Tempe is the best city in Arizona for sports bars, according to new study
An estimated 10 million fans are set to watch March Madness in the US, and plenty of people will be hitting their favorite drinking spots to catch their teams in action. So, with AZ set to host Final Four in April, which are the most popular sports bars across the state?
- Tempe is the best city in Arizona for sports bars, with 79% of the reviews for sports bars across the city given four or five-stars
- The Whining Pig in Gilbert is the best sports bar in Arizona, with 91% of its reviews rated four or five stars
- Gilbert is home to two of the top five most popular sports bars in Arizona
To find out, Betway has analyzed the Yelp reviews of 140 different sports bars across the state, to determine which have the most four and five-star reviews. The study has also revealed which cities are the best overall for their sports bar offerings.
Tempe is the best city in Arizona for sports bars, with 79% of the reviews for sports bars across the city giving four or five stars
Tempe has been crowned the best city in Arizona for sports bars. 78.6% of the city's sports bars have been given a four or five-star rating, which equates to a huge 5,163 great reviews.
There’s not too much differentiating the top three cities, and Tucson is in a very close second, with the city's sports bars receiving 77.8% positive ratings of either four or five stars. Rounding off the top five best cities in Arizona for sports bars are Gilbert (77.6%), Peoria (73%), and Phoenix (70.4%).
The Whining Pig in Gilbert is the best sports bar in Arizona, with 91% of reviews rating it four or five stars
When looking at specific bars, The Whining Pig in Gilbert is Arizona’s most loved sports bar. An impressive 90.6% of the bar’s reviews are either four or five stars. With 31 taps and over 125 craft beers on offer, beer connoisseurs will love this locally-owned spot.
In second place is 8-Bit Aleworks in Goodyear, with 89.7% of its reviews giving it a very high rating. The microbrewery creates small-batch artisan brews, and gamers will love the retro-arcade theme — they even have Tecmo Bowl for a bit of 1980s NFL nostalgia.
Cactus Tavern in Phoenix is in third, with 88.5% positive reviews. Self-proclaimed as ‘The Best Dive Bar in Arizona,’ Cactus Tavern prides itself on having ‘wallet-friendly’ drinks and there’s plenty of bar games to keep you occupied during halftime.
This is followed by another of Gilbert’s establishments, Brews Burger Joint, which sees 87.8% four or five-star reviews. Another craft beer house, reviewers have specifically mentioned the ‘many TVs’ — so you’ll never miss a minute of the action.
McKenzie’s Midtown Tavern in Phoenix rounds off the top five best sports bars in the state. 86.5% of its reviews give a great rating of four stars or more. If you’re looking for some tasty snacks to accompany your sports spectating, McKenzie’s apparently has the biggest wings in town. They also regularly host viewing parties for all the big games, whether you’re into football, baseball, or basketball.
Sources & Methodology:
Based on a seed list of the 14 most populated cities in Arizona, Betway analysed Yelp review data to determine the number of four or five-star reviews for the top 10 sports bars in each city. A percentage was then calculated for the number of four or five-star reviews for each sports bar.
1NCAA basketball March Madness average TV viewership 2023
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