LEISURE

Best places to watch football

Football fans might not think that Scripps Ranch is a hotbed of pigskin viewing activity when it comes to grabbing your friends and heading out to watch the games. But there are a few places right here where you can order a snack, drink a few cold ones, catch some games and jaw with your buddies.

Here are some of the local establishments that host football fans, and some of these have specials.

Ballast Point Scripps Ranch has every normal day of football covered, with a football special every Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. You’ve got your Thursday night NFL game, Saturday college football, Sunday NFL games and Monday Night Football. Grab a whole pizza pie baked in the Ballast Point Pizza Kitchen and fill a 64-ounce growler for $30. This special is good from open to close on these days. Games are on Direct TV. Ballast Point Scripps Ranch is located at 10051 Old Grove Road.

Bruski Burgers and Brew features the full NFL Package on its televisions and has a decent turnout for the games on Sundays. Some of the regulars who use this place as their hangout include a group of Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans and another group of New Orleans Saints fans. Bruski Burgers and Brew doesn’t normally offer pitchers of beer, but on Sundays it does. Pitchers of Coors Light are available all day on football Sundays. In addition, Bruski offers breakfast on Sunday mornings for the hungry football enthusiast. Bruski Burgers and Brew is located at 9844 Hibert St.

Little Italy Bar and Grill draws its share of football fans and offers some specials on drinks and munchies. It has happy hour on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weekday happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The word is that this place attracts a small group of New England Patriots fans. Little Italy Bar and Grill is located at 10006 Scripps Ranch Blvd.

While Applebee’s Grill & Bar is in Mira Mesa, it gets points for reaching out with its football specials. It also scores big because it’s the nearby old reliable — near enough, that is. Applebee’s has extended its happy hour times within its bar area for the entire football season, all the way through Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. Happy hour specials run 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. until close on a daily-basis. Happy hour is also in effect the entire time NFL games are broadcast on Monday and Thursday nights. Additionally, happy hour at Applebee’s bar runs all day on Sundays during the NFL season. Applebee’s Grill & Bar is located at 9480 East Mira Mesa Blvd.

Filippi’s Pizza Grotto has the NFL Package on its televisions in its bar area and has a good crowd for pro games on Sundays. Four different games can be shown at once and the selection is made by the guests in attendance. The fans reportedly still make up mostly a Chargers crowd, and if the Bolts are playing, most of the TVs are on the Chargers game. Filippi’s Pizza Grotto is located at 9969 Mira Mesa Blvd.

Chili’s Grill & Bar in Scripps Ranch has NFL Ticket and can show a large selection of pro games on its many TV screens on Sundays. While it doesn’t have the huge crowd for NFL games it had when the Chargers were still in San Diego, this place has happy hour all day on Sundays during the football season, including $1 off mugs of beer and margaritas, as well as discounts on appetizers. Chili’s Bar & Grill is located at 10184 Scripps Poway Parkway.