Your go-to sports bar chain?

[bcla]

Just wondering. Not an independent place (which can be fun in its own way) but large regional or national chain where one can find consistency across different locations. I know there are a lot that aren't in my area, but I've had interesting experiences. I think Buffalo Wild Wings is the largest sports bar chain in the United States. I've never actually been to a Hooter's before and I'd feel kind of strange. But the way I heard it described (other than the most obvious voyeurism aspect) is that they fried food well. I remember when Dave & Busters was mostly about the arcade game setup (Round 1 still does that) but more recently they've emphasized lots of TVs and sports.

More recently I've been hitting Yard House hard. Went to my closest one to watch the CFB National Championship Game even though it's about a half hour drive. There's really nothing else like it within 10 miles of home. My only issue with watching sports is that they don't have any of the audio as their claim to fame is playing rock music, even though every location I've been to has TVs everywhere.

 

[Moliphino]

I haven't been to any in ages. There's a BWW close to work that we used to go to for happy hour or lunch when someone was leaving, but even that's been years.

 

[ncc1701]

We have 2 Buffalo Wild Wings nearby which we visit. Never tried the one Yard House near us but it is in the same shopping center with one of the Buffalo Wild Wings. We go to a Miller's Ale House about 6 miles away. But if we are going to watch a game for any period of time it's at a small local chain (PJ Wheihan's). Their closest location is within a 1 mile from our home.

 

[mrodgers]

Never thought of Buffalo Wild Wings as a sports bar. Like any other chain with a bar area, I take it as a restaurant with a bar area. No one around here goes to BWW, Chilis, Applebees or the like to go to the bar. It's made up of people who grab a drink before sitting for dinner or singles who are grabbing a burger for dinner.

People here go to actual bars for watching sports.

 

[MillauFr]

I would prefer to watch the game at French Laundry.

 

[fly girl]

I really don't have one as all of our local joints are just that, local!

I guess I would have to say Yard House and BW3. BW's is closer but I like Yard House better.

 

[bcla]

Never thought of Buffalo Wild Wings as a sports bar. Like any other chain with a bar area, I take it as a restaurant with a bar area. No one around here goes to BWW, Chilis, Applebees or the like to go to the bar. It's made up of people who grab a drink before sitting for dinner or singles who are grabbing a burger for dinner.

People here go to actual bars for watching sports.

I think of "sports bar" is a pretty general term for a place where watching sports on TV in a communal environment with alcohol served is one of the prime considerations. Having TVs all over helps. Chili's and Applebees clearly aren't sports bars although they do have specials based on specific events, like Chili's happy hour on days with NFL games plus NFL Sunday Ticket. They tend to have limited TVs outside of the bar area too. Still - I remember one Saturday where there were three NFL games, but an NFL Network exclusive. I went to a Chili's for lunch that day and they didn't have any of the games since they didn't have NFL Network.

Buffalo Wild Wings clearly market towards people watching sports. Their slogan is "Wings. Beer. Sports." I went to one once for lunch and they had a notice that at night they were going to have a cover charge because they were showing some sort of MMA event where they were required to charge some sort of admission.

I'm thinking also BJ's Restaurants. Most locations I've been to have a massive projection screen that's split, plus lots of smaller TVs right on the bar's back wall, plus lots of smaller TVs all around.

 

[tvguy]

I would prefer to watch the game at French Laundry.

Thanks Gavin.

 

[MillauFr]

Thanks Gavin.

I like French Laundry even better if he or BCLA is paying the bill. Those 1st Growth Bordeaux wines are expensive.

 

[bcla]

I like French Laundry even better if he or BCLA is paying the bill. Those 1st Growth Bordeaux wines are expensive.

There's a taco truck in Yountville.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.406...33.935673&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i16384!8i8192

 

[EACarlson]

I go to Buffalo Wild Wings since that's about all I have near me, I started going to them when their home office was in Minneapolis and I lived there as well. When I'm in Florida I usually end up at Hooter's at least once, but the new place my co-workers and I have been going is Walk-On's, not your normal wing joint.

 

[MillauFr]

There's a taco truck in Yountville.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4063487,-122.3667931,3a,37.5y,95.65h,85.09t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sE-v0YS0bCkIhdWN5VHg9Tw!2e0!6shttps://streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?panoid=E-v0YS0bCkIhdWN5VHg9Tw&cb_client=maps_sv.tactile.gps&w=203&h=100&yaw=33.935673&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i16384!8i8192

I wonder if they have 1961 Cheval Blanc on offer there? They could serve it out a red solo cup like Miles used in Sideways.

 

[DLgal]

BJs Brewhouse

 

[willowsnn3]

Also would never consider Buffalo Wild Wings as a sports bar....around here it is mostly where you order wings to go.
Benchwarmer's is probably the most popular around here. Miller's is our favorite but it is mostly a restaurant with a bar & lots of tv's, lol.

 

[bcla]

I wonder if they have 1961 Cheval Blanc on offer there? They could serve it out a red solo cup like Miles used in Sideways.

Not sure if they're going to look the other way. No matter how expensive the hooch is.

I heard about this taco truck in Yountville because Thomas Keller has talked about going there for something simple.

https://www.foodandwine.com/wine-regions/california/napa-valley/thomas-keller-napa-restaurants

I will say I've gone to a couple of Warriors games recently and all I could afford were the upper level seats where I wandered around but never got anything. What was interesting was the Hennessy Bar. The most expensive item they had was a 750 ml bottle of Dom Perignon for $600. I wasn't buying but asked if anyone had purchased one, and one server said they haven't sold a single one all season. Of course they don't use glass, so it would be interesting seeing someone drinking it out of a plastic cup.

 

[bcla]

Also would never consider Buffalo Wild Wings as a sports bar....around here it is mostly where you order wings to go.

I dunno. With "Wings. Beer. Sports." as their slogan, that would seem to be a prime reason for existing. Most of their national ads are centered on watching sports, like this one where they're talking to a ref who asks if they want the game to go to overtime.

There isn't one in San Francisco though.