By ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times

The basement of Liberal’s Landmark Center once again has a restaurant.

A few years ago, the space was home to The Salty Dog, and after that, Pub On The Bricks added a Liberal location to its Guymon, Okla., based business.

Selena Wilcox was the general manager of the Pub before it closed recently, and she has now opened Bunker Sports Bar and Grill in the  basement of the Landmark.

Prior to working at Pub On The Bricks, Wilcox did not have much in the way of experience or desire in the restaurant business.  That attitude has changed since then, though.

“I just kind of fell in love with this place down here, kind of fell in love with the whole restaurant thing, and I just decided I wanted to open up the restaurant,” she said. “I honestly never thought in a million years that I’d own a restaurant.”

In addition to food and drink, Wilcox has plenty of entertainment for the Bunker’s customers, including several events this month.

“I have karaoke this Saturday,” she said. “I have a Halloween party on the 27th, and I have karaoke on the 28th. On the 31st, I would like for parents to bring their kids dressed in costumes so we can hand out candy to them.”

Wilcox said the fun does not stop after October.

“I’m trying to do events every weekend,” she said. “DJ Blaze is going to do a DJ thing here on Nov. 4. Karaoke will be every other weekend after next weekend. I’ve got a lot of stuff planned. There will be events here every weekend.”

As for the food at Bunker Sports Bar and Grill, Wilcox has several tasty treats, including  the namesake favorite of one of the previous restaurants that occupied the space she now  owns.

“I brought the Salty Dog back,” she said. “It’s on the menu.”

Other great food can be found on the Bunker’s menu as well.

“I have some really interesting unique hamburgers, salads, really good steak,” Wilcox said. “I’ve got an eight-ounce chicken fried steak. The food’s really good. I’ve got appetizers. I’ve got a full bar.”

Bunker Sports Bar and Grill does have a similar look to the two previous restaurants that occupied the Landmark’s basement, but Wilcox said much in the way of renovations has been done.

“The layout’s totally different,” she said. “The paint, I’ve painted everything. I have a game room. I added a game room, which was not here before. There is going to be some construction done to that here soon. We’ve got to knock some walls out. We’ve got a game room back – two pool tables, two dart boards. I have the open banquet room. I’ve given it a different look down here.”

The kitchen at Bunker Sports Bar and Grill opens daily at 11 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. The  bar is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday  and Sunday.