The Varsity Club at SIS Athletics, which opened Feb. 1 at 5811 Olivas Park Dr. in Ventura, is a restaurant and sports bar owned by Ventura resident Tony Garcia. The venue  features multiple sports simulators and lawn games, along with delicious bar food to enjoy while you play.

Just through the door, guests are welcomed by the warm smile of a hostess, ready to escort them to their table. Since weekends and some weeknights can be quite busy, my recommendation is to reserve a table ahead of time. The servers were attentive and efficient, allowing customers plenty of time to explore the extensive food and drink menu.

Before opening his restaurant, Garcia first opened SIS Athletics, which trains youth, college and professional athletes. The idea for The Varsity Club was born from the success of SIS Athletics, with Garcia and his team considering different business ventures. They decided to open a restaurant in a location zoned for food, adding an entertainment aspect with sports simulators and a multi-purpose area for families to enjoy.  

“A high on my ‘favorites’ list is our arancini risotto,” Garcia said, “because a lot of our food we make in house, so we make it from scratch.” 

The arancini ($14) is a dish of five breaded and deep fried risotto balls. The risotto swims in a pool of slightly spicy marinara sauce, and is topped with sprinkled parmesan cheese. With every bite, you can feel the crunch of the bread crumbs along with the soft goodness of the risotto. The marinara and parmesan offer a flavorful and appealing contrast to each other and the risotto itself.

Another fan favorite are the truffle fries ($12). This large bowl of french fries was infused with truffle oil, which gives it the classic taste of the beloved side or appetizer. The same parmesan flakes were sprinkled over the fries, enhancing the overall flavor, and customers were given a sauce cup with ketchup for their dipping pleasure. 

Along with delicious food, The Varsity Club also offers guests the opportunity to experience playing sports through the Full Swing golf simulator and HitTrax batting bay for baseball. Those experiences must be booked separately from the restaurant reservation. It is a rare adventure, as there aren’t many of these simulations, especially HitTrax.

“There’s only two [HitTrax simulators] in the whole state of California,” Garcia said. “We have one, and … the Giants stadium has one.”

The Varsity Club is a place for community members of all ages to spend time together and entertain themselves. With child friendly games such as cornhole and drinks for the adults, this spot has the potential for fun for the whole family.

“We have so many different things that the whole family can do, inside or out,” manager Hunter Boettcher said.