A lucky jersey, putting socks on in a certain order, or another superstitious habit can only do so much on game day. Once the competition starts, a fan also needs a decent view of the screen and those tried-and-true sports eats that work for both celebratory touchdowns and tense battles on the field.
Fortunately, Greater Phoenix has a deep bench of sports bars, from neighborhood pubs with decades of local history to a women’s sports bar giving its athletes the home-court treatment.
No matter if your allegiance belongs to the Cardinals or follows your former hometown, there’s a place to root for them. Consider this your starting lineup.
Majerle’s Sports Grill
A sports bar founded by a Phoenix Suns star comes with a strong scouting report. Dan Majerle’s namesake grill has been part of downtown Phoenix since 1992, and the menu keeps the hometown connection in play. Start with Slam Dunk Shrimp, tempura shrimp tossed in sauce and served with celery and ranch, or put Gorilla Wings on the table in a nod to the Suns’ mascot.
The downtown location offers a family-friendly place to watch, with enough basketball pedigree to make even a mayweather fan catch serious vibes. You don’t need Majerle’s shooting range to handle lunch here. Reaching across the table for another wing should do the trick. 24 N. Second St., Phoenix, majerles.com
Backyard
Your team can find a little home-field advantage at Backyard, even if home is a few states away. The Gilbert location welcomes Denver Broncos fans, while Desert Ridge rallies around the Arizona Cardinals. Both also invite Ohio State and ASU fanatics. Gilbert has four LED walls for following the action; Desert Ridge advertises more than 100 feet of LED screens.
At Gilbert, the Tailgate Tray is built for a four-person huddle, with potato skins and onion rings joining crispy ribs and chicken wings for a filling start. It saves the group from conducting a full draft of the appetizer menu, though who gets the last wing is still up for negotiation. With more than 40 draft and bottled beers at Gilbert, picking a drink may require a timeout. 1975 E. Williams Field Rd., Gilbert, backyardgilbert.com; and 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 14, Phoenix, backyarddesertridge.com
O.H.S.O. Brewery + Distillery Gilbert
O.H.S.O. Gilbert gives game day an entire park to play with. Behind the brewery, The Park has picnic-table seating and an enclosed off-leash area, so the dog can work on a few routes while the humans watch football. The venue holds a Jumbotron, 52 televisions, and a video wall, with NFL Sunday Ticket in the mix.
Food service extends to the park, where guests can order from the regular menu at picnic tables. The AZ Burger layers jalapeño cream cheese and poblano aioli on a beef patty, while Reuben Pretzel Sliders bring pastrami and Swiss to the sandwich league. For a larger group, reservable VIP cabanas accommodate up to 20 people. That’s enough room for a true cheering section, including the friend who insists they could have made that catch the player just missed. 335 N. Gilbert Rd., Suite 102, Gilbert, ohsobrewery.com
Zipps Sports Grill
Zipps has been in the Valley’s starting lineup since 1995, when the family-owned business opened in Scottsdale. Today the concept boasts 13 family-friendly locations to show every NFL game, regardless of network or streaming service, with many featuring large video walls and audio for the biggest games. The goal is to be “a dependable destination where guests know they can come to watch their team.”
All locations open at 9 a.m. on NFL Sundays and serve seasonal breakfast until the daylight savings time change. Golden Wings are an easy opening play, with a sweeter sauce available in several heat levels. Nearly everything on the menu is made fresh in-house daily, including focaccias and burgers, while the bar pours 32-ounce beers and frozen Zipparitas. Multiple locations, zippssportsgrills.com
R.T. O’Sullivan’s
R.T. O’Sullivan’s has built a loyal fan base ever since Ray and Peggy O’Sullivan opened their first pub in Mesa, Arizona, in 1993. The business later expanded to South Scottsdale and Phoenix, carrying an Irish pub tradition Ray brought from his hometown village in Ireland.
At the Scottsdale location, televisions surround a wraparound bar, and the climate-controlled, dog-friendly patio has its own screens. Sand volleyball courts offer an opportunity to put down the remote and work any gameday nerves off yourself.
Back at the table, Irish Sliders tuck corned beef brisket into small sandwiches with hot mustard and horseradish. O’Sullivans Famous Grilled Reuben takes a more substantial turn with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on rye. Either way, this is a roster with a little more Irish experience than the average wings-and-burgers lineup. Multiple locations, rtosullivans.com
Title 9 Sports Grill
Women’s sports have home-court advantage at Title 9 in the Melrose District, where the programming centers women’s athletics, including basketball and soccer. Owner Audrey Corley put the mission plainly: “Title 9 was built because women’s sports deserved more than a corner TV with no sound,” she said.
