Best Sports Bar, Downtown Phoenix 2010 | Coach & Willie's | Bars & Clubs
Navigation
There's a lot missing from downtown Phoenix, but there's no shortage of places to watch the game if you can't nab tickets (or would rather nurse an all-too-frequent loss from the comfort of a barstool). But Coach & Willie's is not your typical sports bar. It's decked out in flat-screens — no need to worry about the tall guy with the big head sitting in front — and throws the best pre- and post-game parties of any joint in town. Their remedy for a post-Artest-rebound breakdown? A dozen different import and domestic beers are on tap, and these bartenders are known to pour a strong cocktail.
Timur Guseynov
If we ever had the opportunity to design our dream sports bar, chances are it would probably wind up looking just like Gallagher's. The amenities are plentiful, including off-track betting windows, arcade games, 14 ales and lagers on tap, and a posh outdoor patio with a sparkling waterfall and splendorous views of South Mountain (particularly at sunset). Speaking of getting an eyeful, more than 25 TVs have been conveniently placed at every conceivable viewing angle, with everything from bowling to basketball being broadcast. Complementing this smorgasbord of sporting exploits, the menu boasts a rich repast of enticing eats, including such stomach satisfiers as chicken queso baked potatoes and a bevy of barbecued ribs and other succulent smoked meats, all of which are served by comely 20-something waitresses.
Keith Prescott's a man of many passions, and chief among them is soccer. Ask the UK native about soccer and you'll hear tales of his tenure with the Liverpool Football Club, as well as his experience attending the 1966 World Cup (when Britannia ruled the roost). Along with his wife, Marianne Hansen, the 63-year-old has utilized his footie fanaticism to transform their North Phoenix neighborhood bar into a preferred hangout for others who are passionate for the pitch. Match-ups from around the world are featured on the bar's tellies and dozens of jersey-clad types packed the place during this year's World Cup. Thing is, it's also a great joint in which to witness every other kind of televised athletic endeavor. Being proper Europeans, Prescott and Hansen also know a thing or three about beer and stock more than 40 bottled imported and domestic brands, with 16 brews available on draught (including Boddington's, Strongbow, and Dundee).
Courtesy of Yard House
Yes, this is a chain eatery, but hear us out: The Yard House, located in Westgate City Center, is the shiz. For one, due to its killer proximity to University of Phoenix Stadium and Jobing.com Arena, the place goes off pre- and post-game, whether it's for the Cards, 'Yotes, or the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Plus the food — which isn't just a plate full of microwaved mess — rocks, especially the organic tomato bisque soup and the seared ahi steak sandwich.
This rough-around-the-edges spot in a ubiquitous Gilbert strip mall near Val Vista Drive may turn off clean-cut suburbanites. But those who are willing to branch out can definitely enjoy this place that seems to attract folks who like sports, fried food, and metal (live bands play on the weekends). Along with a full menu, including burgers that are off the chain, Crabby's offers some craft beers as well as all sorts of hard liquor, all of which can be enjoyed while watching the big game on the tube. Happy hour goes off each day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
It takes more than a few cool TVs to make a sports bar awesome, which is something the folks at the Baseline Sports Bar in Tempe seem to understand more than most. Sure, the bar has enough TVs to satisfy your average tech geek, but it's the food and beer that make the Baseline Sports Bar stand out. We recommend the AJ's quesadilla — not your standard quesadilla, and made with enough garlic in it to keep Dracula at bay.
This bar that behaves like a nightclub during certain evenings isn't exactly the prototypical sports hang. (For example, it's not unusual to see a blond vixen in platforms drinking a blowjob shot at the circular bar.) But even when it's all Scottsdaled out, the atmosphere provides an interesting backdrop to watching sports on one of the venue's flat-screens.And when spring training is in full swing, the spacious patio is a sweet place to hang before walking the mile to Scottsdale Stadium to catch the San Francisco Giants.
There's felt as far as the eye can see at BullShooters, as this pool hall is in a building the size of a Walgreens and contains 42 tables. That isn't the only way in which it towers over the competition. Twenty-six TVs are mounted throughout, there are 12 electronic dartboards on the premises, and a full bar and kitchen has 11 drafts available. What about the pool? The tables are well maintained (no wobbling here) and there's nary a warped stick. Coin games go for 75 cents, with hourly rentals starting at $2 per person, per table on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with prices thereafter varying depending on the day. Get racking.
Trivia nights at bars are opportunities to prove to your friends that you're good at one of two things: drinking or trivia. Doc & Eddy's offers the chance to do both in fine fashion. Thursday nights at Doc & Eddy's is like Jeopardy! for drunks, complete with a pushy host who doesn't hesitate to toss contestants out for looking up answers on their cell phones. The beer is cheap, but if you win at trivia it doesn't matter, because you get a $50 bar tab, which is more than enough to successfully get your drink on during the thirstiest of Thursdays.
It's relatively new, but Robbie Fox's is already a classic. Stepping in, we'd swear we were still on that semester abroad program — funny, the pubs in Ireland, England, and Scotland were filled with obnoxious American students, too. The ambiance is just the same, save the smell of cigarette smoke, and when the lights came on at 2 a.m., both the crowd and the place looked authentically wrung-out, just the way we like our pub-crawling.

Best Of Phoenix®

Best Of