Wait: We arrived at noon on a Tuesday and were seated right away in the dining room, which is separated from the bar and giant screen TVs by a glass wall.

Service: Upon greeting us, our server informed us it was his first day on the job (without a trainer hovering over him). For a newbie, though, he did a fine job. Our lunch was nicely paced and while he dropped off our check shortly after our food arrived, he kept a close eye on our glasses and was prompt with the refills.

What we liked: We enjoyed our appetizer, chicken and black bean firecrackers — essentially Southwestern spring rolls served with a spicy ranch sauce. Our two entrées — the BLT salad with Gorgonzola cheese and Parmesan peppercorn dressing and the teriyaki chicken sandwich with cole slaw and crispy onion straws (paper-thin onion rings) — were just OK. Much like vanilla ice cream, they satisfied but they weren’t bursting with flavor or personality.

Scene: Compared to the “clubhouse” area, the dining room was much quieter. In addition to a plethora of framed sports memorabilia, the space features — oddly enough — a faux fireplace complete with books (which didn’t look like real novels, but rather like hollow books where you might stash your jewelry) and a deer’s head (which I’m hoping was fake, too). The dining room is clean and bright, though the lodge decor threw me for a loop.

Bathroom break: Spacious, stocked and clean — except for the trash can which was overflowing with paper towels.

Tab for two: $31 with tax and tip for chicken and black bean firecrackers ($6.99), BLT salad ($6.99), teriyaki chicken sandwich ($7.29) and two iced teas ($1.79 each).

If work weren’t buying: Considering this chain’s ho-hum menu isn’t drastically different from, say, Applebee’s or Chili’s, I’m assuming folks come to Damon’s mainly for the big screen TVs. I’m not a sports fan, though, so in my book, Damon’s strikes out.

By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out

Wait: We were quickly seated in the “clubhouse” section of this bustling Gilbert grill at 6 p.m. on a Sunday.

Service: Our waiter took so long to bring our check that he forced this credit-card abusing couple to pay with our precious cash, a rarity for us. Basically, he took our order and promptly went M.I.A. while various others delivered dishes. The team system is all fine and good if it works but we were left thirsty, no one ever cared about anything beyond their task of dropping off food and old plates weren't cleared before new ones arrived (quickly becoming one of my biggest pet peeves).

What we liked: Our quesadilla appetizer — stuffed with pulled pork cooked in a Southern-style barbecue sauce and topped with diced tomatoes, scallions, sour cream and ranch sauce — was the highlight of our meal. Unfortunately, our main dishes were both disappointments: The kitchen was stingy with the not-so “crisp” bacon promised on my husband's puny chicken panini and my ribs were somehow both burnt and lukewarm.

Scene: Kids, kids and more kids — all running rampant in the colossal clubhouse section of Damon's. We were lured into this dining area by the stadium-style booths with individual speaker systems (genius!) and the unobstructed views of four glorious 10-foot-by-10-foot TVs. But, the screaming shorties surrounding us were too distracting to truly enjoy our sporty surroundings.

Bathroom break: Spacious and clean.

Tab for two: $39 with tax and tip for pork quesadilla ($6.99), chicken panini ($7.99), ribs ($13.99) and an ice tea ($1.79).

If work weren’t buying: I'll never make a trip to this kid-crazy Damon's again but I may give the Mesa location a beer-and-a-game try because I've never seen a more money spot to watch sports and it's only a few miles from my house.

Next week: Our reviewers check out Oregano’s Pizza Bistro in Tempe