Suburban sports bars throw big Super Bowl parties

Maybe you'd like to come home from your Super Bowl party Sunday with a new HDTV? Or hundreds of dollars in cash? Or an NFL mini-fridge?

You won't get any of those watching the game from your friend's couch.

Suburban sports bars are pulling out all the stops this weekend to get football fans off the couch and into their establishments with incentives like game-day drink specials, food buffets and prize giveaways.

America's Bar & Grill in Hoffman Estates is bringing in a “money cube” for its “$1,000 Super Bowl Extravaganza.” The glass-encased cube blows dollar bills around, and a lucky few will get a chance to stand inside for a set time and grab up all the money they can.

They'll also give out prizes during commercial breaks, ranging from T-shirts to passes to the 2012 Blackhawks Convention.

“We wanted to find something different that you can't find anywhere else,” America's owner Richard Garcia said. “It's the Super Bowl. It's a time for us to shine.”

Real Sports in Elk Grove Village will give away a 26-inch HDTV, among other prizes, during its Super Bowl party. The bar also will have an all-you-can-eat buffet and drink specials plus the Newcastle beer girls circulating with free samples.

A special $2 Super Bowl shot is being created for the party at Sideouts in Island Lake.

The bar will let women dine at their massive buffet for half price ($5). The food selection includes Sideouts' popular barbecue meatballs, Buffalo wings, an assortment of salads, sausage and peppers and chicken Vesuvio.

Sideouts also has a new ice rink alongside the bar, which patrons can use if they lose interest in the game.

It might be East Coast teams battling out for the NFL championship, but the party is here in the Midwest. And why cook up your own hot wings when someone is willing to do it for you?

Here is a sampling of Super Bowl bar bashes in the suburbs:

• America's Bar & Grill, 2308 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates, (847) 882-8600, americasbarchicago. com: The party starts at 4 p.m. The $35 admission includes cocktails for the whole game plus a halftime buffet. The game will be shown on 35 TVs.

• Two Brothers Brewing Co., 205 N. Broadway, Aurora, (630) 892-0034, twobrothersroundhouse. com: Watch the game on a 10-foot projection screen and check out the new tavern menu. Seasonal beers Northwind Imperial Stout and Hoppy Porter are on tap.

• Caps Sports Bar & Grill, 347 W. St. Charles Road, Villa Park, (630) 279-0005: Game-day specials are $2 domestic pints and $3 domestic bottles. The bar offers a free halftime buffet.

• Chelios Pub & Grill, 2150 Ogden Ave., Aurora, (630) 585-7650, cheliospubandgrill. com: Beer specials include $15 buckets of six domestic bottles, and $4 Bud and Bud Lights with souvenir glass and $2.50 for refills. The free halftime buffet includes a selection of appetizers, and the bar will be raffling off a Bud Light NFL mini-fridge.

• Douglas Street Sports Pub, 231 Douglas St., Elgin, (847) 695-5659, douglasstreetsportsbar. com: Enjoy a free halftime buffet as well as $3 domestic bottles and $5 shots.

• John Barleycorn, 1100 American Lane, Schaumburg, (847) 619-5540, johnbarleycorn. com: Watch the game on any of 24 HD TVs, while enjoying $1 sliders, $5 nachos, $5 2-pound buckets of wings and half-price Chicago-style chili. Wash it down with $18 domestic buckets or $4 4 Rebels Vodka cocktails.

• Hitz Pizza & Sports Bar, 700 S. Butterfield Road, Mundelein, (847) 362-0505: Check out $2 pints, $6 domestic pitchers and a variety of food specials including $5 burgers and pulled pork sandwiches. There will be prize giveaways throughout the game.

• Mullen's Bar and Grill, 3080 Warrenville Road, Lisle, (630) 505-0240, mullensbarandgrill. com: Play along with football-themed contests to win prizes throughout the game. Sunday specials include $5 build-your-own burgers, $2.50 domestic bottles and $16 Miller Lite 100-ounce beer tubes.

• Real Time Sports, 1120 W. Devon Ave., Elk Grove Village, (847) 534-5000, realtimesportsbar.com; Starting at 5:30 p.m., the bar's Super Bowl package is $40 per person for all-you-can-drink well cocktails, domestic beer and house wine, plus a buffet of burgers, brats and hot dogs. Prize giveaways, including an HDTV.

• Rookies, 2486 Bushwood Drive, Elgin, (847) 551-9006; 4607 W Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates, (847) 645-0005; 1545 W. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 513-0681, rookiespub. com: $50 per person includes appetizers, a rib eye steak dinner and open bar (no shots or pitchers) from 5 p.m. to two minutes before the end of the game.

• Sideouts Bar & Eatery, 4018 Roberts Road, Island Lake, (847) 526-7174, sideouts. com: The guys pay $10 — women half that — to enjoy a party that includes a buffet of wings, meatballs, salads, chicken, Italian beef and more. Drink specials include $2.50 Bud bottles and $4 Captain cocktails. Buy your tickets in advance and you get reserved seating.

• Sports Page Restaurant & Bar, 1330 E. Rand Road, Arlington Heights, (847) 392-5332, thesportspagebar. com: Free buffet at halftime features wings, barbecue pork, pasta, Greek chicken and more. Specials include $2.50 domestic bottles, $3 Miller Lite aluminum bottles, $3.25 import bottles and $4.50 house wines. Prizes will be raffled off throughout the game.

• Tilted Kilt, 1140 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 413-2000: Watch the game on more than 50 HDTVs. Or, if you want to take the fun home, for every $25 you spend in carryout, get $5 Kilt Cash.

• Total Sports Bar & Grill, 523 Fairway Drive, Naperville, (630) 983-5400, totalsportsnaperville. com: From 4 to 8 p.m., $35 will get you domestic bottles of beer plus an all-you-eat food buffet featuring wings, barbecue pork, guacamole and more. Winners of a halftime raffle will take home either an NFL jersey or a mini-fridge.

• Wickets Bar & Grill, 601 N. Martingale Road, Schaumburg, (847) 619-1400, wicketsbarandgrill. com: Bar bargains include $2 Corona or Corona Light and 25 cent hot wings. Wickets gift cards worth $50 will be given away each quarter.

• Wild Bull Bar & Grill, 1817 W. Golf Road, Schaumburg, (847) 285-3333, wildbullsportsbarandgrill. com: The bar's $40 Super Bowl package includes a buffet and open bar from 4:30 through the end of the game. Table reservations recommended.