Loading ...What Makes a Good Sports Bar?
Posted by Kirsten Henri on May 15th, 2008
We’ve been meandering past the Bellevue in the late afternoons recently where we’ve been witnessing an interesting promotion. It involves attractive girls clad in form-fitting black outfits standing behind a table or wandering up and down Broad Street, handing out cards that look like the one pictured above. All of this nubile fuss is for JL Sullivan’s Speakeasy, the new sports bar opening today, that for some inexplicable reason, is pretending not to be a sports bar, but an under-the-radar “restaurant, sports bar, lounge.” So under-the-radar, in fact, that they’re promoting it to every single person walking down Broad Street.
My raging disinterest in sports has been well documented here (except for baseball, which I like since it’s not really about sports, it’s about food), so perhaps I’m biased, but why try to pretend a sports bar isn’t anything but a sports bar? Why not wear it loud and proud? Why pretend it’s not a place to watch TV and yell?
Since Foobooz’s resident Sporting Life Expert is currently tormenting all of us by traveling in Belgium, I’m turning to you, loyal readers, to find out what you think makes a decent sports bar? Is it the number of TVs? The crowd? The beers on tap? The variety of fans? Which is the best in the city? The worst? Also, can someone please explain Chickie & Pete’s to me?
JL Sullivan’s Speakeasy [Official Site]
263 S 15th ST, Phiiladelphia, PA
Related Tags: JL Sullivan's Speakeasy, opening, sports bars
May 15th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I’m starting to think that “decent sports-bar” might be an oxymoron. Or at least in Philly it is. Some of the things you mentioned are pretty necessary to be a good sports bar but in my opinion it should be relatively simple. To start, you need TVs. This is 2008 and the programming that takes advantage of HD the best is Sports so the TVs should be flat screens and in HD. Also, you need enough TVs so that you can have another important part of being a good sports-bar, feeds of multiple games. Whether its the MLB Extra Innings package or the NFL Sunday Ticket you need to have it and it should be showing different games on multiple different TVs. This doesn’t need to be over the top w/ 75 TVs or anything like that but close to 10 would be nice. Also, you need to play the sound from at least the major games and not crappy club hits or jukebox ugliness. I didn’t come across town to see an out of market football game and listen to 3 Doors Down.
The food needs to be solid but simple. Pub food works, stuff that is not overly pretentious and not so daring that you can’t pull it off. Wings, fries, burgers, etc. are necessities. If you have the chops to go further, than by all means, but not until you’ve nailed the basics. Beer, also should be relatively simple. No, I don’t mean BudMillerCoors, but you don’t need 20 taps and 10 obscure belgians. Most people are coming to sit for 3+ hours and don’t need a 10%+ alcohol beer that runs $9.50. Beers should be mostly locals (people are coming in mostly to watch local sports, their from the area and take pride in it) and should be on the less filling, more refreshing side of the spectrum. Pilsners, IPAs, Lagers, Stoudts, Maibock, etc. There isn’t much need for Doubles and Triples or Belgian Strong Ales.
In summation: 1) TVs, in HD and multiple w/ different games; 2) No music; 3) Solid food of the bar sort w/ local fresh beer. That doesn’t sound too overly difficult, but so far in my 8 years in Philly being a big sports fan I have yet to find a go-to bar for watching sports. I don’t want to hear about Fox&Hound and their horrendous, microwave food and junky TVs reguardless of how many there are (quality beats quantity as always). Smiths, Barristers, Fado, etc. all have the same issue, food. Actually, that seems to be a theme in Philly “sports-bars” lack of edible food. Places like the Standard Tap, N. 3rd, Graces, Sidecar can all do good food. Why can’t a place with 7 TVs do it too?
May 15th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Bob’s right on the money. Still, my two favorite choices are within about a block of each other (and steps away from the relentlessly mediocre Fox & Hound and Fado.
Misconduct Tavern at 15th and Locust has plenty of big TVs behind the bar, as well as agreeable food, and a admirable, but not overwhelming beer list.
Just down 15th St., the upstairs room at Jose Pistola’s also has a nice array of TVs. They have plenty of $9.50 Belgian alcohol bombs, but a decent selection of more easy drinking beers. I haven’t had the food since they switched chefs, but the last guy made some respectable Tex-Mex at a reasonable price. Still, my girlfriend was crushed when they took off the onion straws.
May 15th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Tv’s
Beer
Food
Cute bartenders
In that order
Misconduct.
Cav’s on penn/drexel campus.
Onion straws?
May 16th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
the onion straws were amazing
May 18th, 2008 at 12:40 am
Cav’s has terrible tv’s, unless you’re sitting at the bar and can see the few HD ones inside the top of the bar. Also their food sucks, the staff is certainly not “cute”, which is surprising for a bar on a college campus.
Head to St. Stephen’s Green in Fairmount to watch the games. In the bar area, a good number of HDTv’s, great food (try the catfish BLT and roasted wings), and good staff.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:42 am
st. stephen’s is amazing. i almost don’t want to mention it because i don’t want it any more crowded:)
It is a Philly (and soccer) bar, tho, so i don’t know that people searching for an out of town game will have much luck there. If you are, Smith’s has pretty good food, some good staff (especially if Abby’s behind the bar) and great TVs. It doesn’t get too crowded unless it’s a Cleveland Browns or Georgetown game, tho…so if you want a crowd, might be better to go elsewhere. like across the street to whistle bar (I’ve never been, so I have no idea if it is any good. can’t say I like the name).
June 19th, 2008 at 8:38 am
We’re developing a weekly television show and one of the segments is on Sports Bars.
We ask the question “What separates a good sports bar from a great sports bar? The number of HDTVs? Multiple game feeds? The location? The atmosphere? The staff? The food? We look at the best sports bars around the world and find out what makes a sports bar a destination of choice.
With that in mind we’re compiling a list of the Best Sports Bars in North America for possible filming so if you have a favourite please let us know. Also tell us why you feel your Sports Bar is a great place.
August 29th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Alibi Saloon. next to university of georgia (bulldogs) 17 tvs and great bands.
of course, I’m biased cause I’m owner and UGA professor.
cheers, rob
August 29th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Bob nailed it! couldn’t have said it any better.
As far as Chickie & Pete’s not sure what to think about it; defiantly not a place i would go willingly.