The big chain sports bars get most of the attention on game day. They have the parking lots, the TV commercials and the same menu from coast to coast. But ask a group of fans where they would rather watch a big match and plenty of them will name a local place instead. It might be a beach bar with sand on the floor, a pub where the bartender knows their order, or a spot they have been going to for years.
New research from Bovada Sportsbook, released ahead of the World Cup, set out to find which independent sports bars Americans like best. The results cover the whole country, from the Gulf Coast to northern Minnesota to the beaches of Southern California.
How the Rankings Were Put Together
Bovada looked at independent sports bars in all 50 states. Chain bars were left out. Each bar was scored on four things:
- Its review score on Tripadvisor
- Its review score on Google
- The total number of reviews on both sites
- The number of Instagram hashtags tied to the bar
Google Maps supplied the Google scores and review counts. Tripadvisor supplied its own scores and counts. Instagram hashtag numbers came from Keyword.io. All of the figures were correct as of May 2026.
Using all four together means a bar can't win on one thing alone. A place with a perfect score but only a few dozen reviews doesn't get very far, and neither does a bar that is all over social media but gets poor reviews from people who have actually been there. The bars at the top did well on almost every measure.
The Top 10 Independent Sports Bars in America
Here is the full list, with Google score and review count shown for each:
- Flora-Bama Ole River, Pensacola, Florida (Google 4.5, 5,255 reviews)
- Bar 209, Bemidji, Minnesota (Google 4.8, 3,954 reviews)
- Two Fools Tavern, Albuquerque, New Mexico (Google 4.6, 3,957 reviews)
- Crazy Craig's Cheeky Monkey Bar, Branson, Missouri (Google 4.7, 4,060 reviews)
- Cleavers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Google 4.4, 3,764 reviews)
- The Camp, Natchez, Mississippi (Google 4.5, 1,179 reviews)
- Busby's West, Santa Monica, California (Google 4.2, 918 reviews)
- Winchell's, Lexington, Kentucky (Google 4.6, 2,664 reviews)
- Maple Landing, Dallas, Texas (Google 4.5, 1,529 reviews)
- Paramount, Birmingham, Alabama (Google 4.5, 2,203 reviews)
The top 10 covers 10 different states, and no region has it to itself. The South is well represented, with Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky, Texas and Alabama all on the list. The Midwest has Minnesota and Missouri. The Northeast has Philadelphia, the Southwest has Albuquerque and the West Coast has Santa Monica.
Number One: Flora-Bama Ole River, Florida
A Gulf Coast Institution
Flora-Bama Ole River in Pensacola sits right on the Florida–Alabama coastline and came out on top. It is known for a lively beachfront atmosphere, live music and a long reputation as a Gulf Coast institution.
The Numbers Behind the Win
Flora-Bama got a 4.5 on Google from 5,255 reviews, which is the most Google reviews of any bar in the study. It also has 1,086 Tripadvisor reviews with a 4.3 average, the most Tripadvisor reviews in the top 10. Put together, that is more than 6,300 reviews, which is a lot of people coming back to write about their visit.
Its Instagram number, 185 hashtags, is modest next to some of the others. That tells you something about Flora-Bama. It doesn't need to be a social media favorite to be the country's top independent sports bar. People go, have a good time, and then say so in reviews, thousands of times. That is how it became one of the best-known waterfront party spots in the country.
Number Two: Bar 209, Minnesota
Small Town, Top Scores
Bemidji is in northern Minnesota and isn't a big city, yet Bar 209 came in second. It has the highest Google score in the whole study at 4.8, from 3,954 reviews.
It also leads the top 10 on Tripadvisor with a 4.6 from 334 reviews. No other bar on the list scored higher on either site.
A Neighborhood Bar People Stick With
Bar 209 is described as a classic neighborhood bar with a loyal following. It isn't a tourist trap or a trendy new opening. It is a go-to social spot for the area, and its 428 Instagram hashtags show people like to share where they are. The high scores suggest the people who go there regularly are very happy with it.
Number Three: Two Fools Tavern, New Mexico
Two Fools Tavern in Albuquerque came in third. It has a laid-back, traditional pub feel, the kind of place where a fan can watch a match without a lot of fuss.
Its scores are steady across the board: 4.6 on Google from 3,957 reviews and 4.3 on Tripadvisor from 470 reviews. Where it really stands out among the top three is Instagram, with 697 hashtags. That is more than Flora-Bama and Bar 209 combined.
It draws both locals and visitors looking for a casual game-day bar with some character. It is also one of three bars that made both the overall top 10 and the Instagram top 10.
The Rest of the Top 10
Crazy Craig's Cheeky Monkey Bar, Missouri
Branson is best known for its shows and family attractions, but Crazy Craig's Cheeky Monkey Bar put the town on the sports bar map too, coming in fourth. It has 4,060 Google reviews, second only to Flora-Bama, with a strong 4.7 average. On Tripadvisor it scores 4.4 from 480 reviews. It has only 61 Instagram hashtags, so like Flora-Bama, it earned its spot with good reviews rather than social media.
Cleavers, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia fans are known as some of the most passionate in the country, and Cleavers came in fifth. It scores 4.4 on Google from 3,764 reviews and 4.3 on Tripadvisor from 293 reviews. It also has 344 Instagram hashtags, so it does well online too.
