SF’s best sports bars and pubs, according to a panel of restaurant pros

Recommendations are a dime a dozen, but in our ongoing series, Pro Tips, we go directly to the source, asking food and beverage experts for their professional opinions on the city’s best burgers, dive bars, and more.

These days, figuring out how to watch the game isn’t the question. (Your cousin’s Prime password still works, right?) It’s more a matter of where you want to spend three hours cheering — or cursing — at the TV with other die-hard members of the Niners Faithful, Dub Nation, or Valqueeries.

We looked to industry pros — who are also ride-or-die fans of teams ranging from the Giants to the Las Vegas Raiders to Manchester City Football Club — to find the best places to watch sports in the city. Here are the 11 bars and restaurants these chefs, bartenders, and chocolatiers frequent to watch their favorite teams show out.   

Lost Resort, 2736 20th St., Mission

If birds of a feather flock together, then it’s no wonder that Amano-Dolan, a longtime Baltimore Ravens fan, is drawn to Lost Resort — one of the only Ravens bars in the city. (Owner Brad Burt is also a die-hard fan.) When Amano-Dolan shows up to catch a morning game, the seasoned Ravens fan orders an unconventional breakfast: fresh shrimp ceviche and The Holy Diver — a chicory and coffee-infused mezcal cocktail mixed with rum, lime, pineapple, orange juice, coconut milk, and cinnamon. “You’re in it to watch games all day, so I go with light food to avoid carbing up too early.” 

Hi Tops, 2247 Market St., Castro

“Being a gay sports fan, my favorite spot is always Hi-Tops,” Lieuw says. Though this neighborhood sports bar has more than 20 flat screens, Lieuw prefers to belly up to the center of the bar, which he calls “the best seat in the house.” From there, he gets his usual: garlic fries, a half order of nachos, and a Haterade, a Hi Tops signature cocktail made with vodka, lemon cordial, Red Bull, and Gatorade powder in a protein shaker — which, yes, you get to keep. 

Lark Bar, 685 Market St., Suite 140 A, SoMa

“I’m a long-suffering but loyal Sacramento Kings fan,” Grivet admits. “It’s painful sometimes — we went through the longest playoff drought in NBA history — but I can’t bandwagon. It’s always been ‘Beat LA.’” When she wants to cheer on the team (or commiserate), she heads to the low-key Lark Bar downtown because they “actually pay attention to the experience.” That means great sightlines to the six TVs, music during halftime, and turning the game sound on during play. Her order rotates between a not-too-sweet margarita or a pint of Guinness, which she claims is the best in the city. If it’s a weeknight game, claim your seat early, she warns: “The regulars don’t mess around.” 

Maggie McGarry’s Irish Pub, 1353 Grant Ave., North Beach

If a Manchester City game is on, then odds are you can find Armar at Maggie McGarry’s in North Beach. Even if he’s running on three hours of sleep after a 15-hour shift, he’ll be up before sunrise to watch his favorite Premier League club play. (In fact, he’s only missed two matches during the 15 years he’s been a Man City fan.) “The bartenders know me well enough that they start making my go-to mocktail as soon as I walk in,” he says. His lucky drink, as he calls it, consists of fresh lime, ginger, celery juice, and a splash of tonic, garnished with mint. When the kitchen opens, he’ll also put in an order for the pub’s homemade cornbread with honey and a fried chicken sandwich. “There’s just something about watching City at 7 a.m. with that in hand, surrounded by familiar faces, that just feels like home,” he says.  

The Kezar Pub, 770 Stanyan St., Upper Haight

Even though the weathered crimson banner hanging outside dubs Kezar the “Official Northern California Bar of the Liverpool FC supporters,” the pub draws soccer, NFL, and rugby fans from all over the world. This is Nayfield’s go-to spot to watch the New Zealand All Blacks and FC Barcelona, his favorite men’s rugby and soccer teams, respectively. For early morning matches, he orders an English breakfast and a Guinness. For all other times of day, he settles in to watch the giant flat screens above the bar between bites of Kezar’s famously saucy Buffalo wings.

Morton’s Steak House, 400 Post St., Lower Level, Union Square

When he’s not at Kezar’s to watch an English football match, Dingle and his wife, Anissa, like to squeeze into the bar at this steakhouse to watch the Warriors. They’ve both been loyal fans since moving to San Francisco in 2015. Dingle likes to keep it classy when watching Steph Curry drain threes: with a dirty Hendricks martini with extra olives, an order of bacon-wrapped scallops, and a rib eye with peppercorn sauce.  

International Smoke, 301 Mission St., SoMa

For tried-and-true Warriors fans like Chiu — his favorite era: “We Believe with Baron Davis and the squad!” — there’s only one answer to where to watch the game. “International Smoke is the most hype sit-down restaurant in the city during NBA season,” he says. Co-founded by Steph Curry’s better half, Ayesha Curry, and celeb chef Michael Mina in 2017, this barbecue restaurant is no traditional sports bar but is nevertheless beloved by Dub Nation. Fans like Chui crowd the wraparound bar and order a beer and the double duck wings with a mango-habanero glaze — supposedly a go-to for Steph Curry too. 

Thriller Country Club, 508 4th St., SoMa

Despite the team’s move to Las Vegas in 2020, Frazier, who was born and raised in Oakland, remains a devout Raiders fan. Whenever he’s in the city to catch a game — he’s also a big San Francisco Giants fan — he heads to this two-story saloon-themed arcade bar. Frazier usually goes for an order of the cowboy butter wings and the crispy ranch fries, but a nonnegotiable is the bar’s smoky maple bourbon crème brulee. “It’s one of my favorite delectable bites on game day.

Underdogs Too, 3600 Taraval St., Outer Sunset

Crabbe has faithfully watched the Giants for decades, through their “amazing dynasty years” — and in less fruitful seasons. “Being in the packed Underdogs in 2010 [during the World Series], elbow-to-elbow with my neighbors while the city erupted in joy — that was an unforgettable moment that cemented my love for my team, my city, and of course, Underdogs,” Crabbe recalls. She’s been a regular at the original Inner Sunset location since 2008, back when it was located on Irving Street. On game nights, Crabbe and her husband used to belly up to the bar, dig into nachos, and order a round of margaritas. Now that they have kids, she and her family go to Underdogs’ newer and bigger location on Taraval. “It’s still one of my favorite places to watch a game, and the Nick’s Baja-style fish taco is unbeatable.”

Mad Dog in the Fog, 1568 Haight St., Lower Haight

Offner, a Los Angeles Rams fan, usually watches football games at home. “There are pretty much no Rams bars in SF due to the fact that SF hates LA,” he says. But when Champions League matches or any of the U.S. Men’s National Team games are on, he heads to one of the Lower Haight’s most popular sports bars and settles in to watch with a pint of Guinness. It’s not just one of his favorite places in the city to watch a game. “Mad Dog is one of my favorite places in the U.S. to watch a soccer match,” he says. “The atmosphere is unreal. It’s like being in a pub in London.” 

Pop’s Bar, 2800 24th St., Mission

Born and raised in the city, Matheson and her crew are die-hard — and superstitious — Niners fans, who link their game-day spot to the team’s success. Every season, the no-frills, no-nonsense Pop’s Bar in the Mission is a lock. “Game-day rituals have always been serious business,” she says. That means no matter how late (or early) in the day, she kicks things off with a Negro Modelo michelada, followed by a shot of tequila with a Topo Chico chaser. Think of it as her way of warming up for the game, pairing perfectly with her unofficial mantra: “Win, lose, or tie — go Niners ’til I die.”