SEAGuide
The Best Sports Bars In Seattle
photo credit: Feed It Creative
Whether you can recite the batting average of every Mariners infielder from the last 10 years in your sleep or just like to show up for the beer and wings that accompany a televised sporting event, a great sports bar is fun for everyone. These spots have lots of TVs and enough seating to ensure that you won’t be standing for four straight hours.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Nate Watters
Wings are a very important factor when it comes to choosing a sports bar to spend time in, and Vindicktive makes that decision easy because they serve the best in town. Piling into a booth at this Belltown spot to inhale a stack of buffalo flats is just as thrilling as the game itself. And speaking of, there’s always some kind of sport broadcasted on one of their many TVs, whether that’s football or sumo wrestling.
photo credit: Nate Watters
Close games can change in a matter of milliseconds, but sometimes, nature calls. At Rookies you won’t have to decide between taking a bathroom break and possibly missing a big play. This Columbia City spot has thought of everything—and by everything, we mean there are TVs in the bathroom. (Thank you, Rookies.) For a classic sports bar experience, have a server in a Seahawks jersey bring you a plate of waffle fries or fried mac and cheese balls while you lick bacon salt from a Bloody Mary rim.
We really like the big round booths at Local. They’re perfect for feeling like your entire group of friends is a team of sports reporters that sits around and talks about absolutely nothing for the camera. The nachos and burgers are also pretty good.
photo credit: Jane G Photography
It doesn't matter if you’re at the bar, at a corner table, engaged in a round of pool, or hanging upside down from the ceiling, you’ll have a clear view of at least one of the 18 televisions at Rough & Tumble—Seattle's first sports bar dedicated to women’s sports. And while sports comes first here, the food comes in at a close second. We’re fans of the cheesy jackfruit buffalo dip and the chopped salad, which are both great alternatives to the typical fried stuff.
photo credit: Chona Kasinger
If you’re a Packers or Bears fan, you’ll appreciate the food at Petoskey’s. This Fremont spot has a loosely Midwestern-themed menu, which means dishes like breaded cheese curds, thin grid-cut pizzas topped with provel cheese from St. Louis, skyline chili, and caesar salads topped with deli meat. (That last one's actually great.) Keep in mind, though, that the games blasted on each behind-the-bar television are all Seattle, all the time—unless they’re playing a Midwestern team, of course.
photo credit: Nate Watters
If good food at a sports bar is just as important to you as a clear view of the game, then head to The Westy. This West Seattle spot has plenty of room to hang out, 16 TVs, and even skee-ball to pass the time during commercial breaks. And along with a big selection of whiskey, beer, and cocktails, you’ll find tasty sports-watching fuel—like lemony seared broccoli, sturdy waffle fries that scoop toppings like a bulldozer, and fresh beignets for dessert.
photo credit: Nate Watters
We love this North Capitol Hill spot for spectating televised sports because it never gets too rowdy, and yet The Roanoke still has the usual suspects: TVs, general comradery, and supermarket tortilla chips covered in bland cheddar shreds. Cocktails are equal parts stiff and refreshing, and there’s a great secret backyard patio for warm weather. But whatever you do, don’t miss the Julio Rodríguez burger—a drippy mound of charred beef topped with american cheese and special sauce. The thing’s exactly what you want while putting your happiness in the hands of several athletic men you don’t know.
We would never send you to Buckley’s just for the food. But what this Belltown spot lacks in decent mozzarella sticks, it makes up for in TVs, beer, and just about every college team’s flag you could imagine. There are booths, plenty of bar seating, boisterous fans, and you'll rarely encounter a wait for a table. It can be a useful option for impromptu plans with a big group.
photo credit: Brooke Fitts
POWERED BY
Unless you’re scouring day-of resale markets, Kraken tickets can be expensive, especially for a group. So if you’re interested in getting together with other folks who enjoy looking at a tiny black dot zip around on some ice, Queen Anne Beerhall—located right near Climate Pledge Arena—is the place. Yeah, it gets packed with a sea of light blue jerseys pregaming, but once the mass exodus to Seattle Center begins, the entire gymnasium-sized space is all yours. Grab a smashburger, some soft pretzels, and a way better view of Grubauer blocking goals than the sorry sacks in Section 226, Row N.
When it’s time to get a big group together and watch a high-stakes Mariners playoff, you can always count on Rhein Haus. Sure, sometimes it’s filled with college students or cast members from Love Is Blind, but this German beer hall still makes for a great time. There’s a ton of seating (both inside and outside), TVs in every corner so you don't need to crank your neck to catch Julio doing something exciting, and a smashburger that tastes even better alongside a boot of hefeweizen.