Other metro bars welcoming World Cup fans
Meehan's Public House, 227 Sandy Springs Place, Sandy Springs. 404-843-8058, www.meehanssandysprings.com.
Stats, 300 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-885-1472, www.statsatl.com.
Stout Irish Pub, 56 E. Andrews Drive N.W. #16, Atlanta. 404-869-1151, www.stoutirishpub.com.
Sports fans in metro Atlanta are no strangers to watching their favorite teams on big-screen TVs in bars and pubs. However, every four years local watering holes welcome a new crowd of fans for a month during soccer’s World Cup. Brazil is hosting the event which begins Thursday and continues through July 13.
“It’s a huge boost to us,” said Dermot Lloyd, manager of Ri Ra Irish Pub in Atlanta. “The World Cup accounts for 30 percent more business.”
Bars across the city will be gathering places for expats following one or more national teams. Ellen Peacock, national marketing manager for Fado Irish Pub, said Atlantans should come out to enjoy the atmosphere of international soccer.
“It’s the world’s biggest sport, but it’s also the world’s biggest party,” she said.
Can’t make it to Rio? Don’t worry. Here are some metro area establishments showing all 64 World Cup games and rolling out the red carpet for soccer fans.
Fado Irish Pub
The World Cup isn’t just another sporting event to Fado. They plan years for these four weeks, just like the 32 teams that will be playing in Brazil. This will be the sixth World Cup that Fado has shown.
“We want to make it easy for fans on game day,” Peacock said. “We will show all 64 games live, and we will dress the pub up. We will also sell T-shirts representing each of the teams.”
Starting with a launch party for Game 1 on Thursday, Fado will show all of the action on HDTVs and have daily giveaways along with food and drink specials. Fans also can enter the Fado $1 Million Bracket Challenge, similar to March Madness bracket pools that college basketball fans are familiar with. If you pick 63 games correct (third-place game not included) you win the $1 million.
Fado is an official U.S. Soccer bar, but Peacock said fans from all 32 teams will pass through the doors at some point.
They even have a bartender who hails from the host country of Brazil: Julia Oliveira.
Oliveira has been in Atlanta for just over three years. “I just missed out on (being in Atlanta) for the last tournament,” the Rio de Janeiro native said. “From what I’ve heard from staff and friends of the pub, there’s a great atmosphere, friendly rivalries, and loads of laughs. I look forward to our regular customers mingling with new soccer fans and groups from all nationalities.
“Oh, yeah, and Brazil winning the tournament would be a bonus!”
Game you don't want to miss: Brazil vs. Croatia, 4 p.m. Thursday.
Fado Irish Pub, 273 Buckhead Ave., Atlanta. 404-841-0066, www.fadoirishpub.com.
North River Tavern
Located on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, and in the former location of a Steak & Ale, the North River Tavern is known throughout Sandy Springs for it’s beer choices, food and its hardcore sports fans.
That again will be the case starting Thursday at this longtime gathering place for New England Patriots football fanatics. Expect these Patriots fans to be cheering on Team USA and also Portugal, as the Boston area sports one of the largest populations of Portuguese immigrants in the world.
The North River Tavern will be pouring beers from the likes of Mexico, Germany and Belgium for fans, but if your allegiance falls with the American squad, you might want to stay with a Sam Adams Boston Lager and wear your red, white and blue.
Game you don't want to miss: USA vs. Portugal on June 22, at 6 p.m.
North River Tavern, 8879 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, (770) 552-8784, www.northrivertavern.com
Plaza Fiesta
There may be no more exciting place to catch World Cup action, especially when Mexico is playing. This 350,000-square-foot mall will be the one-stop destination for those looking to dine, shop and take care of errands while keeping an eye on the soccer action.
“We all are waiting to watch the game on (June 13),” said Ricardo Vilchis of the Mexican Tourist Board in Atlanta. “Mexicans will have the day off (and will be looking) for a place with a big screen and beer to watch the game.”
Mexico begins play June 13 against Cameroon, but circle June 17, on your calendar. It’s the day Mexico takes on Brazil, and Vilchis said a win would cause a huge victory celebration at Plaza Fiesta.
