United Nations of Beer

Doubledays Sports Bar

by Rod
(Laguna Vista, Texas)

I'm a Brit weaned on bitter ale, now transplanted to the deep south of Texas, where I am in my spare time on a quest to find at least acceptable, and with any luck exceptional, beers served in the kind of place that will make me want to return. Doubledays Sports Bar, Port Isabel, Texas 78578 on the Gulf coast of Texas is that kind of place.

Baseball as you probably know was invented by Lieutenant Doubleday while in Port Isabel waiting for an invasion from Mexico. The name of the bar is the only link to the enterprising lieutenant, but this modern bar in a coastal holiday zone on the Gulf coast is a temple to the pantheon of sport.

Food - normal bar menu, with an extra helping of seafood - the shrimp hereabouts is the best.

Beers on tap - a good range including Guinness - entertainment - more screens than I can count showing every available sports channel and there are live bands at weekends.

But the real reason this place is special is that it houses the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame Exhibit, a collection of sports equipment and ephemera from just about every sport played in North America. Every wall is lined with display cases ten feet high housing displays covering golf, football, basketball, hockey, baseball, Nascar, boxing, and a few others besides. You can eat in a boxing ring, drink under a chequered flag, play pool on a gridiron, attempt shuffleboard on a golf course (hasn't shove ha'penny come a long way?).

Well worth a visit.