And on the seventh day, God created… football.
The NFL season is back. With that comes fantasy football leagues, talking trash to your football friends and the search for the best bars for watching NFL Sunday Ticket.
Sure sometimes it’s fun to cheer for the local Buccaneers, but if you are like most football-fan Florida transplants, you can’t simply forget your hometown team just because you no longer live in your hometown.
And in a world where local teams take priority on basic cable TV stations, at least we are lucky enough to have bars with NFL Sunday Ticket. Tampa is full of bars and restaurants and big screen TVs showing all of the league’s out of town teams.
Check out our list of Tampa’s Best Bars with NFL SUNDAY TICKET.
WALTER’S PRESS BOX (Best Atmosphere) – RIGHT AROUND – 222 South Dale Mabry Highway – If you can’t make it to the game, at least you can get into Walter’s Press Box. This sports bar will make you feel like you are actually at the game. Between the Stadium seating, wall of televisions and sports memorabilia, this is the next best thing to flying out of the state to catch a game with your hometown team.
CRABBY BILL’S (Best Outdoor Seating) – RIGHT AROUND – 7700 West Courtney Campbell Causeway – Sometimes the guilt of spending another sunny, 75 degree Sunday indoors watching football is just too much to bear. That is why there is Crabby Bill’s. Yes, this waterside seafood restaurant isn’t the place to go if you are hoping to watch your game in high-def. Most of the TVs on the patio are older generation tubes, but if you get there early enough you can snag a table with a water view and claim the closest television for screening your hometown team OUTSIDE.
WINGS GONE WILD (Best Bang For Your Buck) – PALMA CEIA – 3114 Bay to Bay – Nothing compliments football like beer and chicken wings and the best deal around is most certainly Wings Gone Wild where $9.99 will get you your own Pitcher of Bud Select and 8 Wings. And since Wings offers almost 2 dozen different signature sauces like Inferno Buffalo, Bourbon Glazed and Mesquite Hot BBQ, you might have an excuse to order a second round at the start of the second half.
BRICK HOUSE TAVERN AND TAP (Best Bar that Feels Like Home) – RIGHT AROUND – 1102 North Dale Mabry – Sometimes the worst thing about having an out-of-town hometown team is that you have to leave home to watch your team on TV. But if you can’t catch the game from the recliner in your living room, you can at Brick House Tavern and Tap. This newest addition to Tampa’s sport bar scene is designed to feel just like your man-cave basement only with waitresses.
QUAKER STEAK AND LUBE (Best 4th Quarter Food) – FAR OUT – 10400 49th Street North, Clearwater – Ordering enough food at a restaurent to fill the three hour plus game time can sometimes seem like a chore. There is only so much bar food and beer you can take in during one sitting. But at Quaker Steak and Lube, it is easy to snack throughout all four quarters and walk away without feeling overwhelmed by grease and nacho cheese. The menu at the Lube is filled with a variety of delicious appetizers and over 30 varied flavors of wings to help you pass the time with a diverse line up of game time grub.
HATTRICKS (Best Overall) – DOWNTOWN – 107 South Franklin St. – ESPN’s COLD PIZZA has ranked Hattricks in the Top Ten Sports Bar in the Country. Enough said.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Leroy Selmons – RIGHT AROUND – 4302 W. Boy Scout Blvd. – Flat screen viewing from every seat in the house.
World of Beer South Tampa – SoHo – Howard Ave. – An outdoor oasis of tvs and 500 different beers.
Champions Sports Bar – DOWNTOWN – 700 S. Florida Ave. -Your standard sports bar with tennis court floor inside the Marriott Waterside.
The Rack – HYDE PARK– 1809 W. Platt St. – Sushi and sports – oddly, it works.
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