Best bars in Halifax to watch the game
Whether it’s the Blue Jays, Raptors or Halifax Mooseheads, there are going to be times when Canadians – especially Maritimers – want to get together to watch the game, and nothing pairs better with a big-screen TV than a pint of domestic beer. Halifax doesn’t have too many sports-specific bars, but those that it does have get the job done perfectly.
HFX Sports Bar & Grill
1721 Brunswick St, Halifax, NS B3J 2G4You can tell a bar is gunning for a contemporary image when its name is initialized. HFX is certainly modern: It boasts 90 TV screens and the sleekest, loudest interior of any bar on this list. If immersion is what you’re after, you can’t get any more all-encompassing than a 235-inch feature screen and free downloadable app – plug in your ear buds and listen to whatever game is flickering on the TV in front of you.
Niche Lounge - Supperclub
1505 Barrington St, Halifax, NS B3J 3K5Niche isn’t a sports bar so much as a swanky wine-and-dine experience featuring sports. (And, if you like, free entrance to next-door Pacifico, one of the city’s hottest dance clubs.) It’s a great choice for anyone looking for great food, interesting cocktails, maybe a breezy patio in summer – and a TV that’s always showing the most popular game at any given time. Head over between 4 pm and 6:30 p. for happy hour, featuring well-priced glasses of house wine and half-priced appetizers.
Oasis Pub & Eatery
5661 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS B3J 1G9A constant rival to Bubba Ray’s, Oasis is less pretty to look at (it’s in a fairly dingy basement) but enjoys a cozy community feel, with salt-of-the-earth regulars and nicely priced draft pitchers. This rivalry is fought in part with chicken wings: While Bubba Ray’s offers cheap wings on Thursdays, oasis has one-upped the place with its "Beat the Clock" Thursday wing deal that sees ultra-cheap wings increase in price from 4:30 pm to closing.
Maxwell's Plum English Pub
1600 Grafton St, Halifax, NS B3J 2C2With more than a hundred beers on offer (including a wide range of Nova Scotian craft specialties from Halifax to Cape Breton), Maxwell’s is more of a “drink first, watch later” sort of sports bar. But while the drinking is excellent, the watching is always easy, with a few widescreen TVs set up around the nooks and crannies of its main floor. Order an 80-ounce brewtender for your crew and hefty beef burgers with fries all round, and relax with the game.
Big Leagues Dining Room & Lounge
920 Cole Harbour Rd, Dartmouth, NS B2V 2J5You’ve got solid wood chairs, TVs, friendly service and a globally inspired menu – what more do you need? Simplicity is always on tap at Big Leagues, a Cole Harbour favourite. The beer is cheap and the food is solid – you can choose from a selection of Italian, English, Chinese and Mexican dishes. For a signature battle, try the absurd Stanley Cup Platter: potato boats and nachos fully dressed and topped with chicken wings, fried pepperoni, onion rings and chicken spring rolls.
Dave Doolittle's Tap Room & Grill
90 Tacoma Drive, Dartmouth, NS B2W 3E5If you find yourself outside the Halifax peninsula – or just feel like taking a trip to see more of the Halifax area – Dave’s is a perfectly classic sports bar in downtown Dartmouth. It boasts nine TVs, including two big screens, and that’s just the start: If you feel like playing a few games, you can head to a separate room with pool tables, darts, VLT machines, cribbage and shuffleboard.
