BIG GAME HUNTING : Going for the Extra Points With Huge TVs and Cheap Brew

Whether you’re a football fan or not, if you’re looking for action and big value this weekend, skip the nightclubs and coffeehouses. Even before Super Bowl XXIX kicks off at 3:18 p.m. Sunday, sports bars and pubs will be competing for your patronage, which means big TVs, cheap brews and all the gimmicks they can muster up to win you over.

Silky Sullivan’s in Fountain Valley will prime patrons starting Friday and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. with a Super Bowl “garage sale” hawking new sports memorabilia provided by the Irish pub. The real fun kicks off Saturday night with a Super Bowl Eve Party featuring Top 40 dance music by Fro. The mania resumes on game day with coverage on 11 TVs, reduced drink prices whenever a team scores, a sports-themed menu (items include the Neon Deion Hot Dog and Charger Chili), drawings and giveaways at each quarter. Reservations for the dining area are advised.

Silky Sullivan’s, 10201 Slater Ave., Fountain Valley. (714) 963-2718. Open for breakfast on Super Bowl Sunday at 10 a.m., closes at 2 a.m. 21 and over.

Better arrive early at any of the National Sports Grills, located in Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton and Santa Ana. This hugely popular chain is bound to pack them in on game day--even with the $20-per-person entry fee. The cover includes a $10 gift certificate good toward purchase of food or merchandise at the restaurant, and a drawing for T-shirts, tickets or a 25-inch color TV and satellite dish. Each franchise boasts 56 televisions, including two 80-inch super-big screens. While the bar and billiards lounges are limited to party-goers over age 21, families are welcome in the dining area (open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.). The wacky sports-themed menu includes decadent sandwiches such as Tonya’s Club ($6.49) and the Ty Cobb salad ($6.99).

National Sports Grills are at 450 N. State College Blvd., Anaheim, (714) 935-0300; 5970 Orangethorpe, Buena Park, (714) 523-0803; 1450 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, (714) 871-0100; and 101 E. Sandpointe Ave., Santa Ana, (714) 979-0900. Super Bowl parties run from 11 to 2 a.m. at all locations.

If you’re the type who fears turning your head because you may miss a magic moment, then the wall-to-wall effect of 30 screens, from 10 to 50 inches wide, at D.P.’s Sports and Micro Beer Pub in Newport Beach is your scene. The $15 cover gets you in the door Sunday, along with access to drink and dinner specials. As always there are 40 beers on tap and another 40 available by bottle.

D.P.’s, 3110 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach. (714) 723-0293. Open 2 to 9 p.m.

D.P.’s humbler brother, the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, is throwing a Super Bowl party without a cover. There are only 12 TVs here, but there are also five pool tables, which might come in handy if the game is the San Francisco runaway it’s predicted to be. A complimentary first-half buffet catered by Wing It will offer a healthy spread, including the eatery’s prized chicken wings. Pitchers (42 ounces) of domestic beer are $4.50 during the game.

The Tiki Bar, 1700 Placentia St., Costa Mesa. (714) 548-3533. Open noon to 2 a.m.

Legends Family Restaurant and Sports Bar in Costa Mesa makes the big game even bigger with 14 125-inch screens, 10 monitors and seven satellite dishes. Play for prizes at the blackjack table from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or enter a drawing--prizes include color TVs, a five-day Mexican cruise and Disneyland tickets. During the game, prime rib and other special menu items are $14.95. Keep the mood going after the game with live classic rock by Stark and Raving. All this and no cover.

Legends Family Restaurant and Sports Bar, 580 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 966-5338. Open 10 to 2 a.m. All ages.

For those who rank the Super Bowl right up there with ringing in the new year, the prime ticket is the Rose & Crown in San Clemente. At New Year’s Eve-like prices of $50 a head or $75 per couple, patrons have access to the VIP dining room for a buffet of prime rib, smoked salmon, assorted cheeses, fruits, vegetables and an unlimited flow of beer, wine, cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages. They also get the game, on 14 TVs, including one 50-inch set. Party favors and games will add to the fun; VIP patrons have a chance in each of the first three quarters to win $500, and a $1,000 prize goes to whoever draws the correct final score. A raffle at the end of the game will also give revelers a chance to win a $3,800 home satellite system.

Budget-watchers can enjoy a less lavish but complimentary all-you-can-eat buffet, no cover and a view of the game, side by side with the VIPs.

Both buffets run from 2 p.m. until the end of the game. Four pool tables and 10 dartboards will supply the post-party action.

The Rose & Crown, 647 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente. (714) 240-2392. Open 11 to 2 a.m. 21 and over.