Where to Watch the World Cup in Minneapolis

The world's biggest sporting event is well underway, and I'm not talking about the Super Bowl.  No, I'm talking about the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.  Now, there are a lot of us out there that like to head to the bar and watch the game with some good food, some good friends, and some adult beverages.  What better excuse is there to party, then, than the world's biggest sporting event?

Fortunately, Minneapolis sports fans, there are plenty of bars in the Twin Cities that you can head to if you have a hankerin' to watch some World Cup soccer.  It doesn't matter where in the city you're located, there's somewhere near you with some soccer on the big screen.  For example. . .

-Brit's Pub, located at 1110 Nicollet Mall, says that they'll be showing every goal from every game of the 2010 World Cup.  They also feature English cuisine, so if you fancy some fish and chips and a tall pint of Guinness with your soccer, you can get it here.

-Kieran's Irish Pub, 600 Hennepin Avenue, has a 140" television at their disposal, and it will constantly be tuned to South Africa 2010.   They don't have their menu readily available online, but I'm going to go way out on a limb and guess that it's going to feature mostly Irish fare.

-Merlin's Rest Pub, located at 3601 East Lake Street, was voted Minneapolis' "Best Neighborhood Bar" by Citypages.com, and they'll be opening early for World Cup action.  They'll be showing a combination of both live games and games on tape delay, so you won't miss a minute of World Cup action.  Plus, they have a vegetarian menu to go along with their standard fare, for those who are so inclined.

-The Nomad World Pub, which you'll find at 501 Cedar Avenue South, is going to give soccer fans the opportunity to enjoy breakfast and/or lunch while they're watching all the action on the pitch.  Breakfast burritos and soccer in the morning, followed by barbecue and soccer in the afternoon, followed (presumably) by Pepto-Bismol shots in the evening?  Sounds like a party to me.

All in all, there are over twenty bars in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area that will be showing World Cup action.  Here's the list. . .find your closest establishment, grab your kit, drink responsibly (or have a plan in place) and enjoy the next month of soccer action!  (All establishments listed are in Minneapolis unless otherwise specified.)

-3 Monkey's Pub & Grub, 1410 Nicollet Avenue South
-Alary's Pub, 139 East 7th Street, St. Paul
-Blarney Pub & Grill, 412 14th Avenue SE
-Brother's Bar & Grill, 430 1st Avenue North
-The Bulldog Lowertown, 237 East 6th Street, St. Paul
-Bulldog NE, 401 East Hennepin Avenue
-The Bulldog, 2549 Lyndale Avenue South (link same as above)
-Cooper Pub & Restaurant, 1607 Park Place Boulevard
-Darby O'Ragan's, 401 North 3rd Street
-Keegan's Irish Pub, 16 University Avenue NE
-Kip's Irish Pub, 9970 Wayzata Boulevard, St. Louis Park
-The Library Bar, 1301 4th Street SE
-The Liffey, 175 West 7th Street, St. Paul
-The Local, 931 Nicollet Mall
-Loon Cafe, 500 1st Avenue North
-O'Donovan's Irish Pub, 700 1st Avenue North
-O'Gara's Bar & Grill, 164 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul
-Smalley's 87 Club, 100 North 6th Street
-Sweetwater Grille & Bar, 161 St. Anthony Avenue. St. Paul
-Throwbacks Grille & Pub, 1690 Woodlane Drive, Woodbury