GET YOUR GAME ON
Fred Faour: The top 10 coolest sports bars to watch Rockets-Warriors, plus the best spots in East Downtown
May 13, 2018, 8:02 am
Coaches Pub makes our top 10 list. Coaches Pub/ Facebook
Now that Rockets-Warriors is finally here, maybe you are suddenly interested in the NBA playoffs. Not interested enough to go to the games, mind you, but certainly enough to hit a local sports bar and watch the action. In your honor, we have put together a comprehensive list of the best sports bars. And we mean sports bars, not places that add a TV with a game on it and call themselves sports bars.
We try to give you options all around the area inside the beltway, and we rely on Yelp to help those outside the loop, but this should give you plenty choices should you decide to venture out and watch the games with friends.
The top 10
Nick's Place, 2713 Rocky Ridge, Westchase area:Pretty much the gold standard for sports bars in the city. Great food, no nonsense, just a sports bar in the purest sense of the word. More than enough TVs, a solid patio and great atmosphere.
Griff's, 3416 Roseland Street, Montrose area:An area icon for over 50 years, Griff's is as old school as it gets. Definitely a place where you go to watch sports. Their Tuesday night steak night is one of the best in the city.
Coaches Pub, 2204 Louisiana, Midtown: Has a different feel from the other bars in Midtown, as it is a pure sports bar with a lot of regulars. The food is outstanding for a bar, they have no shortage of TVs and the staff is terrific. The best part is unlike most Midtown bars, parking is readily available and free.
Lucky's Pub, various locations: The Lucky's in East Downtown is the best of the lot, but you can't go wrong with any of them. Another place that is a true sports bar in every sense of the word.
Big City Wings, various locations: You would not necessarily think of a wing place as a sports bar, but Big City is exactly that. And the wings are terrific. With locations throughout the area, chances are there is one near you.
Christian's Tailgate, various locations: Another place that is designed with the sports fan in mind. Solid food menu, good beer selection and strong menu. Partial to the downtown location, which is a good pre-game and post-game spot if you are headed to Toyota Center.
Little Woodrow's, various locations: Much like Christian's, they have a mode that works well and they stick to it. Not much in the way of food, but usually there are food trucks or people onsite. The EaDo location is the most unique and has the best vibe, and is also walkable to Toyota Center.
West Alabama Ice House, 1919 Kirby, Upper Kirby: A true, old school ice house, this place has a nice beer selection and usually food trucks. Great place to unwind and watch the game.
St. Dane's, 502 Elgin, Midtown: Technically Midtown, but within spitting distance of Montrose as well. Really cool atmosphere and solid food.
Twin Peaks, various locations: Very much a specialty bar, and like most of the others that have multiple locations, they stick to their playbook. The food is good and if you like scenery...
Best places to catch hockey playoffs in addition to the Rockets
Nick's Place has you covered on that as well, but here are two other really good bars for hockey playoffs:
The Maple Leaf Pub, 514 Elgin, Midtown: Hard not to love this place. It is hockey first, but it is a Canadian bar. Try the poutine. Life changing. Also next door to St. Dane's if you are bar hopping.
Revelry on Richmond, 1613 Richmond Avenue, Montrose: This place is terrific. Great food, world-class craft beer selection, plenty of TVs to catch whatever you want to watch.
Upscale sports bars
Live Sports Bar, 407 Main, downtown: Has a rooftop patio with awesome views and solid food. A little more high end than your average sports bar, but another place where you can pregame or postgame celebrate.
Pub Fiction, 2303 Smith Street, Midtown: If you are dressed up nice after work and want a place to hit, here you are. It's got a little of the Midtown crowd vibe happening, but a really nice spot and a cool place to catch the games.
Biggio's, 1777 Walker Street, Downtown: Much better for baseball, but for a hotel bar, it is terrific. Definitely more high end but if that's what you are into, they have you covered.
Some East downtown favorites
Hey, this is my area, and it is growing fast. Obviously you already know about Little Woodrow's and Lucky's, but here are some other cool places to hit if you are coming downtown for the games and are smart enough to park on the East side of 59:
Around the Corner, 1510 Hutchins Street: Perhaps my favorite go-to bar, it is basically a house with a bar in it. Great staff, great atmosphere, enough TVs to watch the game and really good pizza. Their steak night on Thursdays is as good as it gets. Really good option if you want a nice place to chill and watch the game. In the same complex as Leeland House, a new breakfast lunch place that is really good as well.
Truckyard, 2118 Lamar Street: Recently opened, this is a really strong addition to the area. Food is limited but the drink selection is through the roof, they have a great drink selection, monstrous patio and quality service. And a ferris wheel. Really.
East End Hardware, 3005 Leeland: A true neighborhood bar with limited TVs, but they have a projection screen and if you want to catch the games, they will take care of you. Known for their alcohol-infused sno-cones, this place is a really cool hangout.
Rodeo Goat, 2105 Dallas: The burgers are awesome and there are a LOT of choices. They also have really good craft beer and an attentive staff, especially if you are sitting at the bar. Which you will want to do if you are watching the games.
Neil's Bahr, 2006 Walker: OK, you won't go here to watch games. You will go here to play them. And hang out in a really cool eclectic place. You can play ping pong or MarioKart or watch The Simpsons. A nice after game chill place.
The New Potato: 3519 Clinton Drive: If you haven't tried this place, you are missing out. Pet friendly, lots of craft beers, good atmosphere, lots of good food trucks. Worth your time.
8th Wonder Brewery, 2202 Dallas: Pretty much the gold standard for the area. A staple in East Downtown, the brewery has embraced Houston's sports teams like no other, and has become a go-to pregame place for Astros and Rockets. And they just opened a vodka/gin distillery across the street. A must visit if you are in the area.
Secret Group, 2101 Polk: A comedy club (and a good one) they have something happening every night. Good place to stop by after the game and catch an act or a good drink.
Chapman and Kirby, 2118 Lamar: Slightly upscale, but a really nice bar with excellent food and plenty of places to watch the games. Expansive outdoor area as well.
Moon Tower, 3004 Canal: This is a really eclectic place with great food, as long as you are willing to wait for it. Good beer selection, too. Not a great watch place but a good pregame place.
Around the area
For those of you outside the city, Yelp has you covered. Here are some links for the suburbs:
For those of you in Pearland...
And Katy...
You can find Sugar Land here...
And we never forget about our good friends in Beaumont.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
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