Best Bars to Watch the Game in Indianapolis

Tom's Watch Bar on Georgia Street sits steps from the Convention Center, Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium, with over a hundred screens around a central board for a full 360-degree view. It is the downtown gathering spot for Colts, Pacers and Fever fans, with key-game sound on and quick pub food. The location makes it the natural pre-game and game-day base.

Game day tip: Walk over from Lucas Oil or Gainbridge and ask for a seat facing the center board.

Kilroy's on South Meridian is the voted-best downtown sports bar, with over forty flat screens, a patio, shuffleboard and a full menu known for pepperoni-stuffed breadsticks. It is a short walk from Lucas Oil, Gainbridge and the Convention Center, and it runs loud and full on a Colts Sunday. The 32-ounce Long Islands are a local rite of passage.

Game day tip: Reserve or arrive early on a Colts Sunday, since downtown rooms fill before kickoff.

Brothers Bar and Grill is a modernized take on the Midwestern corner tavern near Lucas Oil Stadium, a clean, relaxed room stocked with cold beer and American comfort food. Plenty of televisions and no bad seat in the house make it a convenient stop before or after a Colts game, with a roomy floor that absorbs a stadium crowd.

Game day tip: An easy walk-to spot before a Colts home game, with room for a big group.

The Tap downtown pairs a serious beer program, with over fifty taps and nearly four hundred bottles, with enough screens to watch the football slate. The daily-changing menu and the Tap Fries set it apart from the standard sports room. It suits a watch built around the beer list, so confirm the room is showing your game on a busy Saturday.

Game day tip: Go when the beer matters as much as the game, and check ahead on a busy college Saturday.

Plump's Last Shot in Broad Ripple is named for Bobby Plump, whose last-second shot inspired Hoosiers, and it reigns over the strip with twenty-eight screens for up to 220 fans. The Indiana-basketball history on the walls, the loyal local crowd and the full slate on the screens make it the Broad Ripple game-day anchor.

Game day tip: Come for a Pacers night or March basketball, when the Hoosiers crowd is loudest.

Broad Ripple Tavern, known as BRT, keeps a classic restaurant and bar feel up front and a big open game room in back with pool tables, arcade games and several large televisions. It is a relaxed strip room for a full afternoon, with space to settle in for the slate and something to do between the games.

Game day tip: Use the back room for a long slate, with pool and screens to fill the lulls.

Average Joe's sits right on the Broad Ripple strip with a true dive-bar feel and charm, the unpretentious option for watching the game with a neighborhood crowd. Cheap drinks, a casual room and the slate on the screens make it the spot when you want the game without the polish, in the middle of the strip's action.

Game day tip: The pick for a low-key, low-cost watch in the heart of Broad Ripple.

Union Jack Pub has anchored Broad Ripple for more than forty-five years and is the place in Indianapolis for soccer. It hosts LFC Indy for Liverpool matches, American Outlaws for the US national team and the Brickyard Battalion for Indy Eleven, opening early for the overseas kickoffs. The pizza and the English-pub feel back up the supporter-group energy.

Game day tip: Come for a Liverpool, USMNT or Indy Eleven match to watch with the supporter groups.

Chatham Tap on Massachusetts Avenue is the downtown-adjacent English soccer pub, a fixture for Premier League and European mornings with screens throughout and a strong tap list. It opens early for the overseas kickoffs and pulls a dedicated supporter crowd, then carries the American football slate later in the day. It is Mass Ave's reliable game-day room.

Game day tip: Best for an early Premier League kickoff on Mass Ave, with the supporter crowd in early.

Ale Emporium in Castleton commands the suburban screen count, with thirty-eight televisions across a 320-seat room and a menu famous for its Hangover wings. It is the northeast-side pick for a full slate with space to spread out, a longtime local institution that fills for the Colts and the big college games.

Game day tip: Order the Hangover wings and settle in for a full Sunday slate on the north side.