I’ve been yelled at for dissing sports bars as destinations during major sporting events and so, in honor of March Madness, I’ve taken another look.
Here are two I can recommend for March Madness (and beyond).
Jakob Layman
Brooklyn Avenue Pizza Co. in Boyle Heights is the neighborhood headquarters for sports crazed fans. They’ve been running specials all through March Madness. The large room has plenty of big screens and plenty of good food, so bring your posse or go solo to join in and watch the action.
The Elite Eight (March 25-26): Try one of their special Agua Fresca flavors, especially the Guava-Jamaica Habanero Pineapple. (It sounds weird, but it’s refreshing.) If you’re hesitant to order that one, try the Pineapple Cucumber Mint Agua Fresca. Then chow down on one of their special pizzas or the Savory Mole Wings—a new version of a classic snack—to round out your game night.
The Final Four (April 1): While things are heating up on the court, the Mole Pizza is the right choice. It’s a blend of Chicano flavors placed on a five-day fermented dough, then fired in the wood burning oven, and a smart change from the usual Pepperoni.
Championship Game (April 3): Whether your team made it to the final game or not, you’ve got to see who takes the championship. There’s plenty of beer and cocktails to be had, but you’ll want to add the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto Wings to the table.
Brooklyn Avenue Pizza Co
Boyle Heights
2706 E. Cesar Chavez Ave.
Hours: Tues.-Thurs.11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sun. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
SLAB
But if you can’t (or don’t want to) make it to your favorite sports bar for the games, order March Madness Special Packages from the BBQ masters at SLAB through April 3. They’ve got everything from snacks to full on meals for a crowd.
The Lay Up serves bites for 8 to 10 and includes Rack Of Tony’s Ribs, Smoked or Buffalo Chicken Wings, sliders, and dips and chips. ($120).
Or if you want just the sliders there’s packages including one with 24 sandwiches ($78) and another with 48 ($156) There’s a choice of sliders, including smoked brisket, pulled pork or pulled chicken sliders.
If your team’s winning and you want to pull out all the stops, The Net Down ($400) serves 30 to 40 and includes Buffalo wings, jalapeno cheddar sausages, a nacho platter, brisket, two whole chickens and lots of ribs. The Wooden Spoon ($300) serves 20 with much the same menu as the Net Down, only with smaller portions.
SLAB
West Hollywood
8136 W. 3d Street
Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Packages available through April 3.
Packages must be ordered 24 hours in advance at TOCK.
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