The Camp, Mississippi
The Camp in Natchez came in sixth. It has 726 Tripadvisor reviews, the second highest in the top 10 after Flora-Bama, with a 4.4 average. On Google it scores 4.5 from 1,179 reviews. That high Tripadvisor count suggests the bar is popular with visitors to the historic river town. It has just 29 Instagram hashtags, tied for the fewest on the list.
Busby's West, California
Busby's West in Santa Monica is the most unusual bar on the list. Its review numbers are the weakest in the top 10: 3.4 on Tripadvisor from only 45 reviews and 4.2 on Google from 918 reviews. But its Instagram presence is so large, 4,178 hashtags, that it still came in seventh overall. More on that below.
Winchell's, Kentucky
Winchell's in Lexington came in eighth. It has a 4.6 on Google from 2,664 reviews and a 4.3 on Tripadvisor from 203 reviews. Like The Camp, it has only 29 Instagram hashtags. The people who go there clearly like it, even if they don't post about it much.
Maple Landing, Texas
Maple Landing in Dallas came in ninth. It has only 32 Tripadvisor reviews, the fewest in the top 10, but with a solid 4.4 average. It also has a 4.5 on Google from 1,529 reviews. Its 1,326 Instagram hashtags are the second most of any independent sports bar in the country.
Paramount, Alabama
Paramount in Birmingham rounds out the top 10. It scores 4.5 on Google from 2,203 reviews and 4.4 on Tripadvisor from 181 reviews, with 113 Instagram hashtags. It is a steady performer on every measure and a good place to catch a game in Alabama.
The Most Instagrammed Sports Bars in America
Busby's West Wins by a Mile
Bovada also ranked independent sports bars by Instagram hashtags alone. Busby's West won easily with 4,178 hashtags, more than three times as many as the bar in second.
It's easy to see why. Busby's is a high-energy beachfront sports bar known for its lively crowds, wall-to-wall screens and party atmosphere. When a place looks like that during a big match, people take out their phones.
Here is the Instagram top 10:
- Busby's West, Santa Monica, California (4,178 hashtags)
- Maple Landing, Dallas, Texas (1,326 hashtags)
- Adelphia Sports Bar, Charleston, West Virginia (1,118 hashtags)
- Ivy Tavern, Providence, Rhode Island (921 hashtags)
- Will's Northwoods Inn, Chicago, Illinois (833 hashtags)
- The Westy, Seattle, Washington (784 hashtags)
- Two Fools Tavern, Albuquerque, New Mexico (697 hashtags)
- No Other Pub, Kansas City, Missouri (696 hashtags)
- Recovery Sports Grill, Charleston, West Virginia (563 hashtags)
- CAPS Sports Grill, Phoenix, Arizona (534 hashtags)
Maple Landing Comes in Second
Maple Landing in Dallas took second place with 1,326 hashtags. It has a modern gastropub style, a good craft beer selection and a relaxed but upbeat feel. For fans who want better food and beer than standard bar fare while they watch, it's a good fit.
Adelphia Sports Bar Takes Third
Adelphia Sports Bar in Charleston, West Virginia, came third with 1,118 hashtags. It is a no-frills game-day bar known for having a lot of TVs showing sports from around the world. For soccer fans, that matters, because not every bar will show international matches. Adelphia also has a wide range of bourbon and beer.
Charleston Punches Above Its Weight
Charleston is the only city with two bars on the Instagram list. Along with Adelphia in third, Recovery Sports Grill came ninth with 563 hashtags. Charleston is a fairly small state capital, and it beat plenty of bigger cities to get two spots.
Missouri also shows up in both rankings. Crazy Craig's in Branson made the overall top 10, and No Other Pub in Kansas City made the Instagram list with 696 hashtags.
What the Data Says About Great Sports Bars
Comparing the two lists shows there is more than one way to be a great sports bar.
Some bars win on reviews. Flora-Bama, Crazy Craig's, The Camp and Winchell's all made the overall top 10 without much Instagram activity. People go, enjoy themselves and write about it afterward. Word of mouth still counts.
Other bars win on buzz. Busby's West has fewer than 1,000 reviews across both sites, but it is the most posted-about independent sports bar in the country. It is built to be seen and shared, with big crowds, lots of screens and a beach setting.
A few bars do both. Busby's West, Maple Landing and Two Fools Tavern are the only three to make both lists. Two Fools Tavern stands out most, with a top-three overall finish and a spot in the Instagram top 10.
Size isn't everything either. Bemidji, Natchez and Branson aren't major cities, yet all three have bars in the national top 10. Big-city bars like Busby's and Maple Landing do well on Instagram, but when it comes to steady, high reviews, small towns hold their own.
Why Independent Bars Still Matter
The American bar scene is one of the most varied in the world. It runs from roadside dives with a cult following to busy neighborhood favorites. Chains may cover much of the country, but independent bars have their own loyal crowds, and this data shows how loyal those crowds can be.
Thousands of people went out of their way to write reviews for these places, and thousands more tagged them on Instagram. Chains can't really copy that. For fans picking a place to watch a game, whether it's the World Cup, a Sunday football game or a playoff run, the list is a good reminder that a great bar may be just down the road.
Bovada Sportsbook, which ran the study, is an online casino and sportsbook that says it focuses on building trust with players and giving them the best possible experience.
