good bar to hang out at and a spacious place. my friend had a great time here on her 21st!

Went here while attending a conference. The servers were nice the drink prices were just right and it was just a lot of fun. The food was just pub food but not bad and overall the vibes were vivid read more

Went there early for Cinco de Mayo and they were serving a taco margarita bundle for $5. The margarita was fine, BUT the quality of the taco was terrible. After a few minutes they served the taco in an aluminum foil wrapped up, server just handed us a taco like they're lending something to us. Opened the aluminum foil wrap and it was the tiniest taco I've ever seen in my life. For $2 the beef was good, but the size and presentation of that taco was atrocious. Taco Bell would do better. That was unacceptable. read more

Great bar to sit and catch the game. Excellent beer selection and good food. Reasonably priced. Attentive wait staff always helpful.

We skipped freezing our butts off and decided to watch the playoff game against SMU at Champs Downtown. We were carded at the door (they card everyone) and told we could sit wherever we wanted, so we picked a table on their balcony directly across from numerous TVs. A DJ was playing tunes but once the game started, the sound was turned up. It was a great atmosphere to watch the game, and every time Penn State scored a touch downtown, the crowd was electric and chanted. Our server was excellent and checked on us often. We had two appetizers, the Suzi Wong egg roll which was just ok and the Jaworski pierogies which had sautéed onions. We also shared a Heat Check marinated chicken breast sandwich which had cilantro and jalapeños. Overall, everything was good. We stayed until the game was almost over. read more

Had people waiting in a 2 hour line in negative degree weather, even though there was at least 50-100 people leaving and they still didn't let us in. My toes & probably everyone else's toes damn near had frostbite and they didn't give a fuck. I will never spend my money here every again this is how they treat they customers. Bumass establishment read more

The staff at this establishment are treated poorly by management, particularly by Dante. Some employees have left in tears due to his treatment. Staff are often asked to perform tasks that exceed their job description without appropriate compensation. Additionally, he has falsely accused employees of wrongdoing. Most recently, he threatened to write up staff for leaving to go home for Thanksgiving break. Someone I know personally who works there has decided not to return, and I will not be returning to any restaurants owned or managed by the same people. read more

Came in on a Sunday so more of a restaurant vibe than a bar vibe. Good service and good wings. read more

Champs Downtown - A - Sports Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Food was very good. Service was great. Ambiance was great. Overall I had a great experience.

We came back here and sat at the front of the restaurant with the doors open and the ability to people watch. We had good service and ordered the Booze Bag and Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. The Booze Bag is a steal with a healthy pour and tasty. We also ordered the pretzel and it was good but a little burnt. This is a fun place with a party atmosphere. read more

Champs Downtown - Booze Bag and Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc - Sports Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

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After a server aggressively bumped into my friend that was holding drinks, I announced "excuse you!" So she could stop plowing through a crowd of people with full drinks. After all of my friend's drinks were spilled. The server turned around and yelled at me "I work here, bitch". Classy. She then proceeded to get the bouncer to kick my entire group of friends out. I understand that servers were most likely stressed and having a busy night, but calling a customer a bitch is extremely over the top and poorly represents the bar. In an effort to not start any trouble with the obviously angry servers, I asked the bouncer if I could finish my drink which was almost empty and he rudely snatched it out of my hand. Once again, unnecessary, but we kept it moving to avoid trouble. After making our way outside, one member of our group spoke with the manager in an attempt to reconcile the issue. He "reviewed" the issue (aka spoke with the unruly employee) who said I had called her a "whore" which couldn't be further from the truth. Not only is that a bold faced lie, I was shocked she had come up with a whole ordeal so fast that was so incredibly dramatized. As we walk out, the outside bouncer grabs my friend's ID for some reason, he obliges, the bouncer looks at it and then proceeds to rudely throw it on the ground. I am so confused as to how this business is so poorly managed. I am a grown ass woman visiting this college town and this bar is a stain on an otherwise immaculate PSU reputation of kindness and respect. I've never encountered so many rude people at one place. read more

my boyfriend and i got 2 burgers from champs. he said he liked his a lot and he ate it all. i got the pittsburgh parrot but i didn't finish it. the chicken was rough and kind of dry. fries were really good though. and my buns got soggy fast read more

Champs Downtown - pittsburgh parrot - Sports Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

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Jack the bouncer was extremely wrong and racist. My friend came to visit state college. He denied his passport accusing it was fake. The police came and approved the id. He then still didn't allow it saying my friend was rude in line. The manager came out and said he's fine. Jack the bouncer continued to follow us around in the bar harassing us making a lot of peoples night not ideal! Fire Jack as soon as possible! read more

Hey... we got carded in here!! Sooo apparently, they've had problems with some patrons getting stupid and they scan your ID into their system and if you're kicked out and try to come back, it'll come up on their computer. We had the PIG MAC... Pulled pork with Mac and cheese on top.. Very good. Service was a bit slow for being empty.. Good espresso martini. read more

Good pub style food. Lots of games on the big screens for sports enthusiasts. Service was solid.