The food stays comfortably in sports-bar territory. Chicken Wings and Cauliflower Wings share the lineup, with Chorizo Queso Dip and burgers among the other options. The restaurant recommended the Chicken Wings for first-time diners. An updated patio adds room to gather, while the focus on women’s competition gives fans a place to make an afternoon of the game. Bring someone who still needs an introduction to your favorite team; recruiting counts as a spectator sport here. 4221 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix, titleninesportsgrill.com
Lakeside Bar & Grill
Breakfast gets the starting assignment at Lakeside Bar & Grill, which opens at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays during football season. The Peoria restaurant’s Football Tailgate breakfast runs until noon, giving early fans a chance to tackle a Smashed Rise + Shine Burger. Two beef patties share the bun with bacon and American cheese, with a hash brown and fried egg completing a fairly persuasive case for showing up early.
Kickoff Chilaquiles come with a choice of chorizo or carnitas, while football-season specials include $1 wings with a six-wing minimum. Sunday brings all-day happy hour. Two pet-friendly patios mean the family’s four-legged fan needn’t be left on the bench, and there are dozens of televisions on both, as well as indoors to keep the game in view. 9980 W. Happy Valley Pkwy., Suite 1101, Peoria, lakesidebarandgrillaz.com
Four Peaks Brewing Company, 8th Street Pub
Four Peaks’ original Tempe pub gives fans a historic setting for a fresh round of second-guessing the coach and yelling at the ref. The building once housed a creamery and ice factory, and today the brewery’s beers do some useful work in the kitchen as well as at the bar.
The 8th Street Chicken Strips have the 8th Street ale mixed into the batter, while Pub Fish & Chips puts Kilt Lifter into the cod’s coating. If the table needs an opening snack, the Brickhouse Pretzel comes with green chile cheese sauce and spicy mustard. This is a brewery stop for fans who take their draft picks seriously. 1340 E. Eighth St., Suite 104, Tempe, fourpeaks.com
Pedal Haus Brewery
The handoff is the important play at Pedal Haus. Order a Bavarian Pretzel, then pass it around before someone scores the whole thing. At the Tempe brewery, the pretzel comes with maple butter and haus mustard. The more substantial Brewer’s Board adds charcuterie and a beer brat, with beer cheese among the accompaniments, and serves two to four.
Pedal Haus has locations across the Valley, with the Tempe spot offering a patio near Mill Avenue. The brewery is a great spot for watching football, complete with indoor and outdoor seating decked out with televisions. Pair that pretzel with a beer brewed by Pedal Haus and settle in for the day’s offering of sports. If your team spends the afternoon tying itself in knots, at least the food and drink won’t be a disappointment. Multiple locations, pedalhausbrewery.com
Kimmyz Tatum Point
Chili gets a chance to call the plays at Kimmyz Tatum Point, where Zach’s Homemade Chili comes topped with onions and cheese and served with garlic bread. It also works its way onto fries or tots for anyone whose preferred play strategy involves a fork. Half-pound burgers give the menu another solid option.
“North Phoenix has one of the coolest sports bars with huge TV screens and live music on the weekends plus phenomenal chili,” Tommy Marquez, a regular customer, said. For a group planning to stay beyond the final whistle, that offers a reason to keep the evening going and come back the following day. The only question is whether to order another round or make a late substitution for cheese tots. 4601 E. Bell Rd., Phoenix, kimmyztatumpoint.com
Santisi Brothers Pizzeria & Sports Grill
Santisi Brothers takes wall-to-wall coverage seriously. The North Phoenix sports bar advertises more than 100 televisions, with 60-plus screens along its “Wide Wall of Sports.” That’s a lot of room for a Sunday full of games, and leaves no argument for squinting at a phone to follow your team.
The menu brings its own high scores, with New York-style pizza and Buffalo wings alongside pasta made from family recipes. Order a pie for the table and let everyone negotiate their share before the match gets tense. Pool and darts give competitive types somewhere to direct their energy between games, although the real draw is that formidable wall of screens. For fans whose fantasy roster stretches across several matchups, this is a place to keep in the playbook. 2710 W. Bell Rd., Suite 1115, Phoenix, santisibrothers.com
