The Best Sports Bars In Every State

The United States isn't exactly lacking when it comes to sports bars. Every state in the country is loaded with an excess amount of places where sports fans can cheer on their favorite teams, argue over referee calls, and knock back cold beer with like-minded enthusiasts. But just because there's practically a sports bar on every street corner doesn't mean they're not all cut from the same cloth. In fact, some are just plain bad bars.

When most people hear the phrase "sports bar," big-name chains like Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, and Miller's Ale House typically come to mind. But we find the best hotspots for sports, alcohol, and pub grub are local establishments. From dingy dive bars in college towns to historic taverns and low-key beer gardens to Prohibition-style pubs, there's certainly a style to suit every taste, no matter which teams or players you're rooting for.

That's why we've meticulously handpicked the best spots for you to camp out on game day, evaluating a combination of reviews, recommendations, awards, social media buzz, and more. Read on to find out which sports bars are the best in every state.

Juneau, Alaska is where you'll find McGivney's Sports Bar & Grill. With 16 television screens at both of its Juneau locations and a fully loaded dinner and drinks menu, McGivney's is a lively spot on game night with friends and family. Inside, the sports bar boasts plenty of seating, including cozy booths and an outdoor patio when the weather is nice. The bar includes more than a dozen beers on tap, including local Alaskan suds. Diners are especially big fans of McGivney's Old Fashioned Burger and Fried Green Beans.

Part sports bar, part live music spot, Fat Jack's Oyster and Sports Bar is a Cajun-style bar and grill that has been an Arkansas staple since it's first location opened in Texarkana 30 years ago. Fat Jack's has had its ups and downs over the years. The original location burnt down twice! As if that wasn't enough, a car once drove through the wall. Despite these rough patches, Fat Jack's is still going strong, and in 2012 a second location opened in Hot Springs. 

This sports bar is known for its warm and friendly atmosphere, as well as its menu featuring oysters Bienville, oysters on the half shell, and oysters Rockefeller topped with their signature spinach soufflé and cheddar cheese. Downstairs, diners can watch the game on TVs in the restaurant's kid-friendly, pet-friendly dining space. Upstairs, Fat Jack's boasts live music and karaoke.

A former fish-smoking business that Nelson Schachet inherited from his entrepreneurial father, the Original Brooklyn's sports bar in Denver has been a go-to place to spend game day since it opened in 1983. Considering the building it inhabits was built in 1896, the vibe is undoubtedly old-school. The menu consists of standard bar fare, from chicken fingers and nachos to burgers and sandwiches. Given the bar is located just steps away from Empower Field at Mile High — home to the Denver Broncos — it's no surprise Brooklyn's is a fan-favorite among locals on game day.

With a name like Touchdown, this Dover-based bar in Delaware is obviously going to be a no-brainer spot for sports fans. But there's also something for everyone at this local institution that has offered a warm and family-friendly atmosphere for more than 20 years. For example, kids can play in the bar's arcade room. There's also a pool table. But the most important feature are the big screen TVs, which can be found just about everywhere you look at Touchdown, so you can be sure you won't miss a minute of action. Not into sports? Don't worry. Touchdown also offers live music, dancing, and karaoke.

Atlanta, Georgia's food and drink industry certainly isn't lacking when it comes to sports bars. But Sports & Social is more than your typical watering hole. If your team isn't playing how you'd hoped on one of Sports & Social's 30-foot high-definition LED screens, take a break in the "gaming parlor," which is outfitted with skeeball, table tennis, air hockey, and more. The fully loaded bar also includes ice cold beer and an elevated cocktail menu. There's no denying this two-level space is the ideal hub for sports viewing and entertainment.

Located in the heart of downtown Boise, Idaho, local favorite Taphouse was voted the city's best sports bar by the readers of Boise Weekly — and it's not hard to see why. Owner Brian Forde, who opened the bar in 2012, envisioned Taphouse as a place where locals could sample a rotating selection of local and regional draft beers. The taplist currently boasts 44 beers, ensuring customers can always try something new. With 15 large-screen TVs playing the most popular games, Taphouse takes sports just as seriously as beer.

Looking for a swanky place to take your parents or a date where you can still peek at the game in the background? You can't do better than High Velocity in Indianapolis, Indiana. More upscale than typical neighborhood sports bars, High Velocity sports sleek wood furnishings and fine white china. It's menu of American fare goes beyond usual bar grub, including pork tenderloin, steak, and lemon pepper steak. With more than 60 high-definition television screens, High Velocity proves that sports and a fancy atmosphere can go hand in hand.

