Whether you’re rocking orange and black, royal blue and gold, or your old t-shirt from The Marshall Mathers LP tour, we’ve got a place for you to superfan out. Here are the best sports bars in Austin for watching the Big Game.
LessAlready one of our favorite places to go grab a pint, this four-acre funfest is guaranteed to be popping off with Game Day content from every corner come Sunday. Catch all the action in two outrageous ways, either on the 16-foot onstage projector screen or on the 40-foot blowup screen on their soccer pitch, where you can also let any kids or fur kids in your crew run around off-stroller or -leash.
Football fanatics are usually willing to go the extra mile for their team—so, for true fans, the 45-minute drive from Austin to Dreamland in Dripping Springs will be no sweat. Once they get there, they’ll reap the rewards like they just were handed the Pete Rozelle MVP Trophy. Catch all the touchdowns on a huge screen set up on the outdoor amphitheater while sipping on Game Day-themed cocktails.
You can expect Louisiana-centric bar and restaurant, Shoal Creek Saloon, to deliver the goods even when The Who Dats couldn’t. All of their 24 (!) television sets will be showing the Big Game, including their expansive patio dotted with enough picnic tables to seat you, the crew, and all the strangers who will be your new friends by the final whistle.
Word around town is that the place for Cincinnati Bengals fans is the West Sixth location of legendary sports bar The Dogwood. Devotees of the black and orange should slip on their Brandon Allen jerseys and head downtown to cheer with like-minded fans. Since they’ll be the Austin Bengals headquarters for the day, the West Sixth location will have lots of fun activities throughout the game, as well as a raffle.
Who doesn’t love a good mashup? Ronald Cheng’s Chinatown has been transformed from a cool neighborhood Asian restaurant into a cool neighborhood Asian bar with 18 drafts, 11 crafts, and 20 televisions. There’s not a drip-drop of Velveeta in sight, but you can find pan-fried pork dumplings, sushi rolls, chicken lo mein, and beef fried rice aplenty. And if things are going your team’s way, the bar’s signature sake cocktails are sure to turn that football frown upside-down.
Both locations of Revelry will be engaging in, well, revelry. At The Boulevard, they’re bringing a whole new meaning to “pig skin” by doing a whole pig roast, with $20 all-you-can-eat pig tacos plus a salsa bar. At Kitchen + Bar, they’ll have a Chipotle Ranch Fried Chicken Sandwich special for you to dig into while waiting to see how your Fantasy picks play out.
For the fifth year in a row, Fresa’s—one of Austin’s favorite spots for chicken and margaritas—is hosting a Big Game watch party. They’re rolling out a 115-inch LED video wall on the patio with multiple screens inside and happy hour prices on beer, wine, and those knock-you-over margaritas. You can order off the regular menu, but they’ll also have a special snack menu in place exclusively for the Big Game.
BD Riley’s just smells like football (in a good way). This locally owned Irish pub has primo TV-watching spots, a huge wooden bar, a great beer selection, and the kind of belly-up-to-the-bar easy feelin’ that pairs well with Superbowl fervor. If you’re drinking (and let’s be honest, you are), take down some KEEL Vodka-spiked Left Tackle Bloody Marys or a Defense is Screwdriver plus Irish coffee and draft beer specials.
South Austin isn’t exactly known as a sports haven, so when Moontower Saloon opened Vincent’s Pub, sports fans were extra pumped. Handcrafted cocktails, 30+ taps, 21 TVs, and elevated pub fare have made this an all-star local hang. Dig into some hot and crunchy shrimp, a spicy kraut dog, or gumbo with a half po’boy to go with your tall frosty beverage. And during halftime, join the competition with a round of darts or Golden Tee.
When the weather is nice, only a handful of spots can boast a deck as epic as SABG's. Expect 3,000-square-feet of sundrenched seating and lawn games, plus another outdoor area with fire pits and live music—as well as 60 beers on draft and a full bar. On game day, there are specials galore. We’re talking nachos and burgers for $5, $12 pitches of domestic beer, and $5 Bloody Marys and Micheladas for those who refuse to let the Big Game get in the way of their weekend brunch experience.