Neighborhood: Lower Haight
530 Haight St
(between Fillmore St & Steiner St),
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 626-7279, call this line for soccer schedule.
It opens early for live EPL, World Cup, Euro, Champions League, MLS and more on weekends and weekdays, with replays shown later in the day and throughout the week. There is an excellent atmosphere for any big match but sometimes there is a cover charge to enter for special matches that you can’t see at home. Call first if you’re concerned about it. I’ve watched numerous games here over the years coming all the way over from Oakland because I like it so much. I have a great time here watching matches, sometimes even if my team doesn’t win. Lots of screens, high ceilings and most people stand when it gets packed. It feels like you’re at a pub in England. I remember watching England vs. Argentina in World Cup ’98. The crowd was mostly English ex-pats and the crowd exploded when Owen scored that amazing goal but was crestfallen when Argentina won the match. It felt so weird leaving that day as it was just a regular day in America once you stepped out into the streets of SF. I also watched USA vs. South Korea here in 2002 and it was packed with US fans including members of the Earthquakes at that time such as Ian Russell. In 2006 the geezers from Fox Football Fone In were in the place doing their internet radio show live during an England match and I won a Winning 11 video game which was cool. Of course the place has a wide selection of beers and some standard pub fare but you don’t go there for the food.
Kezar Pub
Neighborhood: Cole Valley/ Upper Haight
770 Stanyan St,
(between Beulah St & Waller St),
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 442-7994, call this line for soccer schedule.
Kezar Pub and Mad Dog In the Fog are the best places to watch soccer in the bay area so perhaps its understandable that they have the same ownership. Kezar like Mad Dog shows live EPL, World Cup, Euro, Champions League, MLS and more on the weekends and weekdays, with replays shown throughout the rest of the day and week. Again sometimes there can be cover charges and they can be up to $20 for games not on ESPN, FSC or a major network. Kezar has loads of TVs making any seat a good one. The big difference with Kezar is that it has lower ceilings and lots of tables and chairs. It’s a better set up to eat and watch a match than Mad Dog but can feel claustrophobic when packed. Case in point, England vs. Brazil in World Cup ’02, it was insanely crowded with both Brazilian and English fans. England lost, again, but it was great atmosphere just not as easy to breath when it gets real full as a place with better circulation and higher ceilings. Most people would consider Kezar nicer inside than Mad Dog but I don’t care about that much. It does have a much bigger menu than Mad Dog but both have a wide selection of brews and drink to chose from. If you’re a soccer fan and live in S.F., you probably have already been to these two pubs a hundred times. Both venues have separate rooms so they can show two live games at once to different sets of supporters.
198 Fifth Street (between 5th & Howard)
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 615-0916
If you are looking for a place to watch Euro 2008 south of market The Chieftain is a good option. It’s a nice little irish pub with good food and drink. There are several TVs and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. I watched the US tie Italy here during the 2006 World Cup, the place was packed and the atmosphere was excellent. As always you should probably call or check the website for more info.
348 Columbus Avenue (between Grant and Vallejo)
San Francisco, CA
(415) 397-0435
With Euro 2008 right around the corner you may want to consider taking in some matches at this Italian restaurant in North Beach. I’ve watched a number of international matches here over the years and there is always a good atmosphere and big crowd. At times all the seats can be taken and people will stand outside on the sidewalk and watch through the open windows. The people are friendly and you can get some decent Italian food and coffee plus the neighborhood adds to the European feel and overall vibe. Check it out. Call or look at their website for info on matches shown. It will be packed for Italy games so get there early.
The Irish Bank
Neighborhood: Union Square
10 Mark Lane
(between Bush St. & Harlan Pl.),
San Francisco, CA
Say you work downtown and you are looking for a spot to sneak away to for a couple of hours around lunch to watch the Euro 2008. The Irish Bank is an excellent option as it is located down a discrete alley right off Union Square. It’s a nice Irish Pub and there is guaranteed to be good atmosphere for any big match. I watched a couple of World Cup 2006 matches here and had an awesome time. The place isn’t big but when it gets packed they just set up TVs and seating outside so that everyone can watch. Check out their website for more info.
East Bay
The Englander Pub
101 Parrott St (between 14th St & Dolores Ave) San Leandro, CA 94577
(510) 357-3571 - www.englanderpub.com
I don’t make it down to San Leandro much and probably one of the only reasons I would ever go would be to see a match at The Englander Pub. This is probably the closest thing to Mad Dog/Kezar that you’ll find in the East Bay. They show a lot of EPL matches plus all major tournaments, just give them a call or check out their website for more info. Again, they may have a cover charge for some matches. It’s the place to go for soccer if you’re in San Leandro or Hayward. Good food, drink and for watching big games, good atmosphere.
The Starry Plough
Neighborhood: South Berkeley
3101 Shattuck Avenue
(between Prince St & Woolsey St) Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 841-2082 - www.starryploughpub.com
I used to live just a few blocks away from here for many years and I’ve watched World Cup matches at this laid back Irish Pub. There generally aren’t big crowds for matches here and they tend to just show the big tournaments like the World Cup, still they have a massive screen HD. I watched Ivory Coast vs. Holland here in 2006 and it was cool, there were about 50 people including folks form both countries so it was nice without being insanely packed. Good food and drink selection. I like the veggie burgers with chips (fries). Definitely call first or check out their website to insure they’ll be showing the match you want to see.
This is the place to go to see soccer matches on TV in San Jose. You should call or look online for the schedule. There are plenty of screens plus good food and a wide variety of beer to choose from. The place can get crowded for bigger matches.
Only a few steps from the Earthquakes stadium, this is the ideal place to watch the game if you arrived too late to get tickets!
Monday to Friday between 11 and 2, they have an all-you-can-eat buffet including a salad bar, unlimited sllices of
pizza and unlimited sodas. Great for European Champions' League Games!
Another branch of the south bay Britannia Arms British pub empire, this is a great place to watch the beautiful game while having some good food and drink. They will be showing Euro 2008 matches live and they also show Earthquakes and MLS matches as well as EPL games. I know the folks from Club Quake like to gather here to watch matches and I hear the atmosphere is always good. The Brit also organizes bus trips to go see the Quakes up in Oakland. Check out their website for all the details. Bottom line, if you are looking for a place to watch soccer in the south bay, you should check out the Brittania Arms nearest you!
Britannia Arms
1087 S De Anza Blvd ,
Cupertino, CA
(408) 252-1711
This is the original of the several South Bay Britannia Arms pubs and is a great place to watch matches with several nice and large flat screen TVs. Its bigger, more low key and lived in than the downtown branch and not as swanky. They organize bus trips up to Oakland for the Quakes games that will be happening there and they will be showing all of the Euro 2008 matches. They have a cool wall of soccer memorabilia from the UK and there is guaranteed to be a fun non-trendy crowd on hand for any big match. Just give them a call for more info or stop by. The service is great and friendly and of course there’s a wide selection of beers of food to indulge in while you watch the match.
This should get you started but look for more pubs and venues to watch soccer being added to this list as our site expands.
