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.)
Scroll down to learn the identity of the best sports bar in every state:
Alabama: 4 Seasons Sports Bar & Grill
- Location: Birmingham
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $6.00
Alaska: 907 Alehouse & Grill
- Location: Anchorage
- Price of a beer: $4.50
- Price of a burger: $17.00
Arizona: Twin Peaks
- Location: Phoenix
- Price of a beer: $5.00
- Price of a burger: $13.49
Arkansas: TC’s Midtown
- Location: Conway
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $8.00
California: Campus Billiards Craft Beer & Sports Bar
- Location: Cypress
- Price of a beer: $6.50
- Price of a burger: $14.00
Colorado: Sobo 151 Bar & Grill
- Location: Denver
- Price of a beer: $ 3.00
- Price of a burger: $6.00
Connecticut: Cover Two Sports Cafe
- Location: Sandy Hook
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $15.00
Delaware: Sharp Shooters Sports Bar
Different beer in glasses isolated on black background. Header for website
- Location: New Castle
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $5.25
Florida: North 30th Sports Pub & Grille
- Location: Tampa
- Price of a beer: $3.50
- Price of a burger: $9.99
Georgia: Mazzy’s Sports Bar & Grill
- Location: Roswell
- Price of a beer: $2.99
- Price of a burger: $10.00
Hawaii: Chez Sports Bar & Grill
- Location: Aiea (Oahu)
- Price of a beer: $5.25
- Price of a burger: $12.00
Idaho: Anchor Bistro & Sports Bar
- Location: Twin Falls
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $13.99
Illinois: Mullen’s Sports Bar & Grill
- Location: Chicago
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $13.00
Indiana: Free Spirit
- Location: Indianapolis
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $10.50
Iowa: Francies
- Location: Des Moines
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $14.50
Kansas: Little Busters Sports Bar & Grill
- Location: Derby
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $8.00
Kentucky: Hoops Grill & Sports Bar
- Location: Louisville
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $14.95
Louisiana: Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux
- Location: Baton Rouge
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $12.40
Maine: The Depot Sports Pub
- Location: Gardiner
- Price of a beer: $2.25
- Price of a burger: $10.95
Maryland: Top Hat Sports Bar & Grill
- Location: Parkville
- Price of a beer: $2.75
- Price of a burger: $10.00
Massachusetts: Lazy Dog Sports Bar
- Location: Lynn
- Price of a beer: $5.00
- Price of a burger: $6.99
Michigan: Nuthouse Sports Grill
- Location: Lansing
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $9.95
Minnesota: Matt’s Bar & Grill
- Location: Minneapolis
- Price of a beer: $4.60
- Price of a burger: $3.75
Mississippi: The Project Lounge
- Location: Biloxi
- Price of a beer: $2.50
- Price of a burger: $9.00
Missouri: Lester’s
- Location: St.Louis
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $12.95
Montana: The Divide Bar & Grill
- Location: Billings
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $10.95
Nebraska: Bullseye’s
- Location: Hastings
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $4.99
Nevada: Carl & Martin’s Sports Bar
- Location: Henderson
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $14.99
New Hampshire: Logan’s Restaurant and Sports Lounge
- Location: Hampton
- Price of a beer: $3.99
- Price of a burger: $12.99
New Jersey: Ringside Lounge
- Location: Jersey City
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $8.95
New Mexico: Twin Peaks
- Location: Albuquerque
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $9.95
New York: Mustang Harry’s
- Location: New York City
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $22.00
North Carolina: Bralies Sports Bar & Grill
- Location: Durham
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $12.25
North Dakota: The Hub Pub
Craft beer backgrounds. Top view
- Location: Grand Forks
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $12.00
Ohio: Classic’s Sports Bar
- Location: Columbus
- Price of a beer: $2.00
- Price of a burger: $4.50
Oklahoma: Cousins Bar & Grill
- Location: Oklahoma City
- Price of a beer: $3.25
- Price of a burger: $9.99
Oregon: McGillicuddy’s Sports Bar & Grill
- Location: Portland
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $9.75
Pennsylvania: Happy Valley Sports Bar
- Location: Dickinson City
- Price of a beer: $3.75
- Price of a burger: $11.99
Rhode Island: Ladder 133 Kitchen & Social
- Location: Providence
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $14.00
South Carolina: Sports Break
- Location: Green Wood
- Price of a beer: $2.25
- Price of a burger: $10.00
South Dakota: Cubby’s Sports Bar & Grill
- Location: Brookings
- Price of a beer: $3.25
- Price of a burger: $9.45
Tennessee: Beyond the Edge
- Location: Nashville
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $9.00
Texas: Mister Tramps Sports Pub
- Location: Austin
- Price of a beer: $2.50
- Price of a burger: $7.50
Utah: The Green Pig Pub
- Location: Salt Lake City
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $14.99
Vermont: Guild Tavern
- Location: South Burlington
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $20.00
Virginia: Crystal City Sports Club
- Location: Arlington
- Price of a beer: $4.00
- Price of a burger: $7.99
Washington: Queen Anne Beerhall
- Location: Seattle
- Price of a beer: $6.00
- Price of a burger: $12.00
West Virginia: Kitzie’s of Spring Mills
- Location: Martinsburg
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $16.99
Wisconsin: Sluggo’s Sports Pub & Grill
- Location: Brookfield
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $5.99
Wyoming: Marty’s Family Restaurant & Bombers Sports Bar
- Location: Rock Springs
- Price of a beer: $3.00
- Price of a burger: $10.99