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A State-by-State Guide to the Best Sports Bars

A State-by-State Guide to the Best Sports Bars

Courtesy of Lerin M. via Yelp

Alabama: 4 Seasons Sports Bar & Grill

Source: Anna_Om / Getty Images

Alaska: 907 Alehouse & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Jacqui M. via Yelp

Arizona: Twin Peaks

Source: Courtesy of Twin Peaks via Yelp

Arkansas: TC's Midtown

Source: Courtesy of Meli H. via Yelp

California: Campus Billiards Craft Beer & Sports Bar

Source: Courtesy of Campus Billiards Craft Beer & Sports Bar via Yelp

Colorado: Sobo 151 Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Ray B. via Yelp

Connecticut: Cover Two Sports Cafe

Source: Courtesy of Dave T. via Yelp

Delaware: Sharp Shooters Sports Bar

Source: artJazz / Getty Images

Florida: North 30th Sports Pub & Grille

Source: Courtesy of Amy K. via Yelp.

Georgia: Mazzy's Sports Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Rivers C. via Yelp

Hawaii: Chez Sports Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Kathy Y. via Yelp

Idaho: Anchor Bistro & Sports Bar

Source: Courtesy of Cam C. via Yelp

Illinois: Mullen's Sports Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Alan S. via Yelp

Indiana: Free Spirit

Source: Courtesy of Lerin M. via Yelp

Iowa: Francies

Source: Courtesy of Mary P. via Yelp

Kansas: Little Busters Sports Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Kyle S. via Yelp

Kentucky: Hoops Grill & Sports Bar

Source: Courtesy of Jeremy J. via Yelp

Louisiana: Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux

Source: Courtesy of Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux via Yelp

Maine: The Depot Sports Pub

Source: Courtesy of David H. via yelp

Maryland: Top Hat Sports Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Gita G. via Yelp

Massachusetts: Lazy Dog Sports Bar

Source: Courtesy of Marni M. via Yelp

Michigan: Nuthouse Sports Grill

Source: Courtesy of Nuthouse Sports Grill via Yelp

Minnesota: Matt's Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Brandon J. via Yelp

Mississippi: The Project Lounge

Source: Courtesy of Jenna V. via Yelp

Missouri: Lester's

Source: Courtesy of Rick F. via Yelp

Montana: The Divide Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Jelly M. via Yelp

Nebraska: Bullseye's

Source: Courtesy of Tanner R. via Yelp

Nevada: Carl & Martin's Sports Bar

Source: Courtesy of Brett S. via Yelp

New Hampshire: Logan's Restaurant and Sports Lounge

Source: Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock.com

New Jersey: Ringside Lounge

Source: Courtesy of Steve D. via Yelp

New Mexico: Twin Peaks

Source: Courtesy of Twin Peaks via Yelp

New York: Mustang Harry's

Source: Courtesy of Gregory C. via Yelp

North Carolina: Bralies Sports Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Bralies Sports Bar & Grill via Yelp

North Dakota: The Hub Pub

Source: Rouzes / E+ / Getty Images

Ohio: Classic's Sports Bar

Source: Courtesy of Jenn T. via Yelp

Oklahoma: Cousins Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Cassandra S. via Yelp

Oregon: McGillicuddy's Sports Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Stacy M. via Yelp

Pennsylvania: Happy Valley Sports Bar

Source: Courtesy of Debbie M. via Yelp

Rhode Island: Ladder 133 Kitchen & Social

Source: Courtesy of Amanda M. via Yelp

South Carolina: Sports Break

Source: Courtesy of Sports Break via Yelp

South Dakota: Cubby's Sports Bar & Grill

Source: Courtesy of David T. via Yelp

Tennessee: Beyond the Edge

Source: Courtesy of Beyond the Edge via Yelp

Texas: Mister Tramps Sports Pub

Source: Courtesy of Heather B. via Yelp

Utah: The Green Pig Pub

Source: Courtesy of Tim Z. via Yelp

Vermont: Guild Tavern

Source: Courtesy of Jennie M. via Yelp

Virginia: Crystal City Sports Club

Source: urbazon / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Washington: Queen Anne Beerhall

