TB12: Tampa’s Best 12 Sports Bars
In honor of our quarterback’s unretirement (and opening the season with a W), we bring you this list of a dozen incredible sports bars, ranging from 50-year old local institutions to the new kids on the block. Get your game face on!
Bad Monkey
1717 E 7TH AVE · YBOR CITY
The “cleanest bar in Ybor City” is dedicated to those who serve their country and community. Seventeen TVs make Bad Monkey a great place to cheer for your team. They have 12 beers on tap (including local brews, of course), and all items on their Pub Grub menu are just $10. What makes Tampa Tampa? Bad Monkey keeps a fresh supply of house cigars in stock, handmade right there in Ybor City.
SoHo Backyard
610 S ARMENIA AVE · SOUTH TAMPA
Not your typical sports bar, Soho Backyard is known for Chef Narja Campbell’s Floribbean TexMex cuisine and American style tapas. If you’re looking for a lowkey, date-friendly bar that does without massive crowds and too-loud music, you found it. Originally by hospitality people for hospitality people: Locals always know backroads and bartenders always know the best places to hang out!
Pint & Brew
200 N TAMPA ST · DOWNTOWN
This classic beer bar is absolute heaven for craft beer enthusiasts and football fans alike. Imagine THIRTY brews on tap, many from Tampa Bay’s local breweries (Phantom Haze Lord, anyone?). Slightly industrial in design with a 42-foot bar made of rough-cut red oak, this joint feels a little like a local brewery itself. Take in the game and chat over different brews with the downtown crowd!
Hattricks Tavern
107 S FRANKLIN ST · DOWNTOWN
Now in its 25th year, Hattricks is downtown Tampa’s OG sports bar. The beer’s cold and the service is friendly, and you’re surrounded by high def TVs visible from every angle. And let’s face it, those are the main components of a good sports bar. But this one also has some pretty great food. Thursday night football goes great with Shake ‘n’ Bake Wings and Roasted Duck Poutine!
Butter’s Burgers
777 N ASHLEY DR · DOWNTOWN
Who has the largest TV wall in Tampa Bay? Who has the most ridiculous burgers in Tampa Bay? Who has NFL Sunday Ticket? Butter’s, Butter’s and Butter’s. They’re all made with hand cut Black Angus beef, chargrilled and served on caramelized buttered buns. Now imagine eating that burger overlooking Curtis Hixon Park and University of Tampa. Way to make a splash, new kid on the block!
Prime Time
14404 N DALE MABRY HWY · CARROLLWOOD
Another local institution makes the list! You know those clips of groups of people gathered in a pub going crazy with glee when their team scores? You just described Primetime. They have SIXTY HDTVs—if your game is being aired, it’s playing at Primetime. And get this: They have speakers at every table. Full menu, local brews, indoor/outdoor seating, darts, billiards. In other words, F.U.N.
Mackenzie’s Tavern
4015 S WESTSHORE BLVD · WESTSHORE
Mackenzie’s has 4.5 stars on 232 reviews. ‘Nuff said. But I’m gonna say more. They claim to have the best wings on the planet and they just may be right. Big and meaty with great sauces. Pair that with cold beer and cheap drinks and you got yourself an awesome sports bar. The staff is awesome and friendly and this hole in the wall attracts great people.
Thomas P’s
12836 HENDERSON RD · CARROLLWOOD
“Went to Thomas P's on NFL opening day. Place was packed and we were lucky to get a table. Despite the crowd, service was outstanding. Food was piping hot and Shock Tops were icy cold. We had steamed Old Bay shrimp cooked to perfection, delicious stuffed peppers served hot and spicy, and cheesy nachos with ground beef great for sharing. Covered patio was convenient when daily rain came right on cue. A great time was had by all.” ROBERT M
Press Box
222 S DALE MABRY HWY · SOUTH TAMPA
Hattricks may be downtown’s OG sports bar but it’s just a pup compared to good ol’ Press Box, going strong for 44 years and counting. If a sporting event takes place in North America, you can see it here. It may not be the fanciest bar you’ve ever seen (and it’s a sports bar so it shouldn’t be) but if you’re ever gonna run into a sports celeb, it’ll be at Press Box. Bonus: They have prize giveaways during games! Maybe your team will win—and maybe you will too.
Social House
6310 N FLORIDA AVE · SEMINOLE HEIGHTS
One way to tell a sports bar is cool is when it doesn’t overhype itself. Hello, Social House. The sum total of their story is “We are Social House, a neighborhood sports bar with craft cocktails, comfort food, and TVs always on the game.” And really, do you want any more than that? But there is more. How about a burger loaded with guava pepper jam and swiss cheese on a Hawaiian roll?
Abe’s Place
1250 S MISSOURI AVE · CLEARWATER
Not to keep focusing on ratings, but when you have 4.5 stars on 3,335 reviews, it bears comment. It’s always good advice to eat where the locals eat. If you want to try every beer they have on tap, you’ll be there awhile—they have 44 craft ‘n’ draft beers on tap. Freshness is something of an obsession with them. Every bite is made from scratch and their wings and beef are never frozen.
Riveters
2301 N DALE MABRY HWY MIDTOWN
Where my girls at?! Stepping through the doors of Riveters, you’ll feel the vibe of the era that transformed the role of women in society and the workplace. They’re open 7 days a week, so when you want your sports served with scratch-made meals and a nostalgic mood, they’re waiting the throw the doors open and pour you a cold one.
