Steelers Bars

I have been on the road now for seven weeks and love the travel. During my time away from home I have tried many new experiences, but one of my favorite, old pastimes has been hard live without…Steelers football. That is why I began my quest to find a Steelers bar wherever we were staying on game day. (Anybody who knows me can attest that it is live football and not the beer that is the attraction.)
If you search the internet, you can find several lists of Steelers bars. The list I like is  Top Ten Steelers Bars

SAN FRANCISCO:
 

Giordano's in San Francisco is located in an Italian neighborhood known as North Beach. Look for the Stinking Rose restaurant and the bar is a few doorways to the left. If you are hungry for a Primanti's-style sandwich, you are in luck. Try the Capicola since this spicy Italian ham is fresh from the nearby Italian deli.

MYRTLE BEACH:

Oscar's in Myrtle Beach has an eclectic collection of toys and Disney collectibles to entertain you along with the numerous televisions streaming live sports. You can't miss Oscar's on Highway 17 in North Myrtle… just look for their sign with the giant hamburger on top. If it's a nice day, the outdoor patio is a great spot to sit and watch the game since they have several TVs mounted outside.

DALLAS:

Malarkey's Tavern in Dallas is number five on the list for good reason: the staff. Owner Mike Quinn, a Greensburg native, gave us some history of the bar and told us about all the hoopla in his parking lot when the Super Bowl was in Dallas. The establishment used to be an Italian restaurant and the pizza oven remains, so don't hesitate to order one if you don't want the typical bar food. Angela was a dynamo behind the bar that day. After educating us on the archaic liquor laws and taking our ID, credit cards and our signed consent forms, she hustled behind that bar all afternoon. Check them out at www.malarkeystavern.com


KEY WEST:

In South Florida, there is no place better than Shanna Key (no relation), an Irish Pub and sports bar in Key West. Barry the owner has never been to Pittsburgh but is a fan of Steelers Nation. He stopped for a photo with us and then we did a shot of Irish whiskey together. (Another one of my firsts.) The waitstaff also introduced me to a book Always a Home Game written by two Steelers fans who spent 140 days on the road visiting Steelers bars all over the country and documenting the experience.

LOS ANGELES:
I arrived in LA on a Monday afternoon and my husband surprised me with a stop at Gabe's Sports Bar before we checked into our hotel.  Since the Steelers were not playing, we couldn't find a Steelers fan anywhere near the bar which had more Halloween decorations than Steelers memorabilia.  The bar is an unassuming place and is strictly a bar, with no food service.  We questioned the bartender who was very kind, but admitted she doesn't work on game days, but explained that a food truck cooks polish food outside the bar for the games.  This place may be on someone else's top five list, but not mine.

 
ST. LOUIS:

St. Louis doesn't have a Steelers bar, it has a Steelers Fan Club.  Like all of Steelers Nation, these folks travel and this season's bar of choice is Helen Fitzgerald's.  We arrived early, and it is a good thing that we did because this place packs in the fans by kickoff.  We were greeted by the regulars and the club's president. We quickly filled out a club membership form and received their version of our free Terrible Towels.  Of course, we ran into someone we knew.... an old friend from Washington, PA.  But isn't that why we go to Steelers bars in the first place?  Because you can find a friend in any Steelers bar in the world.

ROME:

Of course my all-time favorite Steelers bar is La Boticella in Rome, just because YOU ARE IN ROME!  If you are lucky enough to get there, tell Giovanni that Casey's mom says "Hi".