Located in the heart of historic Old Town in Wichita, Kansas, Heroes Sports Bar & Grill has long been considered the go-to spot on game day among local sports fans since it opened in 1991. Watch your favorite teams on 36 high-definition televisions. Its large covered and heated outdoor patio is also perfect place to socialize. On weekends, patrons can enjoy live music, events, dancing, and more. The small but scrumptious menu features unique concoctions like a sweet pepper bacon cheeseburger and the eponymous Heroes pizza — a five-cheese blend over homemade sauce.

As of Super Bowl LV, 11 out of 55 Super Bowls have been played in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the city also hosts the Sugar Bowl every year — so it's no surprise that New Orleans sports bars gives fans something to cheer about. Obviously, Bruno's Tavern has a soft spot towards Saints black and gold, but you'll find teams and players of all stripes and colors featured on its 10 wall-mounted, high-definition flat screens. Like any self-respecting sports bar, key moments from sports history are emblazoned on the walls, such as the Saints' first division title and Tulane's perfect season. The menu isn't too shabby either, showcasing bar grub like fried mac and cheese, nachos, cheese fries, and more.

Located just 771 feet away from home plate at Orioles ballpark at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, Sliders Bar and Grille is a classic sports bar that offers affordable but quality bar grub — all in a friendly atmosphere. Given its convenient location, Sliders is a popular neighborhood joint before and after the first pitch; lines wrap around the building on game day. Sliders is also great for guests who want to reserve the upstairs private event space. It's a great spot to bond with other baseball fans, from debating bad calls, devouring fried food, and knocking back ice cold beer.

While there are plenty of sports bars in Detroit, Michigan where you can catch the game, no one quite does tailgating like Firebird Tavern. Centrally located in the city's Greektown District, this casual restaurant-bar opens at 9 a.m. on NFL game days to usher in the city's diehard Lions fans. Tailgate festivities include mini cornhole games, Xbox Madden, a special game day menu, raffle prizes, and house-made Bloody Mary. Conveniently, the tavern is located just three miles from Ford Field, making it the perfect spot to knock back brewskis and pub grub before and after kickoff.

In Ole Miss country — that is, the college town of Oxford, Mississippi — the ironically named The Library Sports Bar has a 24-year-long history of luring diehard University of Mississippi fans inside its walls. Sports fans keep coming back thanks to its two "Jumbotrons" and a dozen flat screen TVs — you'll feel like you're right in the stadium. The Library also includes an outdoor patio decked out with six TVs, and it also has a music hall, where guests can listen to live music and local DJs Thursday through Saturday.

Located on the first floor of a historic bank building in Butte, Montana, which was designed by celebrated architect Cass Gilbert in 1906, Metals Sports Bar and Grill has become the premier spot for binging sports games amid a backdrop of history. The unique location is decked out with the original bank vault, and the bar counter was built out of the original marble teller counters. 

However, the food and drinks menu is where Metals truly shines, boasting sophisticated starters like an ahi poke bowl and entrees such as ribeye steak and seafood linguini. But there's more casual dishes, too, such as chicken fingers, sandwiches, burgers, and pulled pork nachos. To be sure, there's something for everyone here. And with 31 TV screens, you won't miss a minute of action of your favorite sports games.

It might be located smack dab in the middle of a shopping mall in Las Vegas, Nevada, but Blondies calls itself "your home away from home." With more than 60 big screens, ranging from sprawling 32 inchers to 12-foot big screens, Blondies puts you right in the action. Sports fans of all teams and players can rest assured they'll have a good view of their favorite games. Plus, it boasts a killer happy hour deal — all-you-can-drink wells and drafts for only 20 bucks, Monday through Friday between 3-6 p.m. and 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. For day games, take advantage of the $5.99 lunch special.

Forty big television screens, arcade games, and beer and food specials keep local sports fans in Secaucus, New Jersey flocking to this popular watering hole. Just five minutes away from MetLife Stadium (home of the Giants and Jets), Plank Road Inn boasts an expansive beer menu, with 15 draft beers and more than 20 bottled beer options. Whether you want to watch the NFL, March Madness, baseball, or more, every sports fan is bound to find their favorite games onscreen here. All in all, Plank Road has all the ingredients for a perfect game day experience.

Harlem Tavern in New York City isn't a sports bar per se, describing itself as a restaurant, bar, and beer garden. Still, it has no trouble attracting sports fans on game day, and it isn't hard to see why. Located just blocks from Central Park, this Harlem hotspot, favored among locals, has televisions inside plus a sprawling outdoor patio. The menu goes beyond typical bar grub, offering mouthwatering dishes like a truffle burger, market fish, and Southern-style chicken and waffles. With 18 beers on tap, 17 bottled and canned beers and hard seltzer, and a menu of specialty cocktails, it's a great spot for knocking back a few while rooting for your favorite team. Plus, there's happy hour Monday through Friday, with $6 beers.

