Best place to watch a football game near me

An authentic British pub (heck, one of the owners was born in England!), the Dog'n'Bone is one of the best places on Space Coast to tip a pint and sling some steel-tip darts. You will feel like you've stepped into London; the "tele" streams soccer. Guinness is on tap. People play cribbage. Beyond plenty of games, including chess and billiards, the pub also features live music. Cocoa Village is a must-see destination, in and of itself, and this pub is a popular stopping point to refuel and relax. Fun fact: The bar was conceived on the phone, and "dog and bone" is slang for telephone – hence the name.

Recommended for Sports Bars because: Go here to watch soccer games and drink some Guinness.

Aimee's expert tip: Look for a themed cookout on the pavilion. If you can experience the "shish-ka-barb-q" night, you won't regret it.

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Enormous waterside bar features a great, covered party deck, tiki bar upstairs, sports bar, sun deck, an array of terrific martinis and an ever-popular Mimosa Brunch on Sundays. Live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. This is the type of place you can stop by any time of the day and enjoy good times and a great view of the water, but things really seem to pick up the pace at night. On Mondays in the fall, for example, there's NFL football on the tube, as well as a pretty competitive Texas Hold 'em tournament. On Wednesdays, folks showcase their karaoke skills on the deck. The food here will pleasantly surprise you, too.

Recommended for Sports Bars because: If you want to watch football with a view of the water, visit Fishlips.

Aimee's expert tip: Six words: all you can eat crab legs. Do it. Wash it down with Happy Hour drinks, which start early at 3 p.m.

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Feeling a touch Blarney? This downtown Melbourne pub is as Irish as they come, from the St. Patty's pot pie down to the tall, cold glasses o' stout. The authentic menu boasts Irish classics, including corned beef and cabbage and bangers and mash. Or try your luck and ask about the Fisherman's Catch of the Day and the new Butcher's Cut of the Day. Great happy hour specials (starting as early as 3 p.m.) and frequent live entertainment are boons, as well. Snag $5 Car Bombs and Irish coffees all day, every day. During football season, the pub is especially crowded on NFL Sundays and Mondays.

Recommended for Sports Bars because: Watch football here with a packed house on Sundays and Mondays during football season.

Aimee's expert tip: Here, you can find six different ways to drink your Jameson, including our favorite, a Jameson and lemonade – served in a mason jar, of course.

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Photo courtesy of Duff's Sports Grill

While Duffy's Sports Grill aims to be the top sports-centered dining establishment, you can also grab drinks here. In fact, it was originally founded as Duffy's Drafthouse in 1985. Back then, beer was the focus, with only four items on the menu, none of which required silverware. Since then, a lot has changed for Duffy's. Other than a name change and an ownership change in 2001, it has also added multiple other locations in Florida, including West Palm Beach and Jupiter. The menu grew, too (although you can still find some of the old faves here). Today, Duffy's is known as one of the south Florida's top sports-themed restaurants, and it continues to grow. You can find Duffy's restaurants across Florida now.

Recommended for Sports Bars because: Duffy's Sports Grill is a widely popular sports bar and grill with a location in Melbourne.

Aimee's expert tip: Sign up for the MVP program and get special deals, earn points and free birthday gift.

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Photo courtesy of Time Out Sports Bar

Time Out Sports Bar calls its self a "drinking establishment with a sports problem." That playful attitude carries throughout this upbeat gathering place, and it has for more than 25 years. At Time Out, you can watch your favorite sports game in a clean, laid-back bar stocked with food, plenty of beer and 30 TVs. In between games, throw darts, play pool or listen to music. Drink specials are where Time Out really shines, even to the non-sports crowd. Time Out has one of the Space Coast's cheapest happy hours, with $1 drinks from 8-9 p.m., $2 drinks the next hour and $3 drinks from 10-11 p.m. Get $3 pitchers any time of day. However, Time Out is known for its loaded bloody Marys during the weekend. And by loaded, we're talking you can adorn your beverage with more than 30 different treats, including shrimp, pickled asparagus, pretzels, cheese, olives, peppers and waffles.

Recommended for Sports Bars because: Time Out plays games on 30 TVs and has some of the best happy hour specials on the Space Coast.

Aimee's expert tip: Make sure you try the loaded bloody Marys that you can decorate with all kinds of crazy stuff, from shrimp to pretzels to waffles.

