For fans without season tickets to their favorite NFL team, the next best thing to being in the stadium is going to a bar or restaurant filled with similarly devoted fans cheering for the W. Want to join them? We compiled a list of the eight best places to root for your favorite NFL team across the US.
1. No Other Pub, Kansas City
Located in the Kansas City Power & Light District, No Other Pub mashes the atmosphere and TV availability of a sports bar with entertainment options you won’t find elsewhere. Watch the game on a 10 X 15ft video wall while munching on fare from a taco stand. Or fill up on Frito pie and pimento cheese burgers, then spend halftime playing shuffleboard, beer pong, darts or one of the many other activities available.
2. Xtadium Lounge, Seattle
Located close to CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Xtadium Lounge boasts an impressive 50-foot bar and a menu laden with sports bar favorites such as popcorn shrimp and Reubens, as well as more sophisticated fare like teriyaki steak bites. Everyone pulls for the Seahawks here, from the waitresses dressed as referees to patrons watching the game on the LED wall display. Feeling restless at halftime? Hop into one of the bar’s three Xbox stations to play Madden NFL.
3. Broadway Brewhouse, Nashville
Nashville has so many good places to view the Titans, it’s difficult to narrow it to one, but Broadway Brewhouse makes the list for its more than 70 beers on tap. Not a beer lover? Order the pub’s signature drink, the Bushwacker, a creamy combo of rum, Kahlua and coconut flavors, and then dig into a po’ boy or jerk chicken. Unlike many other downtown bars, Broadway Brewhouse doesn’t feature live music during NFL games, so fans can follow the action without distraction.
4. Manning’s Sports Bar and Grill, New Orleans
Where better to experience a Saints game than at a restaurant co-owned by longtime New Orleans quarterback Archie Manning? His namesake sports bar features memorabilia not just from his career but also from his sons, Peyton and Eli. If the 30 TVs sprinkled throughout the restaurant aren’t enough, make a reservation to relax in the End Zone, where reclining chairs sit in front of a massive 13 X 7.5ft television. Manning’s stays true to its New Orleans roots with lots of local specialties. Sample the beer and cheese bisque or load up on an oysters Rockefeller salad.
5. The Fifty/50, Chicago
No better spot for wing lovers than Fifty/50. The wings at this three-level restaurant have been voted best in Chicago over and over, thanks to the homemade hot sauce and breading made partially from crunchy cracker meal. Absolutely starving? Try the Fifty/50 Ultimate Eating Challenge, which involves consuming 50 menu items in 50 minutes. Make sure to time it so the challenge ends about 10 minutes before kickoff, though, in order to concentrate on the game.
6. Penn Social, Washington, DC
It’s hard to imagine a better way to see the ‘Skins than on a 22-foot jumbotron while enjoying Sunday beer specials in Washington, DC’s buzzing Penn Quarter. Penn Social has a unique appearance that’s half industrial, half art student. It boasts three bars, patio seating during the first part of the NFL season, and other big TVs (with 10ft screens) for those who can’t snag a seat near the 22-footer. For game-time refreshments, choose one of the 30-plus beers on tap to complement the pulled sliders.
For those who travel during the NFL season or just want a different place close to home to cheer on their favorite team, these sports bars and restaurants offer an authentic taste of each city. Even when the hometown team loses, no one leaves disappointed.
7. East End Bar & Grill, New York City
For the sheer number of Giants fans, it’s hard to beat New York City’s East End Bar & Grill, where a DJ spins songs during halftime and commercials, and a $40 wristband buys unlimited pints of Bud Light plus half-price wings, a favorite eat among East End fans.
(Jets fans in NYC can try Whiskey Rebel, an AFC haunt where patrons bring their own food to accompany the premium spirits and craft beers).
8. Final Final, San Francisco
Final Final, whose San Francisco roots date back to Prohibition, embodies the friendly vibe that comes from four decades of family ownership. A regular crowd comes to watch the Niners, and they’re encouraged to return by earning free credits on the jukebox for frequent mobile check-ins. People huddle at the U-shaped bar to enjoy one of the 200 liquors or take seats near one of the bar’s 11 flat-screens. Order a Papa Murphy pizza and enjoy the free popcorn during the game.