Touchdown

Place bets on the best brews and bites in town

By Bob Barnes

Las Vegas has evolved into a major sports hub, housing local teams in nearly every major professional league. The city is also known for having more than its share of quality watering holes, all well-equipped to provide the perfect spot for cheering on your favorite teams.

Aces And Ales

One of Las Vegas’ pioneering craft beer bars, there’s not a bad seat in the house, with wall-to-wall sports viewing on 36 screens throughout the dining room and bar. Pair the action with 50 taps pouring one of the city’s best craft beer menus. A gastropub lineup of scratch-made, elevated pub food includes ahi poke, burgers, wraps and pizzas made with Italian 00 Molino Caputo flour. A standout deal is the Toasted Bottomless Brunch, offered Saturdays and Sundays for $35. It includes one entrée and two hours of unlimited pours like mimosas, $8 Evolve (Aces and Ales’ new brewery) pints, house wines or housemade Bloody Marys. acesandales.com

Al’s Garage

This neighborhood, non-smoking, 24-hour watering hole caters to the sports enthusiast, equipped with six 10-foot 4K projection screens, meaning that the only way to get closer to the game is to be there in person. A varied food menu includes comfort favorites like chicken-fried steak and eggs, sliders, burritos, burgers and the unique Rushmore Chislic, eight ounces of top sirloin cubed and fried on a bed of grilled peppers and onions, topped with bleu cheese crumbles, served with ranch dressing and homemade Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce. Pair the eats with one of more than 45 beers, including several local brews. Two daily happy hour times, along with NFL and Golden Knights games, offer discounted drinks. alsgaragelv.com

General Admission

This bar and restaurant at UnCommons, open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, ensures every seat comes with a prime view of multiple HD TVs, including 37 large screens — with two on the patio — and a 163-inch LED screen behind the bar. The menu ranges from sushi rolls, smashburgers and sandwiches to street tacos and entrées such as miso salmon, fajitas and jambalaya. Drinks include specialty cocktails like the GA Cafetini with Ketel One vodka, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur and cold brew, plus a beer list featuring local CraftHaus Brewery brews. This all-ages spot also offers a children’s menu with $8 options including chicken tenders, pasta, quesadillas, sliders and grilled cheese. generaladmissionlv.com

Pkwy Tavern

This tavern group has seven locations throughout the Vegas Valley. At its Flamingo Decatur outlet, guests can not only view sports, they can play them. In addition to four 85-inch TV screens and more throughout the space, there are candlepin bowling lanes, pool tables, beer pong, air hockey and arcade games. Adding to the sporting vibe are walls wrapped in Raiders, VGK, Las Vegas Aces and UNLV logos. Open 24/7, the menu features breakfast items like burritos and steak and eggs, along with lunch and dinner favorites such as six varieties of Naked City pizzas, pulled pork sliders, street tacos, a Cuban sandwich and fish and chips. As with all PKWY locations, the beer list is extensive, with 35 drafts and about 100 bottles and cans. pkwytavern.com

The George Sportsmen’s Lounge

If size matters, this 24-hour sports bar and restaurant at Durango certainly measures up, with two full-service bars and an outdoor patio featuring a massive 75-foot wraparound LED screen for sports viewing, live entertainment and private events. Open around the clock, you can catch international sporting events live any time of day. The food menu is more upscale than the average sports bar, featuring mains such as lamb chops, short ribs, halibut and a 24-ounce ribeye. There’s also a late-night menu from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. serving beer-brined chicken wings, shaved ribeye Philly cheesesteak egg rolls, green chili burger and fish and chips. thegeorgelv.com

The Spot

Sports, good food and beer come together at this local-themed sports bar. The walls feature depictions of famous local athletes and teams, including Bryce Harper, Greg Maddux, Andre Agassi and the UNLV 1990 basketball national championship team, along with a mural dedicated to the Golden Knights. For sports viewing, there are large-screen TVs throughout, with 10 in the dining room and another 10 in the bar. Beer flows through 20 taps, and to keep the selection fresh, drafts are rotated monthly. A standout deal is Kick the Keg: a selection of about five beers priced at $5 to clear the kegs and make room for more. Barbecue is a highlight here, with items like the brisket cheesesteak sandwich and the BBQ banh mi with smoked pork belly or brisket. On Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., a full barbecue menu with smoked brisket, pulled pork, pork belly, burnt ends, chicken and smoked beef hot links is available. thespotlv.com

Yard House

This chain’s name comes from its early days, when it was best known for serving beer in a narrow glass a yard long. Today, Yard House restaurants are more recognized for their numerous beer taps, with this location pouring more than 100. With more than 20 large-screen TVs tuned to sports, nearly every seat offers a good view. The extensive food menu has something for everyone in your lineup, featuring dishes from a variety of cuisines. Options range from appetizers such as grilled Korean BBQ beef or poke nachos to tacos, pizzas, burgers and entrées like spicy jambalaya and whiskey-glazed salmon. yardhouse.com