Boston’s sports-bar scene just got a serious boost with a national ranking that feels as good as a cold beer on a hot day at Fenway Park.
In USA Today's 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, Cask ’n Flagon grabbed the No. 6 spot among the best local sports bars.
You don’t need a ticket to catch the Sox to feel the thrill; the Cask works on a different current. Since 1969, it has been pouring cold pints and serving Buffalo wings with a side of nostalgia. Its Fenway adjacency isn’t just convenience—it’s part of its identity. Giant high-def screens fill the place, broadcasting the big game in every direction, and the atmosphere spirals into something electric, providing a background for a room full of strangers communally talking, cheering and groaning like decades-old friends.
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Several other regional faves scored high in the national poll. Topping the list at No. 1 was Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill in St. Petersburg, Florida, where more than 90 televisions and 11 unique gathering spaces turn game day into a full-scale rally. And The Sports Bra, a trailblazing women’s sports bar in Portland, Oregon, earned the No. 8 spot—proof that the list honors diversity and innovation just as much as cheap beer and high-end TVs.
The 10 best local sports bars list began with travel editors selecting 20 nominees from across the country, then readers ranked them in order of greatness. And the wide range of choices proves there’s no single template for a great local sports bar. Whether it’s the hometown grind or something novel, it comes down to delivering heart.
Cask ’n Flagon isn’t just better at doing what everyone else does. It’s doing what Boston does best: offering local diehards a place to gather and reminding us all why this city breaks out loud when the hometown team takes the field. Go soak it in for yourself. The vibes start before the game even begins and carry you through. And when you raise that Miller High Life to your lips for a celebratory sip after the Sox score, you’ll know this isn’t just a bar—it’s part of how Boston cheers.