The wait is finally almost over, sports fans.
The 2024 National Football League season begins Thursday, Sept. 5, and while showing — or even watching — a game has become increasingly more difficult thanks to all of the streaming services, sports bars across Sarasota and Manatee counties will be airing the gridiron matchups.
NFL opening weekend games are every day except Saturday, Sept. 7, with the regular season continuing all the way into January ahead of the playoffs and Super Bowl LIX, scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025.
Sure, you can watch your favorite team from the comfort of your home sofa (if you can figure out who's showing the game), but for many people, myself included, the best way to watch football is at a sports bar.
But not just any sports bar. The best sports bars in Sarasota-Manatee are also first-rate restaurants for comfort foods like pizza and wings, and they serve a solid selection of beers, and perhaps co*cktails. They offer a fun, lively setting with outstanding service and, yes, plenty of big screens showing all the games, especially on NFL Sundays.
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Brewster's Gastropub
1454 Main St., Sarasota; 941-343-2380; brewstersfl.com
One of the best casual restaurants in downtown Sarasota, Brewster's Tavern on Main Street excels at everything from wingstoburgerstofried chicken sandwiches, with its long bar being an ideal place to watch the game while sipping on a craft beer or co*cktail. In addition, there are indoor tables as well as ones in the covered outdoor area, where you can also view the action on a big screen.
Bridge Tender Inn & Dockside Bar
135 Bridge St. Marker 49, Bradenton Beach, 941-778-4849; bridgetenderinn.rocks
An Anna Maria Island icon established in 1989, The Bridge Tender Inn is perhaps most famous these days for its waterfront tiki bar and daily serving of live music to accompany all the potent boat drinks being served outside, as well as the indoor bars and dining room. However, to a certain segment of the Sarasota-Manatee population, BTI will forever be best known as a first-rate Packers Bar. While watching Green Bay, another NFL game, or just drinking your way up and down Bridge Street, be sure to consider a bowl of BTI's homemade chili topped with a mound of melted cheddar cheese and jalapenos, with a side of tortilla chips for dipping. I also enjoy the chili poured over their "Pub Hot Dog," which, yes, pairs perfectly with an ice cold bottle of beer.
Clancy’s Irish Sports Pub & Grill
6218 Cortez Road W., Bradenton; 941-794-2489;clancysirishsportspub.com
For good times regardless of how your team performs, go to Clancy's. Equal partsIrish puband sports bar, with a "freaki-tiki" out back and covered stage to host bands, Clancy’s also serves top-shelf pub grub. Favorites include their Reuben sandwich, andhighly addictive Clancy Rolls, which are egg rolls filled with corned beef, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. You also can't go wrong with their burgers, which are amongthe best in town.
Cortez Clam Factory
10104 Cortez Road W., Bradenton; 941-798-9898;clamfactory.com
Billing itself as a "five star dive bar," Cortez Clam Factory is also a first-rate sports bar, live music venue, and restaurant located by the commercial fishing village of Cortez. Favorite food items include the steamed clams, B.L.T. with house-made bacon, and the pulled pork sandwich. Also, be on the lookout for the smoked pork potato skins, which I have been enjoying for years and regularly appear as a daily special.
Evie’s Tavern & Grill
4725 Bee Ridge Road and 1560 Main St., Sarasota;eviesonline.com
The locally owned Evie’s chain that debuted in 1997 features two great locations for watching sports while eating like a pro, and while I'm sure the one on Bee Ridge Road is also appealing, you just can't beat the Main Street destination in downtown Sarasota. There are TVs everywhere, with a full-liquor bar and anextensive food menu of tasty pub classics including wings, pizza and burgers. Plus,ifit gets too rowdy, you can always walk next door to sister businessMolly's Puband relax with a pint of Guinness and elevated, Irish-inspired cuisine. Watching the game at home? ConsiderEvie's on the Run on Clark Roadfor takeout orders of the restaurant's wings, pizza and more.
Food + Beer
Multiple locations in Sarasota and Bradenton;eatfooddrinkbeer.com
Food + Beer, whichoriginated in Sarasota's Gulf Gate district in 2018, now boasts five locations across Sarasota-Manatee, including ones in Bradenton and Venice. This locally owned restaurant group has thrived thanks to clever and creative takes on comfort food classics likeburgers,wings, and a variety of other pub grub favorites, including their fried Buffalo chicken sandwich, cheesesteak, and hand-breaded chicken nuggets.
Gecko’s Grill & Pub
Multiple locations;geckosgrill.com
A local tradition dating back to 1992, Gecko's has six restaurants spread across Sarasota and Manatee countiesall offering a family-friendly setting for watching the big game either at the full-liquor bar or one of the many tables, including outdoor ones at many locations. Menu item favorites include the house-made "blue cheese" chips, loaded potato scoops, wings, and burgers.
The Greyson
5045 96th St. E., Palmetto, and 11161 State Road 70 E. #100, Lakewood Ranch; greysonbar.com
The Greyson, which began welcoming guests in 2023 to its original location north of Palmetto and now has a location in Lakewood Ranch as well, offers an elevated sports bar experience reflected in its co*cktail, beer, and food menus. For instance, you can pair their impressive "Dry-Aged Grass-Fed Burger" with an Old Fashioned featuring top-shelf Redemption Bourbon. You'll also want to consider their surprisingly fresh and delicious Mahi bites, which should pair nicely with local brewery Calusa's acclaimed Zote Hazy IPA, which was on tap the last time I checked.
