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Guide: Sports bars in Northeast Florida: Here's some of the best places around town to watch March Madness unfold [The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville]
(Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Mar. 19--No one marked the occasion when the first tavern owner put a newfangled television in the corner so patrons could watch a grainy black-and-white image. But they should have, because that's the day the sports bar was born.
My, how things have changed. As the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament hits full swing this weekend, sports bars will be jammed as fans turn out to watch on dozens of giant, high-definition screens. For this year's tournament, first- and second-round games are being played downtown, at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. But most of us don't have tickets, so we're left with the choice of watching at home or heading to our favorite watering hole for the games.
Just what is a sports bar? For our purposes, we defined it as a place with beer on tap and at least a half-dozen TV screens. It might be an Irish bar, a pizza joint or a pool hall, but once the games begin, all eyes are glued on the TVs. We set out to compile a list of every sports bar in town, but there are so many that we won't know what we missed until the owners call and complain about being left out. So, we apologize in advance and invite you to let us know if your favorite isn't included so we can add you to our list.
Chicago Pizza
Jacksonville Landing
Here's all you need to know about how hardcore Chicago Pizza at The Jacksonville Landing is about its sports: There are TV screens above the urinals in the men's room, so fans don't miss any of the action.
Ladies, however, better hurry because there are no TVs in their restroom. "Just men's, not women's," said manager Cliff Comastro. "They'd be in there all day if we did that."
Chicago Pizza opened at the Landing in the fall, just in time for the Florida-Georgia game, so Comastro isn't sure what sort of crowd to expect for NCAA men's basketball tournament. "Football is huge," he said. "We don't know about basketball."
There is a TV in every booth, plus four big screens that can be seen by people passing by on the River Walk. In addition to pizza, there is a full menu of appetizers ($15.98 for 20 wings), plus eight beers on tap and 16 bottled beers.
Banana's Bar & Grill
Northside/Airport
River City Marketplace doesn't seem like a place where you'd find a hopping sports bar. But, sure enough, on the end of a strip of shops down by Gander Mountain and movie theaters, there's Banana's Bar & Grill.
Banana's has a tropical theme, with a thatched roof over the bar, palm trees scattered around the open layout and wooden floors and tables. Waitresses in short yellow shorts and tight tank tops deliver buckets of beer to patrons. Rolls of paper towels are on the tables for those who order a plate of wings (more than a dozen varieties are available).
Scattered throughout the bar are 16 TV screens, which will be tuned to NCAA action all weekend.
Sneakers Sports Grille
Beaches
It's nearly impossible to stand inside Sneakers Sports Grille in Jacksonville Beach and not see a television screen. There are more than 100 TVs in the place, including six monstrous screens that measure 40 feet diagonally and cover each wall of the restaurant.
Sneakers owner Greg Pratt said he looks forward to March and October, which are the restaurant's busiest months for sports. Sneakers has TVs behind the bar and TVs on the patio, where games compete with the beach across the street. Pratt said the bar has satellite feeds and every sports broadcast package imaginable so fans can watch just about anything that's televised.
The bar has 30 beers on tap and offers regular specials on buckets of bottled beer and liquor by the pitcher. The kitchen offers traditional chicken wings as well as Buffalo shrimp tossed in wing sauce and Philly steak nachos.
So here's our list of where to go to eat wings, drink beer and watch sports on TV:
