'Elevated' sports bar to open on Marietta Square Monday

MARIETTA - A new sports bar from the creators of Taqueria Tsunami Latin Asian Kitchen and Silla Del Toro is set to open on Marietta Square Monday.

Described as an "elevated sports bar" by co-owner Alexis Kinsey, West Park Sports Club aims to blend the energy of live sports with a more refined, yet welcoming atmosphere.

"We want to create the space around the environment and the energy that sports bring," Kinsey said.

The restaurant comes from Fork U Concepts, the parent company behind other popular Marietta spots like Stockyard Burgers & Bones and Forno Vero. Kinsey and her husband, chef Scott Kinsey, own the company.

Alexis Kinsey said the full-service restaurant will serve "elevated bar bites" in a setting that feels more like an intimate part of someone's home than a traditional sports bar.

"It feels like when… you would go to somebody's basement sports area to watch a game," she said.

"Dark and comfortable and inviting," she continued, with nostalgic sports memorabilia throughout.

The upstairs dining room features 12 large-screen TVs, along with additional screens on the patio, which has been upgraded with string lights to create a more relaxed outdoor viewing experience. The bar serves as a focal point, with multiple TVs positioned for guests seated there.

While no concrete plans have been made just yet, Kinsey assured those screens will be showing as many matches as possible when the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to Atlanta.

Downstairs, the team has introduced a separate lounge space called "The Reserve," with original brick walls and art from local dk Gallery.

"We've completely renovated the space down there," Kinsey said. "It's a lounge area where you can go afterwards to have an after-dinner cocktail, or if you just want to go for an appetizer and a drink prior to dinner."

The lower level can also be reserved for private events, parties or group watch gatherings.

When games aren't on, TVs in the space will show music videos that match the restaurant's playlist.

Kinsey added that live entertainment - including trivia nights and bands - is expected to launch within the coming weeks.

The sports club also features two distinct food and cocktail menus for the upstairs and downstairs spaces.

Upstairs, guests will find a full menu of upscale bar fare, including wings with flavors such as mango habanero, everything bagel butter, Korean gochujang, blue cheese buffalo honey, Alabama white and Carolina reaper.

Other offerings include their take on oyster Rockefeller, grouper bites, onion rings, buffalo chicken dip and potato skins, alongside mains like a Korean fried chicken sandwich, hatch chile smashburgers, a bulgogi cheesesteak and "The Hail Mary," a Texas toast sandwich with hummus, vegetables, Swiss cheese and artichoke tapenade.

Salads include options like the Summer Ember - made with grilled shrimp and peaches, burrata and prosciutto ribbons - and the Truffle Graze, featuring prime skirt steak, greens, crispy shallots and black truffle vinaigrette, one of Kinsey's favorites.

Downstairs, the menu shifts to lighter bites such as house-made fried dill pickles, Tokyo fries with Kewpie mayo, furikake, sesame and teriyaki, a charcuterie board and a black truffle grilled cheese.

"Think bar food except with a chef's kiss," Kinsey said.

"...My husband, Chef Scott Kinsey, developed all the menu items, and we really built the bar around the menu and this idea of an elevated sports bar."

The upstairs drink menu includes a wide range of cocktails, draft and bottled beers, wines by the glass or bottle and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. As for Kinsey's favorite, she pointed to the Strawberry Blonde - made with vodka, Aperol, ginger beer, fresh strawberry and lemon juice - or, a close second, the Dubai chocolate espresso martini available downstairs.

Kinsey said the idea behind West Park Sports Club was shaped directly by community feedback.

The restaurant takes over the former home of Red Hare Brewing Company's The Still on the Square, which opened in 2020 and closed sometime after early 2025. The building previously housed longtime fixture Hemingway's Bar and Grill.

When the space became available, the couple immediately saw potential.

"Obviously, we have the other restaurants on the Square. We're very familiar with the community and the market," Kinsey said. "...We were kicking around ideas of what concept to put there, what is lacking on the Square."

The overwhelming response, she said, was a sports bar.

"And that dictated, really, what we created with West Park Sports Club."

Kinsey said the response ahead of opening has been strong.

"People are so excited. Every day they're peeking in the windows,... asking when we're going to open," she said, sharing that over 350 parties have signed up for the opening week, more than any other restaurant opening they've done.

Despite its sports-centric focus, the restaurant will be family-friendly, with a small kids menu and a large patio space.

"We have, I think, one of the greatest patios on Marietta Square, which is great to just let your kids hang around," she said. "...We're welcoming all walks of life."

West Park Sports Club, located at 29 West Park Square, will be open from 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, until 2 a.m. on Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 5:32 AM.