NORTH ATLANTA. One of the top jazz clubs in Atlanta, Cafe 290 features live music (jazz or blues) nightly. A full menu including seafood, steaks, pasta, and vegetarian specialties is available. A separate section houses a sports bar.

BUCKHEAD. Stop in on a March afternoon, and you'll likely find this establishment across from Lenox Square packed with suits captivated by NCAA Tourney broadcasts. DanTanna's is a "sports restaurant" ­ a sophisticated gathering place that isn't dressed with neon signs and team pennants. Instead, dozens of flat-screen TVs hang from the clubby, dark-stained walls. The bar area includes attractive open-air patio, and the adjoining cigar bar gives Buckhead aficionados a place where they can puff freely. That said, if you're on business and looking for a classy place to catch the "big game," DanTanna's is a good call. Great surf and turf options, too.

BUCKHEAD. This is a great place to watch any sporting event. Located in the busy Inner Harbor area, the first-floor restaurant offers a sports-related atmosphere and the usual ribs, hamburgers, pizzas and salads. If you don't want to watch the big-screen TV showing the event of the hour, you can have a sound feed piped to your table that corresponds to one of the many different televisions showing different games. The second floor has a games and amusement center full of activities: virtual golf, hockey, video bowling, indoor rock climbing, pinball, skiing, snowboarding, and car and motorcycle racing video machines.

NORTH DRUID HILLS ROAD. The aptly named Famous Pub & Sports Palace enjoys popularity with Atlanta's northsiders and students from nearby Emory, who love coming here to catch their favorite teams on the tube, down a few brews, and munch on fried grub. Tinted glass windows shield the games from the sun, and friendly waiters and waitresses patrol the seated areas in search of anyone with a half-empty glass.

MIDTOWN. This temple to all things sports provides folks who live and hang out in the urban oasis known as Atlantic Station a cool, sophisticated place to watch sports on the tube. Indeed, the Fox Sports Grill teeters the fine line between sports bar and trendy gathering spot thanks to its open design, exposed brick walls, central bar, and comfortable leather seats. And though the kitchen prepares an outstanding regiment of pizzas, burgers, ribs and pastas, the true reason sport fans queue up outside is quite simple: No matter where you sit, you have clear view of at least one plasma screen TV.