I know that many people are fans of mega-sports bars such as Buffalo Wild Wings. That does nothing for me. The food and service are mediocre and, more often than not, the TVs aren't synced and you end up wondering why a table at the other end of the bar is always cheering 7 seconds before your team scores.
I like local places with local food and local beer and...local service. I like when I go to a spot a few times and they actually remember what I ordered. Doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's gold.
So, here are a few of my favorite sports bars:
Leff's Lucky Town - Hands-down, the best service I've ever had in a sports bar. We're always waited on quickly and often. The TVs are large and they're synced and if what you want to watch isn't on, they'll change a TV to something else. It's such a great atmosphere, especially in summer when the garage doors on the east side are open or even if you sit on the patio. LOVE this place. The food's not fancy or particularly unique, but it's decent pub food and the experience makes it worthwhile.
Upper 90 Sports Pub - Started going here recently before Marquette games and have absolutely fallen in love with it. The service is terrific and the food is great! Lots of unique and different offerings, including Alligator Bites, Lollipop Cornbrats and surprisingly terrific burgers, salads and sandwiches. PLUS, the atmosphere is awesome. It's actually one of Milwaukee's oldest pubs - pre-prohibition! Who knew?!
Colonel Hart's - This became a family favorite of ours after church. Yes, we are from Wisconsin. We take/took our kids to bars. (Ironically, neither of them are big drinkers. Clearly this tactic scared them off.) In any case, this is as local as can be. There are regulars and the kitchen is smaller than your front hall closet. Yet somehow, they manage to cook some good burgers and, what I think are the best cheese curds in Milwaukee. We watched two Marquette NCAA games here (that they were victories might be clouding my opinion) and it was fantastic. We even invited two strangers, who quickly became friends, to join our table.
McGinn's West - I love the atmosphere here and there are there are plenty of TVs at every angle. The service is great and the food is totally comfort food. If you leave here without having Reuben Rolls, you'll regret it. Yum. This place is cozy and nurturing...in a sports bar sort of way.
Bullwinkle's - One of the newbies in town, this is a good place to bring a family when you want to watch a game. It's HUGE and there are more TVs here than you'll find in the Best Buy TV department. (Better service too.) The food is fine - regular pub food and family favorites. If you're looking for less of a bar and more of a restaurant, this would be a safe choice.
Saloon on Calhoun with Bacon - If you're jonesing for bacon AND want to watch a game, this is the spot. Bacon seems to be a "man magnet" so you get an idea of the demographics of this bar. It's hard to find - tucked away behind a bank at a busy intersection, but once inside, it feels comfortable and there are plenty of TVs...and bacon...to keep everyone happy.
