clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
The interior of Thomas Magee’s has dim lighting and flat-screen TVs hanging above the L-shaped bar full of customers.
Thomas Magee’s.
Gerard + Belevender

Catch the Game at These Metro Detroit Sports Bars

Shuttle service and flat-screen TVs to root, root, root for the home team

View as Map
Thomas Magee’s.
| Gerard + Belevender

Being a Detroit sports fan is not for the weak at heart, it requires fortitude, an unshakeable optimism, and the ability to root for someone else’s team when ours have inevitably let us down. Luckily, what Detroit teams may lack in ability to finish a season on a strong note, the region as a whole still boasts plenty of places where one can catch up on the latest sporting activity on screens, accompanied by a pint, maybe some wings, a good pub burger, or a pizza — plus, a little hope.

These watering holes are also great for communal cheering for events like, ahem, the Super Bowl. Now is the time for Detroiters to grab a friend and belly up to their favorite bar for premium viewing. From decades-old family favorites like Marge’s and Nemo’s to brand spanking new spots with walls of TV screens, these 18 sports bars have all the right stuff to watch the game.

Read More
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

DraftKings Sports & Social Troy

Copy Link

The first DraftKings Sports & Social venue adjacent to Somerset Collection South features bright lighting and a massive wall of TV screens. Guests can sample a variety of game-day food, beer, and cocktails and watch live sports while they wager on dozens of events via the DraftKings app.

A rendering of DraftKings featuring oversized flatscreen televisions, a bar, seating, tables. Sports & Social DraftKings

Second Base Pub & Grub

Copy Link

When the longtime owners of Ferndale’s beloved Stop Spot sold the bar to the owners of fellow Ferndale spot, Sneakers Pub, residents breathed a sigh of relief. Patrons come here for the karaoke, steel pan pizzas, the long bar tables ideal for topping with Game Day snacks, and its mellow dive bar vibes.

Marge's Bar and Grill

Copy Link

Green awnings, glowing neon, drop ceilings and every inch of wall covered with newspapers celebrating Detroit sports — mostly Red Wings — history: that’s how you know you’ve come to the read deal sports bar. Marge’s, on Mack Avenue just over the Grosse Pointe border, has been serving up burgers and beers for raucous fans since 1966.

Cutters Bar & Grill

Copy Link

The diverse and loyal clientele at Cutter’s swears by the Eastern Market bar’s wide selection of burgers, and steak bites served with fries and thick slices of Texas toast. This sports bar and grill offers four sizes of old-school burgers, including a towering 32-ounce sandwich that can be easily split between three or four hungry friends. Half a dozen TVs behind the bar show local sports most of the time.

A burger with two thick patties and three buns, is held together with a steak knife and surrounded by french fries on a plate.
Cutter’s
Gerard + Belevender

Detroit City Clubhouse

Copy Link

The practice field for Detroit City Football Club as well as scores of kids’, teens’ and adults’ soccer leagues, the Detroit City Clubhouse is a unique weekdays-only spot to watch big sporting events, especially U.S. and international soccer. The Clubhouse hosts watch parties for professional DCFC games, too. During game events, the kitchen serves up fries, burgers, hand pies, and the occasional early brunch. Check the Facebook or Instagram pages for watch party events.

Thomas Magee's Sporting House

Copy Link

An elevated pub style destination for whiskey and sports, Thomas Magee's is Eastern Market's answer to the sports bar genre. Follow all the local professional teams on the bar's ample TV screens plus Liverpool soccer, Spartans football, and more. Want to know what’s on the TV here? Follow the lineup is on the bar’s website.

The interior of Thomas Magee’s has dim lighting and flat-screen TVs hanging above the L-shaped bar full of customers. Gerard + Belevender

Harry's Detroit

Copy Link

Harry’s Bar is a longtime Cass Corridor holdout and a favorite meeting point for sports fans headed downtown. It can hold hundreds of people between the main floor and rooftop deck, so it makes a great option for large groups meeting up before the game. The spot boasts a full bar and a menu with choices ranging from jalapeño popper egg rolls to Reuben sandwiches.

