Best Sports Bar Restaurants in Loop
9 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Stocks & Blondes
A downtown tavern where the patty melt and burgers overdeliver for the price.
Notable Picks
8.3
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
Sports Bar Central
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Stocks & Blondes is a no-frills Loop bar where the griddled burgers and patty melt have a loyal downtown following. It’s a go-to for affordable, filling burger plates before a train home or after a long day in the office towers nearby.
Must-Try Dishes:
Patty Melt, Cheeseburger with bacon, Sweet potato fries
What Makes it Special: A downtown tavern where the patty melt and burgers overdeliver for the price.
8.3
A big-portion South Loop burger bar built for stacked builds, sharable sides, and a lively room that feels like a sports-bar-meets-burger-specialty hybrid. Go with one signature burger cooked to temp, add a fries side, and treat the shake menu as a separate decision—this place wins when you don’t over-order.
Must-Try Dishes:
THE Bacon Cheeseburger, Firehouse Stacker, Truffle fries
What Makes it Special: A high-volume burger-and-shakes bar where the menu is built for big, customizable stacks.
8.2
A downtown tavern built for after-work momentum: a broad modern-American menu, big beer list, and a room that stays lively without demanding a full formal dinner. The best experience comes from treating it like a drinks-first place—pick one shareable, one main, and keep the rest to rounds.
Must-Try Dishes:
Burger (classic tavern lane), Wings (shareable starter lane), Tavern nachos or a share plate (group opener)
What Makes it Special: Beer-and-cocktail tavern energy with a menu designed for groups.
South Branch Tavern & Grille is a big, riverfront New American tavern built for Loop office crowds, with a sprawling patio, long beer list, and a menu that runs from burgers and tacos to big salads. It anchors after-work drinks, corporate lunches, and game-day gatherings when you want something livelier than a white-tablecloth steakhouse.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bang Bang Shrimp, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Cowboy Salad
What Makes it Special: A large-format riverfront tavern where New American comfort food, TVs, and a big patio all collide in one space.
A British-style pub that’s dependable when you lean into the fry lane as a core comfort move rather than an afterthought. The best visits are simple: one main, one fry choice, and a drink—fast enough for downtown pacing, hearty enough to feel like a real stop.
Must-Try Dishes:
French fries, Sweet potato fries, Fish and chips
What Makes it Special: British pub classics with fry options that hold up downtown.
#6
Game Room
8
A Chicago Athletic Association hangout where fries work best as the group’s anchor snack between games—order them early, eat them hot, and let the room do the rest. The kitchen is capable, but timing matters more here because tables drift into shuffleboard and billiards mode fast.
Must-Try Dishes:
Shareable Fries, Burger (with fries), Nashville Sliders
What Makes it Special: A game-first room where fries are built for long, social hangs.
Worthy Picks
7.8
A downtown tavern built for casual happy hours—plenty of taps, cocktail momentum, and a sports-friendly setup that makes wings the cleanest food call. It’s strongest as a flexible meet-up spot: wings plus one fried shareable, then decide whether you’re posting up or bouncing to the next plan.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Wings, Cheese Curds, Fried Pickles
What Makes it Special: Wabash tavern setup that makes wings an easy happy-hour order.
7.7
A sports-bar format that doubles as a seafood plate engine—big screens, loud energy, and fried-to-grilled options that work best with a tight order. Go for the straightforward hits (shrimp, crab cake, po’ boy) and treat the room like game-day fuel, not fine dining.
Must-Try Dishes:
Grilled Seafood Platter, Maryland Crab Cake (6oz), Po' Boy Sandwich
What Makes it Special: A seafood-and-sports setup that mixes fried baskets with bigger seafood platters.
7.6
Vibes:
Happy Hour Hotspots
Sports Bar Central
Group Dining Gatherings
Birthday & Celebration Central
A high-energy Loop Mexican bar built for groups: big margaritas, loud sports-bar momentum, and a menu that’s most reliable when you keep it classic. Go tacos-plus-one-shareable (queso or chips/guac), and treat it as a drinks-forward stop that happens to feed a table well.
Must-Try Dishes:
Barbacoa tacos, Chorizo queso, Prickly pear margarita
What Makes it Special: A Loop margarita-and-tacos spot that’s designed for loud, celebratory group hangs.