Where to Watch Football Games at Lake Martin
by Shaylee Beck Moore
Football season is here! Whether your favorite place to catch the game is at an all-out sports venue or sitting on your own back porch, here is our list of places to watch football games this year around the Lake Martin area.
1) The “Football Fanatic” Venues
These large venues are the place to be for a football fanatic! Each one will have the biggest games playing over the loudspeakers, good food, and an unbeatable atmosphere to cheer on your favorite teams!
Martin’s @ Lake Martin
With a bright yellow roof and food truck in the drive, Martin’s @ Lake Martin certainly stands out from the crowd!
Martin’s is an indoor and outdoor venue with a large back patio, perfect for Fall weather, and a spacious interior with plenty of seating for fans.
Martin’s uniquely also has a food truck, The Chow Hall, where they prepare every meal. The best part? You don’t even have to leave your seat to order. You can scan the QR code at your table and they bring your meal right inside to you.
The wings alone will keep you coming back. They are seasoned, smoked, and flash fried… topped off with homemade sauce.
Martin’s has a total of 14 TVs and a large projector screen to catch just about any game you can imagine. They plan to play a variety of college football games broad casting on Saturdays, and have an NFL football package for Sundays. They also plan to play the football game audio over their loudspeakers, so you never miss a moment of the biggest games.
4th Quarter Sportz Bar and Lounge
Looking for the ultimate spot to catch all the football action this season? Look no further than the 4th Quarter Sportz Bar and Lounge! With a whopping 16 TV’s showcasing every football team you can think of, you won’t miss a second of the game.
Now, let’s talk about the real MVPs of this place – their mouthwatering hot wings! These babies score a touchdown every time. And if you’re more of a burger fan, trust us when we say their hand-crafted burgers will leave your taste buds cheering in delight. Oh, and for all you rib connoisseurs and pizza lovers out there, this is your chance to indulge in some serious goodness.
The best part? The 4th Quarter’s hours of operation are tailor-made for all you football enthusiasts. They’re open from noon to midnight on Saturdays and noon to 10pm on Sundays. But wait, there’s more! During the week, you can swing by from 11:00am-1:30pm on Wednesdays, 11:00am-1:30pm and 5:00-10:00pm on Thursdays, and 11:00am-1:30pm and 5:00pm to midnight on Fridays. Talk about accommodating! Oh, and did we mention you can even reserve the 4th Quarter for your next reunion or event? How cool is that?
But the real reason you’ll want to stick around is for the fun-filled atmosphere and refreshing drinks. You’ll never have a dull moment here, and their laid-back vibe will keep the games going all night long.
So what are you waiting for? Come on down to the 4th Quarter Sportz Bar and Lounge – where the food is on point, the fun is nonstop, and the good times are guaranteed.
Lake Martin Brewing
Located in the heart of Alexander City, Lake Martin Brewing is one of the newest gathering spots around town.
Lake Martin Brewing has 15 beers on tap, 8 of which are their own lake inspired craft brews, made onsite in the brewhouse. These include “Big Beach Hefeweizen”, “Chimney Rock Hazy IPA”, and “Bay Pines Mango Blonde Ale”.
Not a fan of beer? Lake Martin Brewing offers a great selection of cocktails alongside guest taps, including a hard cider.
Lake Martin Brewing is also a family-friendly venue and offers an extensive “tapas and pies” food menu, including brisket nachos, pork belly sliders, giant pretzels with beer cheese dip, and a variety of pizzas with every topping imaginable.
Inside is a football fan’s dream. This spacious venue has 15 TVs lining its walls, guaranteeing you’ll always have a game in view. To top it off, Lake Martin Brewing has an outdoor patio in the front, perfect for Fall weather, and a variety of board games to help entertain the kiddos while you catch your favorite team.
Lake Martin Brewing plans to be showing all the football games, all season long.
2) The “Gameday Atmosphere” Venues
These venues have a fun, football-focused atmosphere! Each one will have the games on TV and offer their own unique gameday experience for visitors. While they may not be as large as our “Football Fanatic” venues, they certainly can host the biggest football fans!
JR’s Sports Bar and Grill
JR’s Sports Bar and Grill is located in downtown Alexander City and has been serving the Lake Martin community for more than 20 years.
They have all your favorite football fan foods, including chicken finger and wing combo baskets, Po’ boys, burgers, and even grilled steak sandwiches.
Football fans can catch highlights of the games on Wednesday nights at JR’s Sports Bar and Grill with Sportz Blitz, hosted by Randy Lee, Jr., Brett Pritchard and other special guests. Fans can also watch all the action here.
Niffer’s Place at Lake Martin
Niffer’s Place is open year-round and is home to what many claim to be some of the best burgers around Lake Martin. That’s because they offer 24 unique burger options, guaranteeing to have the topping combinations of your dreams.
They are also known for their fishbowl cocktails and colorful, family-friendly atmosphere.
Niffer’s Place offers spacious, indoor and outdoor seating as well as a variety of yard games for both adults and children, including ring toss and corn hole.
Niffer’s plans to have the football games on various TVs throughout their restaurant, including their bar area, dining room, and outside screened porch.
The Local at 41 Main
Located in downtown Alexander City, The Local at 41 Main is a popular place for, well, locals to hang out – making it a great place to catch the games this season with friends.
There are 3 TVs at The Local at 41 Main, and they plan to broadcast the Benjamin Russell High School football games on Fridays and college football games on Saturdays, with audio. The Local will also offer drink and beer specials for gamedays.
The Funky Goat
Along with a fun atmosphere, The Funky Goat has one of the most unique and mouthwatering food menus around the lake!
