8 beloved Philly sports bars where you can catch the NCAA tournament

Get your brackets ready! March Madness takes up the latter half of March in 2024, and you can visit a number of great Philly sports bars to catch the men’s NCAA college basketball tournament.

Fortunately for us, this year’s tournament is likely already an improvement over last year’s — in 2023, no Philly teams made the tournament for the first time since 1977.

We’ve put together a list of some of the best sports bars to camp out at to watch your favorite teams. While some are simply great sports bars for any game, others will have unique March Madness specials and events.

Here’s to a perfect bracket — or at least, one that will outlast all your friends’.

Craft Hall

With its 140-square foot LED video wall, Craft Hall is an ideal spot for watching any game, so of course it should be on your list for March Madness. Besides the video wall, there are multiple large screens, and TVs and projectors throughout, the family-friendly sports bar also has a full menu, a brewery on site, and even an indoor playground for the kids. Plus, there’s also outside seating with space for dogs in case the weather is nice.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Ramones for Visit Philadelphia.

McGillin’s Olde Ale House

Though recently named the best Irish bar in the country by the Travel Channel, there is more than one reason to visit McGillin’s Olde Ale House in March. Yes, the sports bar will go all out for St. Patrick’s Day, but it will also host watch parties for March Madness games! Might you spend your Selection Sunday — which also happens to be St. Patrick’s Day — at McGillin’s? (Depending on how much you imbibe that night, maybe get someone to proofread your bracket.)

Photo courtesy of J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia.

Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse

Cavanaugh’s has a few bars in the city, but we recommend the sports bar, Cav’s Rittenhouse, for your March Madness needs. The Rittenhouse Square bar has a slew of flatscreen TVs for you to take in the games while you eat your fill of Cav’s bar food, like its award-winning wings. Keep an eye on the sports bar’s Instagram feed to see what specials Cav’s Rittenhouse will cook up for March Madness.

Tradesman’s

The Center City restaurant Tradesman’s is great not just for barbecue but also for catching games while you eat barbecue. While most sports bars stick to the classics — wings, nachos, fries, and the like — Tradesman’s is a barbecue joint with a menu to match. Still, besides the bevy of smoked meats, the restaurant also has bar food classics, including wings, nachos, fries, and even mac and cheese.

The place, covered in TVs, has already planned its March Madness specials. You’ll find different drink specials for the biggest tournament events as well as food specials — like a $70 six-foot cheesesteak — during every game. Plus, if you’d like a private space for watching with your friends, you can book a room for your own watch party.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Ramones for Visit Philadelphia.

Xfinity Live!

The space at South Philadelphia’s Xfinity Live! is a great destination for watch parties — the screen stretches 58 feet! The NBC Sports Arena at Xfinity Live! will be showing each tournament game, with tables first come, first served. You can also enter the venue’s bracket challenge for a chance to win a $500 gift card — or up to $1 million if you submit a perfect bracket.

JD McGillicuddy’s

JD McGillicuddy’s, a sports bar in Manayunk, will be showing March Madness games as well as hosting an all-you-can-eat special for the initial March Madness games on March 21 and March 22. Between 12 and 4 p.m. for $45, you can eat all you like from a food menu including wings, cheesesteak eggrolls, and other snacks, and you can also enjoy bottomless domestic drafts. You need to reserve a table for the $45 special — otherwise, day-of tickets are $60. 

Founding Fathers Sports Bar & Grill

A sports bar found on South Street, Founding Fathers Sports Bar & Grill doesn’t quite fit the sports bar stereotype — in a good way! Founding Fathers has the right number of TVs and the requisite sports bar atmosphere, but the kitchen plays host to a chef serving delicious, more upscale versions of bar food, like brick-oven pizza and quality sandwiches. Be sure to check the Founding Fathers Instagram for March Madness specials.

Garage

You can visit the sports bar Garage in either Fishtown or Passyunk — both locations have plenty of TVs, one of the longest beer lists in the city, and games like Skee-Ball for when your favorite NCAA team isn’t on the screen. Plus, the Fishtown Garage location also has a food menu offering eats like pierogies and sandwiches.

Photo courtesy of K. Kelly for Visit Philadelphia.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.