They always say the best seat in the house for watching sports is on your couch, but unless you (or a very generous friend) have invested a couple hundred bucks in NFL Sunday Ticket, you're going to need to find a comfortable place to watch the majority of the next few months' games. There's nothing worse than showing up at kickoff to find a packed bar with an incredibly long wait and since football games last for hours, you don't want to end up at whatever bar still has room at 10:05 a.m.
So from long-standing sports bar favorites to a few no-so-traditional spots, here are our suggestions for where to spend your next 17 weekend mornings.
See also: Five Favorite Metro Phoenix Sports Bars for Watching Baseball
If you're a believer that more is always better then you're in luck because Santsi Brothers offers more than 100 screens for your enjoyment. Their famous "Wide Wall of Sports" delivers more than 60 screens alone with more available at the bar. Your sports viewing choices will probably outshine your dining options but their wings and pizza tend to be fan favorites. You can also get classic Italian fare, seafood and ribs.
This locally-owned sports bars offer the key ingredients for good football watching: lots of TVs, good beer and good food. During the season they open at 9 a.m. and serve breakfast only until 10:30, so you'll have to wait until 10:45 to order your first plate of wings. Drink specials including $4 craft beer, Bloody Marys and mimosas last all day on Sunday and upscale dining options like Atlantic salmon, rib eye and baby back ribs ensure that even the non-sports fans will find something to enjoy.
Whether you sit at the long bar, in the dining room or on the spacious patio, there aren't many bad seats in this upscale neighborhood spot. Sure, there's a good chance they're going to have the Saints game on the sound, but there are plenty of screens and usually more than enough to go around. During football season the kitchen offers breakfast including omelets, pancakes and biscuits and gravy and doors open at 9 a.m., meaning you won't have to miss the pre-game show for those early start East coast games.
Though not the original location, Majerle's Old Town is a great spot to catch the game. It may not have the cozy, neighborhood aesthetic of the downtown version, but the staff here is just as friendly. On Sundays this place opens at 10 a.m. and a breakfast menu is available until 1 p.m. The large bar can seat a few dozen sports fans, but the high-top tables, plush booths and spacious patio will all offer a great view too. A total of 47 flat screen, high definition televisions means you're guaranteed to not miss a single drive.
It's not a typical sports bar but that doesn't mean that Four Peak Brewery in Tempe isn't a great spot to enjoy some football. There are plenty of televisions scattered throughout the spacious brewery and plenty of sports fans on any given football Sunday. Of course the beers are top-notch (and local favorites) and the food is on par as well. Plus, by late September they'll be busting out their seasonal Pumpkin Porter, a perfect brew for sipping while you enjoy the game.
Forty-six televisions make football season easy to enjoy at Duke's. This Scottsdale standby is a great place to satisfy your simple desires for sports watching. There's beer and there's food, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings a make-you-own Bloody Mary bar until 4 p.m. The menu features an impressive selection of salads and sandwiches - in addition to the usual sports bar fare.
With a dozen locations all over the Valley, it's no wonder that Zipp's is quite possibly to most popular Phoenix sports bar. There are downsides though to that reputation, mainly that on game day these places tend to be among the most crowded. If you're craving their famous Golden wings, there's no substitute and during football season they serve breakfast - including French toast, breakfast burritos and omelets - from 9 to 10:45 a.m. All day specials include $4 mimosas and Blood Mary's, $8 pitchers and $12 longneck buckets
It's not a sports bar in the traditional sense, which doesn't mean that you won't find plenty of people at this Old Town Scottsdale spot looking to catch a game. The draws include a fun atmosphere and food that skews more modern than your usual sports viewing spot. There are breakfast options including tacos, scambles, French toast and pancakes as well as sandwiches, burgers and salads. The biggest attraction might be the $15 bottomless mimosas, sangrias and Bloody Mary's, which will usually appease even the most whiny non-fans though a game or two.
You should be able to tell by the name this that is an Arizona State bar though and though. But it's also a favorite spot for college kids to hang out and catch the entire line up of college and professional football games. The proximity to the campus is one of the bar's best attributes, but the lively atmosphere of drunken co-eds could count as a positive too - depending on your style. Football specials are plentiful here including $3 mimosas, $4 Bloody Marys, domestic liters and Skyy Vodka drinks for $5 and $10 Coors and Miller lite buckets.
