Although I'd already been to some bars that have televisions, namely Murphy's Irish Pub in Wallingford and the Garage in Capitol Hill, I hadn't had the chance to go to any true sports bars yet. What makes a good Seattle sports bar? There are really three elements: first, there have to be televisions everywhere, and every angle should have the view of at least one TV; second, the people should know what the big game or games are for the day and have them displayed in a way that people can catch the game they want; and third, the atmosphere needs to be conducive to a little cheering at the TV (this includes great service, good beer, and good food).
So now let's get down to my review of Fox Sports Grill so you can see if it passes the test of being a great sports bar. To begin with, it's got a great location, right downtown by Pacific Place. It looks cool from the outside, and it makes you want to go in and catch a game. Pretty good start.Just a quick side note. When you first go inside the place, don't worry about not seeing and people, a bar, a bartender, a waitress, or tables. It's supposed to be like that. The TVs are there, and the little waterfall is there to give it a little ambiance. Unless you need to catch a play before you grab a beer (which does need to be done sometimes), sit on one of the couches and enjoy for a couple minutes. If the need to quench your thirst wins out, though, just head down the stairs. That is where the magic happens.
Once you get in, if it is a big game, you should see the place packed. This is a good thing. We arrived at about 2:30 p.m. on a Wednesday (New Year's eve) and there were probably only 20 or 30 people there. But, the 20 or 30 people there were watching the Pittsburgh vs. Oregon State game, which in the fourth quarter was 3-0! And for a boring game, you know what? The fans were cheering! Good sign for this place.We found a table, sat down, and were immediately greeted by a waitress in a great mood ready to make our stay enjoyable. Not only was she fast and courteous, but she brought us out New Year's Eve paraphernalia! What more can you ask for from a waitress? Honestly, though, the service was great, the food was great, and the beer was really cold (the even put an orange slice in my hefenwiesen - shows they actually pay attention to their garnishes!).
On to the number one factor for a good Seattle sports bar - TVs. As the pictures show, they had them everywhere. And they had the channels that were required to watch the game (we don't have NFL network at home, so we were excited to see that they had it).
We had no trouble seeing the game no matter what our viewpoint was (although the big screen was a little fuzzy), and they had several games on while the KU vs. Minnesota football butt whipping was on (I distinctly remember a pretty good Louisville basketball game being on).So, to wrap this up, I highly recommend heading on down to Fox Sports Grill in downtown Seattle if you ever have the need to catch a big game and want to do it with 150 of your closest friends. They have all the requirements of a great sports bar: TVs; all the games; and great beer and food. I'd recommend you check it out sometime.
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Have you been here too? Don't let me be the only one to review this great Seattle hot spot. Let everyone know what you thought by leaving a comment.
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