Best Bars to Watch the Game in Cleveland

Anchoring East 4th a block from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Progressive Field, Harry Buffalo runs 42 screens and room for around 350, which makes it the default landing spot before and after a Cavs or Guardians game. Wings and a deep tap list carry the crowd, and the screen count means every game on the slate is somewhere in the room.

Game day tip: Arrive before the gates open for a Cavs night, since the post-game rush fills it fast.

A downtown fixture with 38 screens and individual screens at some tables, the Winking Lizard pairs serious sports viewing with a beer tour list and house pizza. It seats around 300, so a big group finds room, and the table screens let you keep a second game going through the main one.

Game day tip: Ask for a table with its own screen to watch the Browns and the Guardians at once.

On Huron Road in the Gateway core, Panini's runs 32 screens across a room that holds around 220 and famously piles its sandwiches with fries and coleslaw inside the bun. It is a steady, no-fuss spot for a Browns Sunday or a Guardians evening within a short walk of both venues.

Game day tip: Use it as a pre-game base on a Guardians night, since it sits minutes from Progressive Field.

An Irish pub on Prospect a short walk from the FieldHouse, Flannery's runs screens through the bar and turns into a reliable game-day room for the Cavs and the Browns. The Guinness pours well, the kitchen runs late, and the room holds its energy after the final whistle.

Game day tip: Stay after a Cavs win, since the post-game crowd keeps Flannery's loud into the night.

On the riverfront in the Flats East Bank, Hi 5 is a Browns-day room built around a massive viewing screen with wall-to-wall televisions and full game audio. It airs every Cavaliers game during operating hours, playoffs and Finals included, so the sound-on Browns crowd gives way to the Cavs at night.

Game day tip: Come for a Browns home game when the full audio turns the riverfront room into a stadium.

At the corner of West 6th and Lakeside in the Warehouse District, Dive Bar shows Browns home games plus many away games and keeps the Guardians, Cavaliers and Monsters on its HDTVs. It leans into a late crowd with music after the game, but the football comes first on a Sunday.

Game day tip: Confirm the away game is on before you go, since not every road fixture makes the screens.

A long-running downtown room on Huron, the Clevelander fills with screens and with crowds arriving before the first pitch or tip. Its location in the Gateway core makes it a natural meeting point on a game day, and the patio adds outdoor seats for a warm Guardians evening.

Game day tip: Use it as a meeting spot before a Guardians game, since it sits steps from the ballpark.

A Warehouse District staple on West 6th, Barley House runs screens across a large room and a patio that fills on a Browns Sunday. It is as much a night-out bar as a sports room, so the crowd grows louder as the afternoon games roll into the evening.

Game day tip: Grab the patio early on a mild Browns Sunday before the West 6th crowd arrives.

A craft-focused room on Prospect in the Gateway District, City Tap pairs a rotating, seasonal beer list with large screens and space for big groups. The beer selection sets it apart from the standard sports bar, which makes it a good call for a watch built around what is on tap.

Game day tip: Check the rotating taps on arrival, since the seasonal list changes through the season.

On East 4th in the heart of the entertainment block, Pickwick and Frolic mixes a restaurant, bar and comedy club, with screens for the game before the night turns to a show. It works as a pre-game dinner-and-football room a short walk from both downtown venues.

Game day tip: Book a table for a pre-game dinner, then walk to the FieldHouse or the ballpark.