Maybe you didn’t get that big screen television as a present this year.
It’s OK—there are a lot of sports bars in Northern Virginia where you can watch the Bowl Championship Series games (see a schedule below).
No matter your college football allegiance, here are of a few spots you might try in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax.
Of course, feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section below, and post a review of these places to the Patch Places directory by clicking on the linked addresses.
ARLINGTON AND ALEXANDRIA
Bailey’s
4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (703) 465-1300
Bailey’s is located in the Ballston Common mall and has more screens than you can shake your fist at, visible from all areas of this large restaurant and bar.
Carpool
4000 Fairfax Dr., Arlington (703) 532-7665
True to its name, Carpool pays homage to the love of the American automobile and has multiple pool tables, dartboards and, yes, big screens.
Del Ray Pizzeria
2218 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria (703) 549-2999
This tight-knit neighborhood spot has enough screens—and good pizza, too. Parking can be difficult to find when Mt. Vernon Avenue is hopping.
First Down Sports Bar and Grill
4213 N Fairfax Dr., Arlington (703) 465-8888
First Down is described on Yelp as “dive-y,” but the hot wings get good reviews and there are plenty of screens.
Hard Times Cafe
3028 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (703) 528-2233
1404 King St., Alexandria (703) 837-0050
Hard Times Cafe is a chain with multiple locations in Virginia and Maryland. Harkening back to Depression-era chili parlors, Hard Times specializes in chili among its other menu items.
The Lounge Restaurant
100 S. Reynolds St., Alexandria
New this year in Alexandria’s West End, The Lounge Restaurant has “more TVs than should be legal” in the relatively small space, according to one Yelp reviewer. Food and service have both gotten solid reviews.
Spider Kelly’s
3181 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (703) 312-8888
Spider Kelly’s has expanded has a large sports bar area with multiple big screen TVs. Some online reviews ding the bouncers, and the place can get crowded, particularly Saturday nights. But there are plenty of screens and a more-than-adequate bar.
FAIRFAX COUNTY
Champp’s
11724 Fair Oaks, Oakton (703) 383-1200
11694 Plaza America Dr., Reston (703) 318-7600
This chain sports bar and restaurant has multiple locations that get varying reviews of the service. With multiple televisions, a good bar and solid pub fare, Champp’s can be quite popular.
Glory Days Grill
The original Glory Days opened in Burke in 1996. There are now 11 locations in Northern Virginia. Most of them can get pretty loud. Fortunately, the restaurant offers small speaker boxes for your table if you want to hear the ref’s calls.
Here are the locations in Fairfax County and City:
9526 Old Keene Mill Rd., Burke (703) 866-1911
13850 Braddock Rd., Centreville (703) 266-4100
3059 Nutley St., Oakton (703) 204-0900
2567 John Milton Dr., Herndon (703) 390-5555
9459 Lorton Market St., Lorton (703) 372-1770
Lucky’s Sports Theatre and Grill
7027 Manchester Blvd., Alexandria (703) 922-0404
Yes, that’s “theatre” with an –re. This Kingstowne-area spot has a good number of televisions and the layout is intelligent, making it easy for most patrons to actually see the TVs without craning their necks or turning around. The bar area allows smoking.
Who’s Playing When in the BCS?
Rose Bowl
Oregon vs. Wisconsin
Jan. 2, 2012, 5:10 p.m. ET
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Stanford vs. Oklahoma State
Jan. 2, 2012, 8:45 p.m. ET
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Michigan vs. Virginia Tech
Jan. 3, 2012, 8:30 p.m. ET
Discover Orange Bowl
Clemson vs. West Virginia
Jan. 4, 2012, 8:30 p.m. ET
BCS National Championship
LSU vs. Alabama
Jan. 9, 2012, 8:30 p.m. ET