Cork ‘n Fork’s Legacy Lives On in Pregame Brew and Chew

CEDAR RAPIDS — A new sports bar and grill has opened on the southeast side under the protection of an old legacy.

Pregame Brew and Chew, a new offering from Cedar Rapids restaurateur Jade Luter, opened in August.

With a brand new menu, the owner of Daisy’s Garage in Cedar Rapids and Marion and Cruz’s Cafe is offering a new place to catch the game.

If you go

What: Preparation and chewing before the match

Or: 3025 Mount Vernon Rd. SE, Suite B, Cedar Rapids

When: Monday to Thursday 11am to 10pm; Friday 11am to 11pm; Saturday 9am to 11pm; Sunday 9am to 9pm

Phone: (319) 200-4394

Website: Find Pregame on Facebook

Details: A full menu of entrees, appetizers, soups, salads and sandwiches features Cork ‘n Fork Deli classics as well as a full bar. Sandwiches and burgers average $13 to $15.

Luter’s uncle, Gary Sweet, was the original owner of Cork ‘n Fork Deli. The popular restaurant, which enjoyed its heyday in the 1980s and ’90s, closed in 2014 after more than 30 years in business.

Between Cork ‘n Fork, his grandfather’s house, and his mother’s Dairy Queen nearby, Luter’s memories of Mount Vernon Road SE are sweet.

“This is where we all grew up as kids, where we could eat sandwiches and ice cream whenever we wanted,” Luter said.

Sweet sold the restaurant and opened The Sand Trap in 1990 at 4100 River Ridge Dr. NE, where Luter first worked in a restaurant as a teenager. The Sand Trap later became Vito’s on 42nd, and today is known as The Pines Pizza and Pub.

But it was the beginning of a career for Luter. After buying and shaping several restaurants around Cedar Rapids, she took off with Pregame.

The space

“It was fun for me because it’s the first menu I’ve written from scratch,” she said. “It’s a completely new concept.”

The idea for the sports atmosphere came to him after he moved back to the Southeast and was looking for a place to watch March Madness.

“There wasn’t much choice,” she said.

With its cardboard walls, the small space is dominated by giant televisions, including a 98-inch one in the center. A reproduction of the Wrigley Field sign sits at the center of the bar’s brick and ivy wall. To the left, a life-size mural by Caitlin Clark.

The walls on either side are filled with authentic football, basketball, baseball and NASCAR memorabilia. Among them are locals like NFL quarterback Kurt Warner and former Chicago White Sox baseball player Ryan Sweeney, a 2003 Xavier High School graduate.

“I tried to attract as many locals as possible to (show) that a lot of people came from Cedar Rapids and made it here,” Luter said.

First-time visitors tend to move around the room, moving from one centerpiece to another to get a better look, she said. The reactions of the children, in particular, have been appreciated.

“It’s really fun to see their first expression when they come in,” she said.

The space was previously occupied by Mamacita’s Taco Bar, which closed in May.

The menu

With full-sized steaks and entrees, the extensive menu offers more than your average sports bar.

At the top, a few Cork ‘n Fork favorites from over the years have been brought back — some with tweaks. A namesake sandwich features bacon, avocado, Brussels sprouts and a host of sides on toasted rye. The Herkey comes with ham, smoked turkey and Swiss cheese. The “Sweets” Garden sandwich features another configuration of smoked turkey on rye, sitting just above the chicken salad and tuna salad sandwiches.

For starters, there’s more than just fries and onion rings: try fried mushrooms, fried cauliflower, sweet corn nuggets or spinach artichoke dip.

In addition to eight burger options, a large sandwich menu includes a Cork ‘n Fork-inspired hot beef sandwich with jus, a Monte Cristo, a Kentucky Hot Brown and numerous wraps.

Wash them down with local bottled beers, pre-game Moscow Mules, seasonal sports-themed cocktails or one of six craft beers on tap.

And if you have room for dessert, also consider the carrot cake served at Cork ‘n Fork: it’s a family recipe.

Comments: Reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or [email protected].