March Madness – the Christmas, New Year’s, and Mardi Gras for college basketball fans – will soon be upon us. You can watch it on CBS starting March 19 or you can go to one of these places in Los Angeles and be surrounded by sports fans. The Los Angeles blogger behind SportsBarFly, Jennifer Vides, offered some of her favorite places to watch basketball.

ESPN Zone

1011 S Figueroa St., Ste B101
Los Angeles, CA 90016
(213) 765-7070
espnzonelalive.com

If you’re looking for a lot of sports fans and a lot of energy, this is the place. There are plenty of TV’s at this bar and restaurant located in LA Live near the Staples Center, home of the Lakers and the Clippers. They have a full bar and a delicious menu by Wolfgang Puck, plus a kids menu. You can also shop at the ESPN Store and surf the internet on their free WiFi.

South

3001 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 828-9988
southsantamonica.com

South has great Southern-inspired food and a comprehensive beer selection. But it will be a great place to watch basketball thanks to the many 3D televisions so you won’t miss any of the action. If you plan to go with a group of friends, you can call ahead and reserve a living room-like area to watch the game. The place gets packed with sports fans so arrive early on the day of good game.

Mad Bull’s Tavern

14649 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91404
(818) 379-9511
madbullstavern.com

Mad Bull’s gets crowded when there’s a game on, but it’s worth it because the food is great and there is a wall of televisions to watch the game. They have table, bar and counter seating, but if it’s too crowded, head next door to Mad Bull’s sister bar, The Spitting Chicken Cantina.

Baja Sharkeez

3600 Highland Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-8811
www.sharkeez.net

This Manhattan Beach sports bar does not disappoint. It offers flat-screen televisions all over the restaurant and a fun beach feel. They have great beer and cocktail specials and large menu featuring tacos, burritos, fajitas, salads, and burgers. Every night hosts a different special from Taco Tuesday to Mojito Thursday.

Slater’s 50/50

61 N. Raymond Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 765-9700
slaters5050.com

Not only are the burgers amazing (they’re half beef, half bacon) and the beer selection impressive, but they have more than 30 TVs for watching sports. And for the gluten-free sports fans, the restaurant has a menu for you.

The Happy Ending Bar and Restaurant

7038 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 469-7038
www.thehappyendingbar.com

This bar serves as an alumni bar for many schools including Ohio State and Miami. As of this writing, Miami is currently ranked No. 2 in the country, so Vides says if you are a Miami fan this may be the bar to be at during March Madness. They have more than 35 plasma televisions in a bar that is more than 10,000 square feet. There’s something for everyone including a Sweet Happy Ending, a made-to-order s’mores platter.

Yvonne Condes is the Editor and co-Founder of MomsLA.com. She also writes at Yvonneinla.com and the Babble Voices blog, Mom o Menos. Follow her on Twitter @yvonneinla and Facebook at MomsLA.