Looking for a place to grab a bite or a drink and watch the big game? Here's your guide to the best sports bars in Greater Hartford, Connecticut, including downtown Hartford sports bars and a few places sports fans should know about in surrounding Hartford suburbs.
187 Allyn St., Hartford, CT, 860-524-8888. Coach's is back with new owners and a new attitude. With 24 plasma TVs, you can be pretty sure the game you want to watch is on at Coach's, centrally located in downtown Hartford. Be forewarned--this is not the place to be if you're not rooting for the home team. By day, you'll find typical bar food served at lunch and dinner. The menu runs the floor from snacks and sandwiches to meatloaf and fish & chips. At night, Coach's features music with either a DJ or a live band.
11 Schoenphoester Rd., Windsor Locks, CT, 860-623-0380. The Bradley Teletheater isn't a traditional sports bar, but it does offer dining at the Turf Club, drinking at the Winner's Circle Lounge and something that other area sports bars don't have--betting on horse and dog races and jai alai. The wall-size projection screens normally show the races, but they're turned over to other sports for big games such as the Super Bowl.
51-14 Shunpike Rd., Cromwell, CT, (860)635-1860. With 70 TVs, including 15 big screens, and the capability of showing every NFL, Major League Baseball, NHL, NBA, NASCAR, College Football and Division 1 College Basketball game, Rookies can't be beat for sports entertainment. Tune your speaker to the game you want to hear, order from the full menu and try not to agonize too much over your choice of 30 beers on tap. If the game's a blowout, play pool or arcade games.
197 Episcopal Rd., Berlin, CT, 860-829-9292 and 88 New Britain Ave., Plainville, CT, 860-747-4477. With two locations, Sliders offers options to sports fans in search of great wings and satellite sports broadcasts. If you'll be watching the game at home, swing by for takeout wings.
1185 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury, CT, 860-651-3333. In addition to sports, this friendly, neighborhood bar offers a second bar with live music. As you can tell from the name, this is a great place to watch a UConn basketball game.
6. The Federal Cafe
84 Union Pl., Hartford, CT, 860-527-0394. I'd rate the Federal higher if they only had food! Otherwise, this quintessential dive bar in downtown Hartford is a boisterous place to catch a game and to imbibe in celebration of your team's victory... or to relieve the agony of defeat.
