Real Sports Bar and Grill opening in Ottawa

OTTAWA—Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment  is opening an Ottawa version of its popular Real Sports Bar & Grill.

Slated to open in November  in a condo building at  90 George St. in the Byward Market, the new restaurant will have a 25-foot-tall high definition  television screen, and a total of 99 HD Tvs throughout the premises

Like the Toronto unit, it will have a VIP area and tabletop beer taps. It will seat 319 inside and 80 to 120 on an outdoor patio.

“Food will be important,” said Real Sports director of operations Carlos Bohen, in a release this week.  “We are committed to having a menu that you won't find at a typical sports bar, at Real Sports the culinary experience won't be an afterthought - it's the focus.”

Sports fans will be able to satisfy their thirst with almost 100 beers on tap, as well as a wide variety of bottled brews, and if they want to be creative they can put blends of different beers  in their glasses.

Since MLSE opened the 1,000-seat Real Sports next to the Air Canada Centre  in June, 2010 it has been drawing in crowds and was named  North American Sports Bar of the Year in September 2010 by ESPN Mobile after coming out on top in a voter  poll.