I wrote a piece about the Best Sports Bars in Dallas for the Winter 2017 issue of Dallas Hotel Magazine. With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, it seemed appropriate to republish for you here:

BEST SPORTS BARS IN DALLAS

If you’re lucky, you occasionally find yourself in the stands of your home stadium on game day, cheering for your favorite team, sipping a lukewarm beer and eating over-priced nachos. Ah, there’s nothing like it. But for the majority of sports fans, bars are where we huddle together in the evenings and on weekends to root for our favorite teams and debate the prowess of our favorite athletes. The sports bars of yesteryear were dark, cave-like venues complete with haggard furnishings complete with the stench of stale beer.

Dallas has always been forward thinking and as more and more women have become equally addicted to sports we have seen a new era of sports bars recently emerge. These new concepts include luxury lounging, craft cocktails and a focus on food (Don’t worry boys, the beers are still cold and the wings are still hot and spicy). Whether you prefer a traditional man cave or a more female-friendly experience for your game day watching, Dallas has a concept for sports lovers of all kinds. Here are a few of our favorite picks for a game day visit:

Christies Sports Bar is fondly referred to as “The Cheers of Uptown” by locals and just celebrated their 25th anniversary. With over 50 HD TV’s, and multiple big screens you’ll be able to watch events anywhere in the bar as well as outside on our patio. Two pool tables, Golden Tee machines on 42″ HD Plasmas as well as Beer Pong, Megatouch and old-time pinball provide plenty of entertainment in between games. The food menu is not your typical pub grub. Selections range from great pizzas, salads, chef specials, appetizers and a delicious variety of burgers, sandwiches and entrees varying from Tex-Mex to Italian. You’ll find happy hour specials on the entire bar from 11AM-7PM daily. From 7-close daily, they offer a selection of 5 beer specials and 12+ liquor specials Monday-Sunday. 2811 McKinney Ave #22, Dallas, TX 75204, 214-954-1511, christiessportsbar.com Photo credit: Christies Sports Bar

Draft Media Sports Lounge is 4,000 square feet of sports nirvana. The bar is located in the entry level of Sheraton Dallas Hotel and features more than a dozen local and international draft beers, 23 flat screen HD TVs and signature menu items including flat bread poor boys, barbeque pork shanks, brisket sliders and beer mug desserts to share. Adding to the ultimate sports and entertainment experience are pool tables and two Karaoke Lounges that are available for private reservations. 400 N Olive St, Dallas, TX 75201, 214-777-6524, draftmediasportslounge.comPhoto credit: Draft Media Sports Lounge

Happiest Hour features a two-deck patio bar and lounge spanning a spacious 12,000 square feet in Dallas’ lively HARWOOD District. The bar is located within walking distance to several sports and arts venues including the American Airlines Center. Its indoor and outdoor space features garden games and more than 15 flat-screen TVs for the ultimate game watching spree. On Sundays, you can watch all the sports you want with a $1 off all domestic pints, all day long. During the week enjoy $1 off all liquor, beer and wine Mondays to Fridays from 4-7PM. 2616 Olive St, Dallas, TX 75201, 972-528-0067, happiesthourdallas.com. Photo credit: Happiest Hour

Katy Trail Ice House describes themselves as an Austin-style beer garden and restaurant, located in the heart of uptown Dallas off the Katy Trail. A 50-foot long bar boasts 50 beers on tap, ranging from Texas domestics to regional and international imports. Experience game day on one of the best patios in Dallas featuring an open seating communal beer garden. Take $1 off all domestic drafts and well cocktails every Monday-Friday from 4-6PM. 3127 Routh St, Dallas, TX 75201, 214-468-0600, katyicehouse.com Photo credit: Katy Trail Ice House

The Owners Box at The Omni offers sports lovers state-of-the-art features and the latest technology including a 16-foot screen for game day viewing. Never miss the game again with private game-watching tables that include sound isolating technology and interactive scheduling to fit your needs. Enjoy the big game from every angle on multiple LCD HDTVs, patio dining and oversized seating areas. Rowdy, the Dallas Cowboy’s mascot, makes appearances on Sunday’s that the Cowboys are away. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday, 3-6PM and features $4 Drafts of Miller Lite, Bud Light and Shiner Bock, $20 Domestic Beer Buckets, $7 House Wines, $7 House Margaritas, and $5 Well Cocktails. 555 S Lamar St, Dallas, TX 75202, 214-652-4805, omnihotels.com/hotels/dallas/dining/the-owners-boxPhoto credit: The Owners Box at The Omni

The Rustic isn’t an obvious pick for a “sports bar”. The place is known for its Austin-style vibe featuring a large outdoor patio with beautiful oak trees, comfortable picnic tables, fire pits and great food and drinks. There are Flat-screens scattered around the perimeter of the interior making it easy to catch a game from wherever you are sitting. Enjoy 40 beers on tap (35 are Texas Craft Brews), wines, and spirits served by a friendly staff, and listen to live music from local and national artists. 3656 Howell St, Dallas, TX 75204, 214-730-0596, therustic.com PHOTO CREDIT: Jessica Sepkowitz

Eastwood’s Bar likes to refer to themselves as the “Living Room of Uptown.” The concept opened in spring 2016 as a neighborhood bar with creative craft cocktails, an elevated food menu and a spacious dog-friendly patio. The bar recently added a collection of new cocktails, many with housemade ingredients and innovative twists, as well as a variety of new menu items showcasing American fare. With 15 TVs scattered throughout the concept, there’s not a bad seat in the place to watch a game. Enjoy $4 wells, $4 wine, $5 Boilermakers, and $5 select cocktails every Monday-Friday from 4-8PM. 3407 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75204, 469-802-6664, eastwoodsbar.com Photo credit: Eastwood’s Bar

The Ivy Tavern is only two years old and already a major hot-spot with the Park Cities set thanks to Lisa and Tom Georgalis, former owners of Inwood Tavern. The couple stuck to the motto “Keep the best and leave the rest” when they purchased the place. They kept the divvy feel of the former bar but added an awesome outdoor patio complete with pool tables, a stage and outdoor games like Jenga and Cornhole. They also gave the menu a boost adding craft cocktails and bites that are casual with flair. Examples include Fried Pickles, TX Chicken Fried Steak Philly Sandwich, Greek Salad, Brisket Grilled Cheese, Great American Gyro and Greek Sopapillas. Monday they offer $5 wings, $5 Jager, Rumpelmintz, Tuaca, & Fireball to accompany the game of the night. Sundays during the day enjoy $15 all-you-can-eat Brunch, $6 brunch cocktails, $10 Mimosa carafes. 5334 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX 75209, 214-559-4424, theivytavern.net Photo credit: Joy Zhang

The Quarter bar has a French Quarter feel will transport you straight to the Big Easy. With two stories and plenty of outdoor areas you can cozy up to the bar or settle into one of the concepts many nooks and crannies to enjoy your favorite game on any number of TVs scattered throughout the concept. The menu reflects the fact that they share a kitchen with their sister concept, Bread Winners Café & Bakery. You’ll have a hard time deciding between the many options of sliders, pizzas, salads and sandwiches. Mondays feature $1 Pabst Blue Ribbon (4p-2a) and 1/2-priced pizzas (4-10p) and take $2 off any Texas brand from 4p-2am on Sundays. 3301 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75204, 214-754-0106, quarterbardallas.com Photo credit: The Quarter bar

Best Sports Bars In Dallas (Dallas Hotel Magazine, Winter 2017)