10 best sports bars to watch the game By Janet Jimmerson Fussman, special for USATODAY Heres a first-string line-up of Jacksonvilles favorite places to watch a game: Sneakers Sports Grill 111 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach 904-482-1000, sneakersportsgrill When youve got 80 TVs, five 32-inch plasma screens in the bar and six 23-foot projection screens theres no such thing as a bad seat, inside or outside on the ocean-front patio. This award-winning Jax Beach bar is a sports fans dream with a collection of sports memorabilia that includes a racecar mounted to the wall, plus an in-house studio for live broadcasts. The gator bites are $7 and come with a Cajun-ranch dipping sauce. Doors will open to the public Sunday at 5:30 p.m., a half hour before game time. There is no cover if you dont mind standing or you can reserve a seat for $50. Bob Marlins Sports Grill 798 South 3rd Street, Jacksonville Beach 904-270-1915, bobmarlins The Super Tailgate Party outside around the smoker begins at 11 a.m. Pork shoulder and baby back ribs will be served hot off the grill in addition to the usual menu with two new specials honoring Super Bowl contenders, Philadelphia and New England. Coors Light for a $1 and other drink specials will be on tap until Feb. 7 and there will be a free drawing Sunday for prizes. There are 15 TVs inside, including four large screens and a projection screen outside. Be sure to call ahead for free tickets to reserve your seats. Players Grille 4456 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville 904-448-6670, playersgrille This family-friendly, family-owned chain has three neighborhood locations. The closest is 10 minutes from downtown and has 48 sets to choose from, including two big screens. There also is a game room for kids and a closed-circuit TV monitor near the bar for parents who want to keep an eye on them. The restaurant serves a grab bag of American and ethnic fare, from handmade, half-pound burgers and hand-dipped shakes to Middle Eastern kibbee and Cuban sandwiches. Try the red chili pepper poppers with raspberry sauce for $6. There is no cover to get in and no reserved seating. Best of all, this is the kind of place that stays open until its customers are ready to leave. Dave & Busters 7025 Salisbury Road, Southside 904-296-1525, daveandbusters The well-known Dave & Busters chain has a 40,000 square-foot location here with room for 2,000. Kids will love The Million Dollar Midways 200 games where they can ski the slopes, shoot hoops, play skee ball, try shuffleboard or rack up a game of pool on one of their handcrafted, mahogany tables. The Viewpoint Bar will have the game on 20 sets and the menu has enough choices to please you and your picky eaters. Call for details. The Mudville Grille 120 W. Adams St., Downtown 904-353-0052, themudvillegrille Reserve your seat at their downtown location for $50 and you can drink all the bottled and draft beer your belly can handle between trips to the buffet for refills of wings, fajitas and roast beef. The all-inclusive package also applies to single-liquor drinks. Follow the plays on two big screens and 10 TVs scattered around the bar and restaurant. Southend Brewery & Smokehouse Jacksonville Landing 904-665-0000 If you dont mind paying the cover, you can take a seat by the river and watch Molly Hatchett rock the house in the Landings outdoor courtyard before kick-off. The bar wont be taking reservations for game day but are planning to offer an all-day buffet ($50). Steaks here are hand-cut and pizzas are baked in a wood oven and the place makes its own brew. Sample the Southend Blond ($3.50). Call for details. Bogey Grille 150 Valley Circle, Ponte Vedra Beach 904-285-5524, bogeygrille Choose from 30 TVs and three projector screens, plus another pair outside on the covered patio. Pitchers of domestic beer are $5 and buckets of five are $10. The menu has the usual game day favorites and a few seafood choices like the crab cake sandwich with spicy red pepper remoulade $7. Reservations accepted; no cover charge. Moon Grille & Oyster Bar 1396 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach 904-241-1894, moongrille True oyster lovers will want to check out this casual shuck bar a quarter mile from the beach for a dozen steamed or raw $6. Oysters are shipped fresh from the Gulf six days a week and wings are served naked, breaded or grilled in helpings up to a hundred ($45.50). Watch the game on any of the four big screens or 24 TVs. Gators Dockside 8650 Baymeadows Rd off I-95 South 904-448-0500, gatorsdockside Hop on I-95 South from downtown to find this Gainesville chain, which has an excellent kids menu. Its close to several hotels in the Baymeadows area and has two projection screens. TVs are set up inside and out and there are three pool tables if you need a break during half-time. Theres a generous helping of moderately priced fare with everything from lettuce wraps $8 to lava cake $4. The Scorecard Sports Bar & Grill 6051 Merrill Rd, Jacksonville 904-744-6199 This is among the smaller neighborhood joints, but its a convenient 10-minute ride from downtown just over the Matthews Bridge. Declare your loyalty when you walk in the door and get a free shot every time your team scores a touchdown. You also have a chance to win a CD player, commemorative balls, t-shirts and other merchandise in their free drawing. The fun gets started at 4 p.m., with a tailgate party featuring free hotdogs and hamburgers. The Super Nachos ($8) are enough for three. Dont expect a big menu here because smoking is permitted throughout the full-liquor bar, which restricts the amount of food they can serve. The game will be on two big screens and seven TVs.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 22:07:32 +0000
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