News

Cover story

Your tribe has spoken, so go

By Nick Margiasso
Published February 4, 2005

---

If you're still trying to figure out where you'll end up watching it the big game and don't have a party on your radar screen, here are some suggestions by our resident tbt* Barfly, Nick Margiasso.

Tampa

Champions: In the lobby of the Marriott Waterside hotel, this legendary sports bar franchise has it all. A bulging cable bill and expansive menu with mini burgers ("sliders"), mix-and-match buckets of onion rings/fries/fingers and the ultimate fix: the seven-layer nacho experience. And if you get bored with Brady and the bunch coming from behind (again), slip under the mega-screen TV for some pool or skirt upstairs for a dip in the hotel's rooftop pool. 700 S Florida Ave., (813) 221-4900.

Super Special: Buckets of beer, prices TBA.

Green Iguana: This Ybor version of the favorite bay area booze and burger establishment is arguably the top outright party place on the list. With a bar tapered in dollar bills and a menu filled with delicious entries, the Iguana has the atmosphere to go with the eats. The big game will play on a ton of TVs, including the big screen in the first of two adjoining rooms that, for the NFL playoffs, were filled with an excitable crowd that included fans of every team in the brackets. Don't let the "Big Game" be an excuse; the fried cheesecake is basically sex wrapped in pastry and fried -- not to be missed. 1708 Seventh Ave. E, Ybor City, (813) 248-9555.

Super Special: Happy hour 11 a.m.-7p.m.: 50 cents off anything at the bar; pitcher special and wing specials, TBA.

Hattrick's: Any questions about business during the NHL lockout for this hockey-monikered bar are answered when you enter any night of the week. Though it's a bit sad missing the pregame and postgame energy of a place normally struck by Lightning, Hattrick's still packs 'em in with the best overall bar food in Tampa. And the atmosphere inside this downtown brick building isn't too bad, either. Lightning memorabilia is hung from the rafters with care, and, don't worry; at the bar a nice mix of imports and domestics can be found there. 107 Franklin St. S, (813) 225-4288.

Super Special: Happy hour 4-8 p.m.: $1 Miller Light, $3 imports, two for one wells, half-off house wine and $3.50 Guinness pints.

Mac's Sports Pub: There are more than a few hot spots in SoHo, but this is the only place to be when it comes to catching the football game on the tube. With a staggering 60 TVs, tacking your eyelids shut would be the only possible way to miss it. This place's layout is huge and wooden, filled with pool tables, dart boards and a bulging building of football fanatics. 808 S Howard Ave., (813) 258-9785.

Super Special: $10 buckets of Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light and Miller Light; $2 domestic drafts.

The Rack: No, it's not a Hooters-esque pool hall (but it wouldn't be such a bad idea, huh?). This second SoHo hangout makes the list because it really offers something for anyone from the football fanatic to the partial pigskin dabbler. The Rack is filled to the brim with pool tables, obviously, but also has a lot of lounging areas, a key factor for a prolonged Super Bowl filled with the commercials we've come to anticipate as much as kickoff. The menu offers up traditional bar food, but also swerves into the modern with a sushi menu for those who are so over buffalo sauce. Watch the game on the big screens inside or kick it outside on the patio. 1809 W Platt St., (813) 250-1595.

Super Special: 9 to midnight is all you can drink for $10; five-beer buckets for $7; pool at a $2/hour special rate (normally $8/hour).

St. Petersburg

Midtown Sundries Restaurant and Bar: Midtown could fit in just as easily in the middle of the NYC. The centerpiece is a sleek bar orbited by the restaurant's booths and tables on the left, and a private party area with pool tables on the right. Spend your Super Bowl munching on Midtown's killer, twice-cooked wings (grilled and fried), or converse with Midtown's owner Chuck about the inner workings of the Pats-Eagles matchup. And the variety of TV size and array -- like something out of Goldie Locks -- will keep you peeled to the tube while wing sauce drips down your cheek. 200 First Ave. S, (727) 502-0222.

Super Special: Buckets of five beers for $10; 50 wings for $21.95.

Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill: The right-hand man for the Devil Rays (so to speak), sits directly to the north of the Trop. But when Super Bowling takes center stage here, Ferg's becomes the top spot for area football fans to chow down and dabble in a little drink. This restaurant and bar is laid out like a tree house of sports, with patios, an upstairs lounge, video and dart games, and a wall of fame for bay area sports heroes. It's a sports overload on every visit. 1320 Central Ave., (727) 822-4562.

Super Special: $50 for all you can eat and drink.

Dan Marino's Town Tavern: C'mon honey, let's go out tonight. We'll get some margaritas and a nice skirt steak, and stare in each other's eyes from our special balcony table. Super Bowl? Tonight, you say? I had no idea. Try that one on for size and try to get in some quality time with the spouse while watching the big game at a restaurant named after a superstar quarterback that has as many rings as you do. Marino's sits atop BayWalk, serving up succulent dishes and savory sweet 'ritas and suds for the football fan without a budget. And about that romance diversion: God gave you two eyes, buddy, one for the lovely lady and one for watching the game. 121 Second Ave. N, (727) 822-4472.

Super Special: Drink special, TBA. But they promise to have the volume "way up."

Clearwater

Mugs "n' Jugs: Any place with a double-digit count of high-definition TVs and walls ornamented to the fullest extent with 8x10 blowups of random late '80s Topps baseball cards is all right by my count. But they've got a menu to match. Mugs' monster menu includes beautiful Buffalo wings, a downright dastardly Cajun burger and a Philly cheese steak not to be missed. And everyone knows food is the key to great football. But so is beer, and this is the official Bud Bowl party equipped with a gaggle of Bud Girl appearances throughout the night. Done and done. 1250 S Missouri Ave., (727) 446-0797.

Super Special: Five for $5 buckets of Bud, Bud Light and Coors Light.

Clancy's: It's Mardi Gras in here year-round, so be prepared to flash your I.D., kids. The crazy Creole-themed Clancy's sports a lauded seafood menu, which is a plus for fans who need a plate of clams come kickoff. They also have a Rhode Island-sized bar, an expansive dance floor -- you won't be alone shaking that booty when the Brady Bunch tries for a dynasty-esque three rings -- and a big screen that should come with stadium seating and some Redenbacher. 2525 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., (727) 725-2692.

Super Special: $1 domestic drafts; $7 buckets of Bud or Bud Light; $10 pitcher and wings.

[Last modified February 3, 2005, 12:04:12]