the same. If you have any questions or comments please email me, patrick@austinsinsanger.com. Thanks again, we are all really excited over here!
Patrick,
Thanks for making your voice known. This already a good sign. One thing you can count on is a vocal group here in cyberspace. I wish you much success and will visit as often as possible...
Cheers,
Travis
Good luck Patrick. Make sure you yell loud and clear: Under new management!
I think you can have a winner there with your focus on service. I know I will give you a shot for sure.
Hope the service is better and the food is not consistent. They started out with great sweet potato fries and burgers but now it's 50/50 on the service or the food. I work downtown so am excited to see changes. Good Luck and I'll try the new place.
i have been to hero's several times [mostly during mid day] & have enjoyed each visit. never had an issue with service but if it was as bad as indicated, i'm looking forward to the change in ownership. i hope the new owners keep those amazing wings on the menu and hey, if i can get them for a lower price point now, that would be even better!
i really hope this spot can become a downtown mainstay & that fresno embraces it as the diamond in a rough that it is.
Hey guys,
just wanted to let you know that i'll be down at Austin's this coming and every Wednesday with my trio from 11:30 to 1:30pm! Im confident that there are enough people downtown who would love to enjoy their lunch with some live music and an All You Can Eat Buffet! Plus, there is NO COVER and the buffet is $10!! Let's stand behind the arts and cool venues that support it!! Also, I'm there on Jan. 22nd with my group Espacio + singer Karen Marguth at 8pm!! Let's go!
Rochelle Is not the manager!!!!! Catherine Reece is and its the best is has ever been go and take a look every thing is better great customer service and the food is better than ever!
It has a long way to go before being decent, though. I went this week for dinner and experienced:
-- A 5 min. wait to be seated, even though the place was nearly empty.
-- An even longer wait to have my drink order taken.
-- Crusty, dirty silverware.
-- My companion's meal arrived 10 minutes before mine (and I ordered a salad).
-- The table next to me was ignored completely -- they had to scrounge for (presumably cleaner) silverware on a different table. After sitting there waiting to pay the check for way too long, they finally got up and hunted down a server to make him take their money.
And here's the kicker: When the check arrived, it was $24.78. When I signed the receipt, the total had mysteriously gone up to $25.58. I asked if there was a fee for using credit cards, and was told no. The server blamed the register at the bar for being set at "a higher tax rate," whatever that means.
Yes, the servers were kind, and when I brought up the check thing, I was offered a $5 gift certificate to make up for it. However, I won't be going back to use it.
Heather, I am so sorry about your experience. This is the first I have heard about a situation like this. Please feel free to come back in and speak to me, Patrick, and I will DEFINITELY give you an awesome dining experience. Again, I am very sorry and I hope you give us another chance.
POOR TOM IS TRENDING. Are we feeling sorry for Voldemort or something? Okay.