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Photo courtesy of JD's Sports Bar & Grill

JD's Sports Bar & Grill has NFL Sunday Ticket in high-def on Sundays, which is reason enough to put this at the top of your sports-bar list. Add to that $12 buckets of domestic beer, and you don't need to look any further to fulfill your football-viewing needs on the Space Coast. Celebrate Monday night football with Mug Madness: Fill your beer mug up to 32 ounces for the price of a regular draft. Best of all: "Pour 'til they score" on Monday nights. That means free draft beer from kick-off until the first team scores. College football fans will love discounted sliders on Saturdays and $5 pitchers all day. This laid-back bar in Rockledge can keep your belly happy, too, with chicken wings and burgers. Thursday night football happens to be burger night, where burgers are $5. Find other specials throughout the week, like 60 cent wings on Wednesdays.

Recommended for Sports Bars because: Sunday Ticket. Free beer until the first team scores. Burgers, wings, sliders. Need we say more?

Aimee's expert tip: Monday nights: Enjoy free beer from kick-off until the first team scores. Seriously.

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Photo courtesy of Westside Sports Bar and Lounge

The Westside Sports Bar & Lounge is a newer sports bar in Melbourne, with 21 high-definition TVs, an impressive 50-foot bar and a full bar. Watch the game on custom NFL table tops with Sounddog transmitters. Enjoy a beer or martini, in the separate martini lounge, and fill your belly with the likes of Philly cheese steak sandwiches, barbecue, mozzarella sticks, a pound of wings or a mushroom burger – all your favorite pub munchies. The Westside is open seven days a week – with each day featuring a different drink special. Enjoy $2 drafts with your Monday night football, or $10 buckets of beer on Thursdays to push you through the week until the big game on Sunday, where domestic drafts again will ring up at just two bucks. Need to drown the sorrow of a harsh loss? Fireballs are just $4 on Sundays.

Recommended for Sports Bars because: The Westside Sports Bar is one of the Space Coast's best places for sports fans, with 21 TVs and Sounddog transmitters. No messing around here.

Aimee's expert tip: Each day has a different alcohol special, like $2 drafts on Mondays.

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Photo courtesy of Off The Traxx

Off the Traxx is a sports bar – to the extreme. This Melbourne-based bar is huge, with more than 40 TVs and screens (including one oversized screen) that stream everything sport, including the NFL Sunday Ticket, the full DirecTV Commercial Choice Plus line-up and more. Bottom line: If your team is playing, you can watch it here. Off the Traxx has more than 350 seats and features surprisingly delicious food. Try the pizza. This bar also organizes interactive, fun games, including putting challenges, corn hole, pool, darts, video games, a dance floor, stage and other activities. Head out back, where you can find an outdoor bar that takes advantage of the Florida warmth. Off the Traxx also organizes parties, special events and contests (from breakdancing to bikinis).

Recommended for Sports Bars because: Off the Traxx features a long list of sports channels on its 40 TVs and screens.

Aimee's expert tip: Grab a chair at a table out back in between games.

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Photo courtesy of Sand Bar Sports Grill and Bar

The Sand Bar Sports Grill in Cocoa Beach has sports mastered. Sip the signature drink, the Hurricane, and munch on fish tacos while watching sports on the 20 high-def TVs scattered throughout the bar. The bar – actually two, because Sand Bar has double bars – is subscribed to a variety of premium channels, so you can catch almost any major game here. If it's not streaming, just ask. Looking for a different kind of sport? Watch surf flicks on the TVs when sports aren't on. In between games, listen to live music. After you fill up in the full kitchen, go on a warm walk to the nearby park. Looking to cool off? Try a smoothie. Is your belly growling? Fill up and then some with Sand Bar's massive, five-pound burrito. It's not dinner; it's a dare.

Recommended for Sports Bars because: Sand Bar has 20 TVs, all the premium channels and a five-pound burrito. Fill 'er up.

Aimee's expert tip: If you can eat the massive, five-pound burrito, you can get your picture on the wall. Not that we are encouraging it.

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Photo courtesy of Coasters Sports Bar

Coasters Pub is a Space Coast staple. It first opened about 25 years ago as one of the first bars to offer a wide variety of beer. It was so popular, in fact, that Michael Jackson is said to have visited the bar. Back then, Coasters made history as one of the first brewpub systems in Central Florida, thereby helping spark the revolution of drinking carefully crafted beers instead of run-of-the-mill yellow stuff. Today, Coasters is a popular sports bar hangout, with 13 TVs and a variety of sports channels – all of the major packages. Coasters is the official "football watch party venue" for various college alumni, too. The menu here won't disappoint. Try the "famous chicken wings" or build your own burger. You can even score sirloin here, as well as unique gourmet craft soda.

Recommended for Sports Bars because: Coasters has 13 TVs, all of the major sports channel packages and knows beer.

Aimee's expert tip: Although Coasters is known for its good eye for beer, the gourmet craft sodas are also fun and unique.

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