Elwood Bar & Grill

Copy Link

Since 1936, the iconic Elwood’s Art Moderne architecture and central location have made it the go-to meeting spot on game day. Warm wood furnishings, solid Bloody Mary and beer options, and a killer view of Comerica Park next door help explain why the Elwood was so beloved it was picked up and moved in 1997 to make way for the baseball park.

Tin Roof Detroit

Copy Link

With three full floors of bars plus a gorgeous open air deck and outdoor tents, Tin Roof is invariably slammed on Tigers game days. Still, the staff is well-practiced at the game day hustle, and there’s plenty of room to explore and grab a heaping pile of nachos, a hot dog or a pint before, during or after the game. It’s also a great spot to bring a group on non-game days for fantastic views of Comerica Park and downtown.

Andrews on the Corner

Copy Link

One of Rivertown’s oldest surviving buildings also boasts some of the best wings, appetizers and other pub fare. Andrews on the Corner has two large rooms, a patio with Detroit River views, and a lengthy bar and features local taps from neighbor Atwater. Despite looking like it stepped straight out of 1899, Andrews also has several TVs keyed into local sports, and walls decorated with many moments from Red Wings history, including the several Stanley Cup appearances at the beloved bar.

Basement Burger Bar

Copy Link

The Greektown-area outpost of Basement Burger Bar is hopping for happy hour and brings in a solid group of regulars, come to watch the game or grab one of the bar’s wide variety of burgers piled high with toppings. The drink menu is just as extensive, so there’s plenty to choose from in draft, bottle, or cocktail form.

DELMAR Detroit

Copy Link

With both indoor and rooftop seating, guests at Greektown’s Delmar can enjoy keeping up with all the sports, but especially football, on the venue’s many large TVs. Open Wednesday through Sunday at 4 p.m., Delmar offers traditional pub fare and day-long watch parties for major NFL events.

Firebird Tavern

Copy Link

Doors open at Firebird at 9 a.m. on game days for a tailgate that features mini cornhole, Xbox Madden, beer, food, and of course, football. Try the chicken and grits, the firebird sandwich, or a salad with a bloody Mary, but it’s best not to miss the poutine.

Tap Sports Bar

Copy Link

Located inside the MGM Grand, TAP sports bar offers more than 40 flat-screen TVs, plenty of food options and a large selection of draft beers. TAP is also open for breakfast on weekends starting at 8 a.m., making it a great place for filling up early before an afternoon game.

McShane's Irish Pub & Whiskey Bar

Copy Link

This sprawling Corktown bar has become one of the best places to watch international sports like soccer and rugby, in part thanks to its lengthy beer list, extensive pub food menu, and flat-screen TVs. Choose from options like corned beef egg rolls or the McShane burger with caramelized onions, cheddar, mushrooms, and bacon. Then hop on the bar shuttle to Ford Field for the Lions’ games. On weekends, there’s brunch.

Nemo's Bar

Copy Link

Talk with any longtime sports fan in the city and chances are they’ll have a heyday story from Nemo’s during the Roar of ’84. Losing Tiger Stadium just up the road didn’t slow Nemo’s down. This Corktown bar has weathered the decades since its 1964 opening thanks to its famous griddle-made burgers and its dedicated customers, whether longtime regulars or new transplants to Corktown.

Anchor Bar

Copy Link

Why not watch the game and make a friendly wager between friends at a place legendary for illegal bookmaking? The Anchor Bar has long been a staple gathering spot for downtown workers, politicians, journalists, and sports enthusiasts, and was even the site of an FBI raid in 1971 for illegal gambling. Since then, the bar has changed hands and underwent a renovation. The updated menu features options like cheeseburgers, cheesesteaks, and chicken tenders, and there’s guaranteed to be a friendly crowd on game nights.