Food- bussin, Bar- Poppin Service- could be a little better but not bad Ambiance - Poppin read more

genuinely the worst food service I have ever seen. I'm saying this as a food server I understand being tired. I understand frustration I do not understand getting dirty looks the second you walk in a restaurant and being manhandled your seats. The energy I got entering this restaurant is a sort of gut feeling you get before you're killed on a dark road. Manager came out, said nothing was seemingly irritated by your presence and sat down in an area. We did not want to be seated in. Do not avoid all costs . read more

Stopped in here for bunch and it wasn't a bad choice! Food and service were both good. Very limited menu and all breakfast foods, I was hoping there would be something from the lunch side. There was verbiage on the menu that said no substitutions, which is really odd and they wouldn't sub toast instead of an English muffin. I had the breakfast of champs, which was ok, but not overtly impressed. It came with a salad thing that wasn't good and the home fries had been cooked too long. I'll probably be back, but I hope they expand their menu just a bit and allow for a few substitutions. read more

Easter kind of sucks in State College. Most restaurants and stores aren't open, and those that are close early. Thankfully Champs didn't fall into any one of those categories. They were open and a little busy. Mainly because of pre-concert drinkers for the Drake show. Was able to find a seat at the bar. However, they want to cram seats in like sardines. There are so many seats around the bar that it is difficult to sit down. Get rid of a few of the bar stools and things could be good. And im pretty sure it won't affect their bottom line. Was glad to see they had one of my favorite beers on tap, and that was the Founders Rubaeus Nitro. Always hits the spot, especially if you have never had a nitro beverage. The food didn't disappoint either. I wasn't going to get an app, but I changed my mind when I saw the homemade chips and dip. I can never turn down potato chips. These were pretty good for the most part. Some inconsistencies with the freshness of each chip. Some were perfect, with a great crunch, while others were stale and had no crunch. The dip was a typical onion dip. A good pairing. I took most of the chips and dip to go. My main meal was the Cajun Chicken Cheesesteak (try saying that 3 times fast). This came with a side of fries. And let me tell you, these fries were good. With a light snap and the seasoning touched all the taste buds. They were a little stingy on the serving size, though. The sandwich was great. Although I didn't taste much Cajun flavoring, there was plenty of chicken (in which there were a few chewy pieces). The bread was fresh and the cheese was perfectly melted. I did not leave disappointed. read more

Champs Downtown - Cajun Chicken Cheesesteak w/fries - Sports Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

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It is with a heavy heart that I write this review. Champs was once the undisputed King of Wings which had a unique spicy sauce with a hint of sweet, consistent quality and always nice and crispy. I haven't had a good Wing at Champs in years. The sauce doesn't seem the same, the wings are of crappy quality and the service sucks. An acquaintance of mine who worked there let me know that now they now pre cook the wings and keep them warm under a heat lamp. I don't know why the sauce now tastes off but it does and the wing quality seems low. Probably a cheaper supplier to save money. The Champs Wongs of old are dead. There are at least 5 other spots with better wings now and it seems like Champs doesn't even care read more

Your typical college bar with food. Food was decent. Also fair amount of beer options. Atmosphere was quite loud (meaning I could not hear the person across from me). Front door staff was quite rude through the carding process. I understand and respect the responsibility to ensure no one under age is admitted, but their approach is going to deter future business (like mine). read more

Berenice the server is unreal. Bar crawl day is a crazy day and she's so amazing and calm and just so perfect. So quick. Everything you want to drink and such a great server on such a big day with the first game of the season. Love her so much read more

Love this place. My favorite sports bar in State College! Amazing place to chill with friends, vibe with co workers, and watch the game. There's a dining area, a gaming area, and a dance floor. Basically the dreamland for anybody. Love the staff here too, they are all super cool, friendly, and attentive. 5 stars. read more

Poor customer service. Would not replace a drink that was not good. Food was awful...way too salty. Server was nice but not helpful and when I ordered a diet coke instead of a beer, she didn't even tell me they only serve Pepsi products. Bad experience overall. read more

No doubt the best bar in state college. During the school year I came here every weekend and was never sick of it. The environment here is absolutely insane on the weekends and the service here is faster than any other bars in state college. This place is always my first choice when going out in state college. read more

I was having a good time hanging with my friends. I went to the bathroom and on the way out was told I have to leave. I said ok no problem, can I please close my tab first? I was told no and forcefully ushered out of the property. I respect their authority to tell patrons to leave but they seem to miss the concept of if you do so, you cannot the charge the person 20% "tip". Neither myself nor my friends will be coming back. read more

If you want to watch a sporting event the 25+ TVs on the main floor guarantees you a good view. We were in town for a basketball game and had time to kill on a Sunday afternoon so we stopped in here during the NFL playoffs. It was a lively crowd to say the least. It was early enough that we got a big booth. Our waitress did a nice job keeping us supplied with food and drink. The menu is standard bar food. My reuben was good as was my friend's burger. The fries were surprisingly good. They have a huge selection of beers on tap. I understand that this place can get incredibly jammed and crazy at night but we were here during the day so it was relatively sane except for the Eagles fans! read more

