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A narrow, oddball strip of a bar, Lion’s Head Tavern is the top spot for Columbia kids rejecting Ivy League prepsterdom for that good ol’ state-school sports-bar overindulgence. Nearly every night of the week offers a monetary temptation (Sunday’s $7 pitchers, Wednesday’s $1 drafts) for acting a fool. Which, in turn, is perfect motivation for screaming along at the flickering screens, well-placed for every major viewing area: the bar stools, the large corner booth, and the elevated back area. The name’s a nod to Columbia’s mascot, but since CU is historically more like a lamb in the athletic department, the televised action’s generally focused on any given season’s top pro sport. If you must, distract yourself from the testosterone overdrive with fairly priced pub grub (25-cent wings on Saturdays) and the tchotchkes plastered on the walls: overgrown silverware, late-night Polaroids, football helmets, school pennants, and framed newspaper clippings. Or, even better, jump on the flattop Galaga machine for some high-scoring action of your own. — Amos Barshad

Saturdays from noon to 5pm: $1 drafts and 25-cent wings.