The playoffs this year are just incredible. Last week, watching KC come back and beat the snot out of Houston was nothing short of epic. Imagine being at that game! As a long suffering Dolphins fan it’s been a hot minute since I was able to attend a playoff game (and I was pulling hard for Tannehill yesterday, but KC means business). As a very happy and fortunate South Floridian, I settle for what I consider the next best thing, watching other teams play post-season games at my local outdoor bars and restaurants.
Earlier this season, I went to the new hot spot sports bar in town to watch my beloved Florida Gators take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. It was mid-October, while most of the country is enjoying colorful foliage and crisp afternoons, Fort Lauderdale is still pretty hot. Still, I will always choose an outdoor or at least open-air venue when I’m out with friends for a serious afternoon of football watching. Much to my dismay, the newest, hottest spot for outdoor football watching lacked the one thing that is pretty critical to the football watching experience… DISPLAYS!
Check out all of that prime real estate that’s going completely unused! Install a few 55” or 65” Peerless-AV UltraViewTM UHD Outdoor TVs on those white walls and I’d be at this bar every weekend for the games. The restaurant manager wouldn’t need to worry about covering them or the typical Florida afternoon thunderstorms damaging them, they’re built specifically to handle the elements! Not that anyone wants to watch TV outside when it’s negative 22° or as hot as 122° but these TVs can handle those extreme temps! And they’re all-weather rated for direct sunlight, rain and snow. What a missed opportunity for this restaurant, I never went back. If there are any Fort Lauderdale integrators looking for an easy job to sell go check out Quarterdeck Fort Lauderdale and tell them they need some Peerless-AV UltraViewTM Outdoor TVs! Let me know when the job’s done and I’ll give them another chance.
My usual spot for Saturday and Sunday sports-watching is Bokampers. Located right on Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal waterway this place has 167 TVs! Yes, you read that right. One. Hundred. And. Sixty. Seven. If you can’t find your game here then your team must be in terrible shape. Even on the day I captured this shot one of their TVs was on the fritz and still it was an ideal football watching day.
Sometime in mid-November, Bokampers opened a new location, Bo’s Pub Las Olas. It’s a spot right on what I like to call the Rodeo Drive of Fort Lauderdale, where all of the hot restaurants and boutique shops are. I forget what this place was before they turned it into a sports pub, but adding the dvLED wall made me a total fan. With lots of TVs mounted throughout the downstairs and this awesome video wall, you won’t miss a single play when you come here to watch a game.
If you have ever met me, you know I’d be remiss if I didn’t throw in one last establishment… Heather’s Hut! It’s by far my favorite spot ever to watch a game. The food’s amazing, the drinks are always cold, and even if it’s just me and my pups, the company cannot be beat, even if my team is!
Drop a comment and let me know your favorite spots to catch the game and why. I could use some recommendations for my upcoming travel schedule.
