Bowl Games: Best Places To Watch Football In Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, AL - The college football bowl games begin December 15, with a whopping 39 games scheduled through the month of December and into January. This means football fans across the country will have more football to watch in the post-season than ever, and fans of Alabama schools will have a vested interest.

UAB, Alabama, Auburn and Troy have all been invited to play in bowl games this year, and for those fans who are not planning to attend the games in Boca Raton (UAB v. Northern Illinois), Nashville (Auburn v. Purdue), Mobile (Troy v. Buffalo) or Miami (Alabama v. Oklahoma), there are plenty of options for a great game day experience outside of the living room.

The entire bowl season schedule can be viewed here.

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Using ratings from several consumer-based ranking lists, here are the top 10 places to watch football in the Birmingham area:

1. Good People Brewing; 114 14th Street South, Birmingham: Located across from Regions Field, this craft brewery has an ample number of screens to watch the game, and serves some of the best beer in Birmingham. Food trucks are usually on hand for when you get hungry and Tortuga's Pizza is right next door.
2. Iron City; 513 22nd St South, Birmingham: This venue not only has a huge screen, but also several other tvs in the bar area, and serves fantastic food. A favorite among UAB faithful, the restaurant/bar is located just blocks from the UAB campus.
3. Cahaba Brewing Co.; 4500 5th Avenue South, Avondale: This is a huge venue with tons of tvs inside and outside. They serve award-winning craft beer and have food trucks on site daily.
4. Blackwell's Pub; 3151 Green Valley Road, Cahaba Heights: With good food, plenty of drink selections and a great atmosphere, consumers have raved about Blackwell's as a venue to watch sports. Located in Cahaba Heights, there is also no shortage of football fans on hand to share the experience.
5. The Refinery; 728 29th St South, Birmingham: A relative newcomer to the restaurant scene in Birmingham, this sports bar has also received top reviews. Several screens are on hand to watch any game you may want to watch, and the food has received excellent reviews.
6. Dave & Busters; 2700 Galleria Circle, Hoover: With all kinds of games and activities available at Dave & Busters, you may forget there is a football game going on. This new addition to the sports bar scene in Birmingham has received rave reviews from fans who want to sit back and watch their team among a crowd of football fans.
7. Saw's Juke Joint; 1115 Dunston Ave., Crestline Park: Anyone in Birmingham unfamiliar with the barbecue at Saw's has likely not lived in Birmingham long. This restaurant and bar has plenty of tvs inside and outside, and there is always a thick crowd of fellow sports fans on hand to watch the game.
8. Paramount Bar; 200 20th Street North, Birmingham: Paramount is an arcade bar and has plenty to do if the game is not going your way. It does have a great sports atmosphere, good food and a large drink selection.
9. The Beer Hog; 112 Bowling Lane, Pelham: With glowing reviews for its service and atmosphere, this Pelham beer bar is an ideal place to watch football, as it attracts fans from all over. In a convenient location and with plenty of games broadcast at once, it is a must-visit for any football fan. Food trucks are usually on site as well.
10. Buffalo Wild Wings; 1416 4th Ave S, Birmingham: A chain known for its sports atmosphere and food, there are several locations in the metro area, but this one in particular received the most positive reviews as far as a football-watching venue.

Photo by Steven Limentani/ISI/Shutterstock