Homegrown Alabama sports bars to savor during March Madness
Auburn’s Chaney Johnson (31) and Johni Broome (4) and the rest of the men's team are headed to the NCAA tournament. Can't get to the arena? Check out the action at one of many local sports bars. (Zach Bland / Auburn Tigers)
Basketball fans across Alabama, it’s time to gear up and set the game plan for March Madness. The annual tournament to name the best teams in men’s and women’s college basketball starts March 20 (women’s) and March 21 (men’s) and ends in early April.
Watching games with a rowdy crowd at a local sports bar is the next best thing to attending in person. And sports bars provide luxuries you won’t get while watching at home – table service for drinks and food, and someone to clean up after you.
Of course, you can try the out-of-state chains located all over Alabama, like Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooter’s or Twin Peaks. Such places, including Nashville-based Sam’s Sport Grill in Florence, are super choices to watch the game.
But for a locally owned destination, here are some homegrown sports bars. Don’t forget taprooms at local breweries; most throw watch parties for the college basketball tournament – and many of the conference tournaments that precede it.
Locations: Troy, Foley, Huntsville, Vestavia Hills, Tuscaloosa (Harper Lee Drive, Courtney Drive), Montgomery, Daphne, Mobile and Auburn.
Game grub: Bob Baumhower, the former Crimson Tide All-American and NFL All-Pro, introduced Alabama to Buffalo-style chicken wings when he opened his first restaurant in 1981. Baumhower’s huge menu even includes sandwiches wrapped in Indian-style naan bread. The cocktail, wine and beer selection is draft-worthy, too.
TVs: Everywhere.
Diamonds Sports Bar
Location: Huntsville (Memorial Parkway).
Game grub: As they put it: beer and bones. Sandwiches, tacos and nachos, too.
TVs: Everywhere.
The Samford Bulldogs have their hands full, taking on powerhouse Kansas in the NCAA tournament. (Samford University)
Location: The Alabama-Florida state line (Perdido Key Drive).
Game grub: You’ll find loaded tots and other apps, sandwiches (numerous seafood options), baskets and oysters served fresh-shucked or grilled. Drinks include Bushwackers and other frozen treats, as well as beer.
TVs: With 40 televisions, you’ll get a good view.
Halftime Sports Grill
Locations: Lincoln (Magnolia Street).
Game grub: Menu features wings and other bar food, burgers, barbecue (including rib tips) and salads, exclusively. It’s OK. Customers say they are all slam dunks.
TVs: Limited.
Location: Auburn (North College Street).
Game grub: Wings, baskets, burgers, sandwiches/wraps, snacks including gator bites and Cajun boiled peanuts. Drinks include craft brews, U.S. and Mexican macro beers, and cocktails.
TVs: Numerous.
Locations: Mobile (Hillcrest Road and Dauphin Street downtown).
Game grub: Burgers, wings, combo baskets and dips.
TVs: Plenty of choices.
Give the women their due: Both Alabama and Auburn’s women’s basketball teams are headed to the tournament. (University of Alabama)
Locations: Birmingham (Inverness) and Vestavia Hills (Liberty Park).
Game grub: The wing’s the thing on the food menu, which includes bar apps, burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads and salads. Each location has more than 80 beer and cider taps, plus canned and bottled brews, cocktails and wine.
TVs: Everywhere.
Location: Tuscaloosa (University Boulevard).
Game grub: Bar snacks (Conecuh in a Blanket!), wings, burgers, and sandwiches. The whiskey list – full pours or samples – is three pages long – ‘nuff said for the overall libation situation.
TVs: Everywhere.
Location: Birmingham (Lakeview).
Game grub: Upscale appetizers, sandwiches and entrees, including whole chicken wings. Drink options include on-demand espresso martinis from a machine.
TVs: Numerous.
UAB fans are jumping for joy: The American Athletic Conference champs are headed for the NCAA tournament. (University of Alabama at Birmingham)
Location: Eufaula (East Broad Street).
Game grub: Wings are a specialty. The menu also is packed with bar snacks and dips, burgers, chicken tenders in various formats and salads. Desserts include fried doughnuts and cheesecake. Look for basic beer and mixed drinks.
TVs: Enough to call itself a sports bar.
Location: Montgomery (Dexter Avenue).
Game grub: Fried rice meets bar food and fried fish on the menu.
TVs: Numerous.
Location: Gulf Shores (Wharf Parkway).
Game grub: The menu features bar food, tacos, quesadillas, wings and entrees. The drink menu is heavy with rum and tequila drinks, including multiple variations on mojitos and margaritas, plus mixed and frozen drinks (including, of course, a Bushwacker). The beer list is mostly macros, but includes Muchacho lager from Good People in Birmingham.
TVs: More than 30 TVs.
Location: Dothan (Ross Clark Circle).
Game grub: Pizza, sushi, apps, burgers, wings, sandwiches, tacos, bowls and entrees. Beer and cocktails are a draw with the home crowd.
TVs: The hangout with a full-service restaurant, arcade games and a bowling alley also gets high marks as a place to watch sports.
This story originally appeared on the SoulGrown website.