Has gone seriously down hill in the last two years. Their bouncers ignore women who report being sexually assaulted, their drinks are overpriced, and they treat their bar tenders terribly. Any event at Champs is always a disappointment. read more

Worst experience I have ever had at a bar. I will literally never go back. It takes forever to get a drink. We sat at a table and a server never came to take our order. Would not recommend. read more

After a long day of skipping 2/3 of my classes, it's great to wind down with some drinks and amazing food. The food here is always A1 let me tell ya. It's so much better than any other bar in state college. The pastas are to DIE for and they come with italian bread and a side salad which is delish. I always get the water bucket appetizer, which is steamed clams served with clarified butter. It's sooo good. They also have this creamy cajun pasta with crawdads and YOU. MUST. TRY. IT. Or you haven't truly lived. That is all. PS did you really go to champs if you didn't get a dirty sprite? read more

Champs Downtown - Water bucket - Sports Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Food is surprisingly good for a sports bar. Ive pretty much enjoyed everything ive ate here but ive mainly stuck with the sandwiches. My favorite is the Colorado Rockie, but all the sandwiches are really good. The appetizers are kinda a rip off tho especially the buffalo shrimp. Its like almost 10 bux and you get like 8 shrimp. The food specials are really good too especially the $8 full rack of ribs on Wednesday 9pm. The only caveat is that you cant take em home and you have to eat em all there... The linsanity is not bad as well and they have a truffle chicken salad sandwich that I really liked as well. Unfortunately, they dont got the full menu, so if you want the full menu, you have to order delivery or go to the other champs on atherton. read more

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Visited here on a Thursday evening for a late dinner with some friends. Two of us ordered the ribeye steak. This was phenomenal! I would have never expected a steak this good from a sports bar lol. It was cooked exactly how I ordered it and you could cut it with a butter knife. It came with pierogis, which was another bonus! They needed a little salt but no biggie. Service was great and we would definitely visit here again! read more

A Penn State classic. Order a dirty sprite! My favorite is the purple one because it's kind of like a grape flavor, but pink is good too if u like pink lemonade. Honestly so great for a fun night out. Lines are horrible tho, so don't go if ur not willing to stand in line for an hour. read more

Dear Champs, My hero zero seriously sucks so bad. Please stop having them "perform" at champs. They are not worth my $5. They manage to ruin every single song. Please. Stop. Sincerely, every single person at Penn State read more

We have had some pretty rude, inattentive service here on several past occasions, especially at the bar, and were hesitant to return. Tonight we sat at a table for apps with our daughter, and had the MOST INCREDIBLE SERVER named Ghami!!! (sp? sorry!). He was efficient and professional, but most of all he was incredibly kind and made us feel very welcome. We loved him!!! Thanks for a wonderful experience, Ghami!! You guys are lucky to have him!! read more

Champs downtown isn't as great as the original but it's still pretty good. Service has been great the handful of times I've visited. Loaded nachos (bull fight?) are great!! read more

Mr. Squarepants and I did the dirty in the back bathroom. One of the bouncers caught us mid-fuck. He was tall with curly hair. I asked if he wanted to join... wish every bar had customer service like he did. read more

The service here was great. Everything we ordered was fast and solid. Drink prices were average but this is a great place for atmosphere and watching some games. I recommend the loaded cheese fries and one of the plenty of on-tap beers. Will be back. read more

I came here to enjoy some live music and was escorted out because I wouldn't allow men taller than me to cut infront of me. They were tiktokers so they assumed they deserved the better seat but I had stood there for over 4 hours, paid my way and paid for my drinks. The drinks were horrible and over priced. I've never been bullied by a staff of workers before in my life. If you wanted to be reminded that you don't belong go to this place they'll make you feel small just like they made me. The picture is of the men who were harassing me one was a bouncer. He also punched my boyfriend in the stomach because my boyfriend put his arm around me he said he didn't mean to but come on ! after this man stood tucked up behind me the entire night while I was just standing there trying to dance. He waited until the live act went on to tell me we were a problem and had to leave after we stood there for 5 hours. If we were a problem why didn't they have us leave earlier in the night ? read more

Champs Downtown - Sports Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

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I currently live in Philadelphia but I was born in State College. I only come back a few times a year, and when I do I hit three specific spots. Waffle Shop for breakfast, The Green Bowl for lunch, and Champs, for Dinner. I know the reviews on this place are mixed, but it seems "whatever" because it's mostly drunk college kids complaining. :-) So yeah, the place is probably a poop-show on game weekends but that's pretty much every place in town. #SuckItUp I've been coming to the various Champs locations since I was in 9th grade and I've never had a bad experience. I have legit never ordered anything else on the menu other than wings and drinks, both are phenomenal. They quite possibly have some of the best wings in PA. In addition to the food, this location has a great architecture. The set-up on the lower level is really cool. Arcade games and pool tables. This spot is definitely worth checking out, just come on a game day and you'll most likely have a great experience. read more