Best Bars To Watch Thursday Night Football In The Peninsula

Exactly seven miles from the Ferry Building, this is the last of the San Francisco to San Jose stagecoach 'mile houses' left standing in its original location. Dating from 1853, it's one of the oldest eating places (long menu) in the Bay Area, with lots of loyal fans of a lively atmosphere punctuated by karaoke and live music, 49ers game broadcasts, 21st Amendment and Anchor Steam beer, the burgers and fries. "We're very big on sports," management says. Ghost stories aside, may it last another 160-plus years.

Highly touted deviled eggs are on the menu, a good 12-beer selection is on draft, peanut shells are on the floor and eight flat-screen plasma TVs are on the walls. Pool tables and arcade games provide a break before and after the game and the 21-inch smoker barbecue on the heated patio ensures that nobody goes home hungry. Sports events are posted on the website. The exterior may resemble a concrete bunker, but Dutch Goose has been keeping people happy since 1966.

Get your buffalo wings at an old carved table at the "O", or opt for brick-oven pizza or a burger and beer. Some booths have a view of the screens inside, plus tables and two TVs outside. Crowded for NFL games, as well as Stanford games, there are lots of locals who've been coming here for more than a decade, as well as Stanford types passing through during a two- to four-year gig. The Oasis Beer Garden has been a local institution since 1958, and it's open late.

How can a place have too many TVs? Ten big screens are everywhere, and here's a novelty: small TVs (for which you'll need to ask your server to assist in changing channels) are located at each booth. Make a note that Sneakers closes at 10 p.m., even Thursdays through Saturdays (other nights are even earlier with a 9 p.m. closing). This spot joined the Peninsula burger wars and it is kid-friendly, too, right down to the crayons.

Stop by on your way to and from Levi Stadium, or watch the game here. It's not a dive bar, and not a sports bar either, but does attract a social, easy-on-the-eyes after-work crowd of 30-somethings. The televisions at the bar are tuned in, but other conversations continue. Get your Lagunitas in a proper Mason jar, or go for an elegant martini. There's a back patio, food comes from Straits, the restaurant next door, and note that the bar is open until 2 a.m.