March Madness: The best bars for sports fans

Bottomless beers: Atlanta’s Stats has tableside taps.

College hoops fans, rejoice: March Madness is upon us! Heading to any (or all) of the big games? Orbitz has all your college basketball tickets and hotelsneeds covered. Looking for a place to pre-game or celebrate a big win when you’re in town? We’ve rounded up some of our favorite sports bars in each city to get your game on.

East
Philadelphia, PA
Washington, DC
Philadelphia is one of the most rabid sports towns in America, so rising to the top around here isn’t easy. But the South Philly Bar & Grill (1235 East Passyunk Ave., 215 334 3300) is a regular winner of local “Best Sports Bar in Philly” awards and is aguaranteed good time on game days. The nation’s capital is full of great basketball bars (this is Georgetown territory, after all), but when you’re in Washington you won’t regret paying a visit to Pour House (319 Pennsylvania Ave SE, 202-546-0779): Beyond the usual 60-inch plasmas you’ll also find a martini lounge upstairs and a game room with darts, skeeball and shuffleboard downstairs.

Midwest
Auburn Hills, MI
Dayton, OH
Indianapolis, IN
Kansas City, MO
Less than a mile from Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium is High Velocity (10 S. West St., 317-860-6500), a sleek establishment with a dizzying array of sports screens streaming hundreds of channels and a sports ticker so you can catch stats at a glance. When you’re in Auburn Hills, avoid the infamous stadium parking lines by pre-gaming at Hoops Sports & Spirits (2705 Lapeer Road, 248-373-4744), which offers a free shuttle to and from the Palace. Try the Hoops’ Shark Bowl, a huge blended drink that’s meant to be shared. Beer lovers heading to Dayton will relish the chance to visit South Park Tavern (1301 Wayne Ave, 937-586-9526) which was given a “97 Points, World Class Tavern” rating by Beer Advocate magazine. Into sports history? When you’re in Kansas City be sure to grab a drink at Chappell’s Restaurant and Sports Museum (323 Armour Rd., 816-421-000) which has one of the biggest collections of sports memorabilia in the world.

West
Los Angeles, CA
San Jose, CA
Salt Lake City, UT
In Los Angeles, check out Yard House (800 West Olympic Blvd., 213-745-9273). Conveniently located half a block from the Staples Center, it features some excellent beers on tap and, in addition to the usual hot wings, there are plenty of options for vegetarians too. In San Jose the bar battle for sports fans is a fierce one, but Henry’s Hi-Life (301 W St. John St., 408-295-5414) wins out: It’s been around since 1960, features incredible barbeque and even has special hours for post-game partying. Options in Salt Lake City are a little more limited, but you’ll find plenty of fans at Lumpy’s Downtown (145 Pierpont Ave., 801-883-8714). It’s a remarkably roomy three-floor bar, but try and get one of the cushy first-floor booths—they have individual TV sets where you can choose which game to watch.

South
Lexington, KY
Austin, TX
Arlington, TX
Atlanta, GA
When you think of Lexington you might not think of pizza, but Pazzo’s Pizza Pub (385 S. Limestone St., 859-255-5125) is the place to be for fervent Wildcats fans. Try one of their specialty hand-tossed pizzas—with fun names like the “Funky Chicken” and the “Bourbon Bootlegger”—and 45 beers on tap. Fans in Austin seeking a more refined sports bar experience will find it at Cover-3 (2700 W. Anderson Ln., Ste 202, 512-374-1121), which offers top-shelf liquor, award-winning burgers and a chill atmosphere (it’s the bar equivalent of having a private box at the stadium). In Arlington, Sherlock’s Baker St. Pub and Grill (254 Lincoln Square Center, 817-226-2300) gets so rowdy during game days that it’s almost like being inside Cowboys Stadium itself. And if your team is lucky enough to go to Atlanta for the Final Four, be sure to head to Stats (300 Marietta St., 404-885-1472). With three floors (including a roof deck), 70 HDTVs and tableside taps so you can pour your own beer (yum!), it’s guaranteed to be March Madness central for anyone who isn’t at the Georgia Dome.