The 17 best sports bars in Boston for every fan

It’s the Citgo sign of sports bars. A legendary Fenway hangout, the Cask is housed on a busy corner in the shadow of the Green Monster. Multi-generational groups of Sox fans pack the sprawling interior alongside fair-weather college kids and curious out-of-towners. Upscale bar snacks share table space with classic fried treats, and a lengthy beer list ensures there’s something for every taste. During the warmer-weather months, the sidewalk patio is a must for people-watching before or after a game.

If you can’t nab a ticket to a game, Fenway Park’s Bleacher Bar is the next best thing. Patrons peer out through a huge garage window that looks directly out on the field. Upscale bar snacks and a solid beer list both distract customers from the screens scattered throughout.

Looking to class up your sports bar experience? Skip the dive bar and head straight to The Sporting Club, located within the Omni Boston at The Seaport. Snag a table in the Trophy Room (yes, its walls are filled with shiny awards and vintage sporting equipment) or post up at the bar in the main room, which features a banner of twelve hi-def TVs to ensure everyone has a view of the action. Pro tip: Grab a buddy, order a few beers and split the carnitas taco platter (it comes with two pounds of pork belly, so it’s meant for heavy hitters only).

If you’re looking for a no-frills, high-energy spot to grab a few beers and shots with friends before a Celtics or Bruins game, look no further than Sullivan’s. Make no mistake, this is a dive bar in the true tradition of dive bars. You won’t find fancy food (or any food) at Sully’s, but you will find a welcoming crowd and bartenders that will get you your drinks before tipoff. 

This lilliputian sports bar, from the folks behind the adjacent Trina’s Starlite Lounge, is a dream for those who appreciate a good whiskey as much as a good pass rush. The magnificent beer menu includes many local craft brews, and classic cocktails are prepped in style. As the bar shares a kitchen with Trina’s, expect the same exquisite guilty pleasures: griddled dogs, sweet and sour pork nachos and pickle-brined fried chicken strips.

The best sports-watching option in the buzzy Seaport features a monstrous video wall—a total of 32 plasma TVs that together create a 32-foot-long, 8-foot-high screen showing the biggest games. Food includes crowd-pleasing apps, lobster rolls and a myriad of burgers and dogs, all complemented by 20 beers on draft. And you have to love a sports bar with a water view—nothing takes the sting out of a tough loss like enjoying the late-afternoon light over Boston Harbor.

Sometimes you want a bit of cheese with your wine—or beer. Game On! is unabashedly unironic, an arcade of a sports bar that’s connected to Fenway Park and popular with pre- and post-game crowds. Max and Leo’s artisan thin-crust pizzas, plus a wide assortment of apps, beers and burgers, keep the crowds satiated. If you tire of the always-rowdy scene upstairs, head downstairs for ping pong, batting cages and more big screens.

This no-frills Newton sports pub is consistently packed with a varied crowd, spanning ages, styles and drink orders. What most visitors have in common, though, is their preferred order from the pub’s limited menu: the wings. In a city packed with wings-frying bars, Buff’s stands out, consistently taking top honors from local publications for its juicy, perfectly seasoned specimens. Expect capacity crowds during big Patriots games.

Boston’s South End is home to a proudly gay sports bar that welcomes all. They show non-stop sports on all of the screens, in addition to having dartboards, a pool table and one of the best patio scenes in town. You don’t want to miss their wing specials or the free parking our back. Yes, free!

While there are plenty of Southie spots where you can catch the game, Stats is uniquely devoted to the art of gorging yourself on fried food and replays. More than 20 screens are placed strategically around the space so that every vantage point has a solid view. The food and drink menus are mostly ignored during big games, when colorful locals come in to scream their teams on to victory.

Like the Red Sox and Fenway Park, football Sundays are synonymous with this popular spot just walking distance from the Broadway train stop. Known for its wooden interior design and its live music, Lincoln Tavern is the reason Bostonians travel to experience a “Southie Sunday.” It has all the makings of a Sunday Funday—coined by local South Boston residents looking to extend their weekends by meeting up with friends for brunch and football... the perfect combo!

An Irish sports bar in Dorchester’s Savin Hill, The Banshee is the destination for the Barclays Premier League, international rugby and Gaelic football—and it’s also the official pub of RISSC Boston, Celtic FC and several other supporters' groups. The Banshee offers a strong pub grub menu, including a crave-worthy burger served with sauce made from Jameson Irish Whiskey.

With an order of their specialty wings in front of you and a cold beer in your hand, The Draft Bar & Grille is the type of sports bar that makes you feel at home. This neighborhood Allston spot brings together a diverse crowd of students, adults, locals and visitors that all have one thing in common—their love of sports. If you’re the type of bar-goer that likes to join in on the competition, this place has a pool table surrounded by TVs for its customers.

A Boston fixture for more than 30 years, this Irish-accented sports bar stands right across the street from TD Garden, making it a popular choice for pre- and post-game drinks. No tickets to the main event? No problem—just join the pack of patrons that gather to watch the Celts and Bs on The Harps’ dozens of TVs. Or, if you’re in Foxboro for some football, stop by the bar’s sister location at Patriot Place.

Deep house music and Guinness may not seem like the most natural match, but Phoenix Landing pulls off the hybrid pub/club vibe. As one of New England’s most popular soccer bars, the space gets packed on weekend mornings with passionate supporters. Come here to watch a big match and you will feel the passion. Solid pub food and proper pints help take the sting out of a tough loss.

The Yard House, located within the Marriott Copley Place, is the perfect place for a reprise, if you want to pause your Back Bay shopping and catch your favorite game. There is no shortage of TVs here, so every table has a great vantage point for keeping up with all the action. Dine on new American classics and draft beers to complete your sporty experience.

Inspired by the mantra “go big or go home,” this sports bar is the lucky neighbor to TD Garden, home to the Bruins and Celtics. Even if you weren't able to score tickets to a game, Banners’ 60 TVs, 30 rotating beer taps and sophisticated bar food make it hard to stay mad. The best part? You don’t have to stress about getting seated at a table with a bad view: This sports bar is home to the biggest screen in the Northeast measuring at 40 feet long.