In Quincy, tasty fare in a sports bar

The scallop and bacon pizza at The Four's in Quincy mixes sweet and smoky flavors. (Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe)

We knew that The Four's at North Station had been named the number one sports bar in America by Sports Illustrated in 2005, mainly because of its proximity to what was then the FleetCenter and therefore hordes of Celtics and Bruins fans. We wanted to check out The Four's country cousin in Quincy. Would the sporty atmosphere transfer to a place that's sort of hidden away in a parking lot area near the district courthouse?

Yes, and no.

You can tell it's a sports bar from the moment you pull open the brass door handles - shaped like baseball bats - at the entrance. But whenever I've been in other sports bars, I haven't escaped without having beer sloshed on me or being forced to listen to a steady stream of swears unleashed by passionate Boston fans.

At the Quincy Four's, named in honor of Bobby Orr's jersey number, we watch both the Red Sox and the Bruins play on the requisite bank of television screens. (With 44 screens, there's no table in the restaurant where you can't catch several sporting events at once.) But when Manny hits a home run, there's nary a cheer. Maybe people are too busy with their Larry Bird grilled chicken sandwich ($7.95 lunch, $10.95 dinner) or The Bambino hot dog ($5.95, $7.50).

The Bruins are on, too, and finally the guys at the table next to ours cheer when Phil Kessel scores the first goal of the playoffs. Manny's second home run elicits a polite murmur from a couple on our other side.

This is a sports bar with class, if you'll pardon the oxymoron. From the mural of the Harvard-Yale crew teams on the Charles River to the blackened swordfish and shrimp Diane, this isn't your typical joint. It's a pretty place, dominated by a long polished bar. The spacious dining room attracts all types: couples, girlfriends, guy friends, families. Sports memorabilia gives it the feel of an informal museum, with oars, vintage photos, hockey sticks.

We start with the appetizer special, shrimp saute ($10.95), which is half a dozen plump shrimp in a garlicky wine sauce, served with chunks of chewy, crisp focaccia, the better to soak up the stew.

We like our carbs straight up, so we order the Four's Triple Play ($9.95) - a platter of jalapeno poppers, potato skins, and buffalo chicken fingers. The poppers here are aptly named: when I bite into one, the creamy cheese inside spurts all over my face. Finger-licking good indeed. The potato skins are a tad dry, but the chicken fingers are moist and fiery.

Even the pizza here is upscale, with a thin crust, small slices of fresh tomato, and a scattering of fresh basil. Try the scallop and bacon ($15.95), with an abundance of bay scallops, a nice combination of sweet and smoky flavors.

Ribs & Tips ($17.95) are great for carnivores, the beef juicy, the half-rack of barbecued baby back pork ribs practically falling off the bone. Both get the thumbs-up from the grill master at our table. Entrees come with soup or salad, potato of your choice - onion rings are crisp and light - and mixed veggies.

Our waitress recommends stuffed shrimp ($17.95), but I find the pedestrian stuffing short on the promised lobster, crab, and shrimp and long on breading. The accompanying mashed potatoes are light and fluffy.

The Four's burger ($8.95) is a half-pound patty, flavorful, cooked just right, and topped with cheese, caramelized onions, peppers, and mushrooms. It comes with baked beans, pickle, and a choice of steak fries or pasta salad.

For dessert, the ice cream sundae ($4.95), a creamy concoction, is loaded with good stuff. The ordinary cheesecake ($6.50) is overpriced.

The gentleman at our table reports that one of the day's sports pages hangs above the urinals in the men's room, framed and presumably changed daily. Hmmm. Maybe The Four's, Quincy branch, is a real sports bar after all.

Pedroia gets a hit. We hear a loud cheer from a nearby table. That confirms it.