The 16 best sports bars in Chicago

What is it? A popular Lincoln Park watering hole.

Why we love it: There’s space for groups of all sizes in Broken Barrel’s 2,000-square-foot beer garden, where you can watch sports, play bags or just hang out while enjoying a burger and a plate of wings. The dog-friendly space is decorated with graffiti art and has its own bar slinging frozen cocktails and pineapple palomas served in pouches. Heat lamps keep the space bustling even when the temperatures plunge.

Time Out tip: Brokel Barrel is always hosting events, so check out their website for the latest happenings.

Address: 2548 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

Opening hours: Mon, Tue 4-11pm; Wed, Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri noon-2am; Sat 10am-2am; Sun 10am-11pm

What is it? An upscale sports bar and one of Chicago's only hubs for Formula 1 fans.

Why we love it: Billing itself as an upscale sports lounge and restaurant, Theory boasts more than 35 televisions, so you won’t have to miss a minute of the action. On Saturdays in the fall, University of Iowa fans congregate here for football, and on Formula 1 race days, motorheads come here to watch, no matter what time of day the race is. 

Time Out tip: Theory opens early (even if it's at 7am) on F1 race days, so check the schedule and make a reservation at least a few days in advance to secure your spot.

Address: 9 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654

Opening hours: Mon 4-11pm; Tue, Wed 11am-midnight; Thu, Fri 11am-2am; Sat 8:30am-midnight; Sun 10:30am-2am

What is it? An entertainment venue from Draftkings and the Chicago Cubs. 

Why we love it: This restaurant and bar at Wrigley Field is one of the best spots to watch sports. A massive 2,000-square-foot screen—paired with a state-of-the-art sound system—can show up to 25 games at once, and there’s mezzanine theater-style seating that provides unobstructed sightlines.

Time Out tip: Guests can place bets while enjoying shareable bar fare and cocktail towers. 

Address: 1012 W Addison St, Chicago, IL 60613

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 3-11pm; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-11pm

What is it? A North Center Brit pub.

Why we love it: Whether 11am or 11pm, it’s hard to find a seat at The Globe Pub. Call it European-style drinking, buffered by U.K. pub grub. During soccer and rugby matches, the crowd of regulars vacillates between raucous and downright scary, but fair-weather fans are welcome to join the zoo.

Time Out tip: On weekends, the bar opens 30 minutes before the kick-off of the first EPL game.

Address: 1934 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613

Opening hours: Mon 4pm-midnight; Tue-Thu 11am-midnightl Fri 11am-2am; Sat 6:30am-2am; Sun 7:30am-1am

What is it? A casual beer and burger spot in Logan Square.

Why we love it: The Moonlighter is run by the same folks behind gin-centric cocktail bar Scofflaw. Expect unfussy game day snacks like wings and giant pretzels served with beer cheese, plus a good number of sour beers and frozen drinks. 

Time Out tip: When the weather’s nice, hang out on the spacious patio with your favorite furry companion.

Address: 3204 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri 3pm-1am; Sat 11am-1am; Sun 11am-midnight

What is it? Logan Square sports club housed in what was once an auto repair garage.

Why we love it: Park & Field is modeled after a ‘50s gymnasium and boasts touches like a vintage pommel horse, a scoreboard, Chesterfield sofas and hanging chandeliers. But the main attraction is outside on the 6,000-square-foot, all-seasons patio. It’s equipped with fire pits, bocce ball courts and a camper that has been converted into a bar. 

Time Out tip: On Saturdays and Sundays, stop by for bottomless boozy brunch while football plays on the big screens.

Address: 3509 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Opening hours: Wed, Thu 5-11pm; Fri noon-midnight; Sat 10:30am-midnight; Sun 10:30am-10pm

Wings are one of the ultimate game day eats and few places do it better than Jake Melnick’s. Yes, the burgers and barbecue are commendable but you’re here for the chicken. They’re meaty, crispy and slathered in a variety of different sauces. For those who like their food insanely spicy, the XXXX wings are made with habanero, ghost, scorpion and reaper peppers. It’s definitely not suggested unless you’re a glutton for punishment; we recommend the much more manageable firecracker wings.

Two floors, a recently revamped interior, more than 40 screens and a retractable roof make Benchmark one of the preeminent places to watch a game in Old Town. Be sure to grab a seat upstairs when it’s warm out. The approachable food menu appeals to all with tavern-style pizzas, handhelds and an indulgent skillet cookie, while cocktails lean on tried-and-true classics like the espresso martini, Aperol spritz and old fashioned.

Function trumps form and comfort at this woody, yet cavernous Cubbie corral and outdoor stable (er, patio) behind the Friendly Confines. The clientele of former frat brothers and sorority sisters wants its alma mater’s game on the TV and it wants it now—not a problem considering the prevalence of flat-screens.

With 90 craft beers on tap and rotating handles for seasonal releases, there’s always something new to discover at Old Town Pour House (especially since it offers six-ounce tasting pours). The sprawling space has high ceilings, huge televisions and classic wood accents that help elevate it above the typical sports bar experience. That refinement extends to the food as well, where you’ll find items like kung pao cauliflower, Korean sliders and Nashville hot mac and cheese with spicy chorizo.

Escape to the great outdoors Wisconsin-style with your Leinenkugel, Point or Sprecher and shoot the breeze under the watchful eye of the giant moose that stands sentry. Friends meet at picnic tables, tunes float out from the jukebox (Phish and fowl with "Free Bird" represented) and the occasional neighborhood Labrador mingles with the regulars.

A sleek and elevated sports bar where you can watch your favorite team while ordering a fancy cocktail, No Vacancy is more than just a typical neighborhood haunt. Sip on concoctions like Do Not Disturb (mezcal, green chartreuse, Maraschino) and nosh on creative gameday bites such as birria egg rolls, pretzel-crusted chicken tenders and jackfruit sliders.

With patio bocce ball, classic bar bites and an impressive whiskey list, Cleo's is the quintessential sports bar on Chicago Avenue in West Town. Grab some friends and pull up on the weekends for international soccer matches into the early morning (open until 4am on the weekends).

This hockey-centric spot replaced one of the neighborhood's most popular sports bars, the Ogden, in 2023. Blackhawks fans will feel right at home—there's tons of memorabilia decorating the space—as they watch Connor Bedard and company on any of the 50 TVs. The menu features your usual bar staples, including wings, smash burgers and pizzas, alongside creative cocktails and a solid beer list.

Good food and cold beer is what the sign outside the Pony Inn promises, and it’s exactly what the bar delivers. Get the Clydesdale, a 16-inch grilled cheese served with tomato basil dip, to soak up the suds and head up to the second floor for a nice breeze when the retractable roof is open. In addition to supporting Chicago’s pro teams, the bar is also a haven for fans of schools including Kentucky, Texas A&M and Central Florida.

The paint's chipping off the walls here and there, the bathroom is a claustrophobe's nightmare, and if it's busy, you might be forced to belly up to a folding table. Then again, this surprisingly spacious bar is filled with so many flat-screen and projection TVs and fills our stomachs with enough good bar food that we almost don't notice.