Edge Steakhouse & Sports Lounge offers 2 options: sports bar, steak restaurant

Tri-City diners have another steakhouse to add to their list of options.

Edge Steakhouse & Sports Lounge had a soft opening last month, with the official grand opening weekend set for March 23-25.

The new restaurant is inside the old Tri-City Country Club restaurant at 314 N. Underwood St., sitting on top of the hill overlooking the rebranded golf course, Zintel Creek Golf Club.

The golf course has always been open to the public, but the restaurant had not.

When it was the country club, diners had to be members of the club to eat there — or at least be guests of club members.

No more.

And Edge features two restaurants instead of one.

The Sports Lounge portion is open seven days a week: from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; and from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.

There are 20 craft beers on tap.

A Golden Tee golf video game sits in the sports lounge, with all proceeds from the game going to the Kennewick High golf team.

In addition, General Manager Clint Ables — who doubles as the head golf professional for the Zintel Creek Golf Club — plans to add to the sports lounge.

“I’m excited about putting a golf simulator into the sports lounge this fall,” Ables said. “That way you can have something to eat and drink, then work on your golf swing.”

The sports lounge includes a breakfast menu Friday through Sunday.

“And even if you want a steak Monday through Wednesday, we have a steak on the sports lounge menu,” Ables said.

The Steakhouse side of the eatery is open from 4 to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

A sliding, rustic-looking barn door separates the two parts of the restaurant.

“The barn door is a nice touch,” Ables said. “It really sets it off. It also gives us the ability to open it up for parties.”

The changes in the restaurant – and the golf course – came about last fall when the country club membership voted to allow a new, local group of investors, called Save the Club LLC, to take over ownership of the golf course and restaurant.

The majority, if not all, members of Save the Club, LLC, were longtime members of the Tri-City Country Club.

The group infused the golf course and restaurant with new money to help pay outstanding bills and for improvement projects.

Had the group not taken over the club, the golf course and restaurant likely would have gone bankrupt.

The course since has been improved, with better sand traps, as an example. Once a par-65 course, it’s now a par-66. The No. 18 hole has gone from being a par-4 hole to a par-5.

A change in the restaurant also was in the new plans.

The group hired Phouty Vongsaly, who was the sous chef at Anthony’s and Budd’s Broiler in Richland, to be the head chef at Edge.

“He’s been great,” Ables said. “You know, I wasn’t sure at first. He’s so quiet. I wasn’t sure how he was going to handle the kitchen. But that first night, I walked into the kitchen, and he had the staff and kitchen so well organized.

“He and food and beverage manager Shannon Bibe have done a great job with the menu. And he’s whipped that kitchen into shape.”

The menu in both the steakhouse and the sports lounge offers a lot in variety, with prices ranging from $28 for a New York steak dinner and $13 for fettuccine, to $7 for omelets and $15 for salads.

Vongsaly and his staff served a dinner for the new owners Feb. 17, and then opened the restaurant for a soft opening and first day of business Feb. 20.

“It’s been good so far,” said Ables, who pushed the grand opening back to March 23-25 so it wouldn’t conflict with St. Patrick’s Day weekend. “I’ve been impressed. We’re still going to have some growing pains. But it’s been a good start.”

Ables said people should start seeing TV commercials. Then radio ads will begin airing.

The new ownership group is hopeful diners will start thinking about Edge Steakhouse & Sports Lounge when they think about Tri-City dining options.

“We’re happy to have new customers,” Ables said. “That’s why the biggest thing has been our name change. The attitude is different. We’re not a country club anymore. The biggest change is the attitude. We’ll be a welcoming place.”