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Time to be a sport

By Jack Hunter

JACK HUNTER

Manny’s Neighborhood Grill

JACK HUNTER

King Street Grille

JACK HUNTER

George’s Sports Bar & Grill

With football season upon us, the big game often is best enjoyed on big TVs, and sports bars everywhere are competing for fans' affections.

Some are new and some are familiar, but in making the choice of where to find the best environment to enjoy the greatest victories and defeats, it's worth taking a look at what some Lowcountry sports bars have to offer.

George's Sports Bar & Grill

The oldest sports bar in West Ashley, George's Sports Bar & Grill long has been a favorite to enjoy every sport imaginable.

The annual Carolina/Clemson football rivalry packs the house at most bars, but the crowds each year at George's often seems as if they, as customers, meet for that particular game only at that particular bar. A long-standing tradition.

In addition to its TV-filled walls, George's also features individual TVs in each booth, and every major sports package is available, including UFC and WWE pay-per-view services.

The wait staff at George's is attentive, and I don't think I've ever visited George's without ordering the hot wings and the bar's famous seasoned "chippers" (home-style fried-potato slices).

My favorite bar food is at a place that many continue to consider their favorite local sports bar.

Address: 1300 Savannah Highway.

Phone: 763-0605.

Credit Cards: All accepted but American Express.

Hours: 11-2 a.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-2 a.m. Sunday.

Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m. weekdays.

Prices: $3 domestic, $3.50 import, $4 well brand.

Team affiliation: No official sponsorships.

Blue's House of Wings

You don't have to actually have "sports" in a bar's name to be a sports bar, and Blue's House of Wings in Mount Pleasant is a perfect example.

Since 1983, owner Richard Bonnette has been able to attract sports fans, especially Pittsburgh Steelers fans, from across the Lowcountry to his little bar in the Anna Knapp Plaza off Johnnie Dodds Boulevard.

While fans of all teams are welcome, Bonnette estimates that when the Steelers play, about three-quarters of the roughly 150 people are Pittsburgh fans. Many are former Pennsylvanians who have found in Blue's a great place to root for the old home team.

In keeping with the Steelers theme, Pittsburgh's Iron City Beer is served up. This "house of wings" is unusual in that it grills its wings. Try the wings and you'll notice the difference. Very good, just different.

Plenty of TVs, plenty of good food and plenty of fun. And God help you if you're cheering for the team playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Address: 1039 Johnnie Dodds Blvd.

Phone: 881-1858.

Credit cards: All major credit cards accepted.

Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Saturday, 3 p.m.-midnight Sunday.

Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m.

Prices: $2.75 domestic, $3.50 import, $4.15 well brand.

Team affiliation: Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Owner's Box

I first began going to The Owner's Box in North Charleston when it was called "The Scoreboard" in the late 1990s. It seems that the place has always had a sports-themed name.

Much darker on the inside than it used to be (which actually makes it look "hip," for lack of a better term), the triangle-shaped bar in the center is a good place to watch the big game. TVs line each of the bar's three sides and are featured in the pool table area.

The Owner's Box features live bands frequently and is one of the liveliest areas of North Charleston, as it is on Rivers Avenue near Northwoods Mall.

The only real complaint I've ever heard about The Owner's Box is that on a busy night, the relatively small parking lot can fill up quickly, a testament to the bar's popularity and a problem I'm sure any sports bar "owner" would rather have than not.

Address: 7575 Rivers Ave.

Phone: 764-1744.

Credit cards: All major credit cards accepted.

Hours: 4 p.m.-2 a.m. weekdays, noon-2 a.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m. weekdays.

Prices: $3 domestic, $3.50 import, $4 well brand.

Team affiliation: No official sponsorships.

King Street Grille

With locations downtown, in Mount Pleasant and now on Kiawah Island, King Street Grille is arguably the nicest sports bar in the Lowcountry.

The first time I stepped foot in the downtown spot, I didn't realize it was a sports bar. But I soon learned. With large TV screens throughout the bar, the volume often gets high at King Street Grille, as fans scream and yell for their favorite teams. The crowd also tends to veer a bit younger than most sports bars, particularly at the original King Street location.

The "Grille" part cannot be ignored. While King Street Grille is undoubtedly a sports bar, its menu is not "bar food." It is a full-blown restaurant with great entrees from steak to salmon, chicken to chowder.

Football fans of all stripes, and particularly college football fans who seem to fill the place regularly, won't find a nicer, more upscale bar/restaurant to watch their favorite teams than at King Street Grille.

Address: Downtown, 304 King St.; Mount Pleasant, 1136 Hungryneck Blvd.; Kiawah, 679 Freshfields Drive.

Phone: Downtown, 304-5464; Mount Pleasant, 216-7272; Kiawah 768-5444.

