 | ||
| Thomas Magee's Sporting House is located at 1408 E. Fisher Service Drive in Detroit |
Ever go the matinee movies?
Show up around 2 p.m. (yes, I go to the movies by myself,
don’t judge me) get a ticket to some film none of your friends wanted to see,
get your pop and popcorn and walk into a 500-seat theater that’s completely
empty.
Pick your ideal spot, sit down and viola, you got your own
space.
Not many public places out there that are empty for your own
personal enjoyment – but the small-time sports bar on a Tuesday night is one of
them.
Enter Thomas Magee’s Sporting House – located here – OK,
there were four other people at the bar when I walked in. But two walked out
and the other two were sitting at opposite ends of the bar.
I took a seat in the middle (second time in six graphs I
talk about where I sit…. weird). I ordered a Newcastle Brown Ale and took in
the end of the Knicks-Thunder game.
Thomas Magee is a relatively new spot, established in 2013,
located in the up-and-coming Eastern Market District in Detroit.
The bar has no food, but they allow you to check out one of
the many food joints in the area. Pro tip: They tell me near-by Supino Pizzeria
is pretty good.
A couple of regulars walked in and took a seat about four
spots from me, ordering up two Budweiser’s and some vodka and Red Bulls –
alright, these people are here to party.
It seems this was the fourth stop of the night and this was
THE SPOT to close the night. It’s 8 p.m. on a Tuesday, and they are stop Number
Four, well done. Well done.
They went on talking about the dude’s work/relationship
problems – spoiler alert, not going well, but he’s taking it well. The two
seemed happy-go-lucky people, and the bartender spent most of his time chatting
with them.
To my right a few seats down was the only other person at
the bar. He was drinking at Atwater and really getting into the Knicks game. I’m
hoping he’s a Knicks fan, because he was yelling alone at a bar for a regular
season game. So hopefully he is a fan, or he’s just insane……so fan?
Thomas Magee's is the go-to spot for major sporting events,
especially for major soccer games or English Premier League matches (the
bartender said it is a Liverpool bar – You’ll Never Walk Alone) so that’s
always a big plus. It also is the outpost for the American Outlaws Detroit
chapter and a place where Detroit City FC supporters hang out before/after
matches.
The game itself was lackluster – I think NBA players realize
the regular season is pointless and the effort reflects that.
Since a Tuesday night NBA was the big game on, there was
much of a reason to go the sports bar. I resigned myself to this won’t be the
most exciting post in the world. But the kid next me, this was everything.
The Knicks eventually won out, and the kid was doing fist
bumps in the air – hey, some people Friday nights are on Tuesday. I ordered an
Atwater Pilsner for next drink and the bartender was nice enough to talk Liverpool’s
Capital One Cup victory. (It’s a soccer tournament nobody cares about…unless
your team wins).
Wow, that could almost be an allegory with the kid and his
Knicks game…but no, not that talented of a writer to think of that.
Thomas Magee's is a solid sports bar which I highly recommend,
it has a good parking arrangement, which always appreciated in Detroit. It’s a
tad unfortunate the place doesn’t have a grill – they do offer chips, but it is
what it is.
My two beers totaled a $10 tab, which is pretty fair for two
bottled higher-end beers. I know some beer snobs might get the touches and
pitchforks out for thinking Newcastle is a higher-end beer, but meh. Come at
me, hipsters.
I paid my tab and headed out the door and crossed I-75
overpass to the parking lot.
I have gone to Thomas Magee’s before, and the atmosphere on
game day is excellent. During the Women’s World Cup, the bartender tells everyone
to shut up and turns the volume up for the National Anthem --- it’s pretty darn
cool.
I highly recommend visiting the bar the next time you’re in
Detroit for a big sporting event, but it was nice to have a relaxing, matinée-type,
atmosphere to unwind after work.
Even if you aren’t a sports fan, you should enjoy the choice
of beer and liquor at the bar. And if you don’t like sports or drinking…well, I
can’t help you there…sorry.
Thomas Magee, the sports bar that’s great for the game, and
solid for Tuesday night “matinée” drinking.
No comments:
Post a Comment