Game you don't want to miss: Brazil vs. Mexico, 3 p.m. June 17.
Plaza Fiesta, 4166 Buford Highway N.E., Atlanta. 404-982-9138, www.plazafiesta.net.
Brewhouse Cafe
The Brewhouse is prepping for wall-to-wall people for the duration of the tournament. While all the games will be shown, in past years large groups of fans from England, France, Italy, Spain and the U.S. have found a home there.
Breakfast will be served weekend mornings for early games. Food specials will be offered all day long.
Game you don't want to miss: England vs. Italy, 5 p.m. June 14.
Brewhouse Cafe, 401 Moreland Ave., Atlanta. 404-525-7799, www.brewhousecafe.com.
Dillon’s Sports Bar
If you are asking where you can eat some of the area’s best BBQ, watch World Cup soccer in a family friendly environment and stay right in Gwinnett County, you will be happy to know that Dillon’s Sports Bar is welcoming World Cup fans.
“Once the games start, we will have every game on our TVs,” says Dillon’s manager, Kristen Daniel. “We are mainly a local bar that welcomes families, but I expect many soccer fans will come out to eat and drink.”
Eat and drink they will. Daniel says patrons come from all over Gwinnett County to indulge in the pulled pork, along with the BBQ chicken and ribs.
Dillon expects the crowds to come out when teams like USA and Mexico are playing.
“We will have plenty of Mexican beers like Corona and Dos Equis on hand,” stated Daniel.
Perfect to pair with menu items like the Macho Nachos or the world famous ribs.
Game you don't want to miss: Croatia vs. Mexico on June 23, at 4 p.m.
Dillon’s Sports Bar, 850 Dogwood Road, Lawrenceville, 770-978-4308, www.dillons-sportsbar.com
Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub
The Olde Blind Dog has been a soccer headquarters in Milton and North Fulton for years. With the World Cup, they are taking it up a notch.
How does $4.50 Guinness, Harp, or Smithwicks sound to you while enjoying the games? For the duration of the 2014 World Cup, you can enter to win two tickets to see Liverpool play AC Milan during the Guinness Champions Cup in Charlotte on August 2. A stipend for travel and entertainment is included with the tickets.
“We also have a couple Guinness soccer jerseys we will raffle off along with the tickets to the game,” says Olde Blind Dog’s, Chelsea Eidson. “We know soccer fans are fanatics, so we will give them what they want.”
Fans of South American and European countries will pack Olde Blind Dog daily and nightly, to see all the goals, yellow cards, and penalty kicks on extra HD televisions that have been added for the special occasion. In the past, expats and fans of teams like Spain, Colombia and Greece have called Olde Blind Dog home for international games.
Game you don’t want to miss: Colombia vs. Greece on June 14, at 1 p.m.
Olde Blind Dog, 12650 Crabapple Road, Milton, 678-624-1090, www.oldblinddog.com
Ri Ra Irish Pub
With a great location on Peachtree Street, Ri Ra has established itself as a home away from home for soccer fans in the metro area.
Manager Lloyd said he expects a diverse crowd for World Cup games, and he has secured beers from just about all of the 32 countries. That includes a beer from Bosnia & Herzegovina called Nektar Pilsner, which was extremely difficult to find.
Ri Ra will show every game in both English and Spanish, but Lloyd said he expects fans rooting for countries like Ghana, Nigeria and South Korea to frequent his establishment.
Game you don’t want to miss: U.S. vs. Ghana, 6 p.m. June 16.
Ri Ra Irish Pub, 1080 Peachtree St N.E., Suite 1, Atlanta. 404-477-1700, www.rira.com.
Elder Tree Public House
If you like your soccer straight with no chaser, you need to spend your World Cup days and nights at the official pub of Atlanta’s professional soccer team, the Silverbacks.
You can sit at the bar or outside in the Viewing Party Beer Garden Tent, where soccer fanatics will take up residence from noon to night.
Game you don’t want to miss: U.S. vs. Germany, 1 p.m. June 26.
Elder Tree Public House, 469 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-658-6108, www.eldertreeatl.com.
About the Author
