Sports Bars near Union

“Patty and staff are the best. The food is great. The vibe is chill. People are just there to eat, drink and have a good time. Highly recommend.“

“My manbun chum and I have been trying to find a home to watch our one March Madness game every year, and I think we found it for the foreseeable future. In fact, this time it looks to be a literal home.We stopped by last night to watch my beloved Gonzaga Bulldogs end their tournament run against Purdue. I could go into quite a bit of detail about some very shady calls in the paint and what I think should have been a taunting foul on Purdue's future proctologist Fletcher Loyer, but I digress. As soon as I walked in, I could tell I was going to like it. Prior years have been marred by loud sports bar atmospheres where you have to battle tooth and nail to convince someone to change the channel to something that isn't a mediocre NYC-area sports team (I say this as a Mets fan as well). Liberty was significantly quieter, definitely had an older crowd but also had numerous TVs throughout. The best of all worlds. I walked maybe 10 feet from the entrance, asked the bartender if she could switch the TV to the Zags on TBS, and that was that. Aside from a weird moment in the second half when the TV mysteriously changed to ESPN for a few minutes (we never confirmed the culprit), we had primo viewing of the game. Somehow we also managed to sit down next to a couple whose son was currently at Purdue. What a world.Vibe is everything with a place like this. I did a mild double-take when I realized the bar was located in a literal residential neighborhood in what may be someone's actual house (or at least upstairs). There's a parking lot on the side that had plenty of spots, and overall this was one of the most conveniently located establishments I've ever been to - it's about 30 seconds from Route 78 both ways. Initially I felt bad for the neighbors, but as bars go this is not exactly one that's going to be hosting raucous throwdowns outside or anything. You may actually be able to go to bed at 9pm living next door, which is my personal dream.The interior has a lot of tchotchkes behind the bar, and is surprisingly comfortable/spacious. The game started a little after 7:30pm on a Friday, but there were seats available right in front of the TVs and most of the patrons seemed to be in the back area playing pool. It did get a little more crowded throughout the game, but never to a point where it felt claustrophobic. The clientele demo skewed all over the place - several older codgers looked like they'd been rejected from Rock of Love Charm School (I thought one in particular was a dead ringer for Poison's CC DeVille), but there was also a few young men roaming around and middle-aged couples/singles throughout the establishment as well. Pretty much anyone who would theoretically come into a bar, did.We had a good bartender, who not only accommodated my TV request, but was friendly and accessible throughout our stay. I was in a sweet palate mood, and she offered to make a Hawaiian Volcano, apparently a drink pilfered from her days at TGI Friday's years ago. It's not something I'd necessarily get on a regular basis, but it definitely brought me back to my early legal drinking years for sure. I could taste some Malibu and juice, and sipped them throughout the game. We also got mozzy sticks and a pepperoni bar pie. Both were really decent for what they were, especially the mozzy sticks, which were fried perfectly. I thought the pizza tasted like a giant Bagel Bite, which is not an insult. But let's be clear - this is a dive bar, so it's not like you're wandering into the kitchen and stumbling across Jeremy Allen White from The Bear. You want something fairly tasty to munch on, and we got it.Strong recommend. I think expectations for a dive bar should be pretty simple - comfortable and pleasant. This was certainly that, minus the March Madness heartbreak.“

“I had this wonderful bartender that treated me so well that I must return. Being there for the first time was amazing and she definitely enjoys her job. It felt like I knew her for years. Thank you Julie.“

“Never been an Applebee's fan..Never found their food appealing. Atmosphere was always decent..Well my friends food was delicious. Atmosphere was wonderful..I was in a state if shock. Glad was asked..Went fir my mother..Going back for me..Gotta verify this situation...“

“I love this place. The food is superb. Clean environment.“

“It’s an awesome spot to drink and meet beautiful people. Great hospitality“

“The staff here is on point; they are friendly and attentive (but not overbearing). Lovely experience in terms of ambience and service. Only one small issue: my quesadilla was very greasy - but that's not a condemnation of the restaurant as a whole. I will definitely go back (and order something else). Hope this restaurant lasts for a long time.“

“The vibe is amazing as soon as you walk in. Staff is friendly to the T. Food's worth what you pay for, 8/10 in taste. Me and my girl go for dinner, a quick session at the bar or something to go. Overall, I vouch for Johnny's. No pictures because I'll be back.“

“Food is always excellent. When ordering for delivery people taking the order are always extremely polite and helpful. Delivery always takes less time than expected. The delivery people are very polite also. Same wonderful experience whether we dine in or get take out. Would give 10 Stars !!!“

“Went to the Linwood while visiting family from out of state on a Friday night. I grew up in Linden so I was excited to see how the place has "grown up". Nicer bar, cleaner and comfortable sitting areas than my youth and MUCH better food. Service was excellent and food came out quickly. It was a descent portion and very tasty. My only complaint was the cost but that cannot be helped since the cost of everything has risen. However, $18 for a chicken sandwich seems a bit high.“