It is time to put on your favorite team's gear and get ready to chow down on burgers and buffalo wings at one of these top 10 sports bars across the country. One of them features a top chef's take on a gourmet Las Vegas sportsbook, another has television screens in the bathrooms so you won't miss a moment of the action, while a third will actually transport you to the game itself.
Jake's Dilemma
Jake's Dilemma, New York City
This fun-filled Upper West Side party place appeals to any mood. The front room, spacious and flanked by a long bar on one side and booths on the other, is filled with lots of diversions: foosball, video games and the usual array of sports games flashing on multiple TVs. A regular and raucous neighborhood bunch makes Jake's ripe for chants, hollers and drinking games. And why not -- with 40 bottled beers and 15 brews on tap, there's plenty of reason to party here. But those who want something more sedate know to hit the cozy couch-crammed back room. Bookshelves stocked with ancient texts and period furniture may make you feel as if you're drinking in an old-moneyed family's living room. Fortunately, with good nightly drink specials, whether you're old money, new money or little money, Jake's won't put you in a financial dilemma. See more details.
Bobby Valentine's Sports Gallery Café
Bobby Valentine's Sports Gallery Café, Stamford, Conn.
Make no mistake: this is no ordinary sports bar. It's a shrine to one of Stamford's favorite sons, owner Bobby Valentine. Born in the city, he was a star ball player in high school and, up until 2002, manager of the New York Mets. Think of this as Bobby's annuity, frequented by his local friends and fans. The place is filled with memorabilia and, of course, when a good game is on, with sports fans. The menu is broken up into (appropriately) nine innings, starting with first inning warm-up bar appetizers and rounding out with the ninth inning Hall of Famer entrées that will keep sports fans well-fed even if the game goes into overtime. The pub fare is just a cut above the usual stadium eats but the beer is cold and the crowd, while spirited, is not generally rowdy. See more details.
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The Burger & Beer Joint
The Burger & Beer Joint, Miami
The Burger & Beer Joint offers a burger restaurant, a sports bar and a lounge upstairs, so someone could watch the big game, meet the galpal for dinner and then dance the night away without moving the car or even stepping outside. The restaurant features 120-year-old Chicago brick walls, wood booths, copper ceilings, an outdoor patio, and an old-fashioned soda fountain that serves shakes and more adult beverages. There are your basic bar soups, salads, sandwiches and snacks, but the Joint lives up to its name, with 99 different bottled beers and design-your-own burgers, for which diners select size (1/2 or 1 pound), bun, toppings, sauces and sides, including seven kinds of house-made pickles ($6). Menu burgers range from $10 to $39 for a ten-ounce American Kobe beef burger topped with foie gras and black truffle demi designed by executive chef Carlos Barillas (Nobu Miami). There's even a gimmicky ten-pound Mother Burger that's free if a single person finishes it within two hours; otherwise, $75. If you'd rather watch something more athletic than competitive eating, the dark B & B Sports Bar has eight flat-screen TVs plus a projector screen, chalkboard walls filled with scores, complimentary pool table and $5 beers (but no design-your-own burgers, just the ones listed on the menu). The speakeasy-style lounge features DJs and occasional live bands to work off your chili and cheese fries. See more details.
