Whether Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are playing or Katie Ledecky and Team USA are swimming, women's sports draw crowds of hungry and thirsty people to bars nationwide.
However, one problem that keeps popping up is that most bars are not streaming these events or any other women's sporting events, which has led to a new style of bar being created by women who want to fix the problem.
These new sports bars specialize in presenting major games and offer fans a safe space to watch the game while serving food and beverages in a traditional sports bar setting.
The Sports Bra, Portland, Oregon
The Sports Bra was the first women's sports-centered bar established in the U.S. Located in Portland, Oregon, the bar offers a rich community that celebrates and empowers girls and women in sports and is also open to children. The Sports Bra stated, "We also welcome kids, as we believe exposing them to women's sports can have lasting impacts on their understanding of equity in sports and life."
The bar regularly plays games from the Portland Thorns, an American professional soccer team based in Portland, the WNBA and any NCAA women's sporting event.
The bar serves a variety of food, including burgers, salads, appetizers and other sandwiches that are all house-made. In addition to the food, The Sports Bra offers an extensive drink menu, with several of the drinks named after sporting terms: the Alley Oop, 30 Love and Title IX.
Rough and Tumble Pub, Seattle
Described as “Seattle’s pub for women’s sports,” Rough and Tumble Pub, located in Seattle, Washington, got its name from one of the earliest women’s soccer teams, the Dick, Kerr Ladies FC (the “Rough Girls”). The bar offers a stadium-centered experience honoring the legacy of women's sports and advocating for equal playing fields when it comes to watching and playing.
The bar is open during the week from 4-10 p.m. and until midnight on the weekends. It offers a wide selection of food options such as salads, burgers, fish sandwiches, various appetizers and desserts with fun sports-based names like the Billie Jean King Chicken Wings and the Little League Ice Cream.
Similar to The Sports Bra, Rough and Tumble Pub's drink menu uses witty names for the beverages served. Notable ones include the Benchwarmer, the Buzzer Beater and the Play Like a Girl.
A Bar of Their Own, Minneapolis
In 2023, during a night out, Jillian Hiscock was shocked that no TV screen in any bar was playing the University of Minnesota Gophers softball national tournament game. After asking a bartender to put it on, she thought to herself, "What if fans of women's sports had a place to come together and cheer loudly for their favorite team on the biggest screen in the bar … with the sound on?" The thought led to her creation of A Bar of Their Own.
The inclusive and family-friendly space is the first of its kind in the state. In addition to regularly playing women's sports, the bar hosts watch parties for the Minnesota-based Professional Women’s Hockey League team, The Minnesota Frost, and a weekly trivia night hosted by Hiscock.
The menu includes starters such as the Knockout Nachos and MVP Cauliflower Wings and entrees such as the Tee of Turkey Burger.
Open Wednesday-Sunday, A Bar of Their Own's drink menu features local seasonal beer and ciders, cocktails, draft beers, seltzers and mocktails to appease any crowd.
The W Sports Bar, Cleveland
With several professional teams based in Cleveland, including the Browns, Guardians, Cavaliers and Monsters, there is no shortage of sports coverage at local bars. However, as women's sports continue to grow in popularity, the demand for them to be streamed in bars has also increased. Soon entering the screen to help its demand will be The W Sports Bar.
The bar was created by three women who wanted to merge their passion for women's sports with their desire for an inclusive space for sports fans. The bar's mission statement includes wanting to be a business celebrating women's sports, creating a welcoming environment and amplifying diverse voices that “celebrate the stories, achievements, and impact of athletes, fans, and supporters."
While the bar has not opened yet, it recently announced its plan to be up and running in the spring of this year. People wanting to support the bar can purchase W Sports Bar hoodies and shirts or donate to the establishment's Back the Bar campaign to help fund the building and operating costs.
With the WNBA games in full swing and several NCAA championships coming up, these women's sports-centered bars are sure to be filled with fans of all ages eating, drinking, watching and supporting women in sports.
