I was raised in Roseville during the ’80s and ’90s,

and like most of my peers, I grew up with a seemingly innate knowledge of Danny Bunz, the famed Oakmont High School football player who went on to win two championships as a linebacker with the 49ers. Back when the Niners held their summer training camp at Sierra College, Bunz opened his eponymous Downtown Roseville sports grill, Bunz and Company, which quickly became a haven for superstars (such as Joe Montana) and fans craving a cold beer, a good burger and a game.

I clearly remember my own Roseville High School coaches frequenting the joint, including the then-assistant varsity softball coach Hank DeMello. And while Bunz was able to keep the Cincinnati Bengals at the third yard line in Super Bowl XVI, he wasn’t able to keep the restaurant, which he sold ownership of in 1999, from closing its doors in 2012.

2H Chicken Wings

It didn’t stay closed for long, though. A group of restaurateurs, including the Roseville-born Aaron Toto, have collaborated and re-launched the institution as 2H at Bunz and Company (2H stands for second half, as in a game, or in this case, as a restaurant). Toto and his partners are smart enough not to mess too much with a good thing. My dining partner and I visited the restaurant recently, and were pleased to see that not much has changed, although the aesthetic has been updated and the menu modernized to include offerings such as street tacos.

Our meal started off with zucchini slices, lightly dusted with breadcrumbs and fried to golden perfection. One word: yummy. For entrées, we settled upon a Chinese chicken salad and a New York steak sandwich, served on a French roll with their special 2H sauce. Our food reflected the best of what makes sports grills so appealing: comfortable, a tad nostalgic and completely satisfying—especially with a good beer or two (2H boasts 14 on tap), accompanied by a good game on television amongst friends. It’s reassuring to know we Rosevillians won’t let a good thing die.

2H at Bunz and Company, 311 Judah Street, Roseville, 916-786-6655, 2hatbunzandcompany.com.