Long Beach and Atlantic Beach’s best places to watch the World Cup | Herald Community Newspapers

This week marked the beginning of the World Cup, with the first matches being played on June 11. Two bars have committed to providing the best World Cup watching experience on Long Island.

The Cabana in Long Beach’s West End, and Das Biergarten, nine blocks down in East Atlantic Beach, each have large TVs as well as TVs throughout their establishments, all of which will play World Cup matches.

“We plan on having all the games on, they’re mostly afternoon games,” Bob Johnson, owner of the Cabana, said. “We also had World Cup games on in 2022, but there’s much more excitement this year because it’s happening in the U.S., we wanted to use that opportunity.”

Johnson also explained that there would be World Cup themed drink specials, bucket deals for beers and seltzers, and brunch deals for early games. He also teased a ‘best dressed soccer fan’ deal with a free drink reward. The Cabana has a stage in its outside seating area as well, so there will also be live music during some of the games.

Although Cabana and Das Biergarten are rival businesses by proximity, their owners are friends. “Drew [Andrew Hetzler] has always been a great friend, even though he’d tell you we’re the music spot and he’s the real World Cup place,” Johnson joked.

 Andrew Hetlzer, owner of Das Biergarten, embraces his restaurant’s title as the ‘real’ World Cup watching venue. “We’ll be hosting every game,” he said. “Especially big events for the U.S., Germany, and Mexico.”

Hetzler said he would be advertising for the World Cup games on all Das Biergarten’s social media, including its Instagram and Facebook. “I’ll be running my ads in English, German, and Spanish, just for fun,” he said. “I want to target all of our friends in the Latin community in the Long Beach area as well.”

Das Biergarten will have food and drink specials not dissimilar to Cabana, including a ‘2-liter boot of beer.’

Hetzler’s restaurant has been hosting World Cup games as well as EuroCup games since 2018. “We opened in 2014, but it was right after the World Cup, and that was the one that Germany won too, so we just missed out on it,” Hetzler said. “We’ve gotten big crowds every year since then, though.”