Where to Watch March Madness in Philly
Whether you’re cheering for your alma mater, tracking your bracket, or just here for the energy, here’s where to catch the tournament.
Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse is running March Madness specials all tournament long. / Photograph courtesy of Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse
March Madness is here, and there’s no better way to experience the highs, the heartbreaks, and the buzzer-beaters than surrounded by fellow fans at a great sports bar. Whether you’re cheering for your alma mater, tracking your bracket with intense focus, or just here for the energy (and maybe the wings), Philly has plenty of spots to choose from.
Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse
This popular Center City sports bar fills out two floors on Sansom Street and fulfills a key requirement for game-day viewing: Wherever you are, you can see a screen (and they’re high enough up that crowds at the bar won’t disturb your sightline). Cav’s Ritt seats nearly 200 people total and has 24 TVs and an 11-foot-high media wall. The food menu is exactly what you’d want to eat while watching a game — wings, burgers, various appetizers — and there’s even a kids’ menu. For March Madness, they’ve got $4 Miller Lites, $20 Miller Lite buckets, and $6 Warsteiner drafts. They’ve also got some food specials, including their fan-favorite reuben spring rolls and patty melts that they only serve this time of year. (Cav’s also has Headhouse Square and Riverdeck locations, FYI.) 1921 Sansom Street, Rittenhouse.
Founding Fathers Sports Bar and Grill
This South Street game-day staple offers fans a relatively relaxed atmosphere with more than a dozen TVs lining the walls and 20 different draft lines for a great beer selection. For March Madness, they’re offering $5 Modelo drafts during all NCAA basketball games. On Friday, March 21st, from 3 to 5 p.m., they’ll also have Miller Lite cans for $1 and the chance to win tickets to Phillies opening weekend. 1612 South Street, Grad Hospital.
Lion Sports Bar
This brand-new bar in Chinatown opened with a bang, announcing a $100,000 giveaway for March Madness. All you need to do is make a perfect pick on your NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket. Something no one has ever done. Why? Because, to quote Foobooz’s Jason Sheehan, “According to NCAA.com, the odds of picking every single winner are one in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 if you just guess or flip a coin and about one in 120 billion if you know anything about basketball.” So, not great odds, but certainly a fun way to ring in March Madness. (You’ve got till March 20th to enter!) Aside from the long-shot giveaway, Lion has 35 TVs and a better-than-it-needs-to-be menu of Asian-fusion food (General Tso’s nachos, anyone?) and cocktails. It’s a good time. 1021 Arch Street, Chinatown.
Lion Sports Bar / Photograph by Laura Swartz
Sports & Social at Live! Casino
With a massive 52-foot screen and 24 additional TVs, the sports bar inside South Philly’s Live! Casino is a fun place to watch (and bet on) games. For the tournament (which they’re calling “Bracket Madness,” I assume for IP reasons), they’ve got $5 select draft beers, Hennessy cocktail specials, and fun giveaways. You can also reserve tables and game day packages. 900 Packer Avenue, South Philly.
Parx Casino Sportsbook and Liberty Bell Beer Garden
Parx’s Bensalem location’s Sportsbook is a big, flashy spot that boasts a 155-foot screen — that means that they can show up to 36 games at the same time (and of course you can place your bets right there). Sportsbook also has a 38-seat bar, but if you’re really looking for a festive atmosphere on Parx’s campus, head to Liberty Bell Beer Garden. The 7,600-square-foot, indoor-outdoor space has patios, fire pits, pub fare, and a rotating selection of craft beer and cocktails. The outdoor area even has two giant TV walls so you won’t be missing the action while getting some fresh air. And since this is a casino, after all, there are sports-betting kiosks there, too. But wait, there’s more. On March 23rd, they’re having a special March Madness party from 4 to 11 p.m. with an all-you-can-eat buffet and something that sounds like it came from a club frequented by SNL’s Stefon: a Human Slot Machine. What is that, you ask? It’s a prize-winning game with influencers as the “reels” and swag like shirts and coolers as the prizes. Just look at the photo below; you’ll get it. 2999 Street Road, Bensalem.
Human Slot Machine at Parx / Photograph courtesy of Parx
Lucy’s
This Rittenhouse spot takes inspiration from the erstwhile Lucy’s Hat Shop … in spirit, anyway. To quote them, “Lucy’s Hat Shop has shed its fedora for an Eagles jersey.” There’s still a dance floor downstairs should the mood strike. For March Madness, they’ll be showing every game and are even planning to open early (at noon) on March 20th and 21st so you don’t miss anything. 1720 Chestnut Street.
Xfinity Live!
Located smack dab in the middle of the stadiums, the massive Xfinity Live! definitely brings its own kind of hardcore viewing experience. They’re celebrating March Madness in the NBC Sports Arena, which boasts a 58-foot TV screen, plus more TVs, to show multiple games at once. And you can enter to win a booth for six at NBC Arena, plus a $300 food and beverage credit, for a game of your choice between March 27th and April 7th. They’ll announce the winner on March 24th, so enter ASAP here. 1100 Pattison Avenue, South Philly.
Evil Genius
The Fishtown taproom will be hanging their annual March Madness bracket in the taproom to follow along with the winners of each game. And if you want to do your own bracket, they’ll be hosting a free ESPN Bracket Challenge — winner gets a $100 Evil Genius gift card at the end of the tournament. They’ll have dedicated TVs to watch March Madness on all tournament long, and during the first day of game play (March 20th), they’ll be offering $5 pints of select beers from noon till 7 p.m. 1727 Front Street, Fishtown.
The Post
This UCity bar has plenty of TVs, plus games like shuffleboard, air hockey, pool, and more to entertain you between games. They’ll also have lots of March Madness drink specials: $5 Happy Dad seltzer, $5 Post Punch, $6 Levante pilsner, and $6 sangria. 129 South 30th Street, University City.
WatchPartyPHL at Love City Brewing and Dock Street South
If you’re looking for somewhere to watch the Women’s NCAA games, WatchPartyPHL — who support women’s sports by partnering with local restaurants to host watch parties — are partnering with two Philly bars to exclusively air the Women’s March Madness tournament: Dock Street South and Love City Brewing, both of which are woman-owned. A portion of the proceeds from the viewing events will benefit local and national organizations that support women’s sports organizations. 1023 Hamilton Street, Callowhill; 2118 Washington Avenue, South Philly.
