CLAYTON -- Andy Salvatore wants the jumbo chicken wings at his new restaurant leaving diners hungry for more.

Salvatore, a New York native, said the spicy and mild wings at Downtime Sports Bar & Grill had been the most popular menu item since the restaurant opened earlier this month.

“I am from Buffalo,” he said. “That says it all.”

Salvatore, who now makes his home in Smithfield, has managed restaurants in North Carolina and Louisiana for eight years. He wanted to open a restaurant in Clayton, and the opportunity came about when the former Lock Stock & Barrel space became available.

Salvatore added pool tables and more flat-screen televisions, including a 73-inch television behind the bar. A 100-inch high-definition television is in the works, he said. Pool tournaments and karaoke are Thursday evenings. Live bands from Johnston and Wake counties perform on Saturday evenings.

The menu consists of club and chicken sandwiches, hamburgers topped with cheese and bacon and salads. Customers can snack on beer-battered mushrooms, potato skins, onion rings and cheese fries from the appetizer menu. All entrees are available in smaller portions for children.

“We are trying to emphasize being like a community bar,” Salvatore said. “Come in here and see your friends and get affordable food and great service.”

To ensure customers drink safely, Salvatore offers free transportation home in a 10-mile radius after 11 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Groups of six or more will be eligible to receive free transportation to and from the restaurant starting next month. Salvatore asks that the customers tip the drivers in exchange for the ride.

“I think it will help me too,” Salvatore said. “[The customer] is not going to drive home if he is going to drink those extra three beers. He’ll stop at 11.”

Downtime Sports Bar & Grill is at 11649 U.S. 70 West in the Lowes Foods shopping center. A grand opening will be held Friday, April 25. The Switch will perform at 9:30 p.m. The restaurant opens at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and at noon on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call 359-8463.