For fans of the North Dakota State Bisons, you'll want to make a beeline for Herd & Horns in Fargo, which is owned and managed by former Bison football players. Located just steps away from the NDSU campus, the rustic décor features massive Bison heads mounted on its reclaimed wood and brick walls. But don't worry — there's plenty of room for 70-inch TV screens (more than 20 are scattered around the bar). The menu includes grub favorites like mac and cheese and an assortment of burgers. Plus, there are 21 beers on tap.

The sprawling 7,500-square-foot Chalk Luxury Sports Bar in Oklahoma City is popular with sports fans thanks to 100 LED screens plastered across 1,600 square feet of wall surface, extensive pub food menu, and its upscale atmosphere. In other words, Chalk is heaven for sports fans. Choose from a menu engineered by a culinary school graduate, featuring "light" apps like nachos and fried deviled eggs and heartier options such as chicken kabobs and pot roast. Just be sure to get there early because Chalk is very popular on game days.

Talk to any longtime sports fan in the Philadelphia area, and they're bound to recommend Chickie's & Pete's as the premier spot for sports-watching. Located within walking distance from the Philadelphia Sports Complex, this sports bar's cult status is partly due to its geographic convenience. Of course, first-timers should order a basket of crab fries — Chickie's & Pete's trademark specialty — but there are also Philly cheesesteaks, chicken wings, and more for you to sink your teeth into. Voted ESPN's top sports bar on the East Coast, you can rest assured Chickie's & Pete's is a top-notch venue to sit back, relax, and enjoy the game.

Root for your favorite sports team on the numerous TV screens at Moe's Crosstown Tavern, a friendly sports bar in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, where all the locals gather on game day. Sports fans of all teams and players are welcome here, with practically every major sports league playing year-round here. Moe's food menu serves up delicious bar grub necessities from buffalo tenders to fish n' chips to jalapeno poppers. There are also great happy hour deals. So come and see what the fuss is all about at this popular tavern.

This two-story sports bar in Nashville, Tennessee has an airy outdoor patio that overlooks the third base line of First Horizon Park, literally providing one of the most gorgeous and sports-centric vistas there is. Its convenient location also makes Third and Home a perfect location for Minor League Baseball fans who want to watch the game without buying tickets. More than 28 flat screen TVs are spread throughout its 7,000-square-foot restaurant space and show all the major games. Flatbread sandwiches, nachos slathered in chili, and fish tacos are standouts on the menu of elevated stadium concessions. There's no doubt about it, Third and Home is the ideal venue to gather with friends and take in a game.

On the surface, Boneyard Saloon and Wine Dive in Park City, Utah might look like just any other sports bar. It has TV screens everywhere you look, including three 75-inchers and 10 65-inchers. There is also an extensive beer on tap. But the real standout here is the menu, where dishes are a cut above the competition. Guests can't go wrong, whether they order Wagyu beef sliders with fig, the ahi poke tower, or Korean-style street tacos. There are also different types of pizza baked on Boneyard's custom-made wood-fired grill. Plus, they offer free parking, and in winter months, guest can reserve their rooftop igloos. How cool is that?

We've all heard about haunted cruise ships and hotels, but what about a haunted sports bar? According to the chatty locals in Herndon, Virginia, a friendly ghost named Walter haunts Jimmy's Old Town Tavern, a local staple and former general store with a rich sense of history. While the bar is located in Washington Football Team country, its owner has an allegiance to Upstate New York sports, and you'll be able to catch every Buffalo Bills game on the 15 television screens. But you don't need to be a fan yourself to enjoy the tavern's friendly atmosphere and solid menu of pub grub, which not surprisingly, is highlighted by buffalo wings.  

Tons of TVs? Check. Beer, beer, and more beer? Check. Award-winning food? Check. Mountaineers pride? Double-check. Kegler's in Morgantown, West Virginia opened in 1994 and has been a local staple for sports fans ever since. It's not hard to see why since Kegler's boasts an 80-inch high-definition TV, putting sports enthusiasts right in the middle of the action. Kegler's is known for its wings, but the menu is bound to dazzle taste buds with the Wolfe Man burger, named after a former WVU player, and other bar bites. Steps away from the local bowling alley, Kegler's is also a great pit stop before or after a game. When the weather is nice, relax on the outdoor patio.

In some ways, sports fans are simple folks — that is, as long as they have a cold brewski in one hand, bar grub in the other, and the game in hi-def, they're good to go. The Office offers all of that and more, which is why it's a popular hangout spot on game days for locals in Casper, Wyoming. The ambience is casual and friendly — perfect for a sports bar. The walls are lined with 16 TVs, all decked out with DirecTV, so you'll never miss your favorite team. On non-game nights, guests can also look forward to karaoke, trivia, wine tastings, and more.