The Round of 32: Vote for best sports bar in Pierce County
.jpg "Vote for your favorite to advance to the next round.")
The votes are in — or rather, the games have been played — in the first round of 64 sports bars in Tacoma and Pierce County. Upsets abound.
More than 540 people began their bracket, but 401 chose a winner for each of the competitions — for an average of 488 votes per game.
We organized the bracket into four regions alphabetically, pitting Bar A against Bar Z. They met in the middle around the letters M and O. Some close matchups of wing-eating and beer-drinking ensued.
TK Irish Pub in Puyallup edged out Ben Dews Clubhouse Grill by just 4 percent of the vote. Dirty Oscar’s Annex eked out a win against The Office Bar & Grill by just 25 tallies.
Landslide victories, in order of victory margin, went to Katie Downs Waterfront Tavern with 324 points, ending the tournament for Pint & Pie Public House. Harmon Pac Ave snagged 308, leaving Ricky J’s in the dust. Beach Tavern, under new ownership as of this year, earned 352 points, saying so long to Unicorn Sports Bar.
We also lost The Spar, The Office Bar & Grill, Halftime Sports Saloon and Rock the Dock.
There was one tie: The Tipsy Tomato Bar & Kitchen and Black Star Pub & Grill both landed 235 votes. Due to a forfeited game (that your reporter forgot to list in the first round of this very unscientific bracket), both bars live to play another day.
Tipsy Tomato, a hidden-gem haunt in Central Tacoma, faces off against the popular, waterfront-view-boasting Topside Bar & Grill in Steilacoom.
Other tough matchups in the Round of 32 include West End Pub versus Purdy’s Public House, The Forum versus Terry’s Office Tavern, and Cooper’s Food & Drink versus Spud’s Pizza Parlor.
Can Engine House sound the alarm on Flying Boots? Can Cole’s flatten Stack 571? How will the dive-bar battle between Billy B’s Pub & Grub and Home Plate Tavern end?
You choose the Spirited 16.
How it works:
▪ In the second round, 32 bars face off in head-to-head matchups, following an impressive first round with more than a dozen upsets.
▪ Choose a winner for each matchup. The next in line will show up automatically after each click.
▪ Stay tuned for the third round, when the winners face off in another heated competition to reveal the Lush 8.
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 2:57 PM.