Source: Courtesy of Annie R. via Yelp

West Virginia: Kitzie's of Spring Mills

Source: Courtesy of Lisa B. via Yelp

Wisconsin: Sluggo's Sports Pub & Grill

Source: Courtesy of Rick R. via Yelp

Wyoming: Marty's Family Restaurant & Bombers Sports Bar

Source: Courtesy of Dan K. via Yelp

Alabama: 4 Seasons Sports Bar & Grill
Alaska: 907 Alehouse & Grill
Arizona: Twin Peaks
Arkansas: TC's Midtown
California: Campus Billiards Craft Beer & Sports Bar
Colorado: Sobo 151 Bar & Grill
Connecticut: Cover Two Sports Cafe
Delaware: Sharp Shooters Sports Bar
Florida: North 30th Sports Pub & Grille
Georgia: Mazzy's Sports Bar & Grill
Hawaii: Chez Sports Bar & Grill
Idaho: Anchor Bistro & Sports Bar
Illinois: Mullen's Sports Bar & Grill
Indiana: Free Spirit
Iowa: Francies
Kansas: Little Busters Sports Bar & Grill
Kentucky: Hoops Grill & Sports Bar
Louisiana: Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux
Maine: The Depot Sports Pub
Maryland: Top Hat Sports Bar & Grill
Massachusetts: Lazy Dog Sports Bar
Michigan: Nuthouse Sports Grill
Minnesota: Matt's Bar & Grill
Mississippi: The Project Lounge
Missouri: Lester's
Montana: The Divide Bar & Grill
Nebraska: Bullseye's
Nevada: Carl & Martin's Sports Bar
New Hampshire: Logan's Restaurant and Sports Lounge
New Jersey: Ringside Lounge
New Mexico: Twin Peaks
New York: Mustang Harry's
North Carolina: Bralies Sports Bar & Grill
North Dakota: The Hub Pub
Ohio: Classic's Sports Bar
Oklahoma: Cousins Bar & Grill
Oregon: McGillicuddy's Sports Bar & Grill
Pennsylvania: Happy Valley Sports Bar
Rhode Island: Ladder 133 Kitchen & Social
South Carolina: Sports Break
South Dakota: Cubby's Sports Bar & Grill
Tennessee: Beyond the Edge
Texas: Mister Tramps Sports Pub
Utah: The Green Pig Pub
Vermont: Guild Tavern
Virginia: Crystal City Sports Club
Washington: Queen Anne Beerhall
West Virginia: Kitzie's of Spring Mills
Wisconsin: Sluggo's Sports Pub & Grill
Wyoming: Marty's Family Restaurant & Bombers Sports Bar

Bars — in the sense of places where the public could go to drink — have been around for many centuries, though they may have been known (to English-speakers, at least) as pubs or taverns. Exactly when the word "bar" was first applied to such establishments isn't known, but it originally referred to a literal bar, a slab of wood or some other material that separated customers from those pouring libations.

"Sports bar," on the other hand, is a much more recent coinage. The earliest use of  term turned up by the Oxford English Dictionary comes from the New York Times in January of 1975.

The concept, if not the name, goes back further. One credible claimant to having invented the idea was Palermo's Tavern in St. Louis, opened in 1933. St. Louis was unusual in that it hosted two major league baseball teams, the Browns and the Cardinals, and the tavern became popular with local players and their fans. It didn't hurt that the legendary New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, a St. Louis native, was the brother-in-law of Palermo's proprietor, Jimmy Palermo. The place started becoming more of a sports bar in 1947 when Palermo installed early 12-inch black-and-white TV sets around the tavern and began filling it with sports (not just baseball) memorabilia. (Palermo's closed in 1966.)

Despite the fact that the aforementioned New York Times reference described a place in Washington, D.C., another establishment, Legends Sports Bar in Long Beach, CA, opened by former L.A. Rams lineman Dennis Harrah in 1979, calls itself "The First Modern Sports Bar in America." Its website also claims that it "was the first establishment to use satellite technology to broadcast live sporting events from around the world" — which might justify the "modern" part.

According to the web scraping service Smartscrapers, as of March 15 this year, there were some 17,328 sports bars around the nation. Of these, Texas led the pack with 1,849, followed by California with 1,677 and Florida with 1,409.

With all these venues to choose from, how is the sports fan to choose the best ones? To answer that question, 24/7 Tempo reviewed "The Best Sports Bars in the United States, Ranked," published BetUS, an online betting site, and extrapolated the highest-rated example in every state.

The site ranked sports bar based on average Google review scores, cheapest beer price, and price of a hamburger. The No. 1 sports bar in the entire country, according to BetUS's calculations, is also the best one in Mississippi — The Project Lounge. In all, seven of the top 10 sports bars nationwide are represented here. (No matter how highly rated a place is, these are 13 things you should never order in a bar.)

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