Best Bars for Watching the Premier League in the US
JH
James Harlow
6 min read
Finding the right bar to watch Premier League in the US comes down to three things: a licence to open before 8am, enough screens positioned so you can actually see the game from your seat, and a crowd that knows what they're watching. We've logged the kickoffs across New York and Chicago to find the venues that get all three right — no tourist traps, no dark rooms with one corner TV.
Best Bars to Watch Premier League in New York
New York has a proper football-watching culture built around British and Irish expatriates, and the bars that serve them are genuinely good. These are the ones that open early, pull a proper pint, and fill with people who care about the result.
01
Legends Bar NYC
Upper West Side$$British Pub / Early Opens
The best Premier League bar on the Upper West Side, with a dedicated supporter section, every match on multiple large screens, and a kitchen that opens alongside the bar for 7:30am kickoffs. The crowd is mixed between British expats and converted American fans — both demographics know the game. Expect a full house for Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal fixtures.
Order: Full English breakfast with a pint of Guinness — they do both properly
02
The Commodore
Williamsburg$$Neighbourhood / Multi-Screen
Williamsburg's go-to for Premier League matches among the borough's expat community. Eight screens positioned throughout so every seat in the bar has a clear sight line, good draught selection, and bar food that holds up at 8am. Noise levels are appropriate — the crowd reacts to goals rather than just being present for the background.
Order: Their house lager or a Boddingtons on draught
03
Mad River Bar and Grille
Upper East Side$$Sports Bar / Volume
Mad River is a volume sports bar, which means it works well for group Premier League watching where you want the energy of a full room over the intimacy of a proper pub. All matches on Peacock and NBC Sports are shown, the drinks are fast and priced for early morning, and the Upper East Side location makes it convenient for the neighborhood's sizable British expat population.
Order: Draft beer and avoid the food before 10am — the kitchen takes a few rounds to wake up
New York sports bars: the full guide
Every sports bar in New York worth visiting — by neighbourhood, by sport, and by what time they open. Our complete New York sports bar guide.
Chicago has the advantage of being an hour behind New York, which makes 7:30am kickoffs a slightly more reasonable 6:30am local time — which is to say, the dedicated bars open early and the crowds that show up for them are serious about the football. These are the Chicago venues worth building your match day around.
04
Fado Irish Pub
River North$$Irish Pub / Match Day
The River North institution that has been showing Premier League matches since the Setanta Sports era. Fado opens before dawn for early kickoffs, has a proper supporter culture for several clubs, and the kitchen serves a full Irish breakfast alongside the football. The decor is genuine enough that the Irish contingent approves, which is the most useful quality metric available.
Order: Irish Breakfast with black and white pudding, and a Smithwicks to start
05
The Globe Pub
Irving Park$British Pub / Authentic
An actual British pub transplanted to the north side of Chicago, complete with the correct beers, the correct atmosphere, and the correct disdain for anything that doesn't constitute a proper 90 minutes of football. The Globe is where the Chicago expat community goes for the biggest matches of the season. It gets genuinely crowded for title run-ins — arrive early for the good seats.
Order: A pint of real ale and whatever the kitchen special is on match day
06
Macnamara's Irish Pub
Streeterville$$Irish / Downtown
Downtown Chicago's most reliable venue for early-morning Premier League matches, with a loyal crowd of Manchester City and Liverpool supporters who have been coming since before the broadcasting rights moved to Peacock. The location near the Magnificent Mile makes it the practical choice for visitors staying in the center of the city.
Order: Guinness or Harp on draught
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What Makes a Good Premier League Viewing Bar
The difference between a bar that shows Premier League and a Premier League bar is meaningful. A proper venue has a dedicated licence to serve from 7am on match days, staff who know the fixture list and don't need to be told which channel to switch to, and a crowd where goal-related noise is the norm rather than an interruption. These details separate the venues on this list from the hundreds of American sports bars that happen to have the right cable package.
07
Cregier's Pub
Logan Square$Neighbourhood / Authentic
The Logan Square institution that Chicago's football watching community treats as their living room for the season. A no-frills space with multiple screens, cheap pints, and a regulars culture that has been building for over fifteen years. For any match involving a club with a significant Chicago following, Cregier's is where the real supporters end up.
Order: Old Style or a Guinness — keep it simple here
08
Kincade's Bar and Grill
Lincoln Park$$American Sports Bar / All Screens
Lincoln Park's sports bar that makes the list because it runs every available Premier League broadcast simultaneously on its bank of screens and has the kitchen staff and bar capacity to handle a full Saturday morning of back-to-back matches. Not a British pub by atmosphere, but one of the most practically useful venues in Chicago for a full match day with multiple kickoffs.
Order: Whatever's on draught and the breakfast burger
Chicago sports bars guide
Our full Chicago sports bar guide covers every major venue in the city — by neighbourhood, sport, and opening hours.
For the early 7:30am kickoffs, arrive fifteen minutes before the match — the best seats in good Premier League bars go fast, and standing for ninety minutes of football before 9am is exactly as uncomfortable as it sounds. For the 10am and 12:30pm matches, you have more flexibility. In both New York and Chicago, the British pub options consistently outperform the American sports bars for Premier League atmosphere — the crowd actually knows the game, and that changes everything about the experience.
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