Last updated on June 8th, 2025
Sometimes, the best enhancement to a sporting event is the location where you watch it. Ideally, that location will be a crowded arena, with you optimally positioned in excellent seats. To that end, Ohio does have several options on hand.
We will touch on those options a little later. However, you don’t need to be courtside to have fun watching sports. Ohio is full of sports bars and other special locations that will make your viewing experience more enjoyable.
And if you’d like to make a bet, you are in luck. Ohio legalized sports betting in 2023. You can learn more about your options here: youbet.com/sports-news/how-to-bet-on-sports-in-ohio/
Pro Venues
Before we get too deep into the weeds with bars, restaurants, and so on, it’s good to keep in mind that Ohio has a super high concentration of professional sports teams.
- In Major League Baseball, there are the Cleveland Guardians playing out of Progressive Field and the Cincinnati Reds playing out of Great American Ball Park.
- In the National Football League, there are the Cleveland Browns playing out of Huntington Bank Field and the Cincinnati Bengals playing out of Paycor Stadium.
- In the National Basketball Association, there are the Cleveland Cavaliers playing out of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
- In the National Hockey League, there are the Columbus Blue Jackets playing out of Nationwide Arena.
If you are near Cleveland or Cincinnati, there are so many opportunities to take in a good game in person. And considering the price of draft beer and bar food, you might even save money seeing these events in person if that’s the route you want to take.
We all love the stadium experience. Sometimes that’s not the vibe you are looking for, though. In those cases, take a look at some of the most unique venues in Ohio.
Jerzee’s, Canton:
Admittedly, if the food and drink options were the only criteria for recognition on this list, Jerzee’s probably wouldn’t make it. This, not to say that the food is bad, but no more exceptional than the eating options at your average restaurant chain.
This is a burger and onion ring kind of place, with expensive domestic beer, wait staff in neat uniforms, and large televisions everywhere you turn your head.
What makes Jerzee’s special is the location. It’s situated inside the National Football League Hall of Fame.
What better place to watch a game in Ohio than in a shrine dedicated to some of the best athletic performances in American history?
Parlay Sporting Club + Kitchen, Columbus
The name tells you everything you need to know about this place’s priorities. Here the sports come first.
The kitchen is also well-equipped, though, serving up typical bar fare–fried things between buns–alongside more interesting options, like shrimp, roasted vegetables, and several decent pasta dishes. It’s a very modern-looking venue catering to a slightly upmarket crowd.
This is the sort of spot where most entrees start in the mid-$20s and can go up from there. See what we meant about saving money by seeing certain sports in person? But your money buys you a seat in a nice location with good food and drinks easily within reach.
The Pitch, Cincinnati:
The Pitch is a soccer-themed sports bar located in Cincinnati. Like any sports bar, they have lots of screens, tuned at all times to soccer if at all possible.
More unique is the “pitch” located outside the bar. There you’ll find a small soccer field designed for three-on-three matches. Which may sound like an insane activity to consider, but maybe have a beer or two and then think on it some more.
Food is not really the focus here, but they do have a small menu with affordably priced bar classics–and even some vegetarian options.
If you love soccer, this place is a no-brainer. Easily the best place in Ohio for viewing the sport.
Saturn’s Sports Bar, Columbus:
Your typical dive bar environment with dim lighting and floors that aren’t exactly grody but have every appearance of having been through some stuff.
For that, Saturn’s features a surprisingly upmarket food selection. You can get gourmet flatbreads, really excellent wings, and other typical bar favorites presented in an upgraded package.
So Many Options to Choose From
Did we exclude one of your favorite spots? That’s a distinct possibility in a state known for its devotion to sports.
The truth is that any one of Ohio’s many fine towns will have a variety of excellent options to choose from. Decide for yourself what qualities are the most important.
Certainly, there is no objective list. From the atmosphere to the food and drink options, everyone has a distinct set of priorities.
