Best Places to Watch Football in Town

Sports bars are the ideal escape for fans

Joan McKenna Sports

 

Sports fans, rejoice and give thanks: The NFL season is in full swing, and every weekend, and sometimes during the week, like Thanksgiving, will brings big matchups perfect for an all-day football feast.

Keep these Thanksgiving matchups in mind as the Nov. 28 holiday approaches:

• The Green Bay Packers take on the Detroit Lions at 9:30 a.m.

• Oakland Raiders visit the Dallas Cowboys at 1:30 p.m.

• Defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers at 5:30 p.m.

Here’s where to find the best action:

The Village Pub Bar & Grill in downtown Palm Springs boasts 24 big screens broadcasting sports all day. In addition to its regular happy hour and menu, the pub offers a full prix fixe Thanksgiving meal from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., including butternut squash soup, Caesar salad, free-range turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, gravy, and pumpkin pie. The house band, Nite Fixx, hits the stage at 9 p.m., with dancing till 2 a.m. 266 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. 760-323-3265.

Soak in views of the TPC Stadium and Nicklaus Tournament golf courses between plays at Ernie’s Bar & Grill at La Quinta Resort & PGA West. Open from 7 a.m., the bar airs games on nine high-definition screens and offers several beers on tap, wine, and a menu featuring local natural ingredients. Take a break from the daylong action on the terrace, complete with comfortable seating around two fire pits. 56150 PGA Blvd., La Quinta. 760-564-7125.

Dickie O’Neal’s Irish Pub Restaurant, open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., has turkey and all the trimmings on the menu to complement the 12 big screens showing all the games, parades, and Thanksgiving events. Slide into the cozy booths at this kid-friendly pub and dig in. 2155 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. 760-325-2600.

It’s all sports, all the time on The Beer Hunter’s 30-plus televisions, as well as on a towering projection screen and four patio TVs. The bar, open till 2 a.m., also offers pool tables, a full dining menu with 27 beers on tap, and more than 200 bottled varieties. 78483 Hwy. 111, La Quinta. 760-564-7442.

Surround yourself with nonstop action at the Tilted Kilt. With 42 screens — including five outside on the deck — two pool tables, a foosball table, video golf, and beer pong, this spot is guaranteed to be hopping. Tilted Kilt will open early for the 9:30 a.m. game and offer its regular full menu for hungry fans. 72191 Hwy. 111, Palm Desert. 760-773-5458.

The Cascade Lounge at Spa Resort Casino and The Lounge at Agua Caliente Casino • Resort • Spa will air all the big games; visit the casinos’ restaurants for Thanksgiving fare as well. Cascade Lounge, 401 E. Amado Rd., Palm Springs.

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