Credit cards: All major credit cards accepted.

Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily.

Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m. weekdays.

Prices: $3 domestic, $3.50 import, $4.25 well brand.

Team affiliation: No official football sponsorship, but the owner certainly loves the New York Yankees.

Charleston Beerworks

Charleston Beerworks often competes with King Street Grille as one of the favorite places for fans to watch football downtown.

Compared to King Street Grille, the environment at Beerworks is somewhere between your traditional casual sports bar and its more swanky competitor.

Beerworks features live bands, has a quality menu (the spicy cheese balls are a must, as are the crab leg specials) and, of course, takes pride in the beer selection, which is indicative of its name: Beerworks has more than 30 beers on tap.

But sports are king at this bar on Upper King. When walking by Beerworks' large glass windows during any major game, you will not only see a bar packed with fans, but hear them as they cheer loudly in victory or agonize in defeat.

Like King Street Grille, the Beerworks crowd definitely veers younger, which makes for perhaps even more enthusiastic crowds. And win or lose, Charleston Beerworks gives sports fan plenty of reasons to be enthused.

Address: 468 King St.

Phone: 577-5885.

Credit cards: All major credit cards accepted.

Hours: 5 p.m.-2 a.m. daily.

Happy Hour: 5-8 p.m. daily.

Prices: $3 domestic, $3.50 import, $4.25 well brand.

Team affiliation: No official football sponsorship, but the owner loves the Boston Red Sox. It looks like Charleston Beerworks and King Street Grille are competitors in more ways than one.

Bobby Hartin's Sports Grill & Raw Bar

Bobby Hartin's Sport Grill and Raw Bar long has competed with George's for most popular sports bar in West Ashley.

Bobby Hartin's has two spacious rooms (5,000 square feet) and is chock-full of TVs. On my recent visit during the Clemson vs. Alabama football game, there wasn't an empty seat in the house, another example of the bar's popularity. When I think of the perfect traditional sports bar, Bobby Hartin's most definitely fits the mold.

Sports radio host Hartin, is also a USC graduate. His place is considered a haven for Carolina Gamecocks fans, and it is no coincidence that Hartin shares their enthusiasm. Bobby Hartin's also has a reputation of having one of the fastest and most efficient wait staffs in the area.

If you like football, Carolina or otherwise, you can't go wrong at Bobby Hartin's.

Address: 1124 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.

Phone: 852-0555.

Credit cards: All major credit cards accepted.

Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday.

Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m. weekdays.

Prices: $3 domestic, $3.50 import, $4 well brand.

Team affiliation: For all intents and purposes, Bobby Hartin's is Carolina Gamecocks fan central.

Halligan's Restaurant and Bar

With the closing of Sportz Cafe on Montague Avenue, Halligan's Restaurant and Bar in West Ashley has to be the largest sports bar in the Lowcountry.

Although it is also a live-music venue, the countless TVs and large projection screen are used mostly for watching sports, and the big games pack them in at Halligan's.

Whereas places such as Bobby Hartin's and George's are relatively intimate, Halligan's size gives it a different, more open feel. In most bars, fans can stand up and cheer. At Halligan's, you probably could run around in circles if you liked.

UFC and WWE PPVs also are offered, and Halligan's features pool tables, multiple video games and even a bowling lane. I told you it was big.

Address: 3025 Ashley Towne Centre, Suite 201.

Phone: 225-4347.

Credit Cards: All major credit cards accepted.

Hours: 3 p.m.-2 a.m. weekdays, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. weekends.

Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m. weekdays.

Prices: $3 domestic, $2.50 draft, $3.50 import, $4.25 well brand.

Team affiliation: No official sponsorships.

Manny's Neighborhood Grill

Any place with 48 large-screen TVs, including a TV in each booth, is most definitely a sports bar — I don't care what else it does or what it calls itself.

Manny's Neighborhood Grill in West Ashley is known for many things, especially its excellent food, but also is a favorite spot to watch sports.

Manny's carries every major sports package, and while one might think West Ashley has too many sports bars (Bobby Hartin's is right across the street), the little Greek restaurant/bar never has any problems packing in the fans for important games. Manny's also features wireless audio, where you can hear any game at any table.

A family-friendly environment, Manny's is the perfect place to take the kids (or for a boys night out) to enjoy a lunch or dinner and enjoy a game. The individual flat-screen TVs in booths are one of my favorite features at Manny's, as is its "gyro platter."

I would love to know what the rest of the menu is like, but I've yet to get past my favorite dish.

Address: 1680 S.C. Highway 171.

Phone: 763-3908.

Credit Cards: All major credit cards accepted.

Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily.

Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m. weekdays.

Prices: $2.75 domestic, $3.25 import, $3.75 well brand.

Team affiliation: No official sponsorship.

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