When game day arrives we need three things: a rowdy place to hangout at, good food in front of us, and an ice cold drink by our side. With March Madness in full force, and your bracket filled out in hand, it’s time to head to a spot around the city to let out your inner-fan! Here are 15 of our favorite sports bars in NYC for watching March Madness this year:
1. Tailgate Outdoor Sports Bar, Williamsburg
Born out of a pandemic idea, Tailgate in Brooklyn is one of, if not our favorite spot to watch football in NYC. Especially as the weather starts to cool down and feel cozy, this outdoor entertainment space is full of picnic tables, food trucks, TVs, lawn games, bars, and so much more! This is the perfect spot to gather a group and watch the games, especially if you reserve a table! Each reservation comes with a heated table, personal 65″ TV, and contactless food and beverage ordering. Plus, the atmosphere is always great since everyone’s watching, and it’s a great place to mingle and cheer with other friends!
Where: 86 N 11th Street, Brooklyn
2. Standings, East Village
As the photo above implies, you’ll find just about any college football game at Standings, and they do pretty good on Sundays for NFL too. The bar itself is tight-knit, intimate, and filled with TVs with a range of games. Their tap beers and bring-your-own-food vibe makes it the perfect spot to crawl into for an afternoon for several hours and immerse yourself in the game (and their walls of memorabilia)!
Where: 43 E 7th St
3. Keg & Lantern Brewing Company, Greenpoint
Keg & Lantern Brewing Company is another great outdoor spot to watch football, especially in the earlier months of the season. Since its a brewing company, their beer options are second to none and their food is delicious as well. They run daily food and drink specials during the week (Pretzel & Pitcher for $29 on Saturdays and Nachos & Pitcher for $29 on Sundays) and some of the best wings in Williamsburg. If you’re going, you’ve got to try one of their in-house brewed beers!
Where: 97 Nassau Ave, Brooklyn
4. Blondies, Upper West Side
There are a few main criteria you think of when evaluating a sports bar, and one of them is surely its version of the classic food pairing for game-watching: buffalo wings. Blondie’s on the Upper West Side has long been rated as a top spot for the best wings in NYC. It’s also the go-to spot for college alumni clubs including Penn State and Michigan State. We recommend reserving a table for game day!
Where: 212 W 79th St.
5. Stout, Various Locations
Stout boasts 4 locations around Manhattan, so odds are you’ll one into one as you barhop on gameday. Complete with dimmed lights, tons of space, plenty of TVs, and a large list of beers, this is a great spot to go if you want to watch the game peacefully. Depending on the location, there will still be a great atmosphere, it’s just scaled back a little more. They have a very good brunch menu that runs until 4 pm (thank god football starts at noon or 1 pm), and has great cocktails too. They also show every New York Rangers game, F1 races, MLB, and so much more.
Where:
FiDi – 90 John St
Penn Station – 133 W 33rd St
Grand Central – 60 E 41st St
Bryant Park – 109 W 39th St
6. The Whiskey On Grand, Williamsburg
The Big Whiskey sports bar was started by three brothers in 2016 with the goal of providing “well poured drinks, tasty food, good music, a comfortable setting and great service.” You’re treated like a star no matter what you order, and with a menu full of options like loaded tater tots and lemon garlic wings, we’re guessing that will be a lot!
Where: 524 Grand St. #3503, Brooklyn
7. Break Bar & Billiards, Astoria
Watch sports, and play them too! At the 7,000-square-foot Break in Astoria, Queens, you can watch the game on one of 16 HD TVs and/or play the likes of pool, ping pong, giant Jenga, foosball, card games, and more.
Where: 32-04 Broadway, Astoria, Queens
8. Harlem Tavern, Harlem
You can get a full dinner here as the extensive menu includes entrees like braised short ribs and steak frites alongside hefty burgers, sandwiches, and flatbread options. During Monday-Friday happy hour from 4 – 7 pm the sports bar offers $6 select beer drafts, $9 sangria, $7 house mixed drinks, $10 cocktail of the day, and $8 select red and white wine. Plus, there’s ample outdoor seating!
Where: 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd
9. Blue Haven, Greenwich Village & Kips Bay
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Facebook/ Blue Haven
Blue Haven is the perfect combination of upscale sports bar and laidback gastropub. This is the place to watch college football if you have some rooting interests in the teams at hand. Their menu has all the gameday classics like chicken wings and burgers, and their draught beers are just as good. Their alcohol menu is mind-blowing, consisting of draft beers, cans, cocktails, and extensive hard seltzer list! We recommend reserving a table if you have a group going because this place fills up quick despite its size!
Where:
Greenwich Village – 108 W Houston St
Kips Bay – 493 3rd Ave
10. The Bronx Public, The Bronx
The Bronx Public offers both an extensive drink and food menu, serving up items like quesadillas, tacos, burgers, steaks, and, of course, wings. They even cater to vegans with items like a vegan chopped cheese and a vegan quesadilla! Their drink menu is extensive, their vibes are great, and they’re a perfect game day spot. Just be sure to make a reservation if you don’t want to wait long!
Where: 170 W 231st St, Bronx
11. The Irish American, FiDi
With homey, down-to-Earth vibes, an Irish pub is often the perfect spot to catch a game. Enjoy a pint of Guinness and maybe some shepherd’s pie while you kick back at this cozy local watering hole in the Financial District. They have tons of seating and even a game room with pool, ping pong and foosball if you need to a take a break from the game with your own game.
Where: 17 John St.
12. The Seneca, Ridgewood
This Queens pick comes from the sons of Lon Ballinger, who opened Webster Hall. Right on Seneca Ave, they offer rotating local and imported beer on tap, wine and kombucha, and homemade elevated bar bites like blistered shishito peppers, spicy fried chicken nuggets, and burgers with special sauce.
Where: 582 Seneca Ave, Ridgewood, Queens
13. Joe Broadway’s Billiards & Sports Pub, Staten Island
Voted Staten Island’s best wings with two full bars offering a wide selection of domestic and imported beers, Joe Broadway’s Billiards & Sports Pub is definitely not a bad spot to watch the game. Their wing sauce selection is extensive, offering up flavors like the classic buffalo and BBQ alongside bourbon, sriracha teriyaki, Jameson sweet and spicy, spiced honey, and more.
Where: 2178 Forest Ave, Staten Island
14. Industry Kitchen, South Street Seaport
Industry Kitchen is right next to the East River and boasts unobstructed views of the Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridges and Brooklyn Skyline. It’s a step above a typical sports bar, but they’re known for their brick oven pizzas and have three large TVs for screenings.
Where: 70 South St. at Maiden Lane
15. Smithfield Hall NYC, Chelsea
Smithfield Hall NYC is one of New York’s premier sports bars and grills, considered a restaurant/sports bar hybrid. It offers up New American small bites along with late-night cocktails to set the mood on a late night. But when game day comes Smithfield offers up 9 outdoor heated tables with eight TV’s for your viewing pleasure. Inside, there’s two bars with 26 TV’s so there’s no way you’ll miss a second of the game.
Where: 138 W 25th St
Written by Claire Leaden and Corey Fuller