Best Super Bowl Bars

The Super Bowl is the most anticipated sports event in the year, so why not skip your couch and watch it somewhere with a little more atmosphere and good cocktails? This year, you can watch the Steelers and the Packers go head-to-head in a venue that suits your tastes. For beer geeks, there’s  Beer Table in Brooklyn with  rare craft brews on tap. For those who wish this year’s game was a repeat of Super Bowl XLIV, Bourbon Street Cafe serves New Orleans cooking. And for hard-core Steelers fans, Cody’s Ale House  brings Pittsburgh to Park Slope, and that includes the city’s signature Iron City booze.

The Hill

Address: 416 Third Ave. bet. 29th and 30th streets

Phone: (212) 481-1712
Like it’s name implies, The Hill is the sports bar in Murray Hill, a neighborhood filled with watering holes.   The wood-paneled space and leather booths make the joint look more like a swanky lounge, but The Hill   is a Super Bowl spot at heart. In addition to the standard beer and wine, The Hill offers funky cocktails like  the Tor’s S’mors with toasted marshmallow syrup and Godiva chocolate liqueur. And if you really want to  overload on chocolate, order the milk chocolate fondue. It’s spiked with Brandy and comes with treats like strawberries and lady fingers.

Stout nyc
Address: 133 W. 33rd St. bet. Avenue of the Americas and Penn Plaza
Phone: (212) 629-6191
Opened in 2005 by Irish bar veterans Martin and Mark Whelan, Stout is like a pub on steroids. It’s three floors worth of booths, televisions, private billiard rooms and dance floors. The 36 big-screen TVs typically air football, as in the English Premier League kind of football. But that American game with the helmets and pads will definitely be playing on Feb. 6.
Pacific Standard
Address: 82 Fourth Ave. bet. Bergen Street and St. Mark’s Place (Brooklyn)
Phone: (718) 858-1951
This Cobble Hill beer mecca actually caters to fans from the Bay Area, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a worthy spot to watch two middle America teams square-off. There are a rotating selection of American craft beers on tap, like the Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA from San Francisco. The vibe is generally laid back, except of course when a game’s on.

Brother Jimmy’s Union Square
Address: 116 E. 16th St. bet. Park Avenue and Irving Place
Phone: (212) 673-6465
Brother Jimmy’s has seven locations in Manhattan, but our favorite hands down is the Union Square outpost. Get a party punch bowl, peel & eat shrimp and hush puppies to start.  When half time hits, you can concentrate on the Carolina-style pulled pork and some damn good wings.

Cody’s Ale House
Address: 154 Court St. (Brooklyn)
Phone: (718) 852-6115
Packers fans beware: This Park Slope is a well-known haven for Pittsburgh fans.  But even if Aaron Rodgers does his championship belt dance in the face of the Steel Curtain, patrons can still enjoy themselves at the $45 open bar and all-you-can-eat buffet. That includes pitchers of Iron City beer, a Pittsburgh favorite.

Warren 77

Address: 77 Warren St. between Greenwich and West Broadway
Phone: (212) 227-8994

This Tribeca spot looks more like a pimped out living room than a sports bar.  Instead of watching from a stool, you can settle into one of the black leather banquettes and admire the impressive cocktail list.  Their Dark & Stormy is one of our favorites.  The menu features classic American fare, such as oysters, Mac & cheese and a good roast chicken.

Bourbon Street Cafe
Address: 40-12 Bell Blvd. (Queens)
Phone: (718) 224-2200
One of the city’s few restaurants that serves Cajun specialties is filled with flat screen TVs, all of which will be tuned to the big game. But the food also provides plenty of thrills. Instead of the usual bar food suspects, you can order seafood gumbo and blackened catfish a la carte or sample the restaurant’s Super Bowl special. Forty-five bucks gets fans unlimited booze and an all-you-can-eat buffet. It’s a deal that will make even Jets fans happy.

Strawberry’s
Address: 42–15 235th St (Queens)
Phone: (718) 517-8787
Darryl Strawberry’s recently opened sports bar in Queens may be a tribute to his former Mets team, but this joint is also a great for watching football. The bar has all the usual bar food suspects, but what sets this bar apart are the  in-house smoked meats and, of course, the La Frieda burgers.  If you’re feeling adventurous or gluttonous, you might consider the “Double-Beef Burger,” stuffed with incredibly juicy beef brisket.

Beer Table
Address: 427 7th Avenue # B nr. 14th Street
Phone: (718) 965-1196
With it’s three communal tables, Beer Table is an ideal place for big groups and bonding with fellow fans. This cozy bar-restaurant also happens to serve a fantastic selection of beers.   The draft selections change daily, but expect hard-to-find imports like the German Bahnhof. Small plates, like caramelized slab bacon with roasted potatoes, aren’t too shabby either.

Brooklyn Bowl
Address: 61 Wythe Ave. bet. N. 11th and 12th streets
Phone: (718) 963-3369
Brooklyn Bowl is the ultimate venue for everything from seeing a concert to bowling. There are 16 lanes, live music, food from the brothers behind Blue Ribbon and Brooklyn Brewery beer on tap. Brooklyn Bowl also boasts plenty of flat screens, making it an alluring Super Bowl Sunday destination. And as far as food’s concerned, it doesn’t get much better than Blue Ribbon’s matzo-meal fried chicken and a pitcher of pilsner. We’ll work off our meal at half-time bowling a few games.