JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The energy in Jacksonville is buzzing as Sunday’s Jaguars game against the Buffalo Bills approaches.
With standing-room tickets at the stadium hitting nearly $200, plenty of fans will be searching for other spots to catch the action.
News4JAX visited a popular local restaurant, voted “Best Place to Watch the Jags Game” in our JaxBest 2025 contest, to see how fans are gearing up for game day.
The Jags are heading into their 31st year of being a team. What else has been around for 30 years? Sneakers Sports Grille.
RELATED | JaxBest 2025: Need somewhere to watch the Jags game? Try Sneakers Sports Grille
Gregory Pratt owns Sneakers Sports Grille in Jacksonville Beach, known for its unique sports atmosphere and memorabilia.
“Every time they score a touchdown, it makes my hair stand up,” Pratt said.
Sneakers was founded at the perfect time.
“It was right at the inception of the Jaguars, so over the years, we’ve had every single playoff game of the Jaguars on the big screen,” Pratt said.
Pratt said the energy inside Sneakers on game day is like no other.
“You know, going to the game is great, but sitting in here, because you’re inside, when the Jaguars score a touchdown, the roar is intoxicating,” he said.
It’s all about the atmosphere, whether you’re sitting at the bar or a table with a TV screen, but of course, it’s also all about the food.
“Every single item we sell is home-cooked,” Pratt said.
For those who plan to come and watch the game, Pratt said to make sure they get there with plenty of time.
“The place will be packed by 12:30. So as long as you’re here by 12:30, I think you have a good chance of getting a table,” he said.
Sneakers opens at 11 a.m., and it closes by the end of the last game of the night.
So they’ll be showing playoff games all day long.