TWIS Happy Hour Guide: Revelry Pub & Grill

Fulfilling all these needs and more is Revelry Pub & Grill. I made the University Parkway restaurant my home base Sunday night to watch the U.S. take on Portugal in the latest World Cup match. And unlike whoever decided to let Ronaldo that close to the goal with 30 seconds left to play, I made a great choice.

The atmosphere: From the road, it’s easy to assume Revelry is just another one of University Parkway’s abundant family-friendly dining options. But it’s more than that. Although the majority of the building is occupied by a family-friendly dining room, the bar and lounge is where I always set up. This cozy area has an old-school, winter lodge feel with wood paneling and a fireplace. However, the large number of flat-screen TVs lining the walls are decidedly not old-school, particularly the big screen in the lounge.

The beer: Perhaps the best (and most surprising)  feature of Revelry is its HUGE craft beer selection. It features a whopping 32 craft beers on tap. Rotating frequently, a list of featured brews is kept updated on their website and posts are made on Facebook when new kegs are tapped. Florida craft beers are well represented – JDub's, 3 Daughters, Big Storm and Cigar City are all on tap.

The specials: Revelry’s happy hour drink specials run daily from 4 to 7 p.m., featuring $1-off drafts, $3 house wines, $1-off other wine by the glass, $3 mixed premium wells and $5 premium well martinis, Manhattans and margaritas. During those same hours Sunday through Thursday, you can find a menu of $5 apps – mango curry wings, hot Bavarian pretzel sticks, beer sliders and brat bites. Other weekly specials include $3-off burgers Wednesdays, $3-off pizza and $3 JDub's pints Thursday from 4 p.m. to close and trivia Thursday at 8 p.m. Other specials are occasionally posted to Facebook, such as...

World Cup Special: In the pub area during live matches, Revelry is offering 50-cent mango curry wings, $4 brat bites, $5 pretzels, $2 Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors bottles and $3 select Florida craft pints.

The favorites: The mango curry wings are a great game-day wing. Sweet and spicy, but not overly so, they’re perfect for anxiety-induced inhalation. The hot, soft pretzel sticks with tangy mustard sauce are another great game bite. If you need something more substantial, I love the brie burger ($12, served with caramelized onions on a challah bun — sinfully yummy) and the golden potato brick oven pizza ($7 or $12, depending on size – basically a loaded baked potato on a pizza crust; need I say more?). If, for some strange reason, none of that sounds good, there's a LOT more on their menu. You’ll find something, trust me.

The bottom line: For the next World Cup match, or any game, really, check out Revelry. It’s crowded enough to feel the energy of the game coursing through the bar, but not so crowded that you won’t find a seat. The wings are good, the seats are comfy and the TVs are bountiful.

And there's beer. Lots of beer.