Jaxx Sports Bar & Grill
1035 Hasko Road, Palmetto;941-479-7816;jaxxsportsbarandgrill.com
This hidden gem in Palmetto, which will soon be opening a second location on Old Main Street in downtown Bradenton, serves some of the best chicken wings you'll find in the area, with the "Jamaican jerk" sauce ranking as my current favorite. They also excel at hand-pattied burgers, especially their "Hangover" burger with a sunny-side-up egg, American cheese, and bacon. Both the wings and burgers are best enjoyed with Jaxx's hand-cut fries.
Joey D's
Multiple locations;joeydsfl.com
The winner of ourMarch Madness-style Best Pizza Challengeheld earlier this year, Joey D's is the place to go for all your favorite Chicago comfort foods while rooting for the Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Bulls, and, of course, "Da Bears." Their deep dish pizza features thick, high walls of flavorful crust containing gobs of mozzarella and chunky tomato sauce, made daily and spread generously on top of the cheese. Beneath the cheese and sauce, I prefer my pie stuffed with just a layer of pepperoni, or perhaps pepperoni and green olives — my toppings of choice for their equally impressive thin-crust pizza as well. The family-owned restaurant debuted in Bradenton in 1994 and now maintains a flagship location there on Manatee Avenue West, along with locations in Sarasota, Venice, and Palmetto.
Winning restaurantannounced for Best Pizza of Sarasota and Bradenton
MVP — My Village Pub
5200 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key; 941-777-6787;mvpsiestakey.com
The locally ownedAbove the Bar Hospitality Groupoperates a variety of popular restaurants and bars throughout Sarasota County, with a particular focus onSiesta Key Village. One of their standout establishments in this area is MVP, a sports bar that boasts over 35 TVs spread across both indoor and outdoor seating areas. The centerpiece is a full-liquor bar with stools and tables where you can enjoy the game or simply watch people strolling along Ocean Boulevard. MVP's winning food roster includes freshly baked Big Daddy Pretzels, the irresistible B.L.T. dip, char-grilled (or fried) wings, and burgers, including their inspired version of the Big Mac.
Oak & Stone
Multiple locations;oakandstone.com
The Sarasota-founded Oak & Stone family of restaurants, which includes a downtown Bradenton locationfeaturing one of the area's bestrooftop bars, are also great spots to watch sporting events, with plenty of TVs to gaze at while seated or perhaps as you pour a craft beer from the self-service wall.Oak & Stone's array of comfort foods includes theirthin-crust artisanpizzas, a couple of creativeburgers, andslow-roasted ovenwings, which now come in various flavors such as "Sweet Seoul" with sweet chili gochujang and "Asian Zest" with honey-lime sriracha. However, my favorite remains the O.G. Buffalo wings, topped with blue cheese crumbles and green onions, and served with a side of ginger honey mustard for dipping.
The Parrot Patio Bar & Grill
3602 Webber St., Sarasota; and 7230 52nd Place E., Bradenton;theparrots.com
Located at the corner of Webber and Beneva, the original Parrot in Sarasota offers 30-plus TVs and an open-air patio with a stage for enjoying live music. They also have a popular location in East Bradenton. Parrot boasts a full bar and some of the best pub grub in the area, including genuine Buffalo wings that you’ll want to pair with their equally excellent Buffalo dip to kickstart your feast. Don’t miss their first-rate beef on weck sandwich: thinly sliced roast beef on a fresh kummelweck roll, served with a side of horseradish for smearing and au jus for dipping. Kudos to owners Jeff and Melanie Gambino, originally from Western New York, for nailing these Buffalo classics — and for the many other dishes on their extensive menu.
Slim’s Place
9701 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria; 941-567-4056;slimsplaceami.com
Located on the northern end of Anna Maria Island, Slim's Place is the prime spot in Sarasota-Manatee for fans of Philadelphia's legendary sports teams and street food, including their beloved creation, the Philly Special. It's a traditional Philly cheesesteak on a fresh Amoroso's roll with house-made, habit-forming cheese whiz, melted provolone, mushrooms, onions, and hot peppers that provide a well-balanced kick to complement the cheeses and thin, tender cuts of beefsteak. This superior sandwich is capable of lifting even the lowest spirits — even those suffering from a frustrating Eagles loss, which, as a lifelong fan, I hope to witness very little of this fall!
Wolves Head Pizza & Wings
1837 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch; 941-251-4028;wolvesheadpizza.com
Open now for about a decade in the corner of a Lakewood Ranch strip mall, with covered sidewalk seating out front, Wolves Head is an intimate, lively spot with a beer and wine bar and a dining room featuring 15 flat-screen TVs. The hand-tossed New York-style pizza and wings, which are fried and then charbroiled, are the stars of the show. You'll also want to save room for Wolves' signature nachos, consisting of homemade "pub chips" topped with white bean chicken chili, tomatoes, real bacon bits, sour cream, jalapeños, and shredded cheese, as well as their Buffalo chicken sandwich featuring expertly fried chicken tossed in mild sauce and served with lettuce and tomato on a soft and flavorful Kaiser roll.
Wade TatangeloisTicket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network.Follow him onTwitter, FacebookandInstagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com.
