Nightlife in Mansfield City

Thirty high-definition TVs airing sports games make Black Bear Saloon a destination for fans, who fuel up for fist pumps with a menu of American pub favorites. Beef, chicken, and salmon sliders, paired with crispy onion rings, are a pintsize alternative to burgers topped with a selection of gourmet ingredients such as roasted red peppers or avocado. Homemade marinara crowns flatbread pizzas and also serves as a sauce in which to slam-dunk deep-fried nuggets of mac 'n' cheese.

Hosted events are still another reason to visit: on Tuesday nights, the voices of karaoke singers wash over the bar's exposed-brick walls, and Wednesday trivia challenges guests to unearth factoids from their cerebral nooks and crannies. On the weekends, live DJs spin records as guests tap toes and shout requests for favorite Raffi songs from the pub's deep-brown booths.

The rural Irish village of Gleann Beithe stands across the ocean from Hartford, but according to the road sign inside Hanafin’s Irish Pub, it's only 18 kilometers away. Built from heavy wooden beams that gleam in the light of hanging lamps, the pub mirrors Ireland's public houses in appearance and spirit. Here, guests socialize, imbibe Irish whiskeys and draft beers, and dine on traditional Irish meals, such as corned beef and cabbage. The cooks add an American twist to tradition with dishes such as Prince Edward Island mussels in Guinness cream sauce and potato pizza topped with mashed potatoes, green onions, and aged cheddar. To entertain guests as they nosh, large screens broadcast football games and bare-handed boxing matches between major-network weathermen. The pub also holds a trivia night that won a spot on CBS Connecticut's Best Bars for Trivia Nights list.

Located amid Mashantucket's rolling hills in the middle of the Foxwoods Resort Casino, Comix treats audiences to shows by the country's top comedians. National headliners, up-and-comers, and musical acts all fill the venue's spaces. Performers in the 1,400-seat Fox Theater play to a larger but still intimate audience, while the 4,000-person MGM Grand Theater hosts such hilarity-generating superstars as Louis C.K., Jim Gaffigan, and Margaret Cho. Before shows, guests can take advantage of happy hour, perusing a menu of tasty appetizers such as wings and pizza, as well as a drink selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.

At TD Homer’s Grill, families can enjoy classic American eats on two spacious outdoor patios or seated indoors in booths with private HDTVs. As cooks hand-cut steaks, prepare salads, and grill half-pound burgers, patrons feast eyes on 90 screens primed for watching anything from sports to cartoons.

The menu at 007 is packed with high-protein thrills. Cut to the sating chase with a hefty half-pound 007 burger, topped with grilled mushrooms and onions, bacon, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and blue-cheese dressing ($9.99), or a 14-ounce grilled sirloin with their secret spice rub ($19.99, 10-ounce available for $15.99). To escape the New World tastes and return to an Old World state of tongue, have a classic order of fish and chips ($10.99).

Starting Friday, October 5 at 6 p.m. and running through Monday, October 8, O Fest RI, spearheaded by Doherty's East Avenue Irish Pub, celebrates autumn with beer, live music, and general merriment. The festival features fall-themed libations from as far away as Germany itself—with Oktoberfest brews from Spaten, Hofbrau, and Paulaner—and those from closer to home from brewers such as Harpoon, Sam Adams, and Shipyard. In addition, the festival will feature a lineup of musical acts, including What Matters and Those Guys.

Doherty's East Avenue Irish Pub, whose whopping 82 taps helped earn it an award for Best Bar and Beer Selection in The Phoenix's Best of Providence 2011, will anchor the celebration from their dark-wood bar. The bar itself serves a host of culinary treats from Prince Edward Island mussels in zesty zuppa sauce to blackened jerk salmon. An outdoor patio plays host to al fresco dining and lassoing the moon to impress dates.