A cheeseburger in a red basket with parchment paper, and potato chips surrounded by cocktails. Anchor Bar [Official photo]

Tommy's Detroit Bar & Grill

Copy Link

Tommy’s offers a free shuttle to all of Detroit’s major concerts and sporting events, and the patrons there are some of the most dedicated Red Wings and Lions fans out there. Complimentary unlimited popcorn, fresh burgers, and invariably friendly service mean that visitors often become regulars after their first time visiting this historic bar.

Ford's Garage Dearborn

Copy Link

Just about the only place inside Ford’s Garage in Dearborn that visitors don’t have a TV directly in sight is at the bar. Instead, the bar features a genuine Ford Model T hovering above the space. According to Crain’s Detroit Business, the popular bar and grill will soon expand to Novi, West Dearborn, and three other metro Detroit locations to be announced later this year, and the current location has changed hands.

DraftKings Sports & Social Troy

The first DraftKings Sports & Social venue adjacent to Somerset Collection South features bright lighting and a massive wall of TV screens. Guests can sample a variety of game-day food, beer, and cocktails and watch live sports while they wager on dozens of events via the DraftKings app.

A rendering of DraftKings featuring oversized flatscreen televisions, a bar, seating, tables. Sports & Social DraftKings

Second Base Pub & Grub

When the longtime owners of Ferndale’s beloved Stop Spot sold the bar to the owners of fellow Ferndale spot, Sneakers Pub, residents breathed a sigh of relief. Patrons come here for the karaoke, steel pan pizzas, the long bar tables ideal for topping with Game Day snacks, and its mellow dive bar vibes.

Marge's Bar and Grill

Green awnings, glowing neon, drop ceilings and every inch of wall covered with newspapers celebrating Detroit sports — mostly Red Wings — history: that’s how you know you’ve come to the read deal sports bar. Marge’s, on Mack Avenue just over the Grosse Pointe border, has been serving up burgers and beers for raucous fans since 1966.

Cutters Bar & Grill

The diverse and loyal clientele at Cutter’s swears by the Eastern Market bar’s wide selection of burgers, and steak bites served with fries and thick slices of Texas toast. This sports bar and grill offers four sizes of old-school burgers, including a towering 32-ounce sandwich that can be easily split between three or four hungry friends. Half a dozen TVs behind the bar show local sports most of the time.

A burger with two thick patties and three buns, is held together with a steak knife and surrounded by french fries on a plate.
Cutter’s
Gerard + Belevender

Detroit City Clubhouse

The practice field for Detroit City Football Club as well as scores of kids’, teens’ and adults’ soccer leagues, the Detroit City Clubhouse is a unique weekdays-only spot to watch big sporting events, especially U.S. and international soccer. The Clubhouse hosts watch parties for professional DCFC games, too. During game events, the kitchen serves up fries, burgers, hand pies, and the occasional early brunch. Check the Facebook or Instagram pages for watch party events.

Thomas Magee's Sporting House

An elevated pub style destination for whiskey and sports, Thomas Magee's is Eastern Market's answer to the sports bar genre. Follow all the local professional teams on the bar's ample TV screens plus Liverpool soccer, Spartans football, and more. Want to know what’s on the TV here? Follow the lineup is on the bar’s website.

The interior of Thomas Magee’s has dim lighting and flat-screen TVs hanging above the L-shaped bar full of customers. Gerard + Belevender

Harry's Detroit

Harry’s Bar is a longtime Cass Corridor holdout and a favorite meeting point for sports fans headed downtown. It can hold hundreds of people between the main floor and rooftop deck, so it makes a great option for large groups meeting up before the game. The spot boasts a full bar and a menu with choices ranging from jalapeño popper egg rolls to Reuben sandwiches.

Elwood Bar & Grill

Since 1936, the iconic Elwood’s Art Moderne architecture and central location have made it the go-to meeting spot on game day. Warm wood furnishings, solid Bloody Mary and beer options, and a killer view of Comerica Park next door help explain why the Elwood was so beloved it was picked up and moved in 1997 to make way for the baseball park.

