Some self-proclaimed sports bars are effectively neighborhood pubs with a few TVs and a pool table. Not so at Penalties, which has sports in its DNA. A block off Main Street in downtown Vancouver, the spacious Penalties boasts two large 177-inch projector screens and eight other large screens, along with a pool table and a Buck Hunter machine for those nights when the game turns into a blowout. The pizza is better than average for a sports bar, and the friendly bartenders juggle drink orders on busy evenings as efficiently as they do game requests for the different screens.

Sporting the historic sign from Gresham’s iconic Satellite Restaurant, Satellite Tavern is one of Overlook’s favorite bars to grab a mid-game drink. The industrial dining room features a number of TVs over its hardwood walls and concrete floors, and even the back patio has a few TVs so visitors won’t miss a touchdown or run. The menu leans into the sports theme, with stadium staples like wings, nachos, burgers, and Little Smokies simmered in barbecue sauce.

Just east of 205 and a stone’s throw from the Columbia River, the Wooden Chicken Pub is a destination sports bar for fans of Bay Area teams. It also offers one of the best fish-and-chip dinners in town, three pool tables, and a friendly environment for other fans. The nearly 40-year-old pub has a timeless, low-key vibe, and is beloved by its many regulars. The parking is usually ample, except when the pub hosts its popular classic car cruise-in events.

A groundbreaking women’s sports bar, the Sports Bra is a bar that celebrates women’s athletics, where fans watch the Thorns, WNBA, tennis, college basketball, and dozens of other college and pro sports played by women. The drinks prominently feature women-owned distilleries and breweries, and the food menu is an exponential leap above a typical sports watering hole — think: Vietnamese clay pot ribs, fish sauce wings, and tempeh Reubens.

With nearly 50 TVs, including 11 massive ones and a single screen in every bar booth, someone would have to go out of their way to miss a gaming moment at this decades-old pool house and dive. Despite being something of an Irish bar, the food and drink here are more of the standard sports bar staples, like wings, tacos, burgers; however, Tuesdays are all-you-can-eat taco and nacho bar, Sundays all-you-can-eat chicken strips, and weekend mornings feature an endless breakfast buffet.

Sports bars in the region tend to come in two varieties: big and modern, or tiny and old-school. Katie O’Brien’s defies that dichotomy with abundant vintage Portland character and tons of space to carve out a niche with fellow fans. The full bar is lined with decadent boardroom-style leather rolling chairs, complete with armrests. Add a deep tap list, an open pool table, all-day breakfast, and frequent live music, and it’s no secret why Katie O’Brien’s remains a neighborhood favorite.

Whether it’s Blazers vs. Lakers, Thorns vs. Wave, or Ducks vs. Huskies, Spirit of 77 — named for the first (and so far, only) year the Trail Blazers won an NBA championship — is one of the liveliest spots in town. With an expansive beer-hall setup filled with tongue-in-cheek retro touches, it comes with large, flat-screen TVs, a projection screen, and pop-a-shot basketball. The food menu touts responsibly sourced chicken for its wings and beef for its burgers.

A bar that’s just as much about the games on the floor as the games on the TV, Silver Dollar offers ping pong, pool, darts, hoops, and video poker to its visitors. The many screens around the brewpub-style space show all sorts of games regularly, but the main focus is on Portland Winterhawks games, which are always screened live for hockey fans. The pizza itself isn’t mind-blowing, but slices are reliable, cheap, and good for soaking up some draft beers and cheap well drinks.

A popular Montavilla pub that is more than just a sports bar, Thatchers boasts seven big-screen TVs for ample coverage on stacked sports days, but is just as renowned for an above-average food menu and wealth of bar game options, including pinball, shuffleboard, and three pool tables. Thatchers is typically thick with regulars, and newcomers ordering complicated drinks on busy nights can expect some saltiness from bartenders. Thatchers opens early on Sundays during pro football season.

Known primarily as a bowling alley, Grand Central’s large bar and dining space is an under-the-radar gem for watching the big game. The rare Portland sports bar with a kids menu, ample garage parking, and an arcade offering more than video poker, Grand Central is an ideal choice for families with young ones. The food menu is stylistically sprawling, meat-heavy, and generously portioned. The tap list is expansive, and the bartenders are adept at mixing up classic cocktails and house specials. The bowling space is separated enough from the dining room that anxious fans can watch their game without fear of noisy distraction.

Hawthorne is loaded with sports bars, but thanks to its old-school ways, this pub stands out as a destination. Low ceilings and hardwood furniture give it a cozy vibe, and the many televisions stream all kinds of sports. There are video poker machines aplenty for those wanting to throw some money away, and a basic-but-reliable menu of burgers, chicken sandwiches, pizzas, and gyros. 

Few pairings are as cosmically perfect as sports and barbecue. When tending the smoker for hours on a hot Sunday doesn’t seem so appealing, Beavertonians head to the Pit Stop for dependable smoked meats and a bar full of TVs and fellow fans. With reasonably priced booze, daily food and drink specials, a spacious patio, and frequent events like poker tournaments and karaoke, the Pit Stop draws regulars even when the sports calendar is sleepy.

At the far southern edge of Portland city limits, in Brentwood-Darlington, Rocky’s is an intimate, eclectic sports bar whose loyal clientele mostly live within walking distance. The vibe is unabashedly divey, but the food is a cut above, with solid burgers and a Coney dog that goes toe-to-toe with Portland’s best. Those driving will find limited parking onsite, but easy-to-nab residential street parking nearby.

Sports bars are traditionally synonymous with menus full of wings, burgers, and other meaty treats, but in America’s top vegan city, it should come as no surprise Sellwood’s Sports Box offers all the fun of watching the big game with a crowd alongside a menu of tasty vegan entrees and appetizers. An evolution of what was once Casa Diablo II — a little sister to Portland’s famed vegan strip club — owner Johnny Diablo Zukles swapped the stripper pole (and stripping entirely) for 26 big-screen TVs and bar games. The family-friendly, 100 percent vegan sports bar serves things like all-day chickn’ and waffles and vegan sausage hoagies, both standouts.

Sports will be on the TV screens to be sure, but on Thursday and Saturday nights at Home Turf the hottest action are on the tables, with twice-weekly foosball and pool tournaments. Try your skill in the tournaments, or watch at a healthy distance enjoying one of the 16 beers on tap and a menu of solidly-prepared bar food classics. Those set on focusing on a crucial Friday playoff game undistracted should look elsewhere — Home Turf hosts karaoke every Friday.