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• Red Ox Bar & Grill

Grilled rosemary chicken sandwich served by the Red Ox Bar and Grill located at 5909 E. 86th Street in Indianapolis Wednesday. (Steve Sanchez/The Indianapolis Star)

The bacon burger served by the Red Ox Bar and Grill is topped with crisp bacon and white cheddar. (Steve Sanchez/The Indianapolis Star)

It seems Indy can't get enough of sports bars. At least, that's what Red Ox Bar & Grill is banking on. Located in a strip mall north of Castleton Square Mall, the Red Ox bills itself as "an upscale sports bar and grill." Indeed, the small bar area is quite spiffy, with gleaming bottles on graduated shelves, a large plasma screen above and two smaller high-def sets flanking it.

Four other large screens are scattered throughout the room, where patrons sit at long tables or oversize booths for a view of the big game.

Not surprisingly, the menu here is heavy on finger foods that are easily consumed in between rounds of pool and glimpses of the game.

My husband, Pete, and I considered such appetizer options as jalapeno poppers, buffalo wings, onion rings and "haddock bites" before selecting the mini tacos ($5). Soon after, a basket arrived with nine piping hot tiny taco shells filled with spicy ground beef. Salsa and sour cream provided dipping options.

Next, we each moved on to a cup of chili ($3), which our server assured us was homemade. Pete immediately noticed that the chili's base consisted of sausage, not ground beef, a nice upgrade. It was mixed with diced onions, beans and a smattering of jalapeno bits, then topped with shredded cheese and sour cream.

For the main part of his meal, Pete first ordered the fish and chips, but our server told us they were out of that offering. So my husband went with his second choice, the rosemary chicken sandwich ($8). He ended up being so pleased with the results that he didn't miss the fish.

The sandwich, served on a fluffy, fresh bun, featured a large, grilled chicken breast (topped by Swiss and mozzarella cheese and onions) with a distinctive, but not overpowering, taste of rosemary that made us both miss our summer vegetable garden.

I went for the far less healthful bacon burger ($8). The cooked-to-order burger arrived on the same type of bun as Pete's sandwich. A thick, juicy patty (cooked medium-well as specified) was topped by two long slices of bacon, nicely crisp as bacon should be. Instead of standard cheddar, Red Ox uses a white version, a pleasant variation.

Both the sandwich and the burger are served with chips; we both asked for a substitution of waffle fries for a $1 upcharge. However, when the meals arrived, regular fries accompanied them. The waffle fries, too, had sold out. Red Ox doesn't strike me as particularly upscale, but it's clean and cheerful, and service is fast and friendly.

The food is, well, bar food, but it's nicely prepared with a few inventive touches.

A word of caution to nonsmokers: Although the place wasn't busy during our visit, the cigarette smoke from only a few customers seemed quite noticeable to us. We're not sure if that was due to a lack of "smoke-eating" machines or if we've just become more sensitive to it now that so many Marion County venues are smoke-free.

-- By Julie Cope Saetre / Indy.com correspondent