No matter how big your TV is at home, there’s something about being out at a sports bar that you can’t replicate at home, cheering on your favorite team with your fellow fans.
But most of those bars tend to cater to male sports and male sports fans. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to Rita Adair, who hopes to honor her late wife by turning the former Red Rooster bar into Madison’s first sports bar geared toward women.
Until that dream is realized, here are some of Madison’s favorite places to go see the big game. Check them out on our map on Overlook Maps!
This near east side dive bar institution on Winnebago Street has plenty of TVs for catching the game. But when you want a break from the action, watch the cook make you one of the best burgers in Madison on the grill, or play a game of Ping-Pong.
There are so many good Badger bars along Regent Street, including The Red Zone and Lucky’s 1313 Brew Pub. But my favorite is the Big 10 Pub, which has big-screen TVs everywhere, along with great food and an adventurous tap list.
Hidden away in a commercial area just off the Beltline, this dive bar has lots of TVs and plenty of pool tables. Make sure to order the bar’s signature Swampwater cocktail – vodka and lemon-lime mix in a mason jar.
Located on the ground floor of the Galaxie building on East Washington Avenue, this upscale (by sports bar standards) establishment has two dozen TVs playing multiple games, along with a full menu.
Madison’s largest sports bar, located on the far east side, made it onto a CNN list of America’s best sports bars. The place is so packed with sports memorabilia that it’s almost like a museum, and has volleyball and basketball courts for drop-in and league games.
This Verona watering hole has plenty of TVs showing football, as the name suggests, but also makes a point of showing NASCAR races. The menu is classic Wisconsin, where seemingly the only thing that isn’t fried is the old fashioned.
