Overtime. For the team coming from behind, it’s a cause for celebration. For the team that was ahead, there is a moan of desperation. In Bowling Green, it’s a time for the commemoration of a new, locally owned sports bar and grill called … you guessed it, Overtime.

It has two mottos: “There’s no place like it” and “Come for the food, stay for the sports.” I would have to agree with both. I first drove by days before my dining companion and I meandered in for lunch. Both the sign and patio are hard to see from the road, but once you catch a glimpse of the free-standing building behind Integra Bank on Campbell Lane, it definitely has a inviting aura.

Right away, we noticed cornhole on the patio, so it was tempting to hang out and eat there, but once we saw the inside of the restaurant, my dining companion and I decided to eat inside. Colorful red walls are accented with a striking, black open ceiling, medium-grain wood and beige seat covers. More than 30 high-definition TV screens and two wall-projected TV images filled the room with an aliveness that was contagious among the patrons. In other words, it’s quite noisy, but in a fun, uplifting way.

Because of limited time, my dining companion and I ordered all our food at once, but the accommodating staff still made sure our appetizers came out quickly and our lunch was soon to follow. We ordered the Touch ’em All on the pre-game apps menu, which afforded us the pleasure of choosing four appetizers from Overtime’s most famous of their 18 apps. That’s right, count ’em, 18 appetizers. That has to be some kind of record.

Opting for kickin’ wings, button hook fried mushrooms, can of corn dogs and jalapeno poppers, we enjoyed all four. For my dining companion, the miniature corn dogs served with honey mustard dressing were a favorite. For me, it was the kickin’ wings because of a special process of both hand breading and house seasoning that created a one-of-a-kind crunch and taste. We also enjoyed a variety of ranch, bleu cheese, honey mustard and barbecue sauces for dipping.

We then split the grilled chicken salad with Overtime’s signature Red Western French dressing. The salad had all the usual suspects. The grilled chicken was tender on top of traditional iceberg greens with tomato, slivered cabbage and carrots. It was acceptable, and the dressing was a sweet twist, but I recommend going in for the apps, pizzas, wraps and sandwiches – which seem to be its forte.

Take, for instance, the Tour de “French dip” I ordered. The quarter pound of thick-sliced, moist and well-seasoned roast beef was topped with melted provolone served on a baked roll and was delicious on its own. The au jus dipping sauce made it just plain fun to eat.

Overtime also has a signature burger and chicken breast sandwich with upper deck extras that sounded appetizing. You can view all menu items on its Web site, which needs a little work, but I’m glad it put its time and energy into the building and food instead.

So as Overtime’s motto says, we really did take pleasure in the variety of food, even if we didn’t play a game of cornhole, darts, pool, Texas Hold ’Em or NTN Buzz Time trivia.