The Best Bars in the MAC

It's St. Patrick's Day! While every MAC school has many great places to drink, we felt it was our duty to find the best place at each school. So after a lot of "research" we picked the best places we found (i.e could remember being at) and created this list of the bars you should be at.

Akron: 69 Taps

As you might have figured out, there are 69 beers on draft at any given time. They have one of the largest beer selections in Akron and great daily, and monthly, specials. They have a $2 draft of the month a $3 shot and featured draft as well on top of daily happy hour specials. Plus each Friday between 4-9 p.m., 69 Taps has what they call Super Happy Hour. They're open 4p.m.-2:30a.m. everyday and serve food right up until close!

Runner Up: Thursday's Lounge, a great music venue and good food.

Ball State: The Heorot

With a huge selection of beers, a great atmosphere, and awesome food the Heorot is the best bar in Indiana, if not the country. And if you don't believe us, Draft Magazine and Ratebeer have named it a top bar in the country. Plus every Monday they have trivia, which we're good pretty good at after a few brews (or at least I think we were). They're open until 3 a.m. Monday through Saturday and until midnight on Sundays. If you're in, or around Muncie, and skip this, you're not living!

Runner Up: The Chug Pub, a great bar and cool atmosphere.

Bowling Green: Uptown Downtown

A two-story bar/night club allows anyone at Bowling Green to have some fun. Uptown (the second floor) is an 18+ nightclub that lets you dance the night away. But if drinkings more your style, like us, Downtown is 21+ bar that offers $2 domestic bottles and well drinks until 9 p.m. everyday. Plus they have good food at even better prices and six pool tables, that are always free to play!

Runner Up: Reverend's Bar & Grill, awesome beer selection and burgers.

Buffalo: Mr. Goodbar

Open until 4 a.m. everyday, Mr. Goodbar is even better than it's name suggests. They have daily specials, live music, and a free happy hour buffet on Friday's. Sunday's they offer 50 cent wings and $1 off select beers. With a huge selection of beers and drinks, plus tasty food, this is a must see for UB students.

Runner Up: Buffalo Brew Pub, the oldest brew pub in the city with over 30 drafts and awesome food.

Central Michigan: O'Kelly's Sports Bar

O'kelly's doesn't have a website yet (it should be up later this year they say), but what they do have is three 10-foot TVs that you can watch all the games on. They have awesome specials and good food. Plus is a short walk from campus. It's one of the best sports bars in Michigan and always a good time.

Runner Up: Freddie's Tavern, daily specials and good food.

Eastern Michigan: The Wurst Bar

Contrary to it's name, the Wurst Bar is actually the best in Ypsilanti. With it's gourmet burgers, brats, and huge selection of beers and drinks, it's a great place to go. There's bingo Tuesday, where you win cash (that you can use to buy more drinks!), $2 drafts on Fridays, and $1.50 well drinks all day Saturday plus great specials the rest of the week too.

Runner Up: Sidetrack Bar and Grill, a close second for its food and drink selection.

Kent State: Water Street Tavern

Water Street has over 20 TVs, a rooftop patio, great food and drinks and is great for large parties. It has been named a top bar by multiple magazines, including Playboy, so you know it's good! Also, for some reason celebrities like to show up here on occasion (like NFL players Josh Cribbs and James Harrison). Why miss the opportunity to drink and meet famous people!

Runner Up: Rays Place, awesome beers and burgers. A great combo.

Massachusetts: Amherst Brewing Company

You can't beat a place that brews it's own beer! They have over 30 choices to choose from and have been internationally acclaimed, winning multiple awards. So trying all 30+ that they offer is definitely worth a shot. To go along with great beer they also serve great food. Plus, on Friday's between 1-5 p.m. you can tour the brewery for free.

Runner Up: The Hangar, always fun with great specials.

Miami: Skipper's Pub

Skipper's Pub offers great food at great prices - like a double cheeseburger for $5.65 on Mondays. But they also have a great selection of beers and never have a cover charge. Plus they have the Top Deck, an upper level great for private parties. Skipper's also accepts MU Bucks, which can come in handy.

Runner Up: 45 East Bar and Grill, good food and great specials every semester.

Northern Illinois: Fatty's Pub and Grille

Fatty's is the best place for miles if you go to NIU. They offer amazing food, like their Tossers (a burger tossed in any wing sauce you want), have great daily drink specials (like $3 Wednesday, where EVERYTHING behind the bar is only $3), and are located right across from Huskie Stadium. There's no reason to ever leave. Ever.

Runner Up: Molly's Eatery & Drinkery, a huge new location and great specials.

Ohio: Jackie O's Pub & Brewery

Jackie O's makes their own beer on site, and it's all delicious! Once again, we suggest trying them all (just not in one sitting). Along with fresh beer, they also serve fresh food. Jackie O's uses organic food grown and raised either on their own farm or within a 30 mile radius. Why go anywhere else?

Runner Up: The C.I., great college bar and good specials.

Toledo: Bar 145°

Bar 145° focuses on fantastic burgers. Their name reflects their passion for burgers, as 145° is the perfect temperature to cook a burger medium-rare. They also have live music, happy hour drink specials, and a huge bourbon list to choose from.

Runner Up: The Attic on Adams, great selection of beers and awesome bartenders.

Western Michigan: Kalamazoo Beer Exchange

This place is awesome. It works like a stock market, where every 15 minutes prices change based on sales creating an ever changing experience. Plus they also have market crashes where all prices drop to record lows, allowing you to hoard beers at cheap prices. Now that's living!

Runner Up: Shakespeare's Pub, 44 beers on draft with great daily specials and awesome food.