Located in Dadeville, AL, The Funky Goat is a vibrant and “eclectic bar, featuring craft cocktails and funky southern pub food”.
Their food menu includes items such as lamb sliders, Conecha corn dogs, margarita flatbreads, blackened catfish tacos with mango pico, Mexican street corn, and more – all of which are sure to shake up your football Saturdays.
Of course, no gameday is complete without wings. The Funky Goat boasts that a fan favorite is their hot honey pecan and whiskey citrus wings. Yum!
The Funky Goat will offer food, drink, and beer specials each Saturday. They also have 3 TVs hung inside and plan to show all of your favorite football games, with audio, this season.
Bluff’s Daiquiri Bar at Harbor Pointe Marina
The Bluffs Daiquiri Bar at Harbor Point Marina is actually a floating venue on Lake Martin! Along with serving up daiquiris and other favorite frozen cocktails, Bluff’s offers guests the opportunity to enjoy endless waterfront views on their outside patio.
For football season, Bluff’s Daiquiri Bar at Harbor Pointe will be adding seasonal “tailgating style” items to their normal food menu. They plan to stream all the games, all season long.
Fermenter’s Market on the Green
Fermenter’s Market on the Green is located in downtown Alexander City, just across from Strand Park. They are a lively craft beer and distilled spirits venue, best known for their themed parties, live music, and even karaoke!
They will be showing all of the big games on their 5 TVs this season. If for some reason you don’t see your team, all you have to do is ask and they are more than happy to put your game on. Fermenter’s also encourages people to order food from their neighbor, JR’s Sports Bar and Grill, or bring in any food that delivers!
Fermenter’s will have daily drink specials and looks forward to hosting football fans all season long!
Lake Martin Pizza Co.
Lake Martin Pizza is an indoor and outdoor venue, located in Dadeville, AL.
Aside from live music, they are most famously known for their artisan pizzas – each one being carefully crafted by their bakers. To top it off, all of their dough and sauces are made in house and only locally sourced vegetables are used.
Lake Martin Pizza Co offers 16 speciality pizzas, as well as the option to build your own. For our football fans that love hot wings, we suggest trying out their “Winghy Dinghy” pizza, made with a hot wing sauce base, onion, chicken, bleu cheese crumbles, shredded mozzarella, and topped off with a ranch swirl.
For football season, fans can catch games on either one of their 85-inch TVs at the outside bar area, which is notably heated for when the cooler Fall weather hits. They will also be playing football game audio over their house stereo system. In addition to cold brews, Lake Martin Pizza Co will also be serving up mixed drinks and likely have drink specials running on gamedays.
3) The Seasonal Football Venues
Here are some of our favorite seasonal venues on the lake that will be showing football games (while they are open). These venues are ideal if you want to have the game in the background to check the score, and are looking for a place focused on socializing and enjoying good food!
The Social at Lake Martin
The Social is an outdoor waterfront venue that serves up delicious cocktails (including Bushwackers), live music, and delicious food. For football season, The Social plans to add wings to their food menu on Saturdays.
The Social is seasonal and will be open Labor Day weekend, guaranteeing a great spot to catch the first weekend of football games. Check their Facebook page for times and additional weekends they may be open this year.
Chuckwalla’s Pizzaria at Chuck’s Marina
Chuckwalla’s Pizzaria at Chuck’s Marina is a popular lakefront dining stop on Lake Martin. This two-story outdoor venue is best known for its bright colors, creative gourmet pizzas, and sweeping waterfront views.
They also carry some of the most unique wing flavors, such as Lemon Peppa wings and Moonshine BBQ, described as a “touch of the South”. My personal recommendation are the Raspberry Chipotle wings… you’re welcome.
Chuckwalla’s Pizzaria will have football games playing on their 2 TVs, which allows for plenty of socializing with friends while still being able to catch the score of the game in the background.
Chuck’s will be open through October 1st this football season.
Bay Pines
Bay Pine Marina in Jackson’s is an amazing waterfront venue that not only offers stunning views, but also serves some of the best hamburgers, wings, and pizza around. And let me tell you, they have a fantastic selection of drinks too, including a daiquiri bar, ice-cold beer, soft drinks, and even boiled peanuts and snacks to munch on.
The best part? You can either boat over to Bay Pines or just take a quick drive to get there. Once you arrive, you’ll find not one, but two TVs where you can catch up on your favorite games. So, whether you’re a sports enthusiast or just looking for a relaxing day on Lake Martin, Bay Pines is the place to be.
Bay Pines is open every weekend through September. So if you’re planning a day of fun on Lake Martin, make sure to swing by and catch the game while you’re there.
4) Host Football Parties at Your Home
It’s hard to beat watching the game from the comfort of your own home! For those of you who want to host your own game day parties with friends and family, here is the ultimate gameday setup.
Gather ‘Round Entertainment
This mobile gameday setup is the ultimate home football entertainment system! It is perfect for large tailgates, watch parties, advertising, movie nights, and so much more. It has been boasted as “a rolling party” and has even been rented out by ESPN for three upcoming televised college football games.
This mobile trailer is available for rent and includes two 75-inch 4K televisions, 2 satellites, internet, a booming sound system, a generator, a charcoal grill, a bar, and accessories.
To take it a step further, Gather ‘Round Entertainment also offers tables and chairs for rent, as well as the option for a full decorative setup, including artificial turf.
To rent this mobile gameday setup, call or text Gather ‘Round Entertainment at (334) 612-1089.
Cheering on your favorite football teams has never been so fun! With so many venues to catch the game at, Lake Martin is the place to be for football fans this season.
