Many years ago, I was vacationing in Asheville, N.C., when I realized the NFL game I was intent on watching the next day would be a lot more fun at a bar rather than my hotel room. But where to go? I spent part of the previous afternoon walking around downtown looking for a place with plenty of TVs.
So where to go when in Southern Indiana to watch your favorite team? We’ve got you covered. Here are three of our local – emphasis on local – favorites, followed by a selection of other fine options around Clark and Floyd counties.
Harry’s Taphouse & Kitchen
130 W. Riverside Drive
5580 E. Tenth Street
Jeffersonville
You can pretty much just look at Harry’s Taphouse & Kitchen on Riverside Drive in Jeffersonville and tell it’s a fun place to watch a game. A covered deck overlooks the Ohio River, and when the weather is right, you can walk by and see people sitting on said deck beneath flatscreen TVs, eating, drinking and cheering on their teams.
On a recent Saturday, the place isn’t packed but it still bustles. With nearly 60 screens, per owner Jamie Corbin, it may even be a bit distracting. The building that once was home to Flat 12 Bierwerks maintains the original bar and hanging ceiling ornament, which now sports a Harry’s logo.
And on good weather days, doors to the main bar area/dining room can be opened to make it feel like one big indoor/outdoor space. But possibly the most captivating visual is an added-on back bar area which features a collage of 12 flatscreens hung together in columns and rows. They can show different games or, in the case of an Indiana University basketball game or some other worthy event, they can come together to create one large image.
In essence, when working together, the form a 287-inch screen. (That’s not a mis-type.)
“We decided to put the biggest TV screen in southern Indiana back there,” Corbin says with a hint of a smile.
But the TVs, he explains, are secondary to the service and food. Indeed, the staff, while hustling to keep glasses and bellies full on a Saturday afternoon, were friendly to a fault. And what’s better while watching your favorite team than wings? Corbin says the bone-in wings at Harry’s are the best-selling menu item by far, followed by the Philly Cheesesteak, signature burgers and Big Boy Fish Sandwich.
Throw in happy hour specials on NFL Sundays, and you’ve got the makings of a go-to sports bar. With a view. (Note: There is a second Harry’s location a few miles north in Jeffersonville.)
Hoopsters Sports Bar & Grill
830 E. Tenth Street
Jeffersonville
Hoopsters Sports Bar & Grill could be mistaken for your favorite neighborhood tavern (for some who read this, it probably is), but it leans into sports, with walls lined with some 20 flatscreens, beer signs, video games and sports memorabilia.
Possibly the best word for describing Hoopsters would be “cozy.” It was laid back on a recent college football game day, with what seemed like regulars noshing on appetizers and sandwiches while multiple games flickered overhead.
Bartender Liz says there are daily food specials that also bring people in, from Taco Tuesday to Wing Wednesday to Fish Friday. And the 20 or so screens probably don’t hurt either. For NFL Sundays, you can get happy hour prices all day, including specials on Mimosas and Bloody Marys.
“We get just about every game on,” she said. But it’s probably the Indiana games that generate the most activity.
“That’s our fan base,” Liz said of the IU faithful. She added that, much like Harry’s, Hoopsters goes through its fair share of wings as well.
Bearno's Pizza
3002 Charlestown Crossing
New Albany
Bearno’s Pizza is technically part of a small regional chain, but the location on Charlestown Road in New Albany hits a bit differently than a standard sports bar. No, it’s what a sports bar might be if it badly wanted to be a family restaurant.
Case in point, on a recent visit there were several people seated at the bar watching college football. Meanwhile, in the main dining room, two long tables of roughly 10 people each were packed with kids and adults alike. A couple of the kids appeared to be wearing sports uniforms. They were sharing a pizza feast as big as all outdoors.
The good thing about Bearno’s is that, while it isn’t awash in TVs like Harry’s, there are enough around the bar and dining room that it would be tough to sit anywhere and not be able to see the game. And the outdoor deck features a gazebo, circular sitting area and palm tree, tons of seating and one big central screen for all to see. Along with other sports memorabilia on the walls, just inside the front door is a display of local team championship trophies with help from Bearno’s sponsorship.
Bartender Randi said that, in particular, the chicken bacon ranch pizza has been so popular, that a pasta dish with the same sauce is being added to the menu. But the truth is, there isn’t a bad pizza to be had there, and the breadsticks are one heckuva warmup.
Monday nights are the time to go, according to Randi. But expect a crowd, in part because the Monday Night Football special includes $1.25 domestic bottles.
“I work every Monday night here because we’re so busy,” she says with a grin.
Game on.
Other establishments with TVs for sports viewing:
Jeffersonville
Cluckers, 100 W Riverside Dr
Mustang's Sports Pub, 3826 Hamburg Pike STE A
Union Restaurant & Gameyard, 115 W Chestnut St.
Upland Brewing Co., 707 W Riverside Dr.
New Albany
Mac's Hideaway, 1636 Slate Run Rd
Pastime Grill & Pub, 424 E Market St.
Cluckers, 4308 Charlestown Rd.
Recbar 812, 336 Pearl St.
Clarksville
Roosters, 1601 Greentree Blvd.
Sellersburg
Hunter Station Pizza, 210 Hunter Station Rd.
