Buzzed in Paradise

Exactly how many Pittsburgh-themed sports bars are there in South Florida? That is the first thing that flashes into my mind as I walk through the door of Hurricane Sports Bar & Grill in Dania. Hanging on the far right side of the bar just next to a projection television is an enormous mustard-yellow banner proclaiming "You're in Steelers Country." This might give me some sort of comfort, as I was born in the Keystone State, but I had the pleasure of living in the far superior eastern half of it. As soon as I finish contemplating if more Steelers fans live in Broward County or Pittsburgh proper, I realize I'm already feeling more comfortable at Hurricane than at almost any sports bar I've stepped into this year. There are plenty of televisions to watch but not so many as to cause epileptic seizures. A room on the far-left portion of the bar houses three pool tables, and the smell of stale smoke permeates the air. Hurricane Sports Bar doesn't try to be something it isn't. It's a place where you can sit on one stool and get all your vices without moving more than a few feet.

The biggest piece of advice when visiting Hurricane is this: Sit at the bar. I made the mistake of grabbing a table a scant few feet away and quickly realized that the bartenders are far too busy with the 30 or so regulars seated around the bar to pay much attention to loners who want room to spread out. The smoke in the air thickens as the buzz of the patrons builds to a roar. It's easy to feel at home with true sports fanatics at a bar like Hurricane so long as you can deal with serious drinkers and a thick fog of cigarette smoke.