The Chicago White Sox ruined my plan. I had intended this installment to be a sweeping exposé on my quest to find the perfect place to watch the most important competition in all of sport, the baseball World Series. My calendar was meticulously blocked for games five, six, and seven. The route was mapped. And then the only Sox that matter in 2005 ended the series handily, in four games. It was such an abrupt end to the series that I held the article an extra week and published nothing last Wednesday, to allow for an extended celebration. Maybe I should actually thank the Sox for a little journalistic vacation.
So as it turns out, this is not an article about where to watch the World Series. Instead, I offer you the definitive answer as to where to watch football on Sundays. That answer, without hesitation, is the ARC Sports Bar and Grill in Watervliet.
The ARC is a serious neighborhood sports bar. The front third of the establishment is a long bar area with a row of comfortable stools and plenty of standing room. Behind the bar, sixteen televisions broadcast a variety of programming. If it’s sports, it’s on a TV at the ARC. On a recent Friday afternoon, a time particularly slow in the world of sports, golf and billiards were to be found proudly broadcasting to the few stragglers in attendance, whose love of athletics (and alcohol) could outshadow any need for employment.
Beyond the bar is a dining room. Each table has its own independent TV. In total, the ARC boasts 68 televisions and 18 satellite dishes. I feel confident in declaring that if you want to watch something sports-related while drinking from a selection of 15 beers on tap, the ARC is your place.
There’s a kitchen. While not gourmet fare, the food is solid. The signature dish is a delicacy known as “Snippy Snaps”—sliced chicken breast tossed in wing sauce, in your choice of spiciness. There’s also a full selection of bar appetizers, sandwiches, and pizzas.
Note, however, that the ARC is a football bar, above all else. On Sundays, explained bartender Jennifer LaMay, tables are by reservation only. The place is packed with fans, both in the bar area and in the dining room. Home teams are the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, which tells you the fans are there as much for the camaraderie and atmosphere as the football itself. It’s worth a Sunday visit, if only for the experience of watching football with people who understand how to watch football.
But what does ARC stand for? “Alcohol Recovery Center,” deadpans LaMay, without hesitation. Clearly, it’s a question asked quite often, by reporters and patrons alike. As it turns out, no one really remembers how the place got its name. And no one really cares, as long as the TVs are on and the beer flows.
The ARC opens at 11 am Monday-Saturday and noon on Sunday, and is open until at least midnight every night. Weekdays feature rotating lunch specials and a daily happy hour with discounted domestics. The location, 1000 8th Avenue, is not an especially easy place to find, but worth the effort. Take Congress Street (Route 2) down the hill and across the river into Watervliet. At the first light after the bridge, turn left, then turn right at the third light, and follow the signs for Route 155.
