Bingo and bar food: Left Field Tavern review

Tucked away on Park Place in Oxford, Left Field Tavern is a classic college sports bar. Their menu is filled with bar favorites — wings, burgers and plenty of shareable fried appetizers that pair great with a beer and a sports game.

On Wednesday, I stopped in for their weekly Wingo Bingo night, where they have discounted wings and multiple rounds of bingo.

To start, I shared a platter of the loaded potato skins and onion petals with some friends. The loaded potato skins were stuffed with crispy bacon, green onions, cheddar cheese and a side of sour cream, priced at $12.99. They were solid — classic and hard to mess up — but the $12.99 price was a little steep compared to some of the other appetizers on the menu.

The onion petals intrigued me when I first saw them on the menu, and they arrived as a basket of small, fried onion pieces. These were crispy and not too greasy, and the cajun mayo paired well with them. The price of $10.99 is still a little steep, but manageable for a shared appetizer.

Next, I had five boneless wings tossed in their mild sauce with a side of ranch – only $5 thanks to the Wednesday wing deal! They weren’t anything special, but the sauce was good, the chicken was tender and they definitely got the job done.

I also got a side of the truffle fries. These were the biggest disappointment – they barely tasted like truffles and were heavily overseasoned in some sort of salt mixture that no one at the table enjoyed. At nearly $10, they’re an easy skip.

The service at Left Field Tavern was great. Our waiter was attentive and checked back at our table numerous times. Their weekly bingo is also a great mid-week break to enjoy drinks, cheap wings and a friendly game of bingo with friends.

Left Field Tavern is a great spot to gather with friends and have a fun night with casual bar food, drinks and maybe even a round of bingo. While their food does not necessarily stand out, it's a Miami University classic and a reliable place to have a good night.

Overall score: 7/10

craverhj@miamioh.edu