Arlington
Brewster's Pub
14003 Beach Blvd.
(904) 223-9850
Beers: 15
TVs: 13
Cliff's Bar and Grill
3033 Monument Road
(904) 645-5162
Beers: 15
TVs: 14
Mudville Grille
1301 Monument Road
(904) 722-0008
www.themudvillegrille.com
Beers: 7
TVs: 30
Scoreboard Sports Bar & Grill
6051 Merrill Road
(904) 744-6199
www.thescoreboard.com
Beers: 5
TVs: 10
Mandarin
Chili's Grill & Bar
11101 San Jose Blvd.
(904) 262-6264
www.chilis.com
Beers: 8
TVs: 7
Mandarin Ale House
11112 San Jose Blvd.
(904) 292-0003
www.millersalehouse.com
Beers on Tap: 30
TVs: 65
Monkey's Uncle Tavern
10503 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville
(904) 246-1070
www.monkeysuncletavern.com
Beer: 12
TVs: 11
Downtown
Chicago Pizza
The Jacksonville Landing
(904) 354-7747
www.chicagopizzasportsgrille.com
Beers: 8
TVs: 86
City Hall Pub
234 A. Philip Randolph Blvd.
(904) 356-6750
www.cityhallpub.com
Beers: 10
TVs: 16
Hooters
Jacksonville Landing
(904) 356-5400
www.hooters.com
Beers: 12
TVs: 41
St. Johns County
A1A Ale Works
1 King St., St. Augustine
(904) 829-2977
www.a1aaleworks.com
Beers: 7
TVs: 6
Ann O'Malley's
23 Orange St., St. Augustine
(904) 825-4040
www.annomalleys.com
Beers: 9
TVs: 6
Happy ours Sports Grille
116 Bartram Oaks Walk
(904) 683-1964
www.happyoursbartram.com
Beers: 31
TVs: 22
Murray Brothers' Caddy Shack
World Golf Village, St. Augustine
(904) 940-3673
www.murrybroscaddyshack.com
Beers: 10
TVs: 10
Oasis
4000 A1A S., St. Augustine
(904) 471-3424
www.worldfamousoasis.com
Beers: 24
TVs: 44
Scarlett's
70 Hypolita St., St. Augustine
(904) 824-6535
www.scarlettoharas.com
Beers: 8
TVs: 12
St. Johns Pizza Grill and Sports Bar
445 Florida 13, St. Johns
(904) 287-9900
www.stjohnspizzagrill.com
Beers: 6
TVs: 12
Taps Bar and Grill
Suite 314, 2220 County Road 210
(904) 819-1554
www.tapsbarandgrill.com
Beers: 24
TVs: 13
Clay County
Ale House
1756 Wells Road, Orange Park
(904) 278-4600
www.millersalehouse.com
Beers: 30
TVs: 40
Big Dawgs Family Sports Restaurant
1330 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park
(904) 272-4204
Beers: 10
TVs: 12
Box Seats
Suite 145, 1605 County Road 220, Fleming Island
(904) 637-0152
Beers: 14
TVs: 15
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar
311 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park
(904) 213-0293
www.buffalowildwings.com
Beers: 18
TVs: 25
Cheers Bar & Grill
1580 Wells Road, Orange Park
(904) 269-4855
Beers: 3
TVs: 10
Hooters
1740 Wells Road, Orange Park
(904) 215-5858
www.hooters.com
Beers: 10
TVs: 13
The Roadhouse
231 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park
(904) 264-0611
www.roadhouseonline.net
Beers: 9
TVs: 6
Tailgaters Sports Bar
2893 Plainwood Place, Green Cove Springs
(904) 529-1976
Beers: 8
TVs: 12
Southside
Bankshot Billiards
11000 Beach Blvd.
(904) 998-2100
www.playatbankshots.com
Beers: 6
TVs: 18
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar
9550 Baymeadows Road
(904) 448-1293
www.buffalowildwings.com
Beers: 20
TVs: 32
Dave & Buster's
7025 Salisbury Road
(904) 296-1525
www.daveandbusters.com
Beers: 10
TVs: 24
Gator's Dockside
8650 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville
(904) 448-0500
www.gatorsdockside.com
Beers: 8
TVs: 17
Hooters
8938 San Jose Blvd.
(904) 636-9800
www.hooters.com
Beers: 12
TVs: 21
Hooters
4521 Southside
(904) 807-9541
www.hooters.com
Beers: 12
TVs: 20
Jerry's Sports Grille & Steak
13170 Atlantic Blvd.
(904) 220-6766
www.jerryssportsgrille.com
Beers: 8
TVs: 22
Miller's Jacksonville Ale House
9541 Regency Square Blvd.
(904) 720-0551
www.millersalehouse.com
Beers: 37
TVs: 50
Mudville Grille
3105 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville
(904) 398-4326
www.mudvillegrille.com
Beers: 6
TVs: 15
O'Malleys Bar & Tavern
9735 Old St. Augustine Road
(904) 260-1045
Beers on Tap: 20
TVs: 10
Players Grille
4456 Hendricks Ave.
(904) 448-6670, www.playersgrille.com
Beers: 8
TVs: 30
Sneakers Sports Grille
8133 Point Meadows Way
(904) 519-0509
www.sneakerssportsgrille.com
Beers: 22
TVs: 98
Southside Ale House & Raw Bar
9711 Deer Lake Court
(904) 565-2882
www.millersalehouse.com
Beers: 30
TVs: 50
Time Out Sports Grill
13799 Beach Blvd.
(904) 223-6999
Beers: 12
TVs: 7
Your Place Bar & Grill
13245 Atlantic Blvd.
(904) 221-9994
Beers: 12
TVs: 6
Beaches
Brass Anchor Pub & Grill
2292 Mayport Road, Atlantic Beach
(904) 247-5329
Beers on Tap: 36
TVs: 7
Chicago Pizza and Sports Grille
320 First St. N., Jacksonville Beach
(904) 270-8565, www.chicagopizzasportsgrille.com
Beers: 8
TVs: 90
Culhane's Irish Pub Restaurant
967 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach
(904) 249-9595
www.culhanesirishpub.com
Beers: 8
TVs: 8
Lamm At Large Sports Tavern
14286 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach
(904) 619-5541
www.lammatlarge.net
Beers: 6
TVs: 12
Land Shark Cafe
1728 Third St. N., Jacksonville Beach
(904) 246-6024
Beers: 12
TVs: 7
Sneakers Sports Grille
111 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach
(904) 482-1000
www.sneakerssportsgrille.com
Beers: 23
TVs: 10
Northside and Nassau County
3 Lions
2467 Faye Road
(904) 647-8525
Beers: 16
TVs: 8
Banana's Bar & Grill
River City Marketplace
(904) 527-1371
Beers: 10
TVs: 16
Boston's Restaurant and Sports Bar
River City Marketplace
(904) 751-7499
www.bostonsgourmet.com
Beers: 9
TVs: 37
O'Kane's Irish Pub & Eatery
318 Centre St., Fernandina Beach
(904) 261-1000
Beers: 21
TVs: 6
Westside
Box Seats
4329 Blanding Blvd.
(904) 908-7328
www.boxseatsjax.com
Beers: 8
TVs: 20
Gator's Dockside Restaurant
6677 103rd St.
(904) 777-6092
www.gatorsdockside.com
Beers: 6
TVs: 21
Gators Dockside
9680 Argyle Forest Blvd.
(904) 425-6466
www.gatorsdockside.com
Beers: 10
TVs: 23
Lillian's Sports Bar
5393 Roosevelt Blvd.
(904) 388-4220
Beers: 14 n TVs: 20
Perfect Sports Alibi
1194 Edgewood Ave. S.
(904) 387-2555
Beers: 9
TVs: 6
To see more of The Florida Times-Union or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.jacksonville.com.
Copyright (c) 2010, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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