Top College Basketball Bars In Philadelphia
With nearly 300,000 college students in the greater Philadelphia area, there is no shortage of basketball bustle around college playoffs every year. Add in the fact that the city is home to the Big 5: Villanova, Penn, LaSalle, Temple, and St Joe's, and you have one big appetite to devour the games. Here's a look at some of the best college basketball bars in the Philadelphia area.
Hours: Mon to Fri - 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sat - 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
A regular presence on Temple University's campus for the past ten years, "The Horse" has been happily showing the games on its TVs and projectors to die-hard basketball fans while serving up craft beers and inexpensive appetizers. If you are hungry, thirsty or just want to catch the game somewhere with a lot more energy than your living room, the Draught Horse is a slam dunk.
Hours: Mon to Sat - 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
This cozy environment in the heart of University City is a hop, skip and free throw away from University of Pennsylvania's campus. During basketball games, they run specials like $2 drafts. The bar's five television screens are just enough to get a good view from anywhere inside. The next time you want the excitement and energy of a college game in person but can't afford to get yourself inside the arena, head to Smokey Joe's for cheap drinks and a lively atmosphere.
Hours: Daily - 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Located in Center City Philadelphia, this gigantic sports bar has more than 50 plasma TVs positioned all over to catch the action. Located in the PA Convention Center, the Field House brings a mixed crowd, from business suits to alumni cheering on their team in the tournament. Its location next to the Market Street East train station makes getting home easy after a big night of cheering on your team.
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Hours: Daily - 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Students from Drexel and Penn looking to blow off some steam and watch some basketball flock to the New Deck Tavern to bask in the glow from their seven high definition plasma televisions. Thursdays are $3 you-call-it nights, with all 18 beers on tap being offered for a college budget friendly price of $3. Students' wallets remain a little thicker when they watch the game at New Deck Tavern.
Hours: Wed, Thur, Sat - 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Fri - 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Delaware County is home to a sizable population of college students, and Brownies 23 East is the county's hub for entertainment. This is one of the hottest clubs on the Main Line for live music, but during the college basketball finals, huge television screens broadcasting the game and get the crowd roaring. Legions of fans from nearby colleges like Haverford and Villanova love the quick jaunt up the street to this friendly watering hole. The super cheap drink specials during happy hour aren't too bad, either.
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Cyndy Drue is a freelance writer and a longtime radio and TV personality in Philadelphia. Visit her website at www.cyndydrue.com or see her work at Examiner.com.
