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Bella Vita celebrated its 10th anniversary Thursday, April 16th, with a party at the waterside restaurant. Neighbors, fans and friends all attended. Champagne was passed around, and a generous sampling of hors d’oeuvres were offered for all parties to enjoy.
It was still business as usual, though, for owners Henry and Shelly Najem. Shelly was greeting guests at the door,and Henry was working in the kitchen!
“I really can’t believe it has been 10 years,” Shelly said. The popular Geist eatery first opened a decade ago at Brooks School and 116th, which is now home to Infusion restaurant, before moving to its current location five years ago. “It has been great!” Shelly adds.
While Bella Vita celebrates its momentous anniversary, another Geist restaurant is just getting started. BerTee’s Sports Café is now open at Olio Road and 104th …just a few doors down from another new eatery, Pat’s Pub.
BerTee’s Owners Kelly and Jason Kendrick –- Canal Place residents — thought a true family-style sports café was needed in the neighborhood. Jason has many years experience with buying and selling bars and restaurant properties, while Kelly has extensive experience in managing them.
Kelly says she named the sports café after her Grandmother Roberta (“Bertee”) who died in 2000 from lung cancer. “That’s why the no smoking policy,” explains Kelly. “It’s a tribute to my grandmother.”
And while you won’t find smoking in BerTee’s, you will find no shortage of TV screens! We counted 21 plasma flat screens when we visited on a Friday afternoon to watch some action at the track.”There’s a bare spot over there, though,” pointed Kelly. “So, make that TV total count 22!”
There are also nine projection screens, so no chance of missing your favorite game on a weekend here!
The café also sports a menu for sports of all sorts with soft pretzel bites, tater skins and BerTee specials such as the “Bertee Nest” (a pile of crispy fries, smothered in cheese, bacon and their house blue cheese) and “Bertee Bites” (white cheddar bites that are battred and fried and served with marinara).
There’s a bar side and a family dining side to BerTees. The family side also sports a game room for kids, which is a welcome treat for a family outing. Parents can watch sports on the big screen while their kids play games!
I think Grandma Bertee would be very proud!
I've been to Bertee's. What a dump.
Amen!
Terrible service. Food burned and incorrect. Tried twice but will not be back. If you like charred food. If you like waiting 30 minutes for a charred burger. This is your place.
We have been to BerTee's several times. We enjoy the atmosphere. We usually sit at the bar and always get great service !! We have not tried alot of the food mostly appetizers, no complaints. I wish them the very best of success, we really like going there.
Horrible food and the service is very lacklustre… the lack of parking is rough and if you go there and its busy expect a 15 minute wait for a drink!!
I have been here several times and it has always just been okay
TERRIBLE!!!!! WILL NOT EVER BE BACK!!!! I wish I had the bar tenders number because I believe I would have received service faster if I could have text my order to her.
As if that was not bad enough, I was in the bathroom and witnessed two cooks leave without washing their hands!!! I even stepped back after finishing my business so they could wash their hands before me, he simply stated, "Oh thanks man, you go ahead." and then they both left the bathroom!
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I made up an excuse not to eat my food and told my wife to do the same. We were there with another couple and, I did not want to ruin their meal as well, so I said nothing to them. As luck would have it, they took two bites of their food and hated it anyway.
The floors are ALWAYS dirty, they are constantly doing weird and inconvenient construction jobs, the food is awful and the staff is less than friendly and ALWAYS drinking while working.
The woman in charge of the poker tournament acts so much above everyone else that it would lead you to believe that she actually invented the game of poker.
They managed to find the most self-absorbed musician to run a weekly karaoke contest…
They DO have great drink specials on some nights… which kept us coming back for a little while; however, due to all things cited above that occur on a daily and weekly basis… we will NEVER be back.
The owners are also really friendly… JUST KIDDING! On late nights you can find them sitting in front of the bar binge drinking and making patrons feel like they are bothering them by entering their establishment… I am only trying to support a locally owned establishment, I was unaware that was such an awful thing to do.
I have been to BerTee's Sports Cafe several times; it is my own fault that I keep going back… I guess a part of me wishes it would close up and a real bar would magically appear. Do yourself a favor and GO TO CASSLER'S KITCHER & BAR, MO'S IRISH PUB or just DRINK & EAT AT HOME before attempting this nightmare of a restaurant.
DEAR OWNERS OF BERTEES SPORTS CAFE,
Please do the world a favor and go into a business in which public health, safety and sanity are not compromised!
Thanks,
Henry B.