Best Bars in America

2014 • Esquire Network
4.2
21 reviews
TV-14
Rating
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (10)

1 Portland
6/25/14
In the series premiere, travel companions Jay Larson and Sean Patton spend three days drinking their way through 8 unforgettable bars in the city with the most microbreweries on earth! Under the direction of "Esquire" magazine's drinking expert Dave Wondrich, the hard-drinking duo sample the world-famous Spanish Coffee at Portland's oldest bar Huber's, try to keep their composure at the city's oldest strip club, and party with musicians at classic dive bar My Father's Place. Did we mention the all-day booze bus? Find out why its residents call Portland "Beervana."
2 Austin
7/2/14
Culture collides on the wild streets of Texas' hippest city. Whether you want to rub elbows with political big wigs at Cloak Room or party with hipsters on Rainey Street, Austin has a haunt for you. Join Jay and Sean and their trusty cabbie Moe as they go boot shopping, binge at the famous Franklin Barbecue and pound tequila shots with old friends. Don't miss the drinks mixed at your table at Midnight Cowboy, the craft cocktails on tap at Wonderland, or the railroad-inspired charm of Donn's Depot!
3 New York City
7/9/14
Jay and Sean bar hop through 8 lower Manhattan bars on the look-out for the authentic New York experience. Join them at the oldest bar in the East Village, a speak-easy hidden behind a hot dog stand in Alphabet City, an unforgettable Tribeca dive bar and more! Plus, check out the fondue at a '70s-inspired club where they hang disco balls from your drink, a laboratory where they muddle basil using liquid nitrogen, and a comedy club that still has a drink named after Sean! See 3 days of drinking pass in a New York minute.
4 Boston
7/16/14
It's a homecoming for Jay! Join him and Sean for a hard-drinking tour of one of America's oldest cities. The first night goes a little crazy when they meet up with Jay's brother Adam at Drink in South Bay. Before they know it, they're shooting dice in the kitchen and swigging gin. Luckily for Sean, the Monday morning brunch at Trina's Starlite Lounge is loaded with hangover cures. Next stop is Bleacher Bar, where patrons can take in a baseball game from below the seats at Fenway Park. And finally, it's Hong Kong in the Fanueil Hall marketplace for Scorpion Bowl races with some of Jay's old friends. Will he ever leave again?
5 Bar Food
7/23/14
Nothing complements a great drink like the perfect dish. Jay and Sean are traveling the country to sample the best food for soaking up booze. World-renowned chefs and James Beard Award winners have turned their attention to pub culture, with awesome, highbrow choices like Expatriate's Chinese sausage corndogs in Portland and Father's Office's perfect burgers in Los Angeles. They also try jaw-dropping Filipino food at Qui in Austin and classic Cajun and creole at Buffa's in New Orleans. Bring your appetite!
6 Brooklyn
7/30/14
From classy to crap-tacular, Brooklyn has it all! Join Jay and Sean as they hit some of NYC's wildest bars. First, they start off with "Best Bars in America" master Dave Wondrich for a dram of absinthe and a beer made with oyster shells. Then, they meet with a craft cocktail legend to sample his newest creation: a Bourbon Almond Brittle! Local comedians Hannibal Burress and Janeane Garofalo join the boys for drinks before they hit local bars with mini-golf, bocce ball, and hangover yoga. But nothing can top a drinking hole with its own flux capacitor! Beer geeks beware: this is gonna be good!
7 Hotel Bars
8/6/14
Jay and Sean shatter your preconceived notions with a country-wide tour of hotel bars that are destinations in and of themselves. From the Carlyle Hotel's Bemelmans in Manhattan to the High Rooftop Lounge atop Venice Beach's Hotel Erwin, they have you covered. In between, they'll trade ghost stories and cocktail recipes at The Driskill Bar in Austin, take the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone in NOLA for a spin, and chase oysters with high-class martinis at New York's Ace Hotel. And when they're done, there's always a cozy bed waiting for them upstairs.
8 Dive Bars
8/13/14
We've seen the chic and trendy, but sometimes you just want to keep it real. Join Jay and Sean as they make friends in some of the coolest neighborhood bars in America. From the Frolic Room alongside the historic Pantages Theater in L.A. to Julius' in Greenwich Village, New York, these vibrant haunts are as colorful as their regulars. Celebrate Christmas every day at Lala's in Austin, join in on ladies' night at Drinking Fountain in Boston, and throw back whiskey shots for Sean's brother's birthday at his favorite bar in the world, Molly's at the Market in New Orleans.
9 New Orleans
8/20/14
In the city where every day is a party, there are amazing bars around every corner. Sean gives Jay a tour of his hometown that goes way beyond Bourbon Street--and ultimately turns into a weekend neither will forget. From lively jazz music at Treme's Mother-in-Law Lounge to the friendly patrons of Uptown's Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge, each of New Orleans' neighborhoods has a signature haunt. Watch them chow on po' boys, pair cigars with cocktails and mix it up with some of the wildest bartenders in the country!
10 Los Angeles
8/27/14
In the season finale, Jay and Sean explore the east side of Los Angeles. If you're in the mood for buffalo wings and a classic pub atmosphere, or boozy snow cones in a bar modeled after your parents' living room, the areas of Los Feliz, Koreatown, Downtown and Hollywood have the perfect experience for you. Take a tour led by Guns n' Roses drummer Matt Sorum of the iconic Rainbow, enjoy the dancers at Jumbo's Clown Room, and get a history lesson at The Varnish--one of gangster Mickey Cohen's favorite Downtown haunts. Who needs beaches?

About this show

With stops in Milwaukee, Chicago and San Francisco, comedians Jay Larson and Sean Patton drink their way through neighborhood dives and swanky bars alike. Pull up a stool and take in the sites of America's finest watering holes.

Ratings and reviews

4.2
21 reviews
A
October 26, 2015
Decent, but too fast paced and they are always drunk acting. It's ok
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ben kelley
March 5, 2015
Morons. They went to one of my regular spots and I guarantee you everone cheered when they left.
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Todd Sorini
January 7, 2015
These guys have to be 2 of the luckiest guys in the world. What a dream job. Totally jealous but a great show nevertheless.
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