With the NFL season in full swing, MLB playoffs heating up and NBA opening night approaching, there’s no better time to head to a sports bar and root for your favorite teams. Bust out your favorite team’s jersey and head down to Legends Restaurant and Sports Bar on Second Street, voted as the best sports bar in the city by the Long Beach State campus. As college students, we all know there’s only a select few great places to go out, drink and watch a good game. Legends is definitely one of those places.
Founded in 1979 by Los Angeles Rams lineman Dennis Harrah, Legends deems itself as the “first modern sports bar in America,” as it was the first to use satellite technology to show live sporting events. Co-owner since 2011, Eric Johnson, a Long Beach native and Long Beach State alumni, remembers going to Legends when he was a kid. Johnson’s grandfather is P. Victor Peterson, founder and first president of LBSU.
“I remember my dad taking me to Legends,” Johnson said. “One of the best memories I have was going there and meeting some of the Rams players and cheerleaders. I just loved it, it’s been an iconic location for the city.”
Alongside some of the best bars and restaurants in Long Beach, Legends offers the ultimate sports game viewing experience because of its unique venue, food and drinks. A wide variety of options on the menu and over 30 HDTV’s is just the base of Legends. What makes it so special is the never-ending pieces of sports memorabilia that grace the walls. From autographed baseballs and NBA jerseys to signed Long Beach State memorabilia, it’s hard to tell if there are more TV’s or decoration.
“We’re to the point now where we’re running out of wall space,” Johnson said.
Even with the mosaic of memorabilia, it’s all overshadowed by one of the largest projection screens you’ll ever come across in a bar.
“When we bought it, it was the largest HD projection screen, outside of movie theatres, in the U.S.,” Johnson said. “Legends has always been at the forefront for audio and visual. That’s just one more example that nobody does it better than Legends.”
Johnson’s personal connection to LBSU shows in the involvement Legends has had in the community. As a co-owner, he has made it a point to be a staple in the area since Legends has such a deep history with the city. The restaurant and bar has done everything from sponsoring high school sports teams to the Long Beach State athletics department. The bar also hosts watch parties and other events for LBSU fans waiting to see where the placements of the men’s volleyball or basketball team in the NCAA tournament.
Whether it’s the NL Championship Series, NFL football or a Champions League soccer game, Legends is always one of the most bustling bars for sports fans in Long Beach. With its open concept entrance to the bright lights on Second street, people stop by and view games on the huge projector screen through the patio directly on the sidewalk.
“When you have certain locations with historical significance within the community, it’s the kind of place where you bring your family and friends from out of town because you just don’t see this everywhere,” Johnson said. “It’s nice for us being a college town to have this in our own backyards. It’s fun, it’s lively.”