Cavs Fan Guide: Where to Watch, Eat and Drink Pregame

Photo courtesy Barley House Cleveland

Barley House Cleveland: Score four-bottle Bud Light and Budweiser buckets for $14 during games. Plus, the spot's $5 pizza specials every Thursday make tonight's game a tasty throwdown. 1261 W. Sixth St., Cleveland, 216-623-1700, barleyhousecleveland.com

Clevelander Bar & Grill: Celebrate with the $4 Kevin Love-inspired “Droppin’ Dimes” shot, made with Three Olives Cherry vodka. If you’d rather watch the Cavs make shots than drink them, the Clevelander will have $4 domestic 16-ounce cans, $3.25 short and $4.75 tall domestic drafts available for game time as well. 834 Huron Road E, Cleveland, 216-771-3723, clevelanderbar.com

Eat’n Park: Fans decked out in their best Cavs gear will score a free Smiley Cookie with their meal at Cleveland-area Eat’n Park locations, including Austintown, Boardman, Chapel Hill, Medina, Mentor, Parma, Warren and Willoughby locations. Various locations, eatnpark.com

Flat Iron Cafe: Need a lift to the game? The Flat Iron’s Cafe Valet will shuttle you and your friends for free. Plus, fans can score daily specials, which rotate every game, such as 50 cent wings during Game 3 June 8. 1114 Center St., Cleveland, 216-696-6968, flatironcafe.com

Free Cavs Fan Fests and Watch Parties: Need a pregame Cavs fan makeover or a Scream Team pump-up? Head over to these free fests outside The Q. Fans of all ages will enjoy games, live music by Northeast Ohio bands, food trucks, performances by the Cavalier Girls and giveaways for home games June 8 and 10. For away games June 2 and 5, snag a ticket to a watch party inside the arena for all of the entertainment from an actual game expect the players and the game shown on the humongotron. If it goes to more than four games, expect Fan Fests for future Finals home games and more Watch Parties for road games. Fan Fests, Outside of The Q, East Sixth Street and Gateway Plaza; Watch Parties, The Q, 1 Center Court, Cleveland,  nba.com/cavaliers/playoffs/guide

Hodge’s: One of downtown’s largest patios will play host to Cavs fans eager to catch both home and away games on the two 70-inch TVs installed specially for the NBA Finals. During the games, basketball fans can sip on $3 Coors and Great Lakes Brewing Co. Dortmunder Gold on draft. 668 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-771-4000, thedriftwoodgroup.com/restaurants/hodges

The Ritz-Carlton Cleveland: Both local and overnight basketball fans can celebrate the Cavs NBA Finals appearance at the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland. Viewing parties in the Lobby Lounge will take place every game of the Finals and the special $16 All In cocktail, made with tequila, triple sec and prickly pear liqueur and garnished with a gold sugar rim and gold dust sprinkle, will be available. Guests of the hotel’s Club Level will also receive special basketball-inspired treats. 1515 W. Third St., Cleveland, 216-623-1300, ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/cleveland 

All In cocktail

Winking Lizard: If seeing the King slam-dunk on just one screen isn’t enough, then head over to the Winking Lizard's Gateway location — just under a five-minute walk from The Q — to watch the game broadcasted on about 50 TV screens throughout the restaurant. 811 Huron Road, Cleveland, 216-589-0313, winkinglizard.com/locations/gateway

Yours Truly Restaurant: If — and when — the Cavs win the NBA championship, Yours Truly's Rockside location will serve free food the following day. There is also a Yours Truly six-item special features menu as long as the Cavs are in the NBA Finals that include bites such as the Triple Threat Notso Fries, 3 Point Swish Sliders and Brew Kettle's All For One session IPA beer. 8111 Rockside Road, Valley View, 216-524-8111, ytr.com

Cavs Fan Guide: The Case for The Q Watch Party

Cleeeevelaaand, if you haven’t been all in yet, now’s the time. As the Cleveland Cavaliers suit up and head into the NBA Finals to face the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, California, 9 p.m. tonight, the rally back in the Land is only just getting warmed up. Cavs hype-man and in-arena host, Ahmaad Crump, says there’s no better way to show that Believeland pride than dribbling over to The Q for a Cavs watch party. 

“It gives you a close to an authentic feel of watching a Cavaliers home basketball game while the players are on the road. We extend the opportunity out to Cavs fans from all over.

The atmosphere is unbelievable. Everything that goes on as far as excitement at a Cavaliers home game, it’s the same thing that goes on [at the watch party]. All the entertainment teams, all the introductions with the pyro. You want to watch the game around more passionate Cavs fans, to get a chance to experience 20,000 fans in the arena? If you’ve been in the Q before, if you haven’t, we treat everybody in here like it’s your first time. 

I’m excited [for the Finals] simply because of everything the city has been through, the Decision. I’m just excited to see the Cavs be in the Finals again. It’s been a long time coming and Cleveland is the butt of a lot of jokes out there. I love my city, I was born and raised here, and I really want this championship. And I think this’ll be the year that we actually do it.” — as told to Brielle Gregory

While the parties for tonight and June 7 are sold out, there may be a limited amount of tickets available in-person at The Q box office or by calling 888-894-9424 at 7 p.m. tonight or 6 p.m. June 7. Also, if a Game 5 and 7 are necessary, there will be watch parties June 14 and 19 respectively.