A former Sunoco filling station in an industrial corner of St. Petersburg, Florida has grown into a two-city-block, 70,000-square-foot sports empire — and in 2025 USA Today named Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill the best local sports bar in America. Tripadvisor calls it the largest sports bar in Florida.
The story starts in 1990, when Tropicana Field opened and a local teacher named Mark Ferguson bought the tiny gas station and turned it into a bar. Decades of expansion later, Ferg's now spreads along Central Avenue with indoor, outdoor and open-air spaces, more than 100 TV screens, pool tables, a dog park, and an axe-throwing area. Locals call it "St. Pete's Backyard."
Location is a big part of the appeal. Ferg's sits roughly a 10-minute walk from Tropicana Field, home of MLB's Tampa Bay Rays, and Gate 7 at the stadium connects via a tunnel walkway straight to the bar — handy for post-game celebrations. If you'd rather skip the ticket price, you can watch from inside among the crowd, and drink specials tend to roll out whenever Tampa teams are playing. The bar also stages World Cup watch parties, trivia nights, charity fundraisers and outdoor concerts, and even streams a live feed of its back patio so you can check the vibe before heading over.
Nobody rates Ferg's as a dining destination, but the menu covers the pub essentials: burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, appetizers and the house speciality, Ferg's Famous Wings, served with a range of sauces. Reviewers consistently flag the game-day atmosphere as the real draw — one Google reviewer called it "insane" on game days and an essential pregame stop.
For travellers, this is an easy add to a St. Pete itinerary. The city's award-winning beaches get the headlines, but downtown St. Petersburg — about a mile east of Ferg's along Central Avenue — packs in art, entertainment and a strong dining and bar scene. Catching a Rays game and pairing it with a drink at Ferg's is about as authentic a Tampa Bay sports experience as you'll find, and even in the off-season the bar's size and event calendar keep it lively.