Tin Roof Detroit

With three full floors of bars plus a gorgeous open air deck and outdoor tents, Tin Roof is invariably slammed on Tigers game days. Still, the staff is well-practiced at the game day hustle, and there’s plenty of room to explore and grab a heaping pile of nachos, a hot dog or a pint before, during or after the game. It’s also a great spot to bring a group on non-game days for fantastic views of Comerica Park and downtown.

Andrews on the Corner

One of Rivertown’s oldest surviving buildings also boasts some of the best wings, appetizers and other pub fare. Andrews on the Corner has two large rooms, a patio with Detroit River views, and a lengthy bar and features local taps from neighbor Atwater. Despite looking like it stepped straight out of 1899, Andrews also has several TVs keyed into local sports, and walls decorated with many moments from Red Wings history, including the several Stanley Cup appearances at the beloved bar.

Basement Burger Bar

The Greektown-area outpost of Basement Burger Bar is hopping for happy hour and brings in a solid group of regulars, come to watch the game or grab one of the bar’s wide variety of burgers piled high with toppings. The drink menu is just as extensive, so there’s plenty to choose from in draft, bottle, or cocktail form.

DELMAR Detroit

With both indoor and rooftop seating, guests at Greektown’s Delmar can enjoy keeping up with all the sports, but especially football, on the venue’s many large TVs. Open Wednesday through Sunday at 4 p.m., Delmar offers traditional pub fare and day-long watch parties for major NFL events.

Firebird Tavern

Doors open at Firebird at 9 a.m. on game days for a tailgate that features mini cornhole, Xbox Madden, beer, food, and of course, football. Try the chicken and grits, the firebird sandwich, or a salad with a bloody Mary, but it’s best not to miss the poutine.

Tap Sports Bar

Located inside the MGM Grand, TAP sports bar offers more than 40 flat-screen TVs, plenty of food options and a large selection of draft beers. TAP is also open for breakfast on weekends starting at 8 a.m., making it a great place for filling up early before an afternoon game.

McShane's Irish Pub & Whiskey Bar

This sprawling Corktown bar has become one of the best places to watch international sports like soccer and rugby, in part thanks to its lengthy beer list, extensive pub food menu, and flat-screen TVs. Choose from options like corned beef egg rolls or the McShane burger with caramelized onions, cheddar, mushrooms, and bacon. Then hop on the bar shuttle to Ford Field for the Lions’ games. On weekends, there’s brunch.

Related Maps

Nemo's Bar

Talk with any longtime sports fan in the city and chances are they’ll have a heyday story from Nemo’s during the Roar of ’84. Losing Tiger Stadium just up the road didn’t slow Nemo’s down. This Corktown bar has weathered the decades since its 1964 opening thanks to its famous griddle-made burgers and its dedicated customers, whether longtime regulars or new transplants to Corktown.

Anchor Bar

Why not watch the game and make a friendly wager between friends at a place legendary for illegal bookmaking? The Anchor Bar has long been a staple gathering spot for downtown workers, politicians, journalists, and sports enthusiasts, and was even the site of an FBI raid in 1971 for illegal gambling. Since then, the bar has changed hands and underwent a renovation. The updated menu features options like cheeseburgers, cheesesteaks, and chicken tenders, and there’s guaranteed to be a friendly crowd on game nights.

A cheeseburger in a red basket with parchment paper, and potato chips surrounded by cocktails. Anchor Bar [Official photo]

Tommy's Detroit Bar & Grill

Tommy’s offers a free shuttle to all of Detroit’s major concerts and sporting events, and the patrons there are some of the most dedicated Red Wings and Lions fans out there. Complimentary unlimited popcorn, fresh burgers, and invariably friendly service mean that visitors often become regulars after their first time visiting this historic bar.

Ford's Garage Dearborn

Just about the only place inside Ford’s Garage in Dearborn that visitors don’t have a TV directly in sight is at the bar. Instead, the bar features a genuine Ford Model T hovering above the space. According to Crain’s Detroit Business, the popular bar and grill will soon expand to Novi, West Dearborn, and three other metro Detroit locations to be announced later this year, and the current location has changed hands.

Related Maps