Imagine a sports bar — but without the bar — and you may get a feel for the Sports Center Cafe. There are TVs on every wall, the menu and logo have a sports theme, the TV show SportsCenter can be heard as background noise, the waitress wears a referee jersey, and even the booths are upholstered in what looks like the material basketballs are made out of.

Just down the street from Rivertown Crossings Mall, at 3957 56th St. in Wyoming, this locally owned eatery has been open since March.

I settled into the corner table, was promptly greeted, ordered a cup of tea and began looking over the extensive menu featuring “warm ups” (starters), salads, soups (including their signature homemade Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup), burgers, flatbreads, wraps, pasta, fried baskets and some luscious sounding desserts.

In addition to all this, Sports Center has $5 daily lunch specials. My choice off the appetizer menu was the three mini sliders (appetizer price $5.99) served with provolone, Dijon and carmelized onions on mini pretzel buns and fries ($5 special). The portion of fries was very large, and the mini burgers didn’t disappoint either — each burger was about 2.5 inches in diameter.

Being a newbie to pretzel buns, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It had a subtle soft pretzel flavor and texture, with a shiny brown top with a bit of pretzel twist to it. It was the perfect foundation for the medium-rare burgers, the sweet carmelized onions, creamy provolone and the tangy Dijon. Every restaurant needs something that sets them apart, and these pretzel buns are that thing at Sports Center Cafe.

Likewise, the fries were beyond what I expected. They were big chunks of hand-cut potatoes, that had been fried to perfection — a little crispy in places, crunchy in others and soft where they should be — and seasoned with a secret spice that made them pop, somewhat automatically from the plate to my mouth with no forethought involved.

There were a few diners around me and I heard one tell her server that the soup was delicious. I think I’ll try it next time I go back. They also feature hand-packed ice cream and make old fashioned shakes, sundaes, banana splits, floats, smoothies, flurries and malts.

Sports Center Cafe is a nice little place to drop into for what I’d gauge as good food. The owner said it himself — it’s a nice family place to watch sports games without the bar atmosphere. Drop in for a bite, a dessert, a game or a meal and you’ll feel like you’ve made a “winning play.”