RESTAURANT REVIEW:

I was in need of a sports bar fix, but my idea of watching sports in public is probably far different than most.

Though I like the noise of the crowd, I don’t really want to interact with it.

Besides, my beloved Red Sox were playing the Angels, and I knew I would be outmanned by the hometown fans.

It is hard, though, not to feel welcomed when you walk into the Corner Office Sports Bar and Grill, even if you are invading enemy territory.

The bartender says hello when you walk through the door, and even though it is a large layout, it still has a homey feel.

The facility has been open for eight years and attracts not only regular customers, but also many business professionals from the surrounding office buildings and nearby hotel visitors.

It didn’t take long for the guy sitting next to me at the bar to start talking sports. I really don’t mind that much, but I wanted to concentrate on the beating my Red Sox were taking.

So I retreated to one of the booths that line the walls around the establishment.

The booths have television monitors on swing arms that attach to the table and allow for individual viewing. That is an advantage and not anything I have ever seen in a sports bar.

The televisions and projection screens that they do have around the bar and on the walls are ample.

On one wall, there are five large projection screens, each with a different sporting event.

“The prices and the consistency of our customers is a big part of our success,” said Stephanie Potter, one of the restaurant’s managing partners. “There is not really any residential around us, but we still have a loyal group of people that come in here.”

The food is typical sports bar food, but Potter said the menu will be getting a remodel soon, featuring items like portabello mushrooms and free-range chicken.

That would be a nice addition. The old menu is ready for a change. I did find a few items I would recommend.

The first are the potstickers. They are five pieces of gyoza wrapping with ground pork, onions and ginger inside.

They were good, though the sauce that came with them was too sweet. I would have preferred the more traditional soy sauce, or even a ponzu sauce.

I sampled some of the other appetizers, including chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and buffalo wings, and thought they were all good.

The next item was the Reuben with a twist. The twist was red cabbage instead of sauerkraut, and though I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to Reubens, I did like the sandwich.

The red cabbage provides less of a bite than the sauerkraut, and it makes the sandwich much more palatable for people who wouldn’t normally eat it.

The pastrami was a bit chewy in spots, but nothing serious.

In addition to sandwiches, the restaurant serves eight salads and four wraps. The Buffalo Chicken wrap with jack and cheddar cheese looked the most appealing.

There are also 10 entrees, featuring dishes like steak and shrimp, baby back ribs, and fish and chips.

There are three pasta dishes I would like to try on another visit. The pasta primavera would probably win out with me over fettuccine alfredo and shrimp scampi.

The establishment has a full bar, which is good, because on this night I needed it. The Red Sox were getting pounded. As I looked up at the big screen in disgust, a guy walking by my booth was wearing a Boston hat.

It was good to know that in a sea of fans, I wasn’t the only one wallowing in my beer.

ADDRESS: 580 Anton Blvd., Suite 201, Costa Mesa

PHONE: (714) 979-9922

CUISINE: American

SPECIALTY DISH: Steak and shrimp

ALCOHOL SERVED: Full bar

ENTRÉE PRICE RANGE: $7.95 to $22.95

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Yes

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: Visa, MasterCard and American Express

